"The Big Leagues" - Warhammer 40k Gaming League

Success is not a goal to reach or a finish line to cross.

It is a system to improve, and endless process to refine.

- James Clear

Welcome back to The Art of Caesura!

Last week we took a look at some of the changes to Black Templars with the new Codex. This week we're going to put it all together for something exciting which is just beginning: my first league!

The Guild Hall, our Friendly Local Gaming Store, is running its first Warhammer 40k Gaming League, and I've entered! Yes me - the consummate painter! I am probably mad; life is already crazy enough, I've only played 3 games in the past year, I don't really know the rules, I don't have a 2000 point army painted...but there's no time like the present (and other such platitudes).

So, today I'm going to share TWO lists with you. The first list (aptly named "League Starting List") is exactly that. It is as close to the list that I would actually like to be running (which is the second list below) with the models that I currently have. 

The rules of the league are that you are allowed to swap 1 unit after each game, or you can save up a swap (swap 2 smaller units for one larger one after 2 games) or change your detachment after 3 games. 

Let's take a look at the first list:

League Starting List (1995 points)

Space Marines

Black Templars

Strike Force (2000 points)

Gladius Task Force

CHARACTERS

Castellan (60 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Master-crafted power weapon

Chaplain Grimaldus (110 points)

  • 1x Chaplain Grimaldus

    • 1x Artificer crozius

      1x Plasma pistol

  • 3x Cenobyte Servitor

    • 3x Close combat weapon

Emperor’s Champion (105 points)

  • 1x Black Sword

    1x Bolt Pistol

  • Enhancement: The Honour Vehement

High Marshal Helbrecht (120 points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Ferocity

    1x Sword of the High Marshals

Judiciar (70 points)

  • 1x Absolvor bolt pistol

    1x Executioner relic blade

Marshal (80 points)

  • 1x Master-crafted power weapon

    1x Plasma pistol

Techmarine (55 points)

  • 1x Forge bolter

    1x Grav-pistol

    1x Omnissian power axe

    1x Servo-arm

BATTLELINE

Assault Intercessor Squad (75 points)

  • 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Plasma pistol

      1x Thunder hammer

  • 4x Assault Intercessor

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      4x Heavy bolt pistol

Crusader Squad (150 points)

  • 1x Sword Brother

    • 1x Master-crafted power weapon

      1x Pyre pistol

  • 5x Initiate

    • 3x Astartes chainsword

      5x Bolt pistol

      5x Close combat weapon

      5x Heavy bolt pistol

      2x Power fist

  • 4x Neophyte

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      4x Bolt pistol

Crusader Squad (150 points)

  • 1x Sword Brother

    • 1x Master-crafted power weapon

      1x Pyre pistol

  • 5x Initiate

    • 3x Astartes chainsword

      5x Bolt pistol

      5x Close combat weapon

      5x Heavy bolt pistol

      2x Power fist

  • 4x Neophyte

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      4x Bolt pistol

Heavy Intercessor Squad (100 points)

  • 1x Heavy Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Bolt pistol

      1x Close combat weapon

      1x Heavy bolt rifle

  • 4x Heavy Intercessor

    • 4x Bolt pistol

      4x Close combat weapon

      3x Heavy bolt rifle

      1x Heavy bolter

Intercessor Squad (80 points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Astartes grenade launcher

      1x Bolt pistol

      1x Bolt rifle

      1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

    • 4x Bolt pistol

      4x Bolt rifle

      4x Close combat weapon

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Impulsor (85 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    1x Bellicatus missile array

    2x Fragstorm grenade launcher

    1x Multi-melta

OTHER DATASHEETS

Bladeguard Veteran Squad (80 points)

  • 1x Bladeguard Veteran Sergeant

    • 1x Master-crafted power weapon

      1x Neo-volkite pistol

  • 2x Bladeguard Veteran

    • 2x Heavy bolt pistol

      2x Master-crafted power weapon

Land Raider Crusader (220 points)

  • 1x Armoured tracks

    1x Hunter-killer missile

    2x Hurricane bolter

    1x Multi-melta

    1x Twin assault cannon

Repulsor Executioner (220 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    1x Heavy laser destroyer

    1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

    1x Icarus rocket pod

    1x Multi-melta

    1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

    1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

    1x Twin heavy bolter

Sword Brethren Squad (105 points)

  • 4x Sword Brother

    • 4x Heavy bolt pistol

      4x Master-crafted power weapon

Sword Brethren Squad (130 points)

  • 5x Sword Brother

    • 1x Astartes chainsword

      2x Heavy bolt pistol

      4x Master-crafted power weapon

      1x Plasma pistol

      2x Pyre pistol

Some general observations:

Once again, this list is very much dictated by what I currently own and have painted (painting points kick into the league after 2 or 3 games, and I am a notoriously slow painter). Even with this list, I will have a bunch of stuff that is only partially painted (One Sword Brethren unit, the Repulsor Executioner, one Crusader Squad, the Techmarine, Judiciar and Castellan. 

Due to the time constraints, I must be very strategic with my painting and prioritize painting the models that will be both part of my starting and final list. 

My first game of the league will hopefully be next week - against Tau - so I have been building like mad to at least physically have the models to put on the table!

Now let's spend more time looking at the list I hope to evolve into. My editorials are in italics. 

League Final (2000 points)

Space Marines

Black Templars

Strike Force (2000 points)

Gladius Task Force

Yes, I went with Gladius instead of one of our bespoke detachments. As you will see with much of the rest of this list, my priority was ease of use. 

CHARACTERS

Castellan (60 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Master-crafted power weapon

Castellan (60 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Master-crafted power weapon

Chaplain Grimaldus (110 points)

  • 1x Chaplain Grimaldus

    • 1x Artificer crozius

      1x Plasma pistol

  • 3x Cenobyte Servitor

    • 3x Close combat weapon

Emperor’s Champion (105 points)

  • Warlord

  • 1x Black Sword

    1x Bolt Pistol

  • Enhancement: The Honour Vehement

Lieutenant with Combi-weapon (70 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Paired combat blades

Marshal (90 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Master-crafted power weapon

  • Enhancement: Artificer Armour

Marshal (80 points)

  • 1x Combi-weapon

    1x Master-crafted power weapon

The Marshal + Castellan combo is borderline broken. You put them both in with 4 Sword Brethren, all armed with Master Crafted Power Weapons (MCPW). The Marshal gives Crits on 5s, the MCPW give Lethal Hits and the Castellan gives re-rolls to hit (so you fish for lethals on 5s and 6s). Apparently this 6-man squad with -1AP from Gladius can just about bring down a big Knight in one round! So, I think the plan would be to put these two squads in transports and go YOLO!

The Emp Champ is a melee beast, he goes with one of the Assault Intercessors to benefit from their re-rolls. 

Grimaldus is a hold-over from the past and (sadly) would probably be the first thing I would drop if I was changing things up. I previously had 2 Crusader Squads in this list and he could go with one of them. Now, I suppose he would go with the other Assault Intercessor squad. He doesn't synergise brilliantly, because they already have re-roll hits (which he also bestows), and he would prefer to be buffing a larger squad, but he also give Advance and Charge or -1AP. He would also make the squad a bit more durable because he and his 3 Servitors have Invulnerable Saves and Feel No Pain. 

The Combi- Lieutenant is just there for Lone Op, screening out the back field, performing actions, and holding my home objective. 

BATTLELINE

Assault Intercessor Squad (75 points)

  • 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Hand flamer

      1x Power fist

  • 4x Assault Intercessor

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      4x Heavy bolt pistol

Assault Intercessor Squad (75 points)

  • 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Hand flamer

      1x Power fist

  • 4x Assault Intercessor

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      4x Heavy bolt pistol

Intercessor Squad (80 points)

  • 1x Intercessor Sergeant

    • 1x Astartes grenade launcher

      1x Bolt pistol

      1x Bolt rifle

      1x Power fist

  • 4x Intercessor

    • 4x Bolt pistol

      4x Bolt rifle

      4x Close combat weapon

I think the Battleline choices are pretty straight-forward. I am sad to not be including ANY Crusader Squads in this list, but, having lost their scout move, and one attack on their chainswords, as well as Grimmy not being able to give them the 5+ FNP that he used to, they just aren't that amazing anymore. We'll have to see if they get a glow-up in 11th Edition. 

One Assault Intercessor squad goes with the Emp Champ, while the other goes with Grimaldus. The regular Intercessors sticky objectives and then just blast away with their upgraded FOUR shots! 

DEDICATED TRANSPORTS

Impulsor (85 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    2x Fragstorm grenade launcher

    1x Multi-melta

    1x Shield Dome

I hope one Impulsor is enough, I think it will be with my two Repulsors, but the Sword Bros are pretty squishy, so they need to be transported. 

OTHER DATASHEETS

Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs (90 points)

  • 1x Assault Intercessor Sergeant with Jump Pack

    • 1x Plasma pistol

      1x Power fist

  • 4x Assault Intercessors with Jump Packs

    • 4x Astartes chainsword

      3x Heavy bolt pistol

      1x Plasma pistol

Ballistus Dreadnought (140 points)

  • 1x Armoured feet

    1x Ballistus lascannon

    1x Ballistus missile launcher

    1x Twin storm bolter

Gladiator Lancer (160 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    1x Icarus rocket pod

    1x Lancer laser destroyer

    1x Multi-melta

    2x Storm bolter

Repulsor Executioner (220 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    1x Heavy laser destroyer

    1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

    1x Icarus rocket pod

    1x Multi-melta

    1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

    1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

    1x Twin heavy bolter

Repulsor Executioner (220 points)

  • 1x Armoured hull

    1x Heavy laser destroyer

    1x Heavy onslaught gatling cannon

    1x Icarus rocket pod

    1x Multi-melta

    1x Repulsor Executioner defensive array

    1x Twin Icarus ironhail heavy stubber

    1x Twin heavy bolter

Scout Squad (70 points)

  • 1x Scout Sergeant

    • 1x Astartes chainsword

      1x Bolt pistol

      1x Close combat weapon

  • 4x Scout

    • 4x Bolt pistol

      4x Close combat weapon

      2x Combat knife

      1x Missile launcher

      1x Scout sniper rifle

Sword Brethren Squad (105 points)

  • 4x Sword Brother

    • 4x Heavy bolt pistol

      4x Master-crafted power weapon

Sword Brethren Squad (105 points)

  • 4x Sword Brother

    • 4x Heavy bolt pistol

      4x Master-crafted power weapon

These "Other" options are a bit of a hodgepodge, and all things considered the list is a bit more "shooty" then I would prefer. I hope the Jump Intercessors will just be a menace, the Ballistus and Lancer are both incredibly shooty, and (having been on the receiving end of them) they can soak up quite a nice bit of attention from the opponent. Same goes for the TWO Repulsors. 

Scouts are another hearken back to my old lists which always included them because they were priced to move (points-wise). They have gone up in points but still seem handy for performing actions / claiming objectives etc. 

We've already talked about how the two Sword Bros with Marshal + Castellan will be the extreme damage dealers - if I can get them into the right targets. 

And that's it! It will be fun to plan out my evolution from the first list to the second as I complete games and get models painted. I do wish there were more overlap between the two lists, because I might not even make it to the second list by the time the league is over! But such is the life of a slow painter!

I must admit to being a little nervous about this league: I've never played a 2000 point battle before, I've only used secondary objectives a few times, I always forget to use strategems, and I don't have a great sense of other armies (what the threat priorities are etc). I hope some people in the league will be in the same boat as me and regardless, the point of the league for me is to have fun, meet people and get better at the game!

Thank you for tuning in, I'll be sure to keep you a breast of how things are going with the league! See you next week on The Art of Caesura!

Reading: Kane and Abel - Jeffrey Archer

Watching: Alien Earth

Next Week:

Bring in the heavies...