play: army list: iron warriors, 2000 pts

When I first started looking to take my Iron Warriors past 400 points, I kitted them out all the way to 2500 points with designs on using a significant amount of ForgeWorld to make it happen. However, due to recent developments 'round the house I've had to take a closer look at hobby expenditures and expectations. We all understand expenditures, but expectations may not be something you struggle with. I do. While a 2500 point army sounds great, I've got a proven track record of stalling out on large hobby projects. It pains me to write the following statement, but it's true and bears noting: "I have never finished a tabletop ready 40K army."

I've started several. I built 10 tanks and 2 ancillary vehicles for my "Armorked Krumpany," but stalled out when it came time to chip and paint them. I built the "Sons of the Forge" 5th Company, a DIY Iron Hands successor chapter, but they sit in my hobby room having never seen a drop of primer. I came really close to completing 400 points of "emORKgency!" for Adepticon 2011's Combat Patrol, but I didn't get the last coat of white on 'em before the tournament and couldn't muster enough "give a shit" when I got back from Chicago.

With that in mind, I've spent a good chunk of the two weeks back at the proverbial drawing board - really a red folder containing plain white paper, a Codex, and a pencil - trying to work up a list that minimizes expenditure, controls model count, and allows enough fluff and modeling challenge that I stay jazzed on the concept 'till completion. Reading Graham McNeill's Storm of Iron while I sorted this out helped make some tough decisions. Without further ado, the list:

Iron Warband of Warsmith Thokcha SIEGE ASSAULT Iron Palatine Gibeon's Breaching Squad Aerugo (358 pts) . . . Chaos Lord . . . . . . mark of Tzeentch . . . . . . daemon weapon . . . Plague Marines x6 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Chaos Rhino - "Chelonian III" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . havoc launcher Iron Ascendant Scoriæ's Slaughterers (291 pts) . . . Chosen x6 . . . . . . icon of Khorne . . . . . . meltagun x2 . . . . . . paired lightning claws x2 . . . Aspiring Champion . . . . . . paired lightning claws . . . Chaos Rhino - "Fornax" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Iron Aspirant Sikhote's Breaching Squad Ferrugo (276 pts) . . . Plague Marines x6 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Plague Champion . . . . . . power fist . . . Chaos Rhino - "Scutum IX" . . . . . . dozer blade . . . . . . havoc launcher TRENCH DEFENSE Captain Ahnighito's Zigouilleurs (175 pts) . . . Chaos Havocs x5 . . . . . . heavy bolter x2 . . . . . . melta gun . . . . . . flamer . . . Aspiring Champion . . . . . . power weapon . . . . . . combi-melta Polybolos Alpha (200 pts) . . . Chaos Space Marines x11 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . lascannon Polybolos Beta (200 pts) . . . Chaos Space Marines x11 . . . . . . plasma gun . . . . . . lascannon AUXILLIARY Sturm (120 pts) . . . Chaos Dreadnought . . . . . . additional CCW . . . . . . extra armor . . . . . . heavy flamer Drang (120 pts) . . . Chaos Dreadnought . . . . . . additional CCW . . . . . . extra armor . . . . . . heavy flamer Von Steyr (130 pts) . . . Chaos Vindicator . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Dulle Griet (130 pts) . . . Chaos Vindicator . . . . . . twin-linked bolter Total Roster Cost: 2000 points

All told, I shaved off 500 points and about $150 of extra expenditure. I started with the goal of getting an infantry-heavy core of 1250-1500 points, and I think I've accomplished that well enough. If you remove the Auxiliary section it comes to 1500 points exactly. I think the list looks pretty adaptable to for games from 750 points all the way up 2000.

You may have noticed that I named a Warsmith for the army, but that he's nowhere to be found. Well, just like the Chapter Master may not be at every battle a Space Marine chapter fights, the Warsmith may not be either. In point of fact, the Warsmith is barely in Storm of Iron, letting his subordinates follow his commands from afar and showing up only when he needs to. And when he shows up, he shows up in style!

The plan is to have Warsmith Thokcha be no different. Once the list above is completed - built, painted, and played - I am then allowed to, when funds allow, craft Warsmith Thokcha and retinue. I'm thinkin' a Terminator Lord and his posse in Tactical Dreadnought armour rollin' 'round in a tricked-out Land Raider. I haven't pointed them up yet, and I've no idea how I'll fit him in the list, but he's my reward for a job done. Well or otherwise.

As you may be able to tell from all the links above, I spent quite some time crafting names and stories for this Warband. I'll try to include some of that in as I finish building/painting each unit.