Abaddon and Friends
After converting up my new Abaddon the Despoiler, I decided that he needed a chance to prove himself on the field! Just looking at his profile and wargear, it's not hard to see that he is a close combat power house, but unfortunately he is a tad slow without a Landraider, or Forgeworld assistance. Coming up with a list that used Abaddon, I decided that a counter-attack approach might be best. Give my army enough shooting to make enemies want to approach it, but enough combat to deal with them once they've arrived. Similarly, I have enough combat and mobility that if I play against an army with superior firepower, I can still probably make it across the board to do some damage. Without further adieu, here's the list:
Abaddon the Despoiler
10 Chaos Marines: Bolters, 2 plasma guns Rhino: Combi-bolter, havoc launcher 10 Chaos Marines: Bolters, 2 plasma guns Rhino: Combi-bolter, havoc launcher 19 Chaos Cultists: Autopistol, close combat weapon 10 Chaos Cultists: 9 Autoguns 10 Chaos Cultists: 9 Autoguns
Heldrake: Baleflamer Heldrake: Baleflamer
3 Obliterators: Mark of Nurgle, Veterans of the Long War Maulerfiend: Lasher tendrils Maulerfiend: Lasher tendrils
Total: 1750
Last night I had a chance to test this list (well one very similar, just a couple small wargear changes) and I have to say that I was quite impressed. My opponent was the Tyranid player, Bugsculptor, who I haven't beat in over a year, despite my best efforts.
Here are a few Highlights from the game:
Abaddon donkey punches Trygons... seriously, it's shameful and I love it. Him and his Cultists rack up 4 KP, killing units of termagants and a Trygon. While it was annoying seeing him get tied up by the Termagants, it was great fun watching him kill 8 at a time. I'm sure had the game gone another turn he would have eaten a Tervigon as well.
The Obliterators racked up a massive tally of damage: The Doom of Malan'tai, 4 wounds on the Swarmlord, 2 Hive Guard, 3 wounds on Tervigons, finished off a Flyrant, and killed 2 termagants on accident.
The Heldrakes worked great to double-strike monstrous creatures and fry gaunts, though that's to be expected.
Finally, the Maulerfiends, reducing a Trygon to a single attack meant tying it up for 3 rounds and bringing it down to a single wound before it was freed up, only to get punched in the face by another Maulerfiend (after it helped with the first one and killed the Mycetic Spore).
In the end, I won, 11-5, with points for Slay the Warlord, First Blood and Line-Breaker, my opponent killed one shooty cultist unit, Abaddon's cultists, two rhinos and had Line-Breaker.