Crucible Guard Tactics and Lists
Hey, everyone! Welcome to a series of articles on WARMACHINE and HORDES that will focus on a different aspect of the game in each piece and how you can improve your game one step at a time. I’ll cover topics from basic dice math (as we did in that Dev Hangout stream a few weeks back! #Mathgani) to basic concepts, such as what you want to think about when spacing your models as you advance up the table.
The first topic I want to focus on is how to construct a list pair. For this, I’ll use my proposed lists for Crucible Guard.
The first thing I do when I start work on a list pairing is to identify either what ’caster I want to play or what other models I want to use. Personally, I love Gearhart, so I wanted to make a list with him that leveraged some really fun gameplay, powerful assassination, and solid attrition. I also really like Rocketmen; I think Gearheart does a lot for them. So, this, then, will be the backbone of my list. I want to be able to apply Rust to targets in front of my Rocketmen, so I opted for a Vulcan instead of a Suppressor.
Here is that list:
Theme Force: Magnum Opus
[Gearhart 1] Marshal General Baldwin Gearhart
– Vulcan
– Aurum Ominus Alyce Marc [Free]
Trancer
Trancer
Trancer
– Crucible Guard Rocketman Captain
– Crucible Guard Rocketman Captain
I was able to fit in two small units of Rocketmen, a Vulcan to apply Rust, two Dragon’s Breath Rockets (to apply Withering Humor, another great armor de-buff), and a full unit of Forge Guard with Morley. This unit of Forge Guard gives me a nice melee punch to back up my Vulcan should my opponent manage to hamper my ranged fighting options.
The next thing I do is look for a second list. My Gearhart list is going to struggle in armor, as it doesn’t pack a huge amount of punch. Sure, on the feat turn, the Rocketmen can bring some firepower to bear, but I need something that can really hammer it home. I think my options are Syvestro in Prima Materia or Magnum Opus, Mackay in Prima Materia, or Locke in Prima Materia. I also want this list to be melee-centric so ranged counters don’t shut me out. I have chosen Syvestro in Prima Materia.
Syvestro is great because he brings a huge amount of flexibility to a list. Between Explosivo, Admonition, Purification, and Revive, Syvestro can do a lot of different things. I’m choosing to go with Prima Materia over Magnum Opus because I already have a lot of infantry in my other list—I want to ensure I keep some variety of my lists so it’s harder to answer both at the same time.
With all of these things in mind, this is the list I settled on:
Theme Force: Prima Materia
[Syvestro 1] Aurum Adeptus Syvestro
– Toro
– Toro
– Vanguard
– Aurum Ominus Alyce Marc [Free]
Crucible Guard Mechanik
Gorman di Wulfe, Rogue Alchemist
– Vulcan
Trancer
Trancer
I really like how this list complements the Gearhart list. It’s got a great melee punch: between Rust and Withering Humor, the Toro will be POW 20. Transmutation can get this up to POW 22 on its main weapon. This brings plenty of damage to the table. With the same effects applied in melee, the Vulcan will scrap about anything in the game. This also has enough shooting, between the Vulcan and the Vindicator, to apply pressure to melee armies, forcing them to commit. Transmutation on a Vanguard makes a durable zone-holding light that can even pump out some solid damage, if it needs to.
Some of what I really like about this list pair:
– Diverse model range means it’s hard for opponents to have a single list that answers both of mine.
– Fast scenario-contesting pieces help either draw the game out to attrition or until an assassination presents itself.
-Solid ranged and melee threats in both lists allow you to answer a large amount of problem lists.
Now, then…your homework! I want you to think about your Steamroller list pair—do you answer the issues you see in your lists with your pair? Can you pose a few questions regarding your opponent’s as well? If you are running a skew type list (A future topic, for sure!), does your second list help stop some of the bad matchups of that skew?
Let us know how your personal assessment goes on social media by tagging Privateer Press on: Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram (use #PrivateerTactics).
