On the Siege-Wing

Next post gets prompted by a comment in the post on Vindicators a few days back; a request for thoughts on 'Siegewing.'

Siege-wing is a Dark Angel build that involves filling your heavy support slots with Vindicators, and takes Deathwing Terminators as troops. Since this is a fairly specific list request, I'm going to go through a step-by-step process as I 'build' it out, and explain the logic and use of the pieces.

The Build Process
Well, since we are DA Deathwing, we have to take Belial (130 points), and I figure you might as well give him Lightning Claws and use that high initiative to maybe gut some troops and crank out a decent number of attacks.

Then, we're taking a minimum of two Deathwing terminator squads. They start at 215, and the assault cannon is, frankly, a decent choice of weapons. Walking troops don't get to use flamers by default (...please, tell me someone that will LET you walk up and use them) and the Cyclone launcher is...eh. (If/when DA ever get updated to have the 2-shot regular missile launcher for it, you drop the assault cannon like a bad habit). Then, we grab a chainfist to at least worry heavy armor.

The Core
So, our start is:
Belial [130]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]

Total: 630

Core Expansion: Theme Set
We then promptly add three Vindicators with Dozer Blades; 130 each. Let's also add a third terminator squad, just to have a decent number of troops in there.

So, we have:

Belial [130]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]

Total: 1270

Fleshing Out Capabilities
We have three troops choices (that are at least fearless), and three Vindicators. The Vindies can do some lifting for vehicle-killing, but share the same range issues as our terminators. So, we'll look to Dreadnoughts to bring in some longer-ranged punch. Since we have enough high-strength attacks available in the army, we can readily get a missile launcher on the dreadnought. From there, our 'free' heavy weapon choices are:

Twin-linked autocannon
Heavy Bolter
Assault Cannon
Multi-melta

Or, a TL Lascannon for +20 points.

I'm going to back the autocannon, here. Why? Range is one of them. You want to try to stop transports and harass smaller, faster units from as far away as possible. The autocannon does this for you. The lascannon shares the range, but cannot then be used against infantry that well, and frankly you're looking to Vindicators or Chainfists to handle heavier armor.

So, I'd go for the 135 TL Autocannon/Missile Launcher Dreadnought.

Belial [130]
Dreadnought w/ TL Autocannon, Missile Launcher [135]
Dreadnought w/ TL Autocannon, Missile Launcher [135]
Dreadnought w/ TL Autocannon, Missile Launcher [135]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
DW Termies w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]

Total: 1675/2000

The Remainder
We have 325 points to play with. Not bad, right? Not bad. What do we have in terms of capabilities?

Light/medium long-range anti-armor (Dreadnoughts)
Fearless Shooty/semi-decent CC troops (Terminators)
BFGs on wheels (Vindicators)

Here's a brainstorm for you: a home-base scoring squad that helps give us more armor, and contributes a little long-ranged firepower:

5 Man Tactical Squad w/ Flamer [95]
Razorback w/ TL Lascannon [80]

It doesn't really move. The enemy has to spend long-range anti-tank weapons to STOP the thing, and the enemy has to worry about three AV13/11/10 guys closing, 16 terminators, and three dreadnoughts pouring on the support fire.

This puts us to 1850. We have an HQ slot open, two troops slots, and three fast attack slots.

I would propose two choices:
1) Two MM/HF speeders (75 points each; 2000 on the dot)
2) DH Inquisitor Lord w/ Hood, Emperor's Tarot, Auspex
2 Heavy Bolter Servitors
3 Mystics
[15o]

The MM/HF speeders keep it pure-ish Deathwing (at least pure Dark Angels), and give the enemy some more immediate threats. The Inquisitor Lord can help you get first turn (and that important 12" move + Smoke) and if anyone Deep Strikes, well, you have an S10, AP2 surprise for them. Technically there is fire support as well, with a couple of Heavy Bolters.

Personally, I kind of lean towards the latter.

For You Purists
If you are not a fan of the Razorback score squad, I would consider still adding more troops. In a sense, a 5-man power-armored Grey Knight psycannon squad isn't a bad score-camper at range. However, they do cost you 200 points. Hopefully the enemy has other places to look.

Otherwise, you're pretty much committing to another DW Terminator Squad (250) and leaving yourself with 75 points. I would seriously consider shaving some points to add a Grey Knight Brother-Captain with Psychic Hood (81 points). At LEAST get that psychic hood in your army. Drop a missile launcher off a Dreadnought or something. Make that fourth DW Squad a Cyclone Missile Launcher and sit it at your home objective or something.

If you are really, really pure and want to stick to the DW 'dex, then you're going with a MM/HF speeder, because that's what you have points for.

Suggested List: Siege-Wing with Inquisitorial Allies
HQ
Belial w/ Lightning Claws [130]

Inquisitor Lord w/ Psychic Hood, Emperor's Tarot, Auspex [150]
-2 Heavy Bolter Servitors
-3 Mystics

Elites
Dreadnought w/ Missle Launcher, TL Autocannon [135]

Dreadnought w/ Missle Launcher, TL Autocannon [135]

Dreadnought w/ Missle Launcher, TL Autocannon [135]

Troops
DW Terminator Squad w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]

DW Terminator Squad w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]

DW Terminator Squad w/ Assault Cannon, Chainfist [250]

5-man Tactical Squad w/ Flamer [95]
Razorback w/ TL Lascannon [80]

Heavy Support
Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]

Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]

Vindicator w/ Dozer Blade [130]

Total: 2000/2000

The Logic
Advance Terminators up the field BEHIND the Vindicators. Vindicators scare things, draw fire. Dreadoughts and TL Las-Back prioritize targets that can kill Vindicators/Terminators and the enemy's mobility. Vindicators prioritize heavy armor. Terminators use assault cannons on lighter armor as it permits (more fun if you can open up shooting gaps in between vindicator flanks for assault cannon shots) and punch out tanks/non-assaulty infantry.

Note that since terminators have a 2+ armor save, but only a 5+ invulnerable, you can lose terminators to more dedicated melee troops. A few guys with decent-strength power weapons at initiative can and will make hash browns out of an expensive terminator squad, so be aware of that and prioritize accordingly.

The Inquisitor's tarot helps you get first turn, and his hood helps keep psychic powers off you. If you want, you could skip the heavy bolter servitors but I am not entirely sure what you would do with the points saved. I mean, it's 50 points in an army that spends points in large chunks.

List Pros
Decent mobility/mechanization. If you go first, you push Vindicators up and run Terminators behind them. You have decent long-range power, and decent infantry. Your forward scoring troops are Fearless; your rear-echelon guys are in a vehicle. You have psychic defenses that aren't bad, either; a Ld10 hood is almost as effective as a Rune Priest's Rune Staff (but without the pesky 24" range), but not quite as nasty as Runes of Warding.

You laugh at monstrous creatures, because of powerfists and a decent amount of high-strength shooting.

You have old-school 'glance only' smoke on your vehicles.

List Cons
You're bringing Vindicators, which are nasty, BUT also a lot more frightening then they are effective. Additionally, if the Vindicators go down or have bad shots, you're in trouble, since you're relying on them to do some of the scaring.

Terminators are, as I mentioned, not the highest-end melee troops. Higher-initiative power weapons can do nasty things to your 250pt squads. Vindicators also have to be wary of accidentally scattering onto your terminators, and I feel that's a major concern with the Siege-Wing list: you can quite accidentally help out your opponent with careless deployment/shooting and just plain bad dice on the Demolisher Cannons.

Other than terminators as troops, you're still rolling with the Dark Angel codex, which does kind of hurt your options. Compare this list to the vanilla Space Marine list at the end of the Vindi Post and...yeah. You're just shorter on options.

Model count is...decent.

Ultimately, though, if Siege-Wing is what you want, I think this is a decent enough list. I'm not sure Siege-Wing is necessarily upper-tier in terms of armies, but what the hell.