Hello everyone Frankie here also known as the worlds greatest 40k player. I am going to talk a little bit about how to build a list in 7th.
So back in the day when Reece and the Dinosaurs roamed the land (two old guy jokes in two days, ouch! -Ed) there was a little thing called the Force organization chart. Well in 7th they decided to just toss that out of the window. Now with the way the rules are written you can take anything you want, and don’t even need to have point limits. A little too crazy for my liking and that also doesn’t work for tournaments. I do dig it with a few minor tweaks and some limitations on how to build a list, like what we used at the BAO. It makes the game more fun and a little more balanced. But I’m not hear to talk about the framework of list building, I want to discuss what is needed in a list to win games.
Lets start with HQ’s. They have always been a very important part of any list and this edition is no exception. HQ’s still change the way certain armies play; whether they change the FoC, or add special rules to your army. Back in 6th, HQ’s were what you made lists around, trying to get crazy combos off or making the most bad-ass close combat characters you could. It was a bit silly on how dependent a lot of lists were in 6th which is why I am loving 7th. It feels like most lists are not based around a single character or a bunch of characters. Although those lists still work, it feels as if most players are going away from HQ spam and taking far more variety. So for this article in this slot let’s say either pick someone that is going to change the way your army plays by giving you special abilities or changes your FoC.
Troop slots. Sorry, you guys are not needed anymore since everything scores. Just kidding! If your codex has strong troops that will contribute to the fight then for sure take as many as you can. Objective secured is for sure worth it and has won me quite a few games. But for those Codexes that do not have strong, the need to take troops is no longer needed. I would recommend taking the minimum if they are not good and three to four if they pack some punch. I am having so much fun now that everything scores it makes the game so much more tactical and brings a lot of variety to the game so I think this has been a positive change.
Elites and Fast Attack Slots. Now these slots you fill up if your troops are not very strong. Since they do score they kind of fill the roll of your troops and contribute to the fight. Again with the changes to 7th you can really take so many different units and do well its awesome and I have seen far more units in these slots this edition than any of the ones before.
Heavy Support. This I think is the only slot that really hasn’t changed much. Most lists take max Heavy since they usually pack the punch and also are for the most part the easiest to fill. They have gotten better with 7th again since they score but for the most part this is the only slot I haven’t seen too much change in. The only change I have seen is in units in this slot with all the different Forgeworld units and units from the various supplements and data slates and such. Its been fun to see the variety.
I am having a blast with 7th and cant wait to see some more variety and awesome lists at tournaments. Thanks for reading the quick breakdown and let me know what you all think of list construction now.
Fast Attack, for me, has become a much more important element of list design because I feel like 7th puts a premium on fast units. Then again, I’m mostly playing pure, straight-from-the-book Maelstrom missions, so that might be because of my “meta”.
I agree, I previously relied on heavy support and elites quite a lot, but having a decent amount if fast attack (or generally fast units/transports) is definitely the way to go now.
I love warp spiders!haha
I agree these slots are getting a lot more love
Hey now all because Reece is Father Time doesn’t mean we should mock him =p
The best part is that I know for a fact that I’m older than Reece… 🙁
Ha! I am not the oldest guy around here! haha
I win! Oh wait…
Good info. I played my Tyranids the other day and took minimal troops and had so much fun with other MCs just killing things. Plain old Tyranid Warriors found a way into my list.
Haha yeah tyranids are really benefiting from not having to take a bunch of troops.
So who’s got tips for the sad, sad DA players among us? (Me.)
Ive got nothing haha. Just kidding the Black knights are still amazing. As is the bolter banner haha. To be honest I havent looked at the codex all that much.’
Power field generator characters in 3 bolter banner crusaders
I use DA black knights and a biker librarian to back up my 2 iron hands chapter masters, you can do the reverse, take some black knights with 1 Iron hands chapter master to give them they staying power they need
Not trying to be negative, just critical.
Was this “article” necessary?
I clicked on it expecting some analysis of the new rules and how they affect your choices per FoC chart. NOT an overview of the rules changes (ObSec and everything scores)
Just feels like a great start/jumping off point, that never fully came to fruition.
Srry, I just expect more from you guys, that’s all.
I kinda agree, the article boils down to “If the units are good, take them, if they’d bad, don’t.”!
We all know that Frankie builds some unusual but powerful lists, so I’d love to hear more on the subject. Perhaps a follow up article would be possible with some examples, focusing how 7th ed changes impact on army building?
+1
Yeah I was going to write an article on how 7th has brought back my chaos list
Agreed, I’d love that – I’d love to see some more unusual list examples and perhaps saying why it works or something like that.
I saw that as the point of the article- rather than filling out your troops and relying on your FOC altering HQs, you are now free to go bare minimum in 7th Edition, and it’s really freed up the lists you can make/take.
it’s instructive if you haven’t played a lot of 7th, or if your local group has really turned 7th into “6th Edition with new psychic rules”.
I would like to see a “Master List” of what books, e-books (supplements) are currently being used (for a “Bound” list) in 7e, and where certain “Rules” for certain Models actually are?
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Example;
LoW’s; Escalation, Apocalypse and Imperial Armor: Apocalypse supplement with the updated rules found in the BRB in effect (such as the new D Weapon rules) (“BaO”)
Fortifications; Aegis Defense Line…
Knights…
Inquisitor unit Ally…
Supplements…
Codices…
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Devoting soooo much time, “just” to try and figure it all out can be extremely daunting for a “New” player, and they may just give up (Veteran players may get frustrated sooner, lol…)
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Again, Frontline is doing more for organizing than any other site out there IMHO, like the Imperial Armor Unit Index, BaO, etc. keep it up…
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Other than that, good over-view…
Fair enough. For some it probably wasnt necessary.
Article – “It’s good to have eh.. stuff.”
its true. Always good to have stuff.
I thought it a good article. A lot of the vets still want to hold back the game.
Im glad you liked it.
I like ya Frankie, and we both play DE, but I’m sorry man this seemed like the laziest,most poorly written article, about things everyone already knows. Unless they’re dead new to the game…