Objective Secured

While terrain continues to drive me mad – 2 weeks till the event and 2 tables worth of terrain to paint – I wanted to take a break and talk about the single greatest release for 30k players pretty much ever – Betrayal at Calth.

To be clear, I am going to pretend the game contained in the box does not exist. Not because its bad – far from it actually – but because the reason I bought my copy was not for the stand alone game but for the glorious miniatures contained within.

The key thing about the miniatures of this wonderful set is that they are full multipart plastics. This is HUGE. 30 power armoured marines, 5 terminators, 2 characters and a contemptor dreadnaught for a significantly lower price than the resin from the UK and with a metric tonne of options for every model. Top that off with the lower amount of work required to prep models and this set just seems too good to be true.

You can go the route of a single box and run a Praetor with pride of the legion, a Centurion, a contemptor, 5 terminators and 3×10 veteran tactical marine units but I think you get the greatest bang for your buck when you buy 2.

Remember I mentioned you get options in the box – you get a lot. Like a whole lot. Every set of 10 marines nets you a flamer, plasma gun, melta gun, heavy bolter, missile launcher and a slew of options for the sarge with combi weapons and close combat weapons all available. This means you have 3 of everything here with a single box. 6 when you buy 2 boxes.

6 is enough to start forming support squads…

Here is my sample list based solely on 2 Betrayal at Calth…

2500 points, Age of Darkness

HQ

Legion Praetor, Cataphractii Armour, Combi Melta, Chain Fist, Digital Lasers, Master Crafting (Chain Fist or Combi melta – you choose) – 187 points

Legion Centurion, Artificer armour, melta bombs, plasma pistol, refractor field, consul – Chaplain – 125 points

These are straight out of the box – built as is. You have enough spares in the 2 sets that you can change the weapon payloads if you want but as an example – these work well enough

Elites

Contemptor Dreadnaught Talon (1), 2 Close Combat Weapons with combi bolters – 175 points

Contemptor Mortis Dreadnaught (1), 2 Kheres Pattern Assault Cannons – 180 points

Legion Terminator Squad (10), Cataphractii Armour, 2 Heavy Flamers, 2 Chain Fists, 1 Power Sword, 7 Power Fists, 10 Combi Bolters, Grenade Harness – 410 points

The only conversions of the army creep in here – but they are very simple. You are cutting the fist off one contemptor and swapping it for the assault cannon on the other. This neatly gives you a solid AA vehicle as well as a dreadnaught which wants to close with the enemy and can thus support the infantry on the ground as they advance. The terminators are the hammer unit – with the 2 characters attached they should mulch anything they touch – even primarchs might take a pause when they see it coming!

Troops

15 Tactical Marines, Bolters, Legion vexilla, Sergeant – artificer armour, combi weapon, melta bombs – 235 points

15 Tactical Marines, Bolters, Legion vexilla, Sergeant – artificer armour, combi weapon, melta bombs – 235 points

6 Tactical Support Marines, 6 Flamers, Sergeant – artificer armour, melta bombs – 130 points

6 Tactical Support Marines, 6 Plasma Guns, Sergeant – artificer armour, melta bombs – 220 points

6 Tactical Support Marines, 6 Melta Guns, Sergeant – artificer armour, melta bombs – 220 points

Here is the bulk of the infantry. The 2 required Tactical squads are not max size but are large enough to get the job done. The support teams each assist the main advance as needed and depending on the enemy in question. They could do with transports but for now – they hoof it with the rest of the units.

Heavy Support

6 Heavy Support Marines, 6 Heavy Bolters, Sergeant – artificer armour, Augury scanner, melta bombs – 175 points

6 Heavy Support Marines, 6 Missile Launchers, Sergeant – artificer armour, Augury scanner, melta bombs – 205 points

The last of the marine bodies find themselves here – adding infantry and medium AT support to the battle line as well as making deep strikers think twice.

Total – 2497 points

While the list is certainly a little shallow in its tactical flexibility, you need only add your chosen primarch and maybe a light vehicle or pair of apothecaries and you have a 3000 point list! All for a remarkably low financial investment – especially compared to the years gone by. You can shuffle it about a bit – adding a veteran tactical squad in the 4th elite slot or adding seekers in fast attack both change the play somewhat – but essentially, the list to me feels very easy to put on the table and be ok in most engagements. It can fight vehicles, air craft, infantry and deathstars. Its resilience comes from its model count – over 70 marines plus dreads! You even have 2 heroes spare and these could easily be converted from all the spare parts you will have to be other centurions or a unique unit leader. This makes the points even greater!

But what if I only want to buy 1?

That’s ok as well – I would suggest looking to trade some of the special and heavy weapons with other gamers in the same situation. You will get 30 marines to form the core of the legion force and those extra $$$ you did not spend on the 2nd box can go to forge world for cool stuff like legion specific units, heroes or awesome tanks like the Sicarian.

I can’t think of a better way to jump into 30k than Betrayal at Calth – and looking at the sprues I have in front of me, you won’t be disappointed with picking it up!

Come up with a better way to put 2 boxes into an army list? Let us know in the comments!