The current epic WS list reflects their nature and background
really badly, probably the worst out of any epic list. Though the core WS bikers gain walker (reflecting their skilled riders) the unit size goes up to 8, making them much harder/slower to retreat than regular SM bikers and the army as a whole slower to react (due to lower numbers of formations than normal) when the opposite should be the case.
The White Scars background is that they are “masters of the lightning strike and hit-and-run attack”. Their core tactics place “enormous importance on speed -- on being the first into combat, on being the first out, on movement, on shams and counterfeits.” Their "Chogorian instructors drilled into them "Withdraw, then return" over and over again.” Speed and feigned flight were also tactics used by real world Mongolians too. A simple, good, way to represent this in the list would be to have the core biker formation 4 strong, rather than 8. There would be greater numbers of small, light units, fleeing and rallying more often and making use of higher activation numbers and crossfire to kill the enemy.
I've thrown together and attached my own more radical take on an army list for the WS, better reflecting the old background, the newer information on them from the WS HH books and the fast, light style of the army. It should play more differently to other lists and the existing list. Have a look over it and let me know if you'd like to see a list like this developed? I'd be happy to champion it if people were interested and would help. I would develop this 'White Scars Great Hunt' (a thing from the WS background where they go off on a crusade to hunt a particular enemy leader they have a grudge against) separate and parallel to the existing WS list.
Attachment:
Attachment:
White Scars Reference.xls [20.5 KiB]
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Notes:
List focussed more on the core WS units of bikes, attack bikes and Land Speeders.
LS Tempests, Scout Bikers and Stormtalons added as they fit the theme and are known to be used extensively by the WS.
Land Raiders ditched – they're just too slow for the theme. If you really want to use some just run the army as a Codex army that game.
Terminators – 0-1 formation, must either fly in on a Thunderhawk OR if teleported in must have an otherwise empty Thunderhawk, to allow them to be quickly redeployed. (WS do teleport - In HH: Scars Primarch Khan and his Terminator bodyguard teleport down onto a just finished Gargant, in advance of the rest of their army, and kill it's Warlord / command crew just as the first wave of WS get there).
Faster WS Spacecraft – WS spacecraft are extensively modified from the SM norm to emphasise speed and manoeuvrability. WS spacecraft are designed with notably less weaponry and transport capacity in order to achieve this.
WS Predators – as per the older background White Scars normally field Predators without sponsons to save on weight. This makes them rubbish, but cheap.
WS Vindicators – a stripped down faster version is in. WS background talks about them leaving things off their vehicles so that they travel faster and it makes a lot of sense for them to leave the dozer blades off, making them 30cm move with no walker.
The WS already have a unique WS transport special rule, which I'd modify to:
A White Scars army can choose to use Drop Pods, but it if does then the entire army must deploy by Drop Pods or aircraft and nothing at all can start on the table.
In addition White Scars Terminators must EITHER be flown in on a Thunderhawk/Landing Craft OR if they teleport in the army must also include a Thunderhawk/Landing Craft which must start the game with sufficient space to transport and redeploy the Terminators.
Any interest? Comments?