Now that my second shipment of EW Guild Armor is en route, I’ll soon have enough to field a full 3k army, and then some. This means I’ll need to decide more specifically what I need to do first with my Minervans.

Upon receipt, my inventory will consist of:

31 Achilles MBTs (can be modified into any Russ variant)
2 Vanquishers
1 Exterminator
8 Leman Russ MBTs
3 Baneblades
3 Stormhammers
9 Salamanders
6 Manticores
3 Medusa turrets
3 Basilisk turrets (can modify to Medusas)
3 Hydras

Now, my current thoughts are:

Tank Company with 2 Vanquishers, 8 Leman Russ, 1 Hydra, Supreme Commander, and Armored Commissar (825pt, BTS)

Tank Company with 2 Vanquishers, 8 Leman Russ, 1 Hydra, and Armored Commissar (725pt)

Superheavy Tank Company of either 3 Baneblades or 3 Stormhammers, Armored Commissar (500pt)

Tank Platoon with 1 Demolisher, 5 Exterminators, and Armored Commissar (350pt)

Artillery Battery (Manticores), Armored Commissar (250pt)

Artillery Battery (Manticores), Armored Commissar (250pt)

Salamander Scout Platoon (100pt)

The objective placement would be close together in order to provide a clear schwerpunkt.
The Artillery Batteries would deploy near the Blitz, protected from Teleports by the Salamanders. The Tanks would deploy in two commands, each of a tank company, and either the SHT Company or the Tank Platoon. They would thus each be able to provide mutual fire within commands, and be able to lend crippling supporting fire in engagements, as well as having significant longer ranged firepower.

Not sure whether to go for Baneblades or Stormhammers, but leaning towards Stormhammers at this point. Shorter ranged, but more fire than Baneblades inside of 45cm, and better FF. In other words, a superheavy counterpart to the Tank Platoon.

Thoughts on composition or strategy are appreciated.

Quick Edit - the metagame in my vicinity is very light on air, and so the two Hydras are more to keep in practice than any real need.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Yes but Hydra are great regardless

Have you considered the Ulani tank list?
http://epic-uk.co.uk/lists/ULRef.pdf

Are you using the Raiders tank list?
If so the core should be the stormhammer and baneblade companies.
Then 2 Russ companies with a hydra each.
Then go wild with support. You should end up with around 8 or 9 activations.
An alternative is just one SHT company and field the other as singles, so 3 companies then 6 support formations of which 2 would be SHT's.

I do know of the Ulani, and might well use it as well. The Conquerer and Destroyer formations are particularly attractive, and the Executioner is better, IMO. However, I'll probably use the Minervans primarily.

What composition would you suggest for the Tank Companies? I have them more or less bog standard, with an extra Vanq. Also, what about Superheavy Company composition? Pure or mixed Stormblade/Baneblade companies?

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

Can you make those wonderful sniper tanks the Ulani have?

I would mono mission the SHT companies considering the models you have.

If you go down the route of having two thats 1000 points gone. Assume 2 Leman Russ companies then look at your support options. That will tell you how many points you have for the Russ. Can't fall below 9 activations really with such a list as its so slow and suffers so horribly from blast markers.

The alternative is 1 SHT company with 2 single SHT in support. Then you have 4 support formations to pick for the two russ formations. After that you can see how much points you have for the russ.

Finally go for 2 SHT and 1 russ company, possibly bolstered by a russ support formation and 5 other supports.

Minervans went with quality, whilst Ulani went with quantity (Generally slightly worse stats for new tanks, but 25% more activations in the army).

They probably meet in the centre as regards balance, IMO.

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Currently doing a plastic scenery kickstarter

I will probably add a Platoon or two of Conquerers at higher points levels, but can't see using them as a primary tank. Lack of sponsons and associated low FF don't mesh well with my play style. Definitely good to keep the pressure on broken formations and for last turn grabs, but not very effective for actually neutralizing formations in the first place.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.

I seem to remember an optional rule tossed around that allowed one to take sponsonless Russes at -10pt.

I continually find it interesting that my own experiences and preferences with Russes are so diametrically opposite the apparent prevailing views. I'm not sure whether I employ them in a fundamentally different manner to most, or whether the local metagame is the primary factor.

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SG

Ghost's Paint Blog, where everything goes that isn't something else.