N18 Help with Delaque list?

[Heckromancer]

Hi all,

I was wondering which would be a better choice with my current Delaque list ( https://yaktribe.games/underhive/print/cards/423182?i=0&r=0 ), to give my leader a long gun which I think would be more fun or the more reasonable option of taking another Juve with two stub pistols.
I think having a gang of nine bodies would be best but I do love the long guns. I’ll be playing a campaign so either way I can grab more which ever option I don’t choose this time later, but for the start of the campaign which would be better?

My opponents seem to be Helot Cults, Van Saar and Escher for reference.

 

[Scabs]

This is NOT advice. It's food for thought. A Leader is good at motivating the troops (can activate 2 others). So, not necessarily at his best as a loner. Additionally, Infiltrating is both lonely and dangerous. I personally get too scared to infiltrate with my Leader, unless you use Infiltrate more cautiously than me. A Sniper (Long Rifle) is also a fairly lonely occupation. I tend to keep my Leader running in a pack of three. I like it if he can have an impact, like say, a Weber. Again, food for thought.

 

[HugeSamples]

I noticed you didn't include a nacht-ghul in your list. They are quite good and the most "delaque" model that you can run. I'd drop the backstab champ and pick up a nacht-ghul with claws or sword. The claws are generally better but I find either good and fun to play with.

I'll mirror other people's advice I have read here and suggest not infiltrating your leader. Doing a close combat leader is risky as well. Many posts here advise a Plasma gun on the leader. I like the flavor of a psyker leader so I'll usually make one--people tend to find whispers lack luster. I like spatial psychosis a lot.

I'd drop the side arm pistol off your long rifle model, he's never going to be in range to use it.

I'd drop the side arm pistol off your webgunner to start as he's unlikely to use it.

I'd drop the side arm pistols on all your lasgunners--they aren't going to use them often--and even suggest some variety rather than all lasguns.

2x pistols on juves is kind of a trap. The -1 from twinguns blazing takes them to a 6 to hit targets in the open. Which is a statistically lower chance for at least one shot to hit than just firing a single pistol.

I personally like the "class fantasy" of psykers so I'll try to fit psyker models--leaders, champs, psy-gheists--in my lists. With the new rules changing maintaining powers to an optional free action I'm also starting to consider defensive powers on nacht-ghuls. Also remember pskyers can "counter spell" other psykers which could be useful against Helot Cults.

A lot of the advise here converges on the "good guns"--plasma, shotgun + executioner shells, long rifles, webguns, etc--for leaders and champs. That said play what you find fun/flavorful.

 

[Lunarcruiser]

My latest delaque gang ran with two nacht ghuls. Have them wait a turn or two and pop up just in charge range of your opponents recently set up fire base and using the one of group activations in a single activation charge boldly on and straight up murder the sniping plasma gunner and heavy bolter nutter. My opponents ended up kitting out thier shooting champions with las cutters in the hope that they would make a dent in the nacht ghul suprise.
While your autopistols are at a discount you don't need them to start with and back ups especially lasgunners.

I know digi weapons are a huge waste of credits but you bosses can have them natively on thier lists and the look on your opponents face when you pick up an additional TEN attack dice is just hilarious.
If you are going the freaky fish brain powers try running a Psy ghiest. Yes the harness is too expensive for a fragile model, otherwise if you have money to burn it is a good weapon, and they start off with sub optimal will but will upgrades are low cost and they have access to pay worms which greatly expand the range of your powers. Look at the powers carefully. Many are unopposed and others do not even need line of sight just being in range. With credits to burn and a good modeling hand they can have up to five freaky tentaclely pets to disturb your opponents.
Yes there are more hurty options, plasma web etc, but delaque are meant to be sneaky tricksters and freaking out your opponent with shenanigans can pay dividends.
Consider getting a plasma or grav gun for your master of Shadows to lay down the actual hurt or a solid combat build but don't neglect your tricks.
Dropping down 18 trap markers when you field three web traps will mess your opponents plans up massively.

 

[Heart of Storm]

As others have said, infiltrate melee is a risky game and your leader is the only model you can't replace if they die, so generally your better off giving them a good gun and keeping them (relatively) safe.

Delaque have the games best infiltrate/melee disruptor in the Nacht-Ghul who comes with a built in better version of infiltrate and will play horrific mind games with your opponent the whole time the models off the board, as well as being pretty much guaranteed to kill something when you do place them on the board.

I prefer web pistols on juves rather than champions as the template weapon offsets your juves terrible BS, and is wasted on your BS3+ champions. Juves also have a better M stat so can close the distance with the enemy faster.

 

[Heckromancer]

This is NOT advice. It's food for thought. A Leader is good at motivating the troops (can activate 2 others). So, not necessarily at his best as a loner. Additionally, Infiltrating is both lonely and dangerous. I personally get too scared to infiltrate with my Leader, unless you use Infiltrate more cautiously than me. A Sniper (Long Rifle) is also a fairly lonely occupation. I tend to keep my Leader running in a pack of three. I like it if he can have an impact, like say, a Weber. Again, food for thought.

This is some very good not advice, sorry I’m late in replying but thank you for this. I agree looking at things that a lonely leader may be a bad decision.

 

[Heckromancer]

I noticed you didn't include a nacht-ghul in your list. They are quite good and the most "delaque" model that you can run. I'd drop the backstab champ and pick up a nacht-ghul with claws or sword. The claws are generally better but I find either good and fun to play with.

I'll mirror other people's advice I have read here and suggest not infiltrating your leader. Doing a close combat leader is risky as well. Many posts here advise a Plasma gun on the leader. I like the flavor of a psyker leader so I'll usually make one--people tend to find whispers lack luster. I like spatial psychosis a lot.

I'd drop the side arm pistol off your long rifle model, he's never going to be in range to use it.

I'd drop the side arm pistol off your webgunner to start as he's unlikely to use it.

I'd drop the side arm pistols on all your lasgunners--they aren't going to use them often--and even suggest some variety rather than all lasguns.

2x pistols on juves is kind of a trap. The -1 from twinguns blazing takes them to a 6 to hit targets in the open. Which is a statistically lower chance for at least one shot to hit than just firing a single pistol.

I personally like the "class fantasy" of psykers so I'll try to fit psyker models--leaders, champs, psy-gheists--in my lists. With the new rules changing maintaining powers to an optional free action I'm also starting to consider defensive powers on nacht-ghuls. Also remember pskyers can "counter spell" other psykers which could be useful against Helot Cults.

A lot of the advise here converges on the "good guns"--plasma, shotgun + executioner shells, long rifles, webguns, etc--for leaders and champs. That said play what you find fun/flavorful.

Thank you! I don’t have Nacht-ghuls as minis yet and I’m not sure how I would convert them myself but I’ll pick them up soon. I think you’re right about the juves, another comment said to use web pistols on the juves to offset the bad shooting. I might pick up a second psychic character with a champ to play more into the fantasy theme like you said.