I started playing Warhammer with Chaos Knights in 2021. They were the coolest looking models that I saw on the GW Website, and I loved the idea of big open canvases to paint on.
And then at some point in 2022 I saw an Astraeus for the first time and fell in love. Something about the shape, the size, the chonky details and aggressive angles just really clicks for me, and I have wanted one since I first saw it.
And then a few months ago I ran across a glorious list running not one, but two of this model I adore and it had come 4th at a small GT.
I may have blacked out, but somehow the list was on its way to my door the next day, and I finally got a chance to try it out for the first time this last weekend.
Jaden’s List (Iron Hands)
Custom Chapter, Iron Hands Successor
– Master Artisans: Each unit can re-roll one hit roll when resolving attacks every phase.
– Stealthy: Each time a unit is targeted by an attack outside 18″, it gets the benefits of light cover against it.Arks of Omen Compulsory Type: Heavy Support
+ HQ +
Primaris Techmarine, Warlord [-2CP]:
– Forge bolter: Rng 24, Assault 3, S5, AP -2, D2. Can be fired alongside pistol or Grenades.
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Grav-pistol – Rng 12, Pistol 1,S5, Ap -3, D1 (D2 against 3+ and better save targets)
– Mechadendrite: Melee, S5, AP 0, 1, make 2 extra attacks with this weapon.
– Omnissian power axe: Melee, S6, AP -2, D2
– Servo-arm: S8, AP -2, D3, one attack per fight.
Stratagem: Bequeathed by the Iron Council [-1CP] – Take an Iron Hands baseline Relic
Stratagem: Relic [-1CP]
– The Ironstone: At the beginning of each battle round, choose a vehicle within3″. While that vehicle is within 3″ of this model, it reduces the damage characteristic of attacks made against it by 1.Primaris Techmarine:
– Forge bolter: Rng 24, Assault 3, S5, AP -2, D2. Can be fired alongside pistol or Grenades.
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Grav-pistol – Rng 12, Pistol 1,S5, Ap -3, D1 (D2 against 3+ and better save targets)
– Mechadendrite: Melee, S5, AP 0, 1, make 2 extra attacks with this weapon.
– Omnissian power axe: Melee, S6, AP -2, D2
– Servo-arm: S8, AP -2, D3, one attack per fight.+ Fast Attack +
Suppressor Squad (3 models)
– Accelerator Cannon: Rng 48, Heavy 3, S7, AP -1, D2
– Bolt Pistol: Rng 12, Pistol 1, S4, AP 0, D1
– Frag & Krak GrenadesSuppressor Squad (3 models)
– Accelerator Cannon: Rng 48, Heavy 3, S7, AP -1, D2
– Bolt Pistol: Rng 12, Pistol 1, S4, AP 0, D1
– Frag & Krak GrenadesSuppressor Squad (3 models)
– Accelerator Cannon: Rng 48, Heavy 3, S7, AP -1, D2
– Bolt Pistol: Rng 12, Pistol 1, S4, AP 0, D1
– Frag & Krak Grenades+ Heavy Support +
Devastator Squad (5 models):
Armorium Cherub: Once per game, remove this from the unit to let one model fire again.
Signum: In your shooting phase, the Sergeant picks one model to be BS 2 for the phase.
Devastator Marine Sergeant:
– Combi-melta: Rng 12, S8, Ap -4, Dd6 (d6+2 in half range)
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Thunder hammer: S8, AP -2, D3, -1 to hit
Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon x4
– Multi-Melta x1: Rng 24, S8, Heavy 2, AP -4, Dd6 (d6+2 half range)
– Grav-Cannon x3: Rng 30, S5, Heavy 4, Ap -3, D1 (D2 against 3+ and better saves)
– Bolt Pistol x4
– Frag & Krak Grenades x4Devastator Squad (5 models):
Armorium Cherub: Once per game, remove this from the unit to let one model fire again.
Signum: In your shooting phase, the Sergeant picks one model to be BS 2 for the phase.
Devastator Marine Sergeant:
– Combi-melta: Rng 12, S8, Ap -4, Dd6 (d6+2 in half range)
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Thunder hammer: S8, AP -2, D3, -1 to hit
Devastator Marine w/Heavy Weapon x4
– Multi-Melta x1: Rng 24, S8, Heavy 2, AP -4, Dd6 (d6+2 half range)
– Grav-Cannon x3: Rng 30, S5, Heavy 4, Ap -3, D1 (D2 against 3+ and better saves)
– Bolt Pistol x4
– Frag & Krak Grenades x4Eliminator Squad (3 models):
Camo Cloak: While benefiting from cover, add an additional +1 to this models save against ranged attacks.
Covering Fire: As long as the Sergeant with the Bolt Carbine is alive, this unit may make a Normal Move after shooting as if it were the Movement Phase.
Eliminator Sergeant:
– Bolt pistol
– Camo cloak
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Instigator Bolt Carbine: Rng 24, Assault 1, S4, AP -1, D2, Ignores Look Out Sir.
Eliminators x2:
– Bolt Pistol x2
– Camo Cloak x2
– Frag & Krak Grenades x2
– Las Fusil x2: Rng 36, Heavy 1, S8, AP -3, D3Eliminator Squad (3 models):
Camo Cloak: While benefiting from cover, add an additional +1 to this models save against ranged attacks.
Covering Fire: As long as the Sergeant with the Bolt Carbine is alive, this unit may make a Normal Move after shooting as if it were the Movement Phase.
Eliminator Sergeant:
– Bolt pistol
– Camo cloak
– Frag & Krak grenades
– Instigator Bolt Carbine: Rng 24, Assault 1, S4, AP -1, D2, Ignores Look Out Sir.
Eliminators x2:
– Bolt Pistol x2
– Camo Cloak x2
– Frag & Krak Grenades x2
– Las Fusil x2: Rng 36, Heavy 1, S8, AP -3, D3+ Dedicated Transport +
Drop Pod:
– Deathwind Launcher: RNG 12, Heavy 6, S5, AP 0, D1+ Lord of War +
Astraeus:
– Ironhail heavy stubber x2: Rng 36, Heavy 3, S4, Ap -1 D1
– Storm bolter: Rng 24, Rapid-Fire 2, S4, AP 0, D1
– Twin heavy bolter: Rng36, Heavy 6, S5, AP -1, D2
– Twin macro-accelerator cannon: Rng 72, Heavy 12, S8, Ap -2, D3
– Astreus Las-ripper x2: Rng 36, Heavy 2, S9, AP -3, Dd6Astraeus:
– Ironhail heavy stubber x2: Rng 36, Heavy 3, S4, Ap -1 D1
– Storm bolter: Rng 24, Rapid-Fire 2, S4, AP 0, D1
– Twin heavy bolter: Rng36, Heavy 6, S5, AP -1, D2
– Twin macro-accelerator cannon: Rng 72, Heavy 12, S8, Ap -2, D3
– Plasma Eradicator x2 (Standard): Rng 36, Heavy d6, S7, AP -4, D2
– Plasma Eradicator x2 (Supercharged): Rng 36, Heavy d6, S78 AP -4, D3, Blast, 1s to hit are mortals to itself++ Total: [113 PL, 4CP, 2,000pts] ++
Chris’ List (Deathguard)
Plague Company: The Inexorable: Attacks against models under an aura of Contagion get +1 AP.
Disgustingly Resilient: Subtract 1 from the damage characteristic of attacks targeting Death Guard models with this trait.
Nurgle’s Gift: Subtract 1 from the toughness of models under Contagion.
Inexorable Advance: Counts as remaining stationary unless it advanced or fell back, ignores all move characteristic and charge modifiers. Vehicles ignore the heavy weapon in combat penalty.
Plague Weapon: Re-roll ones to wound with this weapon.
+ HQ +
Malignant Plaguecaster:
– Gift of Contagion: Warp Charge 5, Subtract 1 from the Strength of the target. Subtract one from the attacks characteristic as well if manifested on an 8+
– Putrescent Vitality: Warp Charge 7, A Death Guard Infantry gains +1 Strength and Toughness until the next Psychic Phase.
– Corrupted Staff: Melee, S7, AP -1 Dd3
– Blight and Krak Grenades
– Disgustingly Resilient
Malignant Plaguecaster:
– Miasma of Pestilence: Warp Charge 6, attacks get -1 to hit the target.
– Putrescent Vitality: Warp Charge 7, A Death Guard Infantry gains +1 Strength and Toughness until the next Psychic Phase.
– Corrupted Staff: Melee, S7, AP -1 Dd3
– Blight and Krak Grenades
Plague Skull of Glothila: Oncer per battle at the end of the Movement phase, choose an enemy unit and roll 7d6. For each 4-5, that unit suffers a mortal wound. For each 6, that unit suffers d3 mortal wounds. Stratagem: Gifts of Decay
– Disgustingly Resilient+ Troops +
Poxwalkers x10
– Improvised Weapon: S4, AP 0, D1
– Cannot perform actions that aren’t Spread the Sickness
– 6+ Feel No Pain
Poxwalkers x10
– Improvised Weapon: S4, AP 0, D1
– Cannot perform actions that aren’t Spread the Sickness
– 6+ Feel No Pain+ Elites +
Blightlord Terminators x10
– Bubotic Axe x8: S6, AP -2, D1, Plague Weapon
– Combi-Bolter x10: Rng 24, Rapid Fire 2, S4, AP 0, D1
– Flail of Corruption x2: Melee, S5, Ap -2, D2, 2 attacks per attack characteristic.
–
4+ Invulnerable Save
– Disgustingly Resilient
Deathshroud Terminators x3
– Manreaper (Cleave): Melee, S7, AP -3, D2, Plague Weapon, -1 to hit
– Manreaper (Sweep): Melee, S5, AP -1, D1, Plague Weapon, 2 attacks per attack characteristic.
– Plaguespurt Gauntlet: Rng12, Pistol d6, S3, AP 0, D1
– 4+ Invulnerable Save
– Disgustingly Resilient
Sergeant Only
– Corrosive Filth: Add 1 to the damage characteristic of attacks made against Vehicles
– Deadly Pathogens: +1 Strength to melee weapons.
Deathshroud Terminators x3
– Manreaper (Cleave): Melee, S7, AP -3, D2, Plague Weapon, -1 to hit
– Manreaper (Sweep): Melee, S5, AP -1, D1, Plague Weapon, 2 attacks per attack characteristic.
– Plaguespurt Gauntlet: Rng12, Pistol d6, S3, AP 0, D1
– 4+ Invulnerable Save
– Disgustingly Resilient
Sergeant Only
– Corrosive Filth: Add 1 to the damage characteristic of attacks made against Vehicles
– Deadly Pathogens: +1 Strength to melee weapons.
Plague Surgeon:
– Balesword: Melee, S5, AP -3, D1, Plague Weapon
– Blight Grenade and Krak Grenade
– Bolt Pistol
– Infantry models within 6 inches get a 6+ Feel No Pain.
– At the end o the movement phase, this model can heal a friendly infantry model d3 wounds.
– Disgustingly Resilient
Tallyman:
– Plasma Pistol
– Blight and Krak Grenades
– Disgustingly Resilient
– Chose a CORE unit within 6″ at the beginning of the command phase, that unit gets +1 to hit for a round.
– At the start of each command phase, roll 2d6. On a 7+, regain a CP.
Stratagem: Gifts of Decay
Tollkeeper : While within 6″ of this model, CORE models gain exploding sixes to hit.+ Fast Attack +
Foetid Bloat-drone:
– Fleshmower: Melee, S6, AP -2, D2+ Heavy Support +
Plagueburst Crawler:
– Entropy Cannon x2: Rng 36, Heavy 1, S8, AP -4, Dd3+3, Plague Weapon
– Plagueburst Mortar: Rng48, Heavy d6, S8, AP -2, D2, Blast, can target models out of line of sight
– Heavy slugger: Rng 36, Heavy 4, S5, AP -1, D1
– Disgustingly ResilientPlagueburst Crawler:
– Entropy Cannon x2: Rng 36, Heavy 1, S8, AP -4, Dd3+3, Plague Weapon
– Plagueburst Mortar: Rng48, Heavy d6, S8, AP -2, D2, Blast, can target models out of line of sight
– Heavy slugger: Rng 36, Heavy 4, S5, AP -1, D1
– Disgustingly Resilient+ Lord of War +
Mortarion, Warlord:
– Miasma of Pestilence: Warp Charge 6, attacks get -1 to hit the target.
– Curse of the Leper: Warp Charge 6. Roll 7d6 – each die that exceeds the toughness of the target deals a mortal wound.
Revoltingly Resilient: 5+ Feel No Pain
Living Plague: While within 3″ of this model, enemy units cannot be affected by aura abilities from the enemy army aside from psychic abilities.
Arch-Contaminator: Death Guard Core models within 6″ of this model re-roll the wound rolls of melee plague weapons or ranged weapons targeting enemy units within 12″.
– Disgustingly Resilient
– 4+ Invulnerable Save
– Silence (Strike): S16, AP -4, Dd3+3, Plague Weapon
– Silence (Sweep): S8, AP -2, D1, 3 attacks per attack characteristic
– Attendant’s Claws and Teeth: S2, AP 0, D1, Plague Weapon, Make 4 Additinal Attacks with this weapon
– The Lantern: Rng 12, Pistol 1, S8, Ap -3, D3. If a hit is scored, draw a line between this model and the model hit. Make a wound roll against that unit and every unit the line passes over.
++ Total: [112 PL, 3CP, 2,000pts] ++
The plan for the list is pretty simple. Use the Techmarines to give each Astraeus +1 to hit every turn, take advantage of the Iron Hands’ sweet ability to re-roll 1s to hit with Heavy Weapons, and point and delete things with great efficiency. Every turn would pretty much see the use of the Iron Hands 2 CP Stratagem to give a vehicle exploding sixes to wound (which is wild by the by), and then occasionally we’d be using CP to do things like reroll numbers of shots or saves. With one re-roll to hit or wound per unit per phase thanks to the Successor chapter benefits, CP re-rolls to hit and wound would be rare.
As per usual I was joined by my good friend Chris running his Death Guard army as a break from his Daemons lists. We rolled The Scouring for scenario and I won the roll off for Attacker/Defender and naturally picked Defender so I could place the first piece of terrain. (Don’t worry, I’m building a WTC setup this next week so we should be trying out something other than player-placed soon).
For secondaries, this being my first game with Space Marines, I just took the three Astartes options in Codex Warfare (Score 2 points every time I kill something with a Heavy Weapon), Oaths of Moment (1 point for killing a vehicle, monster or character, 1 point for not falling back or failing morale, 2 points for ending the round wholly within 6″ of the center with a unit) and Shock Tactics (4 points for taking over a new objective from an opponent).
Chris took Spread the Sickness (action for 4 points on objectives outside the deployment zone, or in other words all of them here), Behind Enemy Lines (score 3 points for ending your turn with a unit in the enemy deployment zone, 4 for two), and Warp Ritual (3/4/5 points for doing a psychic action with 6″ of the center).
I deployed my big tanks in the center because they could see more of the table from there and frankly I didn’t have anywhere else to put them.
The top objective has one Suppressor unit and the Techmarine warlord. The bottom objective has an Eliminator unit, the second Techmarine, and the second Suppressor unit. The tan roofed house to the top left has a Devastator unit inside it and a Suppressor unit hiding behind it.
I kept my Drop Pod off the table with the second Devastator unit in it.
For Chris’ part, his top objective has a Poxwalker unit hanging out with Mortarion. Behind them, the first Plagueburst Crawler is chilling out at the back edge of the board behind the building.
Below the primarch, a 10 man unit of Blightlord Terminators is hanging out with a Plague Surgeon, two Plaguecasters, and the Tallyman. The second Plagueburst Crawler is hiding behind the right side tan-roofed house.
Finally, the bottom of the map has a second unit of Poxwalkers and a Bloat Drone. Chris opted to keep his two units of Deathshroud Terminators in deep strike.
I rolled a 3, Chris rolled a 5, and Death Guard would kick off the turn!
Round 1, Death Guard:
At the beginning of the battle round, the Ironstone on my Warlord made the primed Astraeus have -1 damage while within 3″ of him.
Things kicked off with the Plagueburst Crawlers poking their noggins out from behind the buildings so they could target my unprimed Astraeus with their shots.
The Terminators rolled too low on their advance roll to make it onto the objective, so they hid behind the big wall, sheltering the Plaguecasters.
The top unit of Poxwalkers started Spread the Sickness.
During the Psychic Phase, the Plaguecasters got a Psychic Ritual off, and then put Putrescent Vitality on the Terminators (+1 Toughness and Strength).
Mortarion failed to cast Miasma of Pestilence on himself, and then used Curse of the Leper to kill off 2/3 central Eliminators. He failed his charge, and then the turn passed over to me.
Round 1, Iron Hands:
Both Techmarines gave their respective tank +1 to hit.
I needed to be pretty cogniscant of his deep striking Deathshroud Terminators next turn, so I spread out my Suppressors on the back corners, measured the massive area of “nope” from the Astraeus hulls, and then moved everything up on the top of the table. With no Miasma of Pestilence, I needed to try and kill Mortarion this turn.
I opted to drop my Drop Pod about 13 inches away from the big guy, and then disembark the Devastators so that the Melta and Multi-Melta guys were within 12″ of the Daemon Primarch.
The Psychic Phase passed in a split second, and then it was time to blow things up. Thanks to the power of the “sixes to wound explode” stratagem and basically every gun in the army bar the unprimed Astraeus shooting at him, Mortarion died in spectacular fashion.
The unprimed Astraeus then decided that the bottom side Plagueburst Crawler needed to not exist anymore either, and wiped it off the table.
At the end of the round, Chris scored 3 on Warp Ritual and 4 on Spread the Sickness, while I nabbed 4 on Codex Warfare and 4 on Oaths of Moment.
Round 2, Death Guard:
Chris started off scoring 8 on Primary.
With Mortarion down, the only real path forward was to deny me primary points as effectively as possible. The Bloat Drone snuck towards the bottom left objective, and the Terminators confidently moved forward to take the center objective.
The Plaguecasters moved up as well, and the bottom unit of Poxwalkers started Spread the Sickness. The Plague Surgeon started the Auspex Scan mission tertiary action as well.
The Psychic Phase saw another successful Warp Ritual and a few mortal wounds into the primed Astraeus, and then the Bloat Drone charged and viciously murdered the three Eliminators in my objective bottom left.
Round 2, Iron Hands:
I scored 4 on Primary and both Techmarines gave out +1 to hit to their respective vehicles.
I needed to move block my vulnerable Devastators on the top of the table, but I also needed to block off the Terminator Deep Strikes next turn.
Fortunately, a sideways Astraeus has a 29″ by 27″ rectangle of “no deep strike” (783 square inches) and the deployment zone is 18″ by 44″ (792 square inches), so between the big tank just turning sideways and the two units of Suppressors I had my entire deployment area denied for enemy shenanigans.
The primed Astraeus just vroomed its way in front of my squishy troops while his buddy Techmarine performed the mission action, and then everything (except the unprimed big guns) went into the Terminators, dropping six of them and leaving a seventh on 1. The Feel No Pain from the Plague Surgeon was quite instrumental there, keeping 2 of them alive.
The big guns on the Astraeus hanging back blew a gigantic hole in the Bloat Drone so that I could take back that objective.
At the end of the round, I had scored 2 on Codex Warfare, another 4 on Shock Tactics, and only 2 points on Oaths of Moment. I also scored 3 on the Tertiary from my Warlord scanning the top objective.
Round 3, Death Guard:
Chris got to score the big 12 this turn on Primary.
His top Poxwalkers moved up so they could charge my screening Suppressors, and his Terminators all moved at the bodyblocking Astraeus.
With no other viable options, the two units of Deathshroud popped up mid board, with the Tallyman doing another Spread the Sickness on the final objective Chris had easy access to.
The Psychic Phase was monstrous, with Curse of the Leper doing something like 9 wounds to the Astraeus and Psychic Interrogation going off again.
Shooting did barely anything, and then the Terminators charged into the Astraeus and the Poxwalkers into the Suppressors on the top of the board.
The plague boys did manage to wound the Suppressors once, and the Terminators barely bracketed the Astraeus.
Round 3, Iron Hands:
I could only give the primed Astraeus +1 to hit this round, but with my forces no longer needing to screen off the backline the two units of Suppressors would finally be free to zoom forward.
The engaged unit fell back to claim the top right objective from the Plagueburst Crawler, and the Astraeus fell back so that it could get more shots into things.
The bottom Techmarine started the mission action on his objective.
The Devastator Grav Cannons kinda whiffed on the top Poxwalkers, but the Astraeus’ guns continued to blast things off the board, killing the remaining four Terminators and 5/6 Deathshroud (leaving the last on one wound).
I then decided to charge both of my Devastator units into the Poxwalkers, forgot Shock Assault existed, and left ONE alive.
At the end of the round I scored 4 on Codex Warfare, a further 4 on Shock Tactics thanks to the Suppressors sneaking onto the back objective, and three on the mission Tertiary.
Chris scored max on Warp Ritual and 4 more on Spread the Sickness as well as the mission Tertiary.
Round 4, Death Guard:
Chris scored 8 on Primary.
The Plague Surgeon obliterated the top right Suppressors and the Plagueburst Crawler kept shooting at the Astraeus’ and not doing a ton.
Poxwalkers and Devastators flailed at each other.
Round 4, Iron Hands:
I scored 8 on Primary, and then proceeded to delete most of the characters, the last Plagueburst Crawler, and the remaining Deathshroud along with the bottom unit of Poxwalkers. I left Tallyman alive because I needed him as a charge target.
A unit of Suppressors charged Tallyman so that I could get a unit within 6″ of the center to score Oaths of Moment, but I once again didn’t realize Shock Assault was a thing so he survived pretty handily.
Round 5, Death Guard:
Chris kept hitting things with the Poxwalkers, and the Tallyman managed to punk through the Suppressors before the charge phase with some shenanigan I can’t recall the name of.
He then chose to charge the Astraeus so that he would be out of the zone, denying me 4 points on Shock Tactics.
The Astraeus chose to fire Overwatch, and Tallyman evaporated.
Round 5, Iron Hands:
I had already maxed Codex Warfare, so there wasn’t a point in the Devastators falling back and I’d lose a point on Oaths of Moment if I did so. They slapped at the Poxwalkers after my last unit of Suppressors moved into the center zone, scoring Shock Tactics again. They started a scan for the mission tertiary, and the game finished.
Once all the scores were calculated up, I had scored 91 points to Chris’ 68. Handily denying Behind Enemy Lines with three units for three turns was crucial there, as well as the couple of turns sneaking onto his backline objectives with multiple models while only a single tank babysat turning Primary to my advantage as well.
Post-Game Thoughts:
This list was a blast to play. The Astraeus’ are the stars of the show, doing the vast majority of the heavy lifting and giving you the ability to reach out and blow up just about anything visible on the board.
Against Death Guard, the huge amount of damage 2 weapons in the list felt a little wasted, but I imagine playing this into normal marines would make those Suppressor Auto Cannons and Devastator Gravity Cannons really shine.
Overall, I had a blast playing this list. It was nice to have a dream model perform well on the table, and I’m excited to give it another try very soon!