# what is a leaf blower list



## Dagmire

as the title says. 
I have been hearing the name banded about but have no idea.
So what is a leaf blower list?


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## HOBO

It's a name the BoLS guys gave to the IG list that won Ard Boyz last year, basically an all-Chimera chassis list that blew every opponent off the board in 2/3 turns.


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## shaantitus

I am no expert but i believe that it is very heavy on the artillery choices also.


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## HOBO

Yea, it had 2 Hydras, 2 Medusas, and a Manticore.

The guy who played it is known as a great player who knows his stuff, but he admitted to not only having a lot of luck go his way, but his opponents also made some poor choices. He also had first turn in every game so the alpha-strike worked almost perfectly for him.


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## piotrasdabadman91

yep, he also said that it is so good it almost takes away the joy of winning when there is so little competition and he also said he will very likely never use it again


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## Stella Cadente

I'd love to know what else is in it, cus 2 hydras, 2 medusas and a manticore is hardly that devastating alone, even with first turn each time


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## Col. Schafer

Well if we take a lot of luck to mean he rolled a 3 every time with his maticore, basicaly all you would need is a meatshield or fire magnet.


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## Tim/Steve

Darkwynn from BoLS played his leafblower at Adepticon and since then its just exploded... loads of people are taking it since its just evil, there really isnt a standard counter list that it cant handle like most things have and the other popular tourny armies dont really do all that well against it.
It has the added psychological effect of not just winning but winning by being able to cripple enemy armies in 1-2 rounds worth of shooting... you've only just got your army out when you need to pack it all away again.

2 Company Command Squads – 3 Plasma, Medic, and Powerfist in each, mounted in Chimeras. An Astropath and a Master of the Fleet.
Elite Daemonhunter Inquisitor - Terminator Armor, Psycannon, Force Weapon, and retinue (Mystics, Hierophant, Sage).
Psyker Battle Squad – in a Chimera
Infantry Platoon – 3 Squads in Chimeras with Heavy Weapons, Command with 4 Flamers in a Chimera
2 Special Weapons Squads – Flamers and Demo Charge, Meltaguns and Flamer.
Veteran Squads – Meltaguns and Shotguns in a Chimera. Meltaguns, Shotguns, and Demolitions.
2 Valkyries – Multiple Rocket Pods.
2 Medusas – Enclosed Crew Compartments.
2 Hydras
Manticore

8 Chimeras, 2 Valks, 5 other vehicles... deploy and it'll trounce you, reserve and you'll only get to enter play piecemeal (officers of the fleet are filth). The important enemy vehicles are ringed by chimeras filled with heavy weapons, meltas, flamers and demo charges... you have valks storming round the board to route out survivors and worst of all no 1 aspect of the list is vulnerable, there is redundancy everywhere.
Basically put its the sort of list that makes opponents slap you, give up and then go for a beer because it isnt really worth bothering with the whole 'dice' thing.

It also counters many of the tourny lists out there:
mechdar- there are so many IG and so many meltas that you simply cant avoid them
lash- whats to lash? everythiong important is either a tank or in a tank.
ork biker- if you survive the S8+ shooting (big if) all you get to charge is a ring of guardsmen and/or chimera... then you get hit again.
fatecrusher- that lone psycannon isnt looking so silly now is it.
death from above- you can only really drop i front of the chimera ring... you might destroy a couple but the counter-fire will be crippling
nurgle tally- wherever you put epidaemus he'll be killed in short order


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## darkreever

Looking around the net it appears we have:

HQ:
Company command squad
_3x Plasma; medic; powerfist; astropath; master of the fleet
Chimera

_Company command squad
_3x Plasma; medic; powerfist; astropath; master of the fleet
Chimera_

Elites:
Daemonhunter inquisitor
Terminator armour; psycannon; force weapon
_Mystics, hierophant, sage

Psyker battle squad
Chimera

_Troops:
Infantry platoon
Platoon command squad
4x Flamers
Chimera

3x Infantry squad
Heavy weapon; chimera

Special weapon squad
Flamer; demo charge

Special weapon squad
Meltaguns; flamer

Veteran squad
Meltaguns
Chimera

Veteran squad
Meltagun; demolitions

Fast Attack:
Valkyrie
Multiple rocket pod

Valkyrie
Multiple rocket pod

Heavy Support:
Manticore

2x Hydra's

2x Medussa's


Well, thats what I found; hopefully thats right without anything being to wrong. From the looks of things, seven chimera's, a pair of valk's, some decent ordanance, the inquisitor and company, and around ninety infantry.

The trio of high strength low ap pie plates would do a number on most enemies due to deployment and terrain forcing things to get a bit cramped. Plus the amount of heavy weapons fire you can unload in a given turn, not to bad, as long as your opponent doesn't get first turn or negates much of your heavy weapons. (I'd imagine that massed armour 14, rare as it can be, could make a mockery of most of those heavy weapons.)

-Ooh, a few minutes to late and a little off on the chimera number; thats what I get for quick counting, and for not direct copy/pasting (though that would have been much faster, no idea why I did the extra work.)


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## HOBO

All-in-all it's a pretty standard Mech IG list really..well one that doesn't just spam MeltaVets.


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## Pauly55

Well, I was the guy who played against Darkwynn's leafblower in the final round of the Gladiator tournament. Its a dead hard list. If you don't have a list designed for beating leafblower and don't get first turn, you are in rough shape. 

I have been thinking about Anti-leafblower lists. An Ork list with 3 units of lootas and three units of Kannons might do the trick. Also Khan outflanking.

The real interesting thing will be if leafblower survives past the new deamonhunter codex. The mystics are a key element to protect from a deep striking force. If they are gone, It will make those games much harder.


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## HOBO

> Pauly55 said:
> 
> 
> 
> Well, I was the guy who played against Darkwynn's leafblower in the final round of the Gladiator tournament. Its a dead hard list. If you don't have a list designed for beating leafblower and don't get first turn, you are in rough shape.
> 
> 
> 
> Well Congrats for getting that far.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> The real interesting thing will be if leafblower survives past the new deamonhunter codex. The mystics are a key element to protect from a deep striking force. If they are gone, It will make those games much harder
> 
> Click to expand...
> 
> A lot of IG Generals are thinking about this already..cheap Fodder guardsmen guarding Artillery pieces/DZ, and/or being fed piecemeal to assaulty enemy DS'ers while other shooty elements are waiting for a chance to shoot them.
> 
> Still, Allies are fluffy for Imperial armies so they may not disappear, maybe just nerfed somewhat:shok:
Click to expand...


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## hungryugolino

Knowing GW, they'd cut it out entirely for no real reason, just to spite players.

We can only hope otherwise.


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## Asmodeun

Maybe Longfangs spamming missile launchers and those terminators with cyclone launchers that I heard of a while back. Summed up to about 21 missile shots a turn I think. How well d'you think that'd work?


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## darkreever

Three packs of long fangs toting the max number of missile launchers, each pack with a twin linked lascannon razorback (for extra armour punching ability) runs you about 650pts. In order to get those cyclone missile wolf guard terminators, packs need to number at least five strong wolf guard so they can gain access to the cyclone missile launcher. 

So for the three packs, each with five missile launchers and a razorback, and a trio of wolf guard terminators with cyclones, your seeing the use of 1050 points. With that though, each pack is able to target up to three different units in a turn (split fire with the missiles and the razorback gets to target a third) for a total of nine. 

Fifteen missiles from the long fangs, a pair from each cyclone missile launcher does in fact give you twenty one missiles a turn for as long as they are around, along with three twin linked lascannon shots.


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## Dagmire

thanks guys.
Sounds like a cool list


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## mynameisgrax

As an Ork player, I like using lootas, and the trick is to put them completely against your table edge, that way if the blast attacks scatter even a single inch, they can go off the board, and disappear completely. ^_^


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## Evil beaver2

My personal solution to this kind of list is trygon primes. They eat tanks, then they eat whatevers in the tank, and they appear wherever you want them to. Combine with a destraction made up of gaunts and venomthropes to give cover then assault once the trygons create chaos behind enemy lines, this seems to work well on artillary and transport based lists.


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## Jezlad

I've always been of the opinion that its a retarded US competition at stupid points value using IA. Who cares? :wink:


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## mynameisgrax

I actually beat a guy copying the leafblower list with my chaos daemons. The officer of the fleet and mystics were really painful, but I had enough bolts to take out the transports, and my assault troops then overran his army.

What helped was that I was able to distract his attention away from my monstrous creatures, with fast expendable units, and tie up his troops with resilient plaguebearers.

It was a close match, but even with lucky rolls on his side, strategy proved to be more important than the list itself.


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## Sethis

2250pts? Odd amount.

I can see this being very dependant on terrain setups. If there's limited fire lanes, several other armies would be able to send more effective firepower down each lane compared to the Leafblower. For example Marines could sit with a Raider and Auto/Las Pred in one fire lane, and only take return fire from 2 chimeras and 1 other tank, which isn't particularly scary.


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## Aramoro

It fires Ordnance Barrage weapons. Line of sight is not the issue. The Manticore has a 33% change of hitting your Land Raider dead on and 75% chance of at least glancing it. Same for the Medusa. The Predator is in for an even worse day. 

It's a very good list and going second against it is just painful. 

Aramoro


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## Sethis

So I get hit by one of them, every second turn, on average? Assuming I haven't damaged any of them? Then I need to take out the Melta guns (and it's a poor army that can't take out 2 Chimeras worth of troops in 2250pts) and he's left trying to dent Raiders with krak missiles.

A decently played Tri-Raider list will decimate this in KPs and tie on Objectives, but apart from that it doesn't have many weaknesses. Wouldn't work so well in smaller games though, because as soon as you drop the points, you have to start cutting units, at which point the redundency goes out of the window.


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## Aramoro

Saying you would decimate it is pure theorycraft. This list has won tournies, and big ones, blown up land raiders and the like. This is not an easy list to play against, especially if you go second. 

I would agree that Tri-Land-raiders is a good bet. But there's also a decent chance 2 of your raiders won't be fully operational by turn 2. I'm not saying it's some unbeatable all conquering list, it's just very reliable and proven to work. 

Aramoro


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## Stella Cadente

still nobody has said what else is in this "leafblower" (yay another stupid name to crop up) list, those few tanks alone cannot beat an army so quickly.


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## Sethis

Tim/Steve said:


> 2 Company Command Squads – 3 Plasma, Medic, and Powerfist in each, mounted in Chimeras. An Astropath and a Master of the Fleet.
> Elite Daemonhunter Inquisitor - Terminator Armor, Psycannon, Force Weapon, and retinue (Mystics, Hierophant, Sage).
> Psyker Battle Squad – in a Chimera
> Infantry Platoon – 3 Squads in Chimeras with Heavy Weapons, Command with 4 Flamers in a Chimera
> 2 Special Weapons Squads – Flamers and Demo Charge, Meltaguns and Flamer.
> Veteran Squads – Meltaguns and Shotguns in a Chimera. Meltaguns, Shotguns, and Demolitions.
> 2 Valkyries – Multiple Rocket Pods.
> 2 Medusas – Enclosed Crew Compartments.
> 2 Hydras
> Manticore


You mean this?


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## Stella Cadente

huh, for some reason it wasn't showing before, but I don't really see a problem, if there was terrain on the board then most of that stuff can't do much, if there was just a tree and a rock and the opponents force had nothing moving faster than 6" I can see it causing problems


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## Aramoro

Its a very Meta army, don't think about the Raw fire power of the list but rather it's control elements. Master of the Fleet is just plain mean. If you try to deep strike you risk getting mystic'd. Any reserve list risks coming on piecemeal with the out flanking reroll to mess up your coming onto the board. As the guy said, this is not unbeatable but it was a very good meta choice for the play environment of the time. 

It's spawned a lot of copycat lists but essentially it's a solid list played by a good player. 

Aramoro


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## FORTHELION

Id love to play that list with my Ravenwing/ Deathwing army. Think id have him.
Turboboost my Ravenwing bikes loaded up with meltaguns on the scout move, then deepstrike half the deathwing termies on turn 1 using the teleport homers and deathwing assault rules. and run the rest of the deathwing up in land raiders. mmmmmmmm sounds tasty.


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## Aramoro

Assuming your Deathwing land out of mystic range and don't suck up a Medusing. That could be akward. 

Aramoro


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## asianavatar

> Turboboost my Ravenwing bikes loaded up with meltaguns on the scout move, then deepstrike half the deathwing termies on turn 1 using the teleport homers and deathwing assault rules. and run the rest of the deathwing up in land raiders. mmmmmmmm sounds tasty


So your bikes pop one or two tanks. You terminators drop in kill a squad assuming they aren't seen by the mystics. Than you are now in the middle of an entire army of first rank second rank firing troops with meltaguns. You can kiss those termis goodbye. 

This list works like a mobilized sisters list with a lot more shooting and just about the same number of low AP weapons as well as having better mobility and long range shooting. Deepstriking a small elite army into this list is a terrible idea, I have seen people try it against my Sister's army and it doesn't work and it probably won't work against this.


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## Lucio

What does the mystic do to them? 

Sick list... I think I'll stick to my fun games.


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## Aramoro

Basically when someone deep strikes onto the board, you roll 4D6 and if the Mystic is in range you can direct the fire of one unit close to you onto it immediately. So you land on the board nicely and get instantly with with S10 AP2 large blasts, or whatever is appropriate. 

Aramoro


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## Arkanor

darkreever said:


> Three packs of long fangs toting the max number of missile launchers, each pack with a twin linked lascannon razorback (for extra armour punching ability) runs you about 650pts. In order to get those cyclone missile wolf guard terminators, packs need to number at least five strong wolf guard so they can gain access to the cyclone missile launcher.
> 
> So for the three packs, each with five missile launchers and a razorback, and a trio of wolf guard terminators with cyclones, your seeing the use of 1050 points. With that though, each pack is able to target up to three different units in a turn (split fire with the missiles and the razorback gets to target a third) for a total of nine.
> 
> Fifteen missiles from the long fangs, a pair from each cyclone missile launcher does in fact give you twenty one missiles a turn for as long as they are around, along with three twin linked lascannon shots.


Can't you take the Long Fangs in pods? You get the benefit of Drop Pod Assault and LF's are relentless so they can (split)fire as soon as they hit.


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## Stella Cadente

Arkanor said:


> Can't you take the Long Fangs in pods? You get the benefit of Drop Pod Assault and LF's are relentless so they can (split)fire as soon as they hit.


relentless long fangs?, not without Logan there not


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## Baltar

Some of these lists sounds uber lame.

Games that end in 2 turns because the lists are uber-broken?

WOW THAT'S FUN.

No thanks.


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## darkreever

Stella Cadente said:


> relentless long fangs?, not without Logan there not


And remember, only the squad he's with would get it. Oh yeah now that sounds like a great idea, hold Logan back near the rear of your army or put long fangs near the front of your forces close to the enemy.


The Real Sanguinius, seeing as these lists are for highly competitive tournaments, fun probably took the back burner to everything else. Don't forget, the guy who ran the list mentioned that he will likely never use it again because it all but sucked away the fun.


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## Stella Cadente

The Real Sanguinius said:


> Some of these lists sounds uber lame.
> 
> Games that end in 2 turns because the lists are uber-broken?
> 
> WOW THAT'S FUN.
> 
> No thanks.


but but but, thats how 40k is supposed to be played..........well that is if we go by the general consensus given by the HUGE majority of 40k players roaming the internet.

if your not playing to win by turn 1 or 2 at the very most then most would probably consider you should not be playing at all.

afterall if you finish by turn 2 it gives more time to argue over rules, YAY!!


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## Baltar

Stella Cadente said:


> but but but, thats how 40k is supposed to be played..........well that is if we go by the general consensus given by the HUGE majority of 40k players roaming the internet.
> 
> if your not playing to win by turn 1 or 2 at the very most then most would probably consider you should not be playing at all.
> 
> afterall if you finish by turn 2 it gives more time to argue over rules, YAY!!


I can't be certain, but I think that there may be a possibility, no matter how slight, that this post contains a little bit of sarcasm.


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## Stella Cadente

The Real Sanguinius said:


> I can't be certain, but I think that there may be a possibility, no matter how slight, that this post contains a little bit of sarcasm.


sarcasm yes (although I'm very rarely sarcastic), but sadly mixed with a large dollop of truth in allot of cases.


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## Arkanor

Stella Cadente said:


> relentless long fangs?, not without Logan there not


Whoops, never mind then


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## Phrazer

Stella Cadente said:


> sarcasm yes (although I'm very rarely sarcastic), but sadly mixed with a large dollop of truth in allot of cases.


All the best sarcasm is!!


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