Iconoclast Spam

[Bozeman]

What do you think of the viability of this list?

1500 pts, Chaos 12th Black Crusade Gothic Sector Fleet

-Chaos Warmaster (Ld 8 )

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

-Iconoclast x 6

It would scare the hell out of Eldar and you could team up 12 of them to board one ship.  You could also split each squadron in 1/2 for 12 squadrons of 3 to minimize damage from a ship with lots of shots, and make it so BFI only affects a small squad.

Downside, it would be incredibly vulnerable to high armor enemies and would lose effectiveness fast as the damage piled up.  Plus, there would be so many ships in your deployment zone that a Nova Cannon basically couldn't miss.

Thoughts?

[Ruckdog]

I think it would be effective against many builds, though Horizon's 30 Nightshade fleet would probably eat this for breakfast . Given enough terrain, I think many other Eldar builds could also handle this list under the MSM rules. I don't really have enough experience to speak to how a MMS fleet would fare. You're biggest problems are low armor and lack of range.

Despite your fears about Nova Cannon blasts, I think the IN might have a tough time with this list, since IN fleets tend to be short ranged themselves. Then again, you have no defense against ordnance, meaning these things will be vulnerable to torpedoes.

[Vaaish]

It's scary on paper with all the s18 WB running around but you'll start losing firepower pretty quickly. I think almost any list with a battleship would be fine against that.

[ErikModi]

Call me crazy, but methinks we may have a spambot.  Not sure why I think that, call it a gut feeling.

As to the fleet. . . I personally don't use escorts at all (but my play experience is very limited), and can't wrap my head around a whole fleet of them.  Maybe it'd be terribly effective, maybe it'd be a speed bump lunch. . . I don't know.  I think it would largely depend on the psychology of your opponent.  If they know escorts well, their strengths and weakness, and what their best deployments and tactics are, you'd probably be lunch.  If they're like me, and don't even bother to read the escort stats 90% of the time, then they'll be caught completely flat-footed and have no idea what the frell to do against that wave of one-hit-point-wonders.

[horizon]

This fleet will confuse some opponents at the beginning but if they remain focused they will take the Iconoclasts down.

But for ErikModi, do not underestimate the powers of escort vessels.
As, once, my five strong Iconoclast squadron crippled an Emperor battleship (good dice rolls, 3 shields down, no brace for impact).