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Cato Sicarius and the Undying

Space Marines Aggro Holy Sepulchre Catachan Outpost

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#1
spectre

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The discussion in the Tier 1 decks served as an impulse for this writeup. I've been toying around with an idea of a much more inspired way to play SM than the heretical xeno alliance. I managed to get that concept past the early testing stage and I am currently looking to refine it further. The resultant decklist is meant to fully explore the strengths of the IG alliance as well as provide a novel and more fun (and indeed so much more fun it is!) way of playing the old Cato.

 

Let's start with a list to get you going:

 

Total Cards: (51)
 
Warlord: 
 
Army Unit: (24)
 
Attachment: (3)
 
Event: (10)
 
Support: (6)
 

 

Since it's vastly different from the established way of  thinking about a Cato deck, I guess I owe y'all a bit of exposition.

 

First, the theory:

 

Having been touched by Magic: The Gathering in the past, I couldn't help but try to transplant some of that old knowledge onto the fresh ground of Warhammer Conquest.

Specifically, I've been thinking about the old aggressive approach some of you may remember as Sligh or Red Deck Wins decks and if they still apply here.

 

For those of you fortunate enough to not be in the know, a Sligh deck back in the day was the definitive, hyper aggressive deck which would give its opponents a run for their money due to the concept of "mana curve", varying the costs of each cards played so that it keeps up with the deck's abilty for resource generation and allows it to use its available resources as efficiently as possible.

 

Now, Warhammer Conquest is unlike Tragic the Garnering in that the main % of victories comes from planetary conquest. Leader fatality, in my view, is very player dependent, by which I mean it's possible for a resourceful player to avoid our clutches. 

 

However this very threat can still be of use to us, as both withdrawing the warlord as a combat action and assigning to "safe" planets can be exploited

Not to mention, there are planetary setups that favor an aggressive approach.

 

How does this translate into the above deck?

First of all, if you would look at its cost curve, it's got 13 cards that cost 1 resource, 18 cards that cost 2 and 15 cards with cost 3.

The in-game implications of such an arrangement is that with the base HQ phase resource generation, we can reasonably expect to play the two cards that we draw with what we get, I think that's quite a good start. 

This ratio gets better the more planets we can win in the command phase and the more money papa Cato brings home from work. 

 

As you will see, I am purposely departing from the currently dominant paradigm of playing a sector-wide command c***block and use the limited tools at my disposal to maintain the early game aggression. My reasoning is, that Space marines are not really equipped for a full planetary lockdown game (as evidenced by the lack of in faction two-hammer units, with the notable exception of brother Maxos),so why force them into such play? 

 

As a side effect of this reasoning, the deck should be able to operate reasonably even under 100% Eldar stranglehold where a more traditional build would yell uncle.

 

That's the theory. Now more about the deck itself.

 

The core of the deck focuses on the interactions between the four core cards: Catachan Outpost, Holy Sepulchre, Brother Maxos and Cato Sicarius.

 

Most of you are aware of the perks of the Catachan Outpost, in my opinion is the no. 1 reason to splash Imperial Guard. Here, it complements our style of play, where we are perfectly happy to pass at 5 credits right after dropping Brother Maxos and let the opponent do the guesswork. In reality, this is not always feasible, as a single but I am sure you get the idea. One of the strengths I would like to emphasize is denying the opponent the information on our true fighting potential until it's much to late. Catachan Outpost plays to this strength by turning the lowliest 2/1 marines dropping into the fray in mid combat into respectable 4/1 damage dealers in a way Ion Rifle Never could.

 

The second piece of the puzzle is Holy Sepulchre, in my opinion a greatly underplayed and underrated SM card. It's effect seems meh at first, until we try to tap it's full potential. Essentially, it means our marine force is much more resistant to attrition. A single 10th company scout set out to annoy the enemy on a distant planet can safely return home and redeploy next turn. Of course, one big downside here is that he won't be available for combat until the next deploy phase, but this works nicely with Brother Maxos around, essentially allowing one Scout to deploy and strike numerous times in one combat, essentially turning him into an Eager recruit (which works similarly without needing assistance from Maxos).

In game terms, the card does wonders to our card advantage, making us less susceptible to attrition from mass removal and planetary combat, we can very well afford to send a lone Blood Angels Veteran to the first planet in hopes to do as much damage as possible. You'd be surprised how often he'd emerge victorious, especially if we have some Elysians to take over.

Doom just doesn't feel as attractive play, when all you got in HQ is Cato, Maxos, Librarian, and a ready Sepulchre.

 

Brother Maxos is a controversial piece of the puzzle. As you can see, I violated a few deckbuilding taboos here in both packing 3x of a unique unit

and making him my lucky 51th pick. The reason for this is that I feel he's highly instrumental to what this deck is trying to accomplish. He works great at capping planets,

as long as he stays close to the frontline (planet 2 is the furthest I would go with him) and allows me not to commit my entire force if I don't feel like it.

In practice, I'm in love with Eager Recruit. Maxos turns my Scouts into recruits and allows me to walk past some otherwise crippling effects like Tau ranged gun drones or Eldorath's exhaustion. For all the above reasons, I want Maxos out as soon as I can. I want him to fight, gather resources and possibly die a heroic death as soon as possible. Three copies allow me just that luxury, though if it spoils your Feng Shui, feel free to drop back to 2x.

 

Now, how does it all work with Cato? I think you should be slowly getting the idea. Making money during combat means we're suddenly getting more dangerous. One kill means we can plop one more Recruit or an Indomitable. Two kills and we can drop pod assault or drop some meaty demon with Fury of Sicarius.

 

How does it all come together?

Early tests have been promising, as in it think I have found a genuinely fun and skill intensive (for both players!) way to play Cato which was the thing I had hoped to achieved for, no matter the Tier evaluation of the resultant build.

 

Although my octgn tally is only good for e-peen bragging rights and I still get the feeling that I've yet to learn from this build. Unless a clear mistake was made with a pointless move, unlucky mulligan, or a bad case of God Hand for the opposing player, it never feels hopeless. It's got answers to many common threats and builds very nicely on the already solid Space Marine foundation.

 

The key to playing this deck effectively is to take advantage the layout of the planets. Keeping in mind that we don't need too much resources to maintain our aggression, it is important to snipe the planets that give us the most benefit. Osus and Elouith become super important picks, so is Carnath, but everyone already loves Carnath.

On the other hand, Tarrus becomes our Y'varn, 4 res 1 card or 4 card 1 res can give us a significant edge for the next turn. Another interesting think I noticed is how Cato alters the moneymaking dynamic when the opponent blockades us with Drones, Biel Tans and Survivalists. Each one of these now effectively becomes a +1 resource mod when we go to snipe them. And an additional +1 resource can take us quite far

 

In emergent play, this deck is great at pressuring the enemy Warlord wherever he goes. Imagine the Sepulchre and Outpost is the table.

Normally it's not a combination you would fear. But you probably should!

Now, with Eager Recruits on hand, whenever a warlord sets off from planet 1, the following will happen, first combat action, I play Eager Recruit.

Now, the immediate reaction would be to swat the little bugger and go on about your business. However, in doing so, the Recruit will go back to hand and return to the planet in the next action step, possibly delivering 4 damage. And this effect just keeps getting stronger the more copies of recruits, sepulchres and outposts I can get my hand on.

The alternative to withdraw immediately may be the most optimal, but results in a wasted commitment, possible damage to any units that came on the bus with the warlord as well as me triggering the planet.

What I like the most about this Johnny combo is that the pieces itself remain useful. Well, maybe that actually makes it a bit less Johnny.

Of course, it's possible to stop this play using archon's terror, mitigate the damage with shields, assign only to planets with friendly ranged units, but that's all valuable assets that could be winning you the war instead of preventing you from getting a boo boo.

 

 

3x 10th Company Scout

 

These guys are conspicuously absent from most builds I see around. It seems that they are not as sexy as 2 hammers for 2.
However, I feel that on an empty planet an 'amma is an 'amma, and he's a space marine, worthy of sicarius' fury and emperor's indomitable protection.
 

 

3x Ratling Deadeye

3x Elysian Assault Team (Core Set)

 

My only two imported units, chosen because they do things nobody else on the list can - deliver a ranged strike (potentially devastating with Outposts)
and keep on fighting when the enemy thinks it's already gg easy.
 
Personally, I am puzzled little seeing all the builds playing 12 out of faction army units,
where in fact this denies access to some of the key SM cards in the pool.
 

 

3x Tactical Squad Cardinis

3x Blood Angels Veterans

 

Basic qualifications for this slot:
1) must fit into a drop pod (cost 3)
2) must be a solider
3) must be eligible for vacation in the Holy Sepulchre
Optional: must be able to deliver some serious damage.
These are our grunts. Soldiers who are expected to do as much damage and occupy the enemy long enough to allow
Elysian Teams and eager recruits to drop in and take potshots at the exhausted lot.
The tactical squad is vital to fend off for annoying swarms, and for this reason one should take care to use him as effectively as possible in these matchups.
 
Recent stints with the Imperial Guard and 2 HP tokens has lead me to consider Daring Assault Squad here. While the deck space is pretty tight, the only way to do it seems to cut 1x of each solider and add 2x. I am worried about their not fitting into the pod, but it's something I would test.
 

 

3x Promotion

This is our chance to actually have some presence in the command phase. While I initially contemplated ditching it altogether for Iron Halos, Suppressive Fire, or simply more units, I find it that 27-28 army units is the sweet spot for most of my decks, allowing a good balance between army and non-army draws.
That said, Promotion is surprisingly effective. A single one lets Maxos dominate his planet, lets a scout out-hammer any two-hammer unit, and in a pinch it can be fitted on a daring recruit or elysian team stranded away from home to at least make them feel less useless.
 
While this build may be lacking some command phase ability, I never felt particularly challenged in this regard. Usually we can establish a strong presence on 2 planets, and 2 out of 3 is enough to keep us going. Let the enemy take the scraps, we will claim the planets where money's at.
In practice, most of the cards that we would deploy outside of combat have 1 hammer. A promoted Tactical Squad can do a surprising good capping.
Not to mention, we can clear some pesky cappers with the Chosen.
 

2x Suppressive Fire

An important control card, at times I feel as if I should cut some promotions to make room for more.
In practice, we often have the means to use it, either dropping a recruit or bending maxos (he can still call some friends), or Cato in a pinch.
It's not unheard of to drop an Elysian and a Recruit, lay suppression with the Elysian, apply some hurt with the Recruit and withdraw cause it's the end of the combat round.
The perfect hit and run. Catachan Outpost allows us that flexibility, cause the 2 additional damage can be applied by any of our units. 
 
 

2x Exterminatus

I've heard numerous discussions about dropping this card altogether, cause most players will just play around it.
In practice, I find that this Straken deck makes a surprisingly good use of the card (or it may be just that I finally unlocked the secret to use it properly.
Primarily, the Exterminatus is used to punish the control decks who sometimes like to drop key assets on planet 2. I've dropped many a Wildrider with this
and as long as it makes me come ahead in cards or money, I'm all for it.
 
My first eye-opening moment was when I noticed that Brother Maxos is immune to Exterminatus. I must confess that I now have a man-crush on the guy.
Add a bunch of Chosen to the mix to reposition the enemy cards more to our liking, and with a Holy Sepulchre it's now possible to work out a situation where we won't lose any cards at all from dropping the nuke.
 
Lastly, the stuff that didn't make the list.

NO Daring Assault Squad

Like I said, I am torn here. Both including them and not including them has it's pros and cons.

If they were 1 resource cheaper, I wouldn't hesitate for a second.

 

NO Iron Hands Techmarine

I just don't like what I am getting for the money here. I suppose Straken's bonus can make a man out of this guy, and he can still call in Elysians but I am not a fan.

 

NO Iron Halo

It was a hard choice to part with them, but I only ever use it for the shields.

There was a moment that I considered swapping them out for Exterminatus, but then I saw the light. 

 

NO Sanctioned Psyker

I'm not too hyped for 2 hammer for two if it comes from a non-combatant. I feel this guy is a bit of a waste outside of decks that can utilize his toughess

 

NO Void Pirate/Rogue Trader

Perhaps the biggest heresy in this deck. I felt that it doesn't synergize enough with the rest of the deck, and I am not especially fond of non-combatants in aggro

unless they do amazing stuff. Not saying I'd scoff at an extra card or buck, but when it comes to command, I prefer to stick with the free promotion (though I suppose it's possible to swap them out for it.)

 

 

I ranted on about the deck's potential which may or may not be all in my head.

To keep it balanced, a few words about what hurts it the most, and after that I promise to finish this epistle.

 

No. 1 on the hate list is random discard, as it prevents me from getting the guy back ever again.

No. 2 are units that stay useful even when exhausted - Command Squads, Flash Gits, Flamers, they all can mess with our usual MO of

letting them tap out 

No. 3 is when people mess with Maxos - ability blanking, routing, relocating to a different planet, 

the very possibility of such plays means I must commit more forces to a planet than I would like to, though if I got some recruits on hand,

I am actually quite happy to see such an annoying card being expended.

 

 

 

Hope you enjoyed this and I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts&opinions. 

 

That was a long post, cheers for getting this far and have a potato:

Potato.png


  • Organwolf likes this

#2
yankeefan1355

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Interesting deck idea.

 

You are %100 right about 10th Co Scout. 

You are %100 wrong about leaving out Iron Halo.  Cato + Halo = Cornbread.

I'd ditch at least 3x of the Assault Team/Eager Recruit team.  That's a lot of units with no command that you could mulligan into imo.

Stalwart Ogryn would be an interesting include in your deck.



#3
VonWibble

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I wouldn't describe this as a vastly different deck - its very similar to mine in fact. I run 2 x Maxos instead of 3 but I do run the reducer. I also have the Techmarines instead of promotions (similar effect, can be found with drop pod assault), but am seriously considering dropping them. Also I do run Iron Halo (just 1).

#4
yankeefan1355

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Do you run any Iron Halo's VonWibble?



#5
spectre

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Well, I am not a big fan of singles, so you won't talk me into loading up more than just the mandatory signature squad stuff (:

 

I wouldn't describe this as a vastly different deck - its very similar to mine in fact.

Guess there's a limited number of combinations we can get with the current card pool (:

I managed to miss your deck then, guess I need to lurk moar, read moar.

Still, I think it deserves more attention cause I find it a blast to play whenever I need something fresh.

 

You are %100 wrong about leaving out Iron Halo.  Cato + Halo = Cornbread.

Alas, the age old problem here is not what to add, but what to take away (:

 

Stalwart Ogryn would be an interesting include in your deck.

I would, In a heartbeat, if he were immune to ALL events, if they were space marines, or if they had just a little bit more oomph.

Don't get me wrong, I love them with Straken, but precisely because they are 3/2 effectively.



#6
yankeefan1355

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Rock on!



#7
Kingsley

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This seems like a solid deck, though I suspect it will be much better once Ragnar Blackmane comes out.



#8
GKZhukov

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Haven't had chance to read everything (will do later).

 

Initial instinct is I'd keep Assault Team and Recruit because of synergy with Outpost etc. which is the point of the deck.

However I would view them more as events, so not count them towards units when making sure you have the right amount.

 

As much as I love Suppressive Fire I'd drop this and add 2 units - probably Psyker. I'd be tempted to drop the Exterminatuses (Exterminati?) too, if your meta always just assumes they are there. Unlike Doom, you only need your opponent to believe you have Exterminatus for it to do its job. I'd understand keeping them, especially if your opponent calls that bluff, but otherwise they are another option to drop so you can keep all your Ambush tools, but also increase Command units.



#9
LordVampire

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Why do you have 3x Veteran Brother Maxos? He's a unique unit and so you can only ever have one of him in play. 3 cards means you'll be able to draw him faster, but it will also mean that 2 out of your 51 cards are completely useless, except for maybe a discard by your opponent.



#10
GKZhukov

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Maxos is a frontline unit who gets killed often, so I don't see a problem with it, though I might be tempted to go 2X.

 

There's still the possibility you draw 2 or 3 at once, but much of the time he'll die before you draw the next one.

 

Differentiate this from say the Eldar Unique who often sits on a late game planet and so won't die as quickly (but who people include more of anyway sometimes as an alternative Nullify trigger).


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#11
LordVampire

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Maxos is a frontline unit who gets killed often, so I don't see a problem with it, though I might be tempted to go 2X.

 

Hmm, I kinda forgot that him being killed means he's not in play anymore, so you can play another one. Doesn't sound logical, being unique and all, but it's possible gamewise.







Also tagged with one or more of these keywords: Space Marines, Aggro, Holy Sepulchre, Catachan Outpost