Before we delve into the HQ choices, I am going to do a quick overview of the force organization chart. If you are playing a bound list then you must take; 1 HQ, 2 Troops, and 1 Elite. Optionally you can take only one other HQ choice which makes me sad, 4 more troops (no thanks), 3 elites, 3 fast attack (more please?), 3 heavy support, 1 fortification, and 1 Lord of War (should really read 1 Dante.)
Starting with the first entry in the codex, the Captain. Starting at 90 points and climbing up from there, this guy is pretty standard. For a further 50 points you can suit him up in terminator armor and give him the AP2 relic power sword which really isn't that bad of an option, and for only a further 5 points you get a storm shield for that much valued 3+ invulnerable save. Plus you get the really cool sword and shield combination, making your captain look like an awesome knight of doom.
Second entry is the all powerful librarian. Starting at 65 points he is the third least expensive HQ option. 25 points will get you mastery level 2, and add that again for terminator armor. He has access to the Sanguinary, Biomancy, Daemonology, Divination, and Pyromancy options. I really like the Sanguinary powers and will probably be rolling out with them more often than not. He can take the fancy staff for a cheap 10 points which allows you to re-roll 1's in your psychic phase. This guy is making it into my first 7th edition list and I will be painting the model from the Space Hulk game to represent him on the table.
Captain Tycho...um...take him if you know you are playing against orks. I guess he works in a tactical or sternguard squad. Same goes for Death Company Tycho, put him in a D co squad and watch him do not a whole lot in close combat since he will just be wacking people with his fancy bolter.
Librarian Dreadnought! 175 points for a lvl 2 dread. Take him if you want to be cool and have something fancy. I don't think he will ever be anyone's warlord, but it would be a lot of fun to see.
Mephiston, The Lord of Death! The universes scariest psycher got toned down a bit, but somehow got scarier. At 175 points he is much more likely to be seen in even more lists. He is mastery level 3, so can really help shut down your opponents psychic phase with his psychic hood. He still lacks an invulnerable save and at toughness 5 can be instakilled be a few things out there, but he can now be put in a unit which makes that a very slim hope. Good luck against this guy.
The Sanguinor, boasts half the stat line of a demon prince, and with a psycher casting the quickening on him can boost those other stats up to that level. He has eternal warrior, so those three precious wounds will have to be taken one at a time. He still can't join a unit so if you take him, hide him until he can get into range of his target. Once again, teamed up with a psycher to cast wings of sanguinius on him will help him roam the battle field and be a true terror.
If you are running a list that has a lot of death company, you really should consider taking Astorath the Grim. He will allow them to re-roll their failed to wound rolls. Since they got down graded to weapon skill 4 each wound needs to count for a bit more with them. His axe still strikes at initiative 1, but on a 6 to wound causes instant death, so you can do a bit of monster hunting with him. Astorath also has the adamatium will special rule, which can help you deflect psychic attacks targeted at the death company.
Sanguinary Priest. That's right folks, straight from the elites section this choice has been cut down. Starting at 60 points, 10 more than previous, you lose your 6 inch feel no pain bubble, but gain +1 weapon skill and feel no pain to the squad he is in. He also gains a second wound, but lost any chance of having an invulnerable save since they can't take terminator armor. I used to love sanguinary priests in the previous edition, and lovingly custom made all of mine, now I am going to be leaving them at home.
Brother Corbulo lost his oh so broken 2+ feel no pain save, but now grants +1 weapons skill and initiative thanks to his fancy grail cup which further boosts your marines to initiative of 6 when they charge thanks to the red thirst. One of the best aspects of these priests is that this granting of higher initiative and weapons skill are always active, not just when you charge which is something to think about.
Techmarine! The least expensive option. Take him if you need repairs, nothing fancy here.
Chaplain. Gone are the days of the epic Reclusiarch, now all you get his his clearly inferior little brother. At 120 points in terminator armor he is now competing against a librarian who can enhance your whole army if you get certain powers. I'll work him out in a few games, but I have little doubt that the librarian will prove his worth of his black armored brothers.
Gabrieal Seth is a rather strange choice for a Lord of War. 155 points for a guy wielding an ap4 chainsword with rending. He will have a lot of attacks when he charges, and those attacks will be at strength 9 which is fantastic. If you have 155 points to throw into a character to chew apart orks and the like then you won't go wrong with Seth.
Commander Dante! All Blood Angel playes shed a tear of joy upon seeing his axe and noticing that it goes at his initiative of 6! What is 220 points when you have Dante being the bad ass that he alwasy should have been? He is an eternal warrior, so you can rest easy with his toughness 4 with 4 wounds. Finally the chapter master of the Blood Angels can accept a challenge and come out on top with a smile on his face. He automatically comes with descent of angels so have fun re-rolling your reserves and scattering less. Very tempting to run more assault units with him, and I will have to try him out sometime again.
That's it for part two. A very cramped section full of choices that will have you debating for a while on what is truly worth taking. Thank you for reading and have an Emperor blessed day.
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