#gamechangersnp

Ok in Part one I started the description of Baal's golden guard. Their rules, bit of lore, all good stuff. As promised though, here's part two.

Just to check, It cant be all good though right?

No they do have their weakness. first off, they are not cheap 30 points each, with their bolter variant and either of the power weapons can be steep. Couple this with the fact that when all other marines got a wound push, Sanguinary Guard are still 2 wounds. They also have no invulnerable save, which could cause problems if you cant stick them somewhere safe. In this case, butchering your opponent could be bad, getting left out of cover and engagement range leaves you open to return fire.

The other consideration is you'll want to pick targets carefully. Sure against standard marines and the ilk, as well as hordes, they can go to town. However invulnerable saves such as the Harlequins 4+ can stop a few crucial strikes before they blend you in return, and units with damage reduction such as Dreadnoughts or the ENTIRE Death Guard list will halve your damage potential.

Final verdict then? Would you take them?

If you're building for high combat, then yeah of course. I actually want more of these guys. Add in a Sanguinary Priest with jump pack, maybe make him your Warlord to give you the benefit of an Apothecary (why not make him chief) and the Blood Chalice to give them the benefits of the Assault Doctrine.. oof

I’ve got a single unit at the moment for my Lamenters, oddly enough the easiest thing to paint in that whole chapter as they (in the current lore at least) appear to be the only sons of Baal who sport silver armour and black wings on the Sanguinary Guard.

Ok so its a bit lengthy but as you can probably tell, I enjoyed this one a lot.

Today I'll be looking at Reivers in the Space Marine codex.

Reivers are the Terror Troops of the Adeptus Astartes, their skull faced helms with the SMOKESCREEN and SHOCK GRENADES keywords places them narrativly into a scare tactic role. So lets take a look.

What do they have?

Reivers can have more varied wargear than a lot of the other Primaris Marines. Your basic loadout is a Special issue Bolt Pistol, and Combat knife, which you can swap out for a Bolt Carbine. On top of that, you can take either a Grapnel Launcher or Grav Chutes.

Rules wise, Reivers have the Angels of Death, Chapter Tactics and Combat Squads rules, though note the lack of Concealed Positions ubiquitous to the majority of the Vanguard.

Their Terror Troops Aura subtracts 2 from the LD of enemies within 3 inch.

Grapnel launchers allow the unit to Outflank and ignore any vertical distances when it moves outside of the charge and fight phases.

Grav chutes give you the Death From Above ability enabling them to arrive anywhere on the table over 9 inch from an enemy.

The pistol is a -2ap bolt pistol, which is nice, and the bolt carbine is assault which gives some reliable firepower.

So what use are they?

As daft as it might sound, ignore the weapon profiles. Reivers dont hit hard and they arnt any tougher than a standard marine. They are built for advancing where other Troops might chose to stand and shoot.

Reivers are a harassment unit, their LD debuff is ok, but really excels when combined with the stratagem Terror Troops, or Shock and Awe. Disrupting the reliability of units and shutting down the Objective secured abilities and Actions of the enemy.

As far as what equipment would you take? Whilst it depends on Chapter, I'd move twoard their pistols as they have an AP and you're wanting to be close with them anyways.

What Chapters do they work well in?

A combat focused unit will work well in a combat focused Chapter. Blood Angels will certainly get some use out of them but I think they would work better in White Scars because you need to get them in there. Unless you're forking out for the unit upgrades you could find you'll need a TRANSPORT to get them into position and Advance and Charge could be handy.

Imperial Fists could get some limited mileage from them but only due to the weapons being bolters.

Space Wolves are an option for Reivers, but they have their Hounds of Morkai, and they have a lot more going for them.

So would you take them?

Well, no. Sad to say that they just dont seem to pack enough utility in. To really get mileage from them you'll be wanting to support them with a TRANSPORT or a Librarian.

Like I said, they don't do the damage, and yes they have use as harassment but they are an Elite choice, and there are just so many other things in that selection that only people dedicated to them will use them over say, Bladeguard.

Reivers dont fit a role very well. The pistol is nice but isnt supported by a combat prowess or weapon that sets them apart. The bolt carbine lacks anything to set it apart from a standard boltguns other than the assault profile and with regular marines now being 2 wounds each, Tactical Squads actually hold more options before we even talk about the Drop Pod.

Lets have a breakdown.

Tactical Squad in Drop Pod actually meets the Reivers with grav chute in terms of firepower and deployment areas. Straight away though, Drop Pod comes turn one, and the Tactical Squad can take special weapons.

How does that translate with points?

5 man Tactical Squad with Drop Pod = 160 points

5 man Reiver squad with grav chutes = 100 points

Both units will arrive 9inch away from the enemy, though the Drop Pod arrives turn one, possibly securing you that objective early or screening it off.

The Tactical Squad, has the Objective Secured rule and the option to take a special weapon.

The Drop Pod actually adds firepower through its storm bolter and can hold an objective on its own.

Plus, options in your force org slots. Elites are a highly contested area.

So sorry Reivers, unless i'm going full Vanguard, you just wont make that cut very often.

For the second of my unit focuses, welcome the Incursor. Incursors must be a play on Incursion, Invasion or attack, especially sudden or brief, and boy does the wargear match that description.

So what do they have?

On top of the basic marine rules of Angels of Death and Chapter Tactics, Incursors have Concealed Position similar to Infiltrators. Their wargear and rules are based around this swift attack ethos, and this is taken directly from the codex.

'The occulus bolt carbines and Divinator-class auspexes of the Incursors feed directly into their transpectral visors.'  

Who doesn’t love sci-fi techno jargon? What this means however is the following. Their bolters whilst lacking AP do ignore the bonus of cover for their targets They have a Multispectrum Array, (read visor and shoulder auspex) which allows you to ignore any OR all modifiers to hit rolls or BS modifiers That represents the constant tactical data feed coming to the Incursor unit They also come with the SMOKESCREEN keyword as well as a Bolt Pistol and Paired Combat Blades The Combat blades give the Incursor -1AP in combat which again represents their sudden strike role. For a small points layout you can give the squad a Haywire Mine, which unlike in 8th, no longer needs to be planted. This is both a good and a bad thing. You are trading booby trapping areas of the board to deter movement,  for giving you some protection from being charged. On a 2+ you’ll inflict d3 mortal wounds on a unit that ends a charge move in engagement range, or a flat 3 against something with the VEHICLE keyword.

Don’t forget, these guys are TROOPS so you’ll be able to level your objective secured ability.

So what use are they?

I really like Incursors. Unlike 8th, I wouldn’t always take the Haywire Mine unless you're local group uses a lot of elite units such as CUSTODES or VEHICLES. With no longer being able to pop it in a choke point as a trap I feel its lost some flavour. Where I think Incursors excel though is close range, this isn’t a unit I'd suggest babysitting home objectives. They may lack some of the carnage of assault intercessors, but they also have a better ranged attack than them. To me Incursors sit almost between standard Intercessors and their new Assault Intercessor brothers. 

Using the Concealed deployment  often means you don’t have to think about TRANSPORT and when attacking targets in Dense Cover or with a native -1 modifiers to hit just don’t phase them, sorry AELDARI players. Probably the best thing to be noticed here though is that you may ignore ANY OR ALL modifiers. If you've got a +1 modifier you can still use it, so Dark Angels remaining stationary (or using the stratagem to count as not having moved) would ALWAYS be hitting on 2s.

What Chapters make the most use from them?

Honestly your stock chapters all benefit here. Maybe less so for Imperial Fists due to their ignoring of cover on their bolters being part of their Chapter Tactic. White Scars, Blood Angels and other combat based Chapters make great use of them as assault troops, close range, advance and charge, or +1 to wound with the combat blades both being great applications. Dark Angels can make use of them as forward elements supporting Ravenwing or Deathwing units with their versitility.

So do you take them?

Oh yes. They sit around the same points and power as both types of Intercessors and sit neatly in between the two in terms of role. Their firepower is reliable and they are TROOPS, plus they just look awesome as models. I'd take these as they are more versitile than Intercessors. 

As you can see from the pictures, I already have some painted up, running alongside my Ravenwing, and I’ve got more left to build, I really rate them.

Welcome traveler, steady your mind as we delve into the warp, this time looking at the most esoteric aspects of the Adeptus Astartes, the Librarius. The Codicier and Epistolaries of the Librarius function as the Chapters insight into the warp. Not only do they protect their brothers and the Imperium from the various energies and temptations of the warp, but they also utilise it to benefit the Imperium of Man harnessing it to use abilities beyond their brothers.

The librarius features a wide array of talents within its walls. There are those who communicate through the warp, those that dive into the various divergent time streams for possible futures (looking at you doctor strange). There are those that shield their brothers and those that blast their foes with powers considered sorcery by some. Once outlawed during the Horus Heresy at the Council of Nikea it swiftly became apparent that the Imperium needed this defense and the Librarius was reforged anew, though not all chapters tolerate their presence, notably the Black Templars.

On the table top, Librarians are your access to operating in the psychic phase, sandwiched between the movement and shooting. Some armies have no influence in this phase, such as the Tau, and some are very strong, such as the Thousand Sons but to fully operate most people could agree to some extent that a presence in each phase is integral. There are four non special character Librarians to choose from, and a plethora of special characters from various suppliments such as Mephiston, Ezekiel, Njal and even Librarian Dreadnoughts. Today though again in light of having no conclusive list of suppliments, ill focus on the stock choices, these are the Firstborn in power armour, Firstborn in terminator armour, Primaris, and Phobos. Straight off, you’re core abilities with these battle psykers. All your librarians sit at WS and BS skill 3, the stock for a space marine. They can all attempt to cast 2 powers and deny 1, knowing smite and 2 others from the librarius discipline for all but the Phobos, who knows his from the obfuscation discipline, (or their suppliments discipline at the moment). They all have psychic hood which enables them to add one to deny if they are within 12 inch, and their power weapons are all force weapons giving you a nice d3 damage, plus the recent weapon strength buffs and your force sword can be replaced with either an axe or staff. Showing my bias here though, they all have the DEATHWING keyword if taken in a Dark Angel (or their successors) detachment which does add some tactical flexibility, though sadly no INNER CIRCLE rule. I wont cover the psychic powers here, I’ll do a post each for the Librarius and the Obfuscation Disciplines but needless to say, with 12 stock powers across your librarians, and four distinctly different styles, there’s something for everyone.

Starting off then with your Firstborn in power armour choice. There are a lot of models for this guy, my favourite of which is the one portrayed above which came from the Dark Vengeance starter set for I believe 7th edition, and you can get a Librarian with any of its force weapons without the need for conversion if you’re happy to have some of the older models.  Like most of his Firstborn counterparts across the chapter command, his loadout is the most varied being able to take a boltgun, combi bolter or a variety of pistols (again including the chapter restricted ones). He also gains access to a jump pack, giving him the JUMP PACK and Death from Above rules and keyword. Like his other power armoured brothers he can mount in the old transports, the Drop Pod being my new favourite. If you want to drop in turn one and debuff, buff or just smite something, the Psychic phase comes straight after reinforcements so being able to pick where he goes is crucial. 

Your Terminator Librarian trades some of the transport ability for an extra wound and a 2+ 5+inv. He gains the Teleport strike ability, again good for key placement, and must take a combi weapon. He functions much the same as the basic Librarian but with slightly less customisation. GW have made enough of these models over the years, from an old metal one I have that I love, to recent plastics though if you’re from a few chapters converting them is a lot of fun. He fits in really well if you’re playing a terminator heavy list, which I’ve not seen in a while, but they could come back if ‘fingers crossed’ the Deathwing are a strong choice post Dark Angel suppliment.

Your basic Primaris Librarian takes another step up in power. Loosing the benefit of terminator armour and the customisation of the basic power armour Librarian he does gain an extra attack and has the same wounds as the Terminator Librarian. GW have a model for this guy and he’s cool but my librarians are often more of a support and psychic defense choice and the extra attack comes at the expense of ease of mobility. Being primaris he can only be transported in Repulsors or Impulsors and whilst the later allows you to disembark after moving and thus throw down your power, its a big investment and he will want bodyguards of which he’ll get 5 in his transport. It could be a good play and I’m willing to hear people out, but honestly I think I’ll drop pod in.

The final option is the Phobos Librarian. Disclaimer here, this is not my model, just a picture found on a search of the net, if its you’re awesome work. This guy is generally my go to. The advent of Phobos units in marine armies really has gripped me. He has a whole seperate discipline to choose from which works well with other phobos units, has the concealed deployment ability, allowing you to push the midfield early and gets +1 save in cover for some extra durability. He’s the perfect support unit for a phobos based army, so one that uses Incursors, Infiltrators, Reivers and the other Phobos command units and pairs really nice with Invictor warsuits and even scout elements. In a game based on objective grabbing being able to put yourself anywhere during deployment so long as its over 9inch from the enemy or their deployment zone give you a strong start, not to mention makes your board control larger to prevent units arriving from reserve where you may not want them. There’s only one model, the pose above, and honestly look at it, its beautiful. This guy is the least varied of his brothers, as you can only take him with the sword but that’s not a bad thing. He is the only psyker with access to Obfuscation, which specialises in buffs and debuffs, moving your phobos units around and even generating CP off enemy characters so whilst you’re trading offense you’re gaining utility, Compare him to the difference between Farseers and Warlocks, the former being the guiding force multiplier, the later the offensive jerk.

All your Librarian options can be upgraded to Chief Librarian for an investment in points and power. Doing so gives them the base ability to know an additional power from their chosen school, taking it to 3 powers plus smite, and deny a second power a turn, with the relic to extend the psychic hood to 24 inch, and the warlord trait for +1 to cast you can really capitalise on the utility by picking powers that are more varied for each situation, especially good in Crusade where your selections are locked, and that extra bubble means that if you’re in the middle of the table you cover a huge area with a +1 to deny

Tomorrow I’ll take a look at the Librarius discipline before moving on to the Obfuscation possibly in a second post but for now that’s it. Librarians let you play in ever phase and more importantly give you defense against people in the pyschic phase. 

Hi, today i'll be looking at the PRIEST units of the Space Marines, the warrior priests of the Reclusiam, the Chaplains.

There’s quite a bit to pack in here so expect a couple of posts.

Every Space Marine Chapter maintains the spiritual purity of its warriors through the constant vigilance of the Reclusiam. The Chaplains are the military arm of this function of the Chapter preforming Rites for their brothers and leading them in combat, instilling them to ever greater feats of heroism through their oratory. Various Chapters Chaplains preform varied roles. The Chaplains of the Blood Angels watch for the onset of the flaw, consigning those brothers who succumb to the Death Company, whilst those of the Dark Angels seek to extract information and confessions from the Fallen. As an arm of the Chapters structure, the Chaplains act as command and advisory staff to the Captains and the Chapter Master as well as serving as a contact point for those Battle Brothers who's conviction has waivered.

On the table top these warrior priests lead often from the front and their rules represent this.

There are 4 differant options for your Chaplain on the table, Firstborn, Terminator, Primaris and the new Primaris Bike Chaplain, and depending on your playstyle, you can always find a fit for them.

At their core they have an AURA ability to pass their leadership, a formidable 9, to any Chapter CORE units nearby. Whilst thematic, marines are usually pretty hardy and resilient, you never know though, we could be looking at Leadership tricks as armies come out, and I'm thinking Night Lords and Drukhari here.

All Chaplains sport a 4+ invulnerable save as base and the ability to recite a litany each command phase on a 3+. All your base Chaplains know the Litany of Hate and one additional one from the litanies section of the book, and all are able to upgrade to Master of Sanctity, but more on him later. They all come wielding their weapon of office, the Crozius, which hits at +2 str -1 ap and 2 dmg, not shabby as a base weapon. If you're a Space Wolves player all your Chaplains gain the WOLF PRIEST keyword so maintain your synergies and stratagem usage.

I'll start off as I usually do, looking at the Firstborn options. Your basic Chaplain is as normal, your most customisable. naturally sporting his pistol and Crozius, he can add a jump pack, gaining all the normal benefits such as Death from Above and the FLY keyword. His bolt pistol can be swapped out for a bolter or combi bolter, or replaced with a powerfist. If you want to maintain your pistol then you can swap that for another pistol, including the Blood Angels only options of a hand flamer or inferno pistol. With not being Primaris he can embark on your older transports including a drop pod, but as ill get to in a sec, not being on the board in the Command Phase does limit their potential.

Your second Firstborn option is your Terminator Chaplain. Swapping power armour and bolt pistol for Terminator armour and storm bolter is nice, especially when coupled with the Bolter Discipline part of their Angels of Death rule. Being in terminator armour he can swap the storm bolter for a combi bolter and gains the Teleport Strike ability. If you're a son of Caliban you'll get the DEATHWING keyword as a bonus, though no Inner Circle.

Now back to the Angels of Death, Teleport Strike and Transport options. As you're reciting litanies in the Command Phase and don’t come down until your Reinforcement Step of the Movement Phase or disembark until your Movement Phase, your turn one and 2 utility can be negatively impacted. There is a stratagem to recite one in any phase automatically, but we'll cover that later on.

The Primaris bring their own Chaplains into the battle in two ways. Your foot option is relatively basic, with his fixed loadout, but not shy of threatening. With an extra wound and attack over the basic Firstborn he will take some extra beating down (for the same power level its worth noting), he also carries a pistol with the punch of a heavy bolter round at 18 inch so ignore him at your own risk.

Its the Primaris Chaplain on bike that I am very keen on. Confession time, I like the Bikers of the Adeptus Astartes and have a Ravenwing force. This chap, gains the RAVENWING keyword which fills me with so many exciting possibilities though I'll wait for the Dark Angel book to explore that. Being mounted on a Primaris Bike he gains the BIKER keyword, twin bolt rifles, and extra point of toughness and 2 extra wounds over his foot slogging brother (3 over the basic Firstborn). He's also sporting a 14 inch movement and auto 6 advance. Unlike the Primaris Outriders, he doesnt gain the Devestating Charge rule, but honestly he'd be an absolute monster and an overpowered character does nothing for the enjoyment of the game.

For a little investment, you could upgrade any of these to Master of Sanctity. For what you get its a cheap upgrade. reciting 2 litanies in your command phase, rather than one, and knowing an extra means you could double stack buffs on a unit. I’ll look at the litanies in the next post but they could be really compatable. Litanies inspiring with +1 to the roll, so 2s in most cases for the extra reliability and the stratagem I'll look at only costs one point, really useful. The relic they gain prevents rerolls against them and gives a 2d6 pick highest debuff AURA on leadership of units nearby. With moral changes its pretty nice, you could force a leadership test on a horde unit looking for those ones in combat attrition.

So they are all pretty useful in their own way. My Bike Mounted Chaplain is on my desk surrounded by Outriders and soon to be joined by ATVs.

Next post I'll look at litanies and the important stratagem to give your reinforcing or dismounting Chaplains some extra play tricks.