Curses. I'm starting to wish I came up with a better naming system for this series.
If you've just joined us, this is the second installment in the review of the recent Forge World books. I'll be dealing today with the rest of the characters from Badab War: Part One
Characters
For the sake of completeness here's the format again:
I'll go through the characters by firstly giving you a little on the background behind them and their disposition at the end of the Badab War. Following on from this I'll go through:
- The points cost compared to a Company Captain.
- Their stat lines.
- Wargear.
- Special Rules.
- I'll explain any non-standard Special Rules or Wargear and give my opinion.
- Finally I'll comment on it's relative effectiveness in-game.
Any non-standard rules and wargear will be highlighted in bold.
Lord High Commander Carab Culln
I had to trawl through too many Twilight photos to find this.
Well, we all know who's boss don't we? With a title like that! The third iteration of his rules, his days as the low-ranking Sergeant Culln is a distant memory for the now Chapter Master of the Red Scorpions. He had the title thrust upon him after the Secessionists ambushed and killed many of the Loyalist Chapter Masters.
HQ Unit
Points: 2.15 Company Captains
Profile: Same as a Chapter Master's +1 Attack
Wargear: Terminator Armour, Teleport Homer, Iron Halo, Master Crafted Storm Bolter, The Blade of the Scorpion.
Special Rules: And They Shall Know No Fear, Combat Tactics, Independent Character, Orbital Bombardment, Chapter Tactics, Proud To live, Proud to Die, Hard to Kill.
Chapter Tactics: Commander Culln's Chapter Tactics allow you to replace your Combat Tactics with his own variant, which lets you replace your veteran sergeants with apothecaries. The usual Chapter Tactics rules apply. The Apothecary has the same wargear and profile as the one in a standard command squad. I'm very much in two minds about this, in a standard space marine army this makes the squads extremely survivable. But it takes away from their upgrade potential, in the form of powerfists and the like. I'd certainly upgrade any vanguard or sternguard sergeants in my force.
Proud to Live, Proud to Die, Hard To Kill: Give him the Eternal Warrior USR, in addition to this, any Red Scorpion units within 12'' add +1 to their combat res in assault, this doesn't stack for multiple squads.
Eternal Warrior- very much needed, the +1 combat res is a nice touch.
Blade of The Scorpion.
Master Crafted Relic Blade,which gives Culln additional attacks equal to the difference between his Weapon Skill and the Enemy with the highest WS which he is fighting.
This gives Culln on average two extra attacks for a total of 7 Str 6, re-rolling to hit power weapon attack, not to be sniffed at.
Final Thoughts:
A very solid set of rules for the Commander of the Red Scorpions, he'll be right at home spearheading terminators or providing a solid counter attack base. Points wise, he's a bargain if you use his Chapter Tactics, not so much if you don't.
Captain Tarntus Vale
Why does Errant Armour always have a loincloth? What are they hiding?
Praetor of the Fire Angels' 3rd Company, with a strong flair for armoured warfare. That formation is among the best anti-armour specialists in the chapter, if not among the entire loyalist force. They were pivotal in the attack on Sagan where the Secessionists attacked the loyalist lines in Rhinos laden with chemical warheads. His lungs were replaced with bionic oxygen exchangers after he personally destroyed one of the Suicide-Rhinos setting off it's toxic payload.
HQ Unit
Points: 1.75 company Captains.
Profile: Same as Chapter Master
Wargear: Chainsword, Bolt Pistol, Plasma Pistol, Frag and Krak grenades, Melta Bombs, Iron Halo
Special Rules: ATSKNF, Combat Tactics, IC, Chapter Tactics, No Retreat, No Surrender, Master Gunner.
Chapter Tactics:Replace Combat Tactics with Tank Hunter. In addition to this, any Rhino or Razorback purchased for a squad upgraded in this manner is upgraded with extra armour for free.
Rocket Devs with Tank Hunter? Yes Please! In this very mechanised world we live in, this is extremely deadly to anyone who hides in transports. Dark Eldar Quiver in fear at the thought of Strength 5 boltguns! Everyone and their mother rides around in a rhino or a razorback, so why not have some free extra Armour.
Master Gunner:Any Vehicle with the subtype (Tank) in which Vale is transported gains the benefit of his Tank Hunters Rule if his chapter tactics are being used.
Apart from a Land Raider Phobos, I struggle to think of any other decent candidates for Vale to use this rule in, apart from a Lascannon razorback. I really like this rule, it's completely unique giving Vale some real character over and above the normal Space Marine Captains.
Final Thoughts:
For his points, he's amazing. Most Space Marine armies take at least two Rhinos or Razorback saving you off the bat 30 points. Tank Hunters makes even the lowly Tactical Squad a tank's nightmare. To really make him worth his points, I'd run 2 devastator squads and plenty of squads in Rhinos/Razorbacks. I'd like to see him rolling around in one of these though.
Lias Issodon
There's an entire Company of Raptors in this Picture. Ninjas.
Chapter Master of the Raptors, 'The Grim'
HQ Unit
Points; 1.4 Company Captains.
Profile: Same As Chapter Master
Wargear: Power Armour, Power Weapon, Bolt Pistol, Frag And Krak Grenades, Malice
Special Rules: ATSKNF, Combat Tactics, Cunning Strategist, Chapter Tactics, IC, Infiltrate, Isolate, Destroy.
Malice
An Assault: 4, Range: 30 Bolter that has access to 'Special Issue Ammo'- the same as Sternguard squads.
This firmly situates Issodon as a backfield, fire support character. I'd reckon you'll rarely be anthing but the Hellfire rounds (Wound on 2+) from this. A handy addion to a fire-support tactical squad or devestator squad but is at home really in a sternguard squad.
Cunning Strategist:
-1 to the enemy's reserve rolls.
This is excellent, nowhere else can a Space Marine army aquire this bonus. If you take a few drop pods, this makes the enemy think twice about all-reserving as their army will come on piecemeal.
Chapter Tactics:
Lose combat tactics, gain STEALTH
No, you're not seeing things, it does give Space Marines stealth.
Infiltrate, Isolate, Destroy:
After scout moves, before the game begins, choose an enemy unit (not IC); if a vehicle it takes a Glancing Hit, if anything else, it takes D6 shooting wounds with AP-.
I'd almost exclusively use this on vehicles unless there's a small squad (Say a platoon/company command squad lying around) It'd be nice to put some wounds on an MC but most have a 3+ save or better. A great psychological weapon and very in keeping with the Raptors theme as one of your units turns up potentially damaged or even dead.
Final Thoughts:
Making your units 1/3 more survivable in cover? Yes please. Point for point the best character in the book. Think about combining this with a bike command squad- turbo boost for a 2+ cover and FNP then go to town with Lightning claws/Meltaguns/thunderhammers , it even makes normal bike squads heros. His only downfall is his lack of an inv save so make sure he stays out combat and isn't caught on his own. For some sneaky tricks, take either Lysander/Master of the Forge/Techmarine/Thunderfire cannon and fortify a few buldings. If you absolutely, positively have to hold the line: accept no substitutes.
Malakim Phoros
Yellow? Hearts? I don't think these guys got the GrimDark memo.
Chapter master of the ill-fated Lamenters Chapter. Drawn into the Badab war on the side of the Secessionists through careful manipulation by Huron. Phoros holds a deep distrust of the High Lords of Terra after the repeated castigation of his Chapter. Huron tapped into this suppressed hatred to draw the Lamenters into the conflict. He is M.I.A. after his flagship, the Daughter of Tempests, was destroyed during the battle that saw the majority of his Chapter destroyed by the relentless assault of the Minotaurs.
Blood Angles HQ Unit.
Points: 1.75 Company Captains
Profile: Chapter Master +1 Attack
Wargear: Artificer Armour, Glaive Encarmine, Catechrist, frag and krak grenades, Iron Halo.
Special Rules: Fearless, IC, Lord of Ruin, Bloodline of Sanguinius, Rage Unto Death.
Catechrist:
A standard Infernus pistol.
Lord Of Ruin:
Any unit he joins becomes fearless, in addition any enemy units that lose a combat that involves Phoros must re-roll successful morale checks to prevent falling back
Now, this is different. Forcing the enemy to re-roll FAILED moral checks is handy for not getting shot in the subsequent shooting phase though this may come back to bite you when you really need an enemy to run away!
Bloodline of Sanguinius:
He is a ''Blood Angel'' and all rules affecting them, affect him.
Rage Unto Death:
Once Phoros has lost one or more Wounds he increases his Attacks and Strength by 1 but gains the Rage USR and confers this to any unit he joins.
Final Thoughts:
Our first Blood Angel based Character really sets the tone for the entire Lamenter Chapter. It was a shame that he wasn't included in the actual Blood Angel book, as here I feel he's underpowered. He needs to be in a dedicated Assault unit but not something that's going toe to toe with Terminators or anything that has a lot of instant death attacks as he lacks Eternal Warrior. I'd stick him in a nice big squad of Death Company with a Chaplain so you won't risk one of your scoring units Raging off an objective on the last turn.
Captain Mordaci Blaylock
Apart from having one of the most badass names in 40k, the Captain of the Novamarines 1st company is also known as 'The Stormbreaker'. He and his Terminators were the rock that broke an entire Eldar Swordwind, Blaylock himself crushing the life from the Exarch with Foe-Ripper. Coming to the aide of the Howling Griffons when their chapter was nearly shattered, Blaylock commanded the Novamarines detachment in the Badab war, mostly attacking marauders and orks on the peripheries of the Maelstrom.
HQ unit
Points: 1.95 Company Captains.
Profile: Chapter Master
Wargear: Terminator Amrour, Iron Halo, Foe Ripper, Storm Bolter.
Special Rules: ATSKNF, Independent Character, Hard As Stone, Terminator Attack, Combat Tactics.
Foe-Ripper
Master Crafted Chainfist
GW needs to start talking to the FW guys about naming their weapons. Master Crafted handy against vehicles and it means he's no slouch in CC.
Hard as Stone:
Blaylock and any terminator unit (of any type) can choose to pass or fail any morale check they are asked to take and cannot be pinned.
This really adds to your hammer unit, not having to worry about them running away that one time you roll double 6 for the morale check. Also makes his unit immune to Psyker Battle Squads.
Terminator Attack:
If your army includes Blaylock, all terminator squads (of any type) count as scoring.
Deathwing; Eat your heart out.
Final thoughts.
Maybe not a complete replacement for Maynard's boy (Belial) Blaylock certainly fills a gap in the Space Marine Codex. He allows your hammer unit to take that objective you've just cleared or even tempt you into taking Shooty Terminators. You need to take at least 2 squads of terminators to get your points' worth here
That's all the Characters reviewed, I was going to review the 'Tyrant's Legion' army list here but I thought it wouldn't do it justice and deserved it's own post at a later date. Next up I'm going to review the units in the Imperial Armor Apocalypse Second Edition that are useable in 'normal' games of 40k.
Thanks for reading!
Labels: Forge World and You, Review, Warhammer 40K, Welshman
