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Barebones Codex: Space Marine Combat HQ


UltraTacSgt

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 Does anyone use dead barebones HQ's in a combat role with any success?

I am thinking like a Captain with the Primarch's Wrath in a group of Sternguard or a Jump Pack Chaplain with Assault Marines. Maybe a Captain on a bike with a powerfist or power weapon and some biker troops if you were to get fancy.

I know that a dead base Librarian is about as cheap as it gets, but is that one power going to be a bigger help than an HQ that can consistently mulch up weak/average units?
 

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I'm a fan of HQs in the 150ish point range. I find that to be a good balance. This means using Captains over Chapter Master.

 

My exact loadout changes each day it seems but some of my preferred options are below. (I add Artificer Armor to all builds if I can afford it)

 

Grav Pistol & Power Axe for hunting heavy infantry

 

Dual Lightning Claw for shredding basic infantry squads

 

Power Fist & Storm Shield for a cheap version of the uber Chapter Master build. Against most things, it will perform the same.

 

Relic Blade & Storm Shield as a variant of the above build that trades AP2 for I5.

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Captain, Shield Eternal, Thunder Hammer. 190 points and very good.

 

If you try to save too many points you end up with a mediocre character who either dies too easily or fails to deal enough damage.

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Jump Pack Chaplain with Assault Marines

 

I know that a dead base Librarian is about as cheap as it gets, but is that one power going to be a bigger help than an HQ that can consistently mulch up weak/average units?

 

 

You have the right idea here. It's perfectly valid to put your HQ in a unit like this and just use it to bully the weak. Play them conservatively and he's relatively safe, you can sit out challenges if you feel like it since you'll still buff the assault marines.

 

Use the extra points on more shooty stuff instead of trying to be the best duellist. 

 

Unless you already go for the bike captain or chapter master, might as well make em killy and tanky then.

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Cheapest Captain I would go with is a Terminator Captain with Primarch's Wrath and a Lightning Claw for just 145pts.

 

However, I particularly enjoy having a character who worries opponents. My 200pts Chapter Master has just Articifer Armour and the Burning Blade, clocks in at 200pts and has 6 attacks on the charge without the Chapter Banner! No opponents will want to take that on in a fair fight!

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Until I got my love affair with librarians for cheap HQ, I used to use a bare bones captain with a pair of lightning claws.   Used to be better back in 5th when lightning claws ignored all armour, but its still very viable for a cheap and nasty combat character as said above.

 

3+/4++ with 4 S4 AP3 attacks  (with WS6 means virtually always hitting on 3's) and rerolling wounds can make a mess of quite a few things and is half the price of the beatstick chapter master with SE and hammer.

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Until I got my love affair with librarians for cheap HQ, I used to use a bare bones captain with a pair of lightning claws. Used to be better back in 5th when lightning claws ignored all armour, but its still very viable for a cheap and nasty combat character as said above.

 

3+/4++ with 4 S4 AP3 attacks (with WS6 means virtually always hitting on 3's) and rerolling wounds can make a mess of quite a few things and is half the price of the beatstick chapter master with SE and hammer.

Plus it looks awesome.

 

Actually works quite well with BT chapter tactics due to rerolls to hit and high chance of rending with shred.

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eh true to that, since the only libby i run is a DA one to give my chapter masters prescience... cept the game I just did he failed to cast a single spell (not from deny the witch)...

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The only good barebones character is a librarian if you want to fill the role for dirt cheap, otherwise the only good choices are tiggy, calgar, lysander, khan or smashkill (or 2)

No way. Chapter Masters of all stripes are making a positive impact on the table! Really solid fighters who are cornerstones to an assault unit.

 

The special characters are good sure, but I wouldn't count out the standard characters we have access to. A Librarian is solid in Terminator armour and sporting a Storm Shield, for example. 125pts is cheap too.

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A single Librarian is simply no good for casting powers and fails to deliver in combat.

I'd either take Tigarius AND Coteaz to make psychic powers effective or just get a Chaplain/Captain instead.

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Only if you're playing against armies with too many psykers. A single Librarian is still a difficult proposition in assault, and a Drop Pod squad can enjoy the benefits of a force axe and flaming death or biomancy wytch fires.
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You have a single mastery 2 libby with bs4 and try to hurt me with a witchfire.

 

You roll to cast, could fail. If you pass I roll to deny and have a chance to do so.

You then roll to hit, missing 35% of the time, then roll to wound. Then I get a save potentially - Armour, invul or cover.

 

Not worth the dice rolls imo. You might kill 1 or 2 marines if lucky.

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You get one free, and if you don't get one of the other great powers you can get another witch fire you can fire off 6 shots at AP2.

 

And if you have a solid Librarian you still have a close combat character. I never agree with the attitude "go Daemon Prince or don't bother." That Terminator Librarian could make a mess against any backfield unit etc.

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The only good barebones character is a librarian if you want to fill the role for dirt cheap, otherwise the only good choices are tiggy, calgar, lysander, khan or smashkill (or 2)

No way. Chapter Masters of all stripes are making a positive impact on the table! Really solid fighters who are cornerstones to an assault unit.

 

The special characters are good sure, but I wouldn't count out the standard characters we have access to. A Librarian is solid in Terminator armour and sporting a Storm Shield, for example. 125pts is cheap too.

 

If a chapter master doesnt have the shield eternal or at least a bike, and artificers armor and a pf/th he is worthless

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