How to kit a Rune Priest

[Ciler]

Hi.

 

I am building for my wife a small SW force (based on two "get started kits)). Being a Templar, I am unused to magic shenanigans, but I have been assured by a reliable source that Rune Priests are not in fact Psykers but draw their powers from the natural cycle of Fenris, so it's OK right ?

 

Anyway, I am wondering what's the best way to field a Rune Priest. Since they can't be mounted on a Thunder wolf, is it better to :

- leave it on foot (power armour or terminator)

- give it a jump pack

- give it a bike ?

The bike or jump pack would allow it to keep up with the TWC more easily.

 

Please note that I'm not looking here for a tournament level, optimised setup, just meandering about modelling opportunities.

[NightHowler]

If it's just a question of modeling, I'd say put it on a bike with an axe and bolt pistol.

 

You can call it power armor, runic armor, or Armor of Russ, but the bike is important IMHO.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Hi.

 

I am building for my wife a small SW force (based on two "get started kits)). Being a Templar, I am unused to magic shenanigans, but I have been assured by a reliable source that Rune Priests are not in fact Psykers but draw their powers from the natural cycle of Fenris, so it's OK right ?

 

Anyway, I am wondering what's the best way to field a Rune Priest. Since they can't be mounted on a Thunder wolf, is it better to :

- leave it on foot (power armour or terminator)

- give it a jump pack

- give it a bike ?

The bike or jump pack would allow it to keep up with the TWC more easily.

 

Please note that I'm not looking here for a tournament level, optimised setup, just meandering about modelling opportunities.

 

LOL, its best not to ask the question of the Rune Priest source of power, which is a really big can of worms for Space Wolves fans and non-fans to argue to death.

 

Back to your original question, the way you equip depends on your wife's playstyle and army list.

 

General Analysis

Armour - Power Armour/Runic armour - if you are using a Rhino army. there's a few good witchfires in Tempestas or Fulmination that can be useful to fire out of the hatch.

           - Terminator armour               - nice aesthethic, useful if you plan to deepstrike with either terminators or Drop Pod Grey Hunters. also will give you discount on Combi Weapons, which I recommend combi plasma to kill 2+ armour and a reasonable chance to kill vehicles.

 

Melee Weapons - Force Staff - High Strength but low AP, mainly useful against monstrous creatures so you can wound >T6 easier. But combined with Biomancy Iron Arm and/or Warp Speed, your Rune Priest suddenly becomes a powerhouse to equal Kaldor Draigo. Not reliable though but can be fun.

              - Force Axe - Mainly against terminators or 2+ armoured ICs, best choice really since at I4, the Rune Priest will hit before most ICs anyway.

              - Force Sword - Basic set up and easiest to build model. can't really go wrong though, but these days, I favour high strength to kill bikes and MCs.

 

range weapons - bolt pistol is enough to get extra attack. Combi weapons you should take when with terminator armour

 

Special gear - Bikes are good but jacks up the cost quite a bit. One way I've been running is attack to big unit of fenrisian wolves for meatshields.

                   - Helm of Durfast - IGNORE COVER FOR THE WIN! Just stick a fancy helmet and your lightning attacks will ignore cover! make the damn Eldar Scatbikes or Ravenwing cry! Best use with Wyrdstorm Brotherhood for super lightning attack.

 

Psychic powers  - Always buy Mastery Level 2

                       - Sadly Tempestas powers are quite "weak" compared to the other psychic disciplines, but not entirely bad, just not as good as the new psychic disciplnes or even the Dark Angels and Blood Angels unique powers. For your bread and butter, always go Divination or Biomancy, can't go wrong with either, the first for Twin Linking your units, the second for some AP2 shots in case you meet 2+ guys. I mainly fish for Endurance for 4+ fnp.

 

But with Wyrdstorm, all your priests in formation can use the super lightning attack for minimum 2d6 powers. so you can take from other powers.

 

Anyway, I've give you too much info so here's my recommendation based on your 2 starter packs.

 

1) Rune Priest with sword and bolt pistol- Easiest to do, just use the wolf cloak in the Grey Hunter Sprues to differentiate from the rest of the pack mates, along with the sole power sword in your sprues. Either use an old man head or as I recommended, a fancy helmet to use as Helm of Durfast if you are going witchfire heavy.

 

2) Rune Priest with axe - a bit harder, you can use the axe from GH sprues but it's a two handed grip. What I do is take off the blade of the sword, chop off the axe hilt, then shave off the fist near the axe head before attaching to the sword hand.

 

3) Rune Priest with force staff - sadly this can't be done as there isn't a long staff or something with a long handle in the GH box. 

 

to make a better looking librarian, recomend you buy the power armoured Space Marine librarian to kitbash with Grey Hunter bits. Also has psychic hood.

 

Speaking of which, regarding psychic hood, RP have to buy it, but so far I've survived without it. Space Marine players swear by it though, but theirs come for free.

 

Hope this helps.

[Ciler]

SO there's no huge push in giving a RP extra mobility ? Duly noted.

 

Thank you for your detailed input, as well as conversion advice. I have plenty of Marines bits lying around so making a force staff should not be a major issue.

[RikuEru]

One tactical thing to remember:

A bike driving with TWC, looks special and stands-out like a sore thumb.

 

...a man with a CC-weapon and a fancy helm doesn't stand out much from a group of BC/GH/WG flying in, drop-podding in or coming from a flank.

[DanPesci]

SO there's no huge push in giving a RP extra mobility ? Duly noted.

 

Thank you for your detailed input, as well as conversion advice. I have plenty of Marines bits lying around so making a force staff should not be a major issue.

 

The extra mobility is very useful if you playing it as wyrdstrom brotherhood, as it means you can drive forward, shoot the big lightning power, and then turboboost back out of range/into cover in your shooting phase.

 

However, im guessing for now you wont be doing that as youre only having one RP anyway (but just thought it was worth a mention)

 

(although i guess that tactic goes for other powers too)

Edited February 27, 2017 by DanPesci

[Ciler]

One tactical thing to remember:

A bike driving with TWC, looks special and stands-out like a sore thumb.

 

...a man with a CC-weapon and a fancy helm doesn't stand out much from a group of BC/GH/WG flying in, drop-podding in or coming from a flank.

Very true.

[postxhumanity]

I would also recommend putting your Rune Priest on a bike. This can be useful in a number of different scenarios. For instance:

 

-If you're running him by himself, the ability to cast in the psychic phase then Turbo Boost out of harm's way can be very effective

-If you're running him in a group of TWC and you opt to give him runic armor, you can effectively give the unit a +2 armor save and +3 invul save in close combat (assuming your TWC have Storm Sheilds), which I've found can really increase the unit's staying power

 

On top of that, the extra toughness granted by the bike is going to be nice no matter how you use the Rune Priest, as is the fact that being able to move farther in the movement phase make it easier to cast spells that may have ranges of 18" or 24". In short: giving a Rune Priest a bike is typically a good use of the extra points.

[Sigvard]

Am I being stupid or have I been out of 7th Edition long enough to have forgotten?

 

I thought Power/Force Axes were unwieldy and as such struck at Initiative 1?

[NightHowler]

Axes are I1. They work really nicely with Armor of Russ on a Rune Priest.

[MaveriK]

welcome to the Fang!

[Ciler]

So, here's the result, what do ye think ?
http://reho.st/self/09017f4e982a121b746f64c2687b6322c1483da1.jpghttp://reho.st/self/5abeca025bc99736622c3a299ea5ec750e482a40.jpg

[Kasper_Hawser]

Hi Long time no see.

 

It's..... a bit too bluish although as far as bling and weapons are concerned, perfectly fits Space Wolves.

 

Sorry mate, I think you accidentally turned your otherwise awesome Rune Priest into a smurf.

[Ciler]

You're not the first one to tell me that. It's confusing because it's the standard the fang/russ grey/fenrisian grey.

 

I think the camera may carry some of the blame.