Praetor armour

[Imren]

Regarding kitting out a praetor, consider the following:

• Artificier armour costs 2 meltabombs.
• Iron halo costs 5 meltabombs.
• Cataphractii armour costs 7 meltabombs.

Artificier armour together with iron halo costs the same as cataphractii armour and provides the same saves (2+/4++).

The cataphractii armour disqualifies you from run moves, sweeping advances and overwatching, but you may move and fire heavy, ordnance and salvo weapons. It also counts as bulky. Your praetor will most likely not be equipped with heavy weapons since he excels in close combat. Since paragon blades are an example of very rare AP2 at initiative weapon and only available to praetors, its an auto-take for praetors.

My question is; why take cataphractii (except for rule of cool) when it cost the same as a.armour and iron halo and provides the same saves but comes with a bunch of close combat related restrictions?
 

[Marshal Loss]

Artificer armour doesn't cost anything for a Praetor, although the cost of an Iron Halo + a Power Weapon does add up to the same cost as a suit of Cataphractii armour (which comes with a combi-bolter & power weapon, and is what I assume you meant). Paragon Blades aren't necessarily an auto-take for Praetors. Also, Terminator armour offers some wargear options not available in Artificer armour (chainfists, for example), and comes with the aforementioned combi-bolter upgrade. Other weapon options are discounted to offset the cost of buying the power weapon that comes packaged with your Terminator armour.

 

Terminator armour gives you:

• The ability to charge after rapid firing a weapon (very important when playing Sons of Horus, for example)
• The ability to deep strike when using certain Rites of War

You must also take into account the unit accompanying the Praetor. If they are unable to sweep/run, as is common with so many Legion Terminator units being unable to sweep (Justaerin, Lernaeans, Firedrakes, Varagyr, Red Butchers, Grave Wardens, Scarab Occult in Cata, etc), Cataphractii armour isn't going to have any detrimental effect at all, and a Praetor wearing Cata and a Praetor wearing Artificer wielding the same weapons cost essentially the same, so why wouldn't you put them in matching armour?

 

Overall, Cataphractii armour is not a flat upgrade to Artificer armour + Iron Halo, but it does have some situational benefits. Admittedly, it also looks absurdly cool, why is the main reason I use it constantly.

[1ncarnadine]

Keep in mind a Command Squad can't upgrade to Terminator Armour if their Praetor doesn't have it, either. If you want the whole squad to have 2+/4++, the Praetor needs the Terminator Armour. 

[dicebod]

I'd also point out that depending on your legion, Cataphractii gives you access to additional wargear - for example, the Vigil-Pattern Storm Shield for Imperial Fists.  

 

You're right though that 9 times out of 10, you're better off with a Praetor in Artificer Armor, but there are instances where rules (or rule of cool) might indicate otherwise.

[Imren]

Thanks for your responses, So to sum up, its highly situational; what legion you play, if you take an accompanying unit and what that unit is wearing.

 

Cheers

[Gorgoff]

Thanks for your responses, So to sum up, its highly situational; what legion you play, if you take an accompanying unit and what that unit is wearing.

 

Cheers

That goes pretty much for every unit in the heresy.