Callidus Assasin

[TheUnlikelyGamer84]

I’m adding a callidus assasin to my Deathwatch army for my first GT. I feel like her ability to potentially cause the opponent to spend more cp and character assasinate/ disruption would be valuable vs things like Admech. Anyone have experience using her? She doesn’t have to be on the table to use her reign of confusion as I read it.

[sairence]

No, she doesn't, just needs to part of your list.

 

Her reign ability is very swingy, some games it'll drain your opponent early, other it'll cost him pretty much nothing. Her close deepstrike ability, but limited by the fact that you can't reroll the dice and her damage output is VERY mediocre. I've pretty much never killed a character with her.

 

She suffers from the same problem that all Assassins have at the moment... For

being highly trained and augmented killing machines their actual impact on a target is just kinda bad. They're glasscannons, but their ability to do damage and kill even support characters is very limited.

[TheUnlikelyGamer84]

Hmm ok. I guess I should do some testing before I take her to the GT.

[TheUnlikelyGamer84]

I took her in a game against Dark eldar the other day. She cost my opponent 6cp between turns 1 and 2. Very nice. I’ll have to play some more games to see how she does.

[jarms48]

Don't worry about them killing anything. Take them purely for the ability. Spend 2 CP to get 2 turns out of them. Her ability might be swingy, but it's not just purely about the ability. There's also a psychological impact you have to consider. 

 

An opponent just knowing you have that ability might be less willing to use stratagems while their ability is active. 

 

Another thing to consider, is think of it this way. Their power is essentially a warp charge 7 psychic power that ability that increases the cost of a stratagem by 1 CP or else it doesn't go off. Except this "power" has unlimited range, doesn't require the "caster" to be on the table and works on every enemy stratagem for an entire battle round, or 2 with 2 CP. It also cannot be denied.

 

It's a pretty powerful power for 100 points and always worth its cost in my opinion. 

 

If they do kill a character, that's just a bonus. Though what I sometimes use them for is clearing a backfield objective, something that might only have say 5 marines on it, 10 guardsmen, etc. Just to put some pressure on the enemies primaries. 

[Lord Lorne Walkier]

Don't worry about them killing anything. Take them purely for the ability. Spend 2 CP to get 2 turns out of them. Her ability might be swingy, but it's not just purely about the ability. There's also a psychological impact you have to consider. 

 

An opponent just knowing you have that ability might be less willing to use stratagems while their ability is active. 

 

Another thing to consider, is think of it this way. Their power is essentially a warp charge 7 psychic power that ability that increases the cost of a stratagem by 1 CP or else it doesn't go off. Except this "power" has unlimited range, doesn't require the "caster" to be on the table and works on every enemy stratagem for an entire battle round, or 2 with 2 CP. It also cannot be denied.

 

It's a pretty powerful power for 100 points and always worth its cost in my opinion. 

 

If they do kill a character, that's just a bonus. Though what I sometimes use them for is clearing a backfield objective, something that might only have say 5 marines on it, 10 guardsmen, etc. Just to put some pressure on the enemies primaries. 

 

Also consider how just having one effects how the enemy deploys.  No one like to have their support units ganked.    The Caliidus has rules that are unique.  If it is a surprise that you have one, you cant tilt an opponent before a die is rolled.  I make sure to give a detailed report of her abilities to my mates, when we play.  Having the chance to make it 2 turns is brokenly good.  I would pay 3 cp for it.  Some people plan to spend large chunks of their CP right off.  Many correctly see that games can be one on turn 1.  The added bit about how it cant be countered is just gross.

 

On the table top I've had mixed results.  I am too aggressive with her and have had too much of the Koolaid.  I plan to use my next one as a support to a already strong assault , instead of as a Hail Mary.  I think she could turn the tide of a close fight.

[Plague _Lord]

Remember that she doesn't have to kill something to be usefull.

Use her DS ability to tie up artillery or shooty stuff (like riptides) that will have a problem to get rid of her. Basically just muck up the opponents back lines.