Penitent Engines in 5th edition?

[Onnotangu]

How well do they do in 5th edition now? With the new run rule one would think they would be across the board for a second turn strike and quite nasty in combat, or even worse in an outflanking maneuver. I wanted to add a pair to my heavy support choices. but at $30 a pop it's not cheap to do.

[boreas]

Well, they are better than in 4th ed because they're almos 100% sure to reach the enemy lines by turn 2. Then problems are still the same: fragile and expensive (both point- and money-wise!). They only ways I've manage to use PE properly were:

 

-Against orks or nids: since these lists are very agressive, you can yeild first turn and then get yourself a charge in said first turn (sometimes with a bit of luck). A few (2-3) PE can really eat those boyz and gaunts alive. Even nid warriors, raveners or the occasionnal Fex (better hop you kill it on charge, though!).

 

-Against all others: spam PE (6 or more). This way, even if 3-4 die to shooting, you can get 2 or more across where they will earn they're points back easily (killing a few MEq or such is sufficient).

 

Remember that 2 PE take at least an Heanvy slot and cost roughly the same as an Exorcist. So using them is never the cost-effective thing to do. But I love the model and find it really terrifies most opponents, sometime drawing fire away from essential units like Seraphims or Exorcists.

 

Phil

[evilsponge]

They still die to ranged attacks like it's nobody's buisness, so the only way they are going to be effective is to simply max out all your heavy support into them. That's costly (pts and money wise!), plus no exocrits! That's herasy there. I've gotten lucky a few times and gotten one into assault against someone who wasn't used to seeing them. But after the first assault the other player usually won't make that same mistake twice and proceeds to shoot the hell out of it

[SJumppanen]

PE should be OK in Apocalypse match, specialy if kept in reserve or if screened by beter armoured units, like BBs.

[Sister Rosette Soulknyt]

well i use three together and they work well, keep them screened with terrain and then charge them in.

To date they slaughtered some Templars , killing over 25 marines b4 they finally fell to a few dreadnoughts and a landraider.

 

Oh and they took down the Helbrect and his squad too, so funny to see

[march10k]

I'd be more likely to use them if there were some variation in the models...It's not like sentinels that are supposed to all look the same...PEs are supposed to be custom constructs, so I'd expect each one to look slightly different, with at least two completely different varieties...but that's a modeling argument against them, not a gaming argument.

 

As for their usefulness, I think they'd be excellent in a mechanized list, since all that fire directed at them isn't being directed at the rhinos...allowing all those AP1 bolters and flamers to get into range unmolested...

[Melissia]

At the same time, they are also impossible to control and take up a heavy support slot which would otherwise be used by exorcists, our only long-ranged anti-tank.

 

Remember, they have holy rage. THis means they move 6" +d6" towards the nearest enemy unit, and then they assault 6" or run d6" depending on which is applicable.