Legion of the Damned Redux

[Coyote]

I had a few extra models as a wrapped up my bits bag last week. For fun I ended up making a 5-man bolter squad of Legion of the Damned by mixing in Tomb King bits (skulls for heads, skeletal arms, shield for the 3+ save, etc.). They're cute. Definitely turned out better than expected.

 

So, I'm now kicking around list ideas to field them in a Planetstrike game (Attacker) and wondered what the community thinks. Few things:

• Slow & Purposeful - D6 move or charge. Ouch. But, the heavy weapons can be fired every turn. That + Deep Strike argues for MM. I'm thinking MM + Melta + Combi + Reroll Deep Strike = bye bye tank/bastion.
  
• The 3+ Save means that a PF on the Sgt. make sense.
  
• Can I make them more mobile? I could deploy them with a Librarian w/Gate. It's not fluffy, but hey. I'm not sure if they really compare to Sternguard though. Tougher, but less shooty.
  
• Reroll Deep Strike scatter dice. I assume that this does NOT stack with the Gate. Am I correct? If not, that might be really sweet. ("What? A double and I take a wound? I don't think so...)
  
• The reroll might also make up for the S&P, and still allow a charge on their first turn.
  

I don't know. They seem more fluffy than 'Ard. Are there things that I'm missing? Is there any other way to improve these guys?

[night walker]

well the reroll in planet strike seems reason enough to take them along with 2 attacks a piece they'll messup alot of peoples days

[waaanial00]

If you really want to make them hard hitting you could always field them with Lysander. It would probably lose your reroll but it will make their bolter fire more accurate and make them hit like a flippin steam train when they come down.

 

It has the advantage of everyone having a 3+ invul as well.

 

Wan

[Coyote]

If you really want to make them hard hitting you could always field them with Lysander. It would probably lose your reroll but it will make their bolter fire more accurate and make them hit like a flippin steam train when they come down.

Very interesting idea. That even argues for the MM to be switched out for a HB, and the Combi for a SB. That's a lot of shots with rerolls. Makes the cost more efficient too. Nice. The TH would be nice in CC, especially since I don't have to be afraid of allocating wounds to the rest of the squad. And Bolster Defenses is always a plus. I like it. It would argue for a nice conversion too. Hmmm..... *thinks of how to convert a Chaplain in termie armor by adding a TH & SS...*

 

Any thoughts on the Librarian in Termie armor (even though Lysander isn't much more)?

[waaanial00]

Well Epistolary in Terminator Armour with Might of the Ancients and Null Zone is going to be interesting on either the attacker or the defending side. Deep Strikes, pops Might and Null Zone therefore becoming a S6 Monsterous Creature with a 3+ invul and making invul reroll that can charge. That said he adds nothing to the potential killing rate of the Legion apart from any invul saves their opponents may need to take.

 

I wouldnt bother with GOI because it is negated by at least 3 armies (Eldar, Marines, DH) plus your Legion are not going to survive much after their initial drop and destroy.

 

Have you considered Chaplain with Jump Pack/Terminator armour with this squad? Makes them much better in combat the turn they arrive. Not saying that they are better than the two already suggested but its worth a thought at least. Jump pack and combi flamer is a great anti hoard build whereas combi melta, jump pack and melta bombs is a great anti armour option.

 

Wan

[Vissah]

You cal only reroll the scatterdice, the two D6 should always remain the same as your first throw.

[Coyote]

You cal only reroll the scatterdice, the two D6 should always remain the same as your first throw.

Could you please clarify this for me? I ran a game recently where the player was rather inexperienced and he was doing this (rerolling just the die with the arrows and not the 2D6.). That's might be RAI, but not RAW. Dice is plural. Therefore, it refers to the dice in the collective, and thus all 3 dice. If the intent where to reroll just the die with the arrows, the book would read "scatter die" (singular). I forced him to roll-off.

[Grey Mage]

Yeah... Ive never heard of anyone rerolling just the scatter die. Its like when you get a reroll on a leadership test- you reroll all the dice involved.

[Vissah]

You cal only reroll the scatterdice, the two D6 should always remain the same as your first throw.

Could you please clarify this for me? I ran a game recently where the player was rather inexperienced and he was doing this (rerolling just the die with the arrows and not the 2D6.). That's might be RAI, but not RAW. Dice is plural. Therefore, it refers to the dice in the collective, and thus all 3 dice. If the intent where to reroll just the die with the arrows, the book would read "scatter die" (singular). I forced him to roll-off.

 

Aid Unlooked For:

The Legion of the Damned always start the game in reserve and always arrive by Deepstrike, even in missions that do not normally use these rules. Note that the Legion of the Damned are renowned to arrive wherever the are most needed, so you can re-roll the deepstrike SCATTER dice if you wish.

 

This is exactly what is says in the Codex, I play them also and I only re-roll the scatter dice and that is the dice with the arrows on it, that one is called the scatter dice and the other two you throw with them are D6.

So if you scatter to far you can always re-roll the dice with the arrows this is RAW and RAI.

[Coyote]

Aid Unlooked For:

...so you can re-roll the deepstrike SCATTER dice if you wish.

 

This is exactly what is says in the Codex, I play them also and I only re-roll the scatter dice and that is the dice with the arrows on it, that one is called the scatter dice and the other two you throw with them are D6.

So if you scatter to far you can always re-roll the dice with the arrows this is RAW and RAI.

Wow. I was all geared up to refute your point. And then I reread the rules for "Dice" on pg 2 of the 40k rulebook. :)

 

SCATTER DICE

...The scatter dice is marked on four sides with an arrow, and on two sides with a special 'HIT' symbol.

golly!!! It appears that, once again, GW neglected to edit the main rulebook and/or chooses not to write in Standard English (I'd expect at least American English, if not Oxford.) Merrium-Webster's defines "dice" as the plural of "die", as does the Oxford dictionary, thus my confusion. Well, since it appears that the main rulebook is written in an alternate language, I must conclude that your interpretation is correct. Go figure. :P

 

I'll bring this up in a separate thread and recommend that it be considered a "grey" rule. Thank you GW for that distraction.

 

Ok, so, the Legion is kool on Deep Strike. Would the reroll apply to GOI?

[Vissah]

I dont know if it can be applied for GOI and I dont know if you can include an character to the squad.

It says nowere that you cant so I cant discuss that matter sorry.

 

Anyway re-rolling the scatter dice is also pretty handy cause when you deepstrike into an unit you can always try and make the arrow go the other way :P

[Coyote]

Anyway re-rolling the scatter dice is also pretty handy cause when you deepstrike into an unit you can always try and make the arrow go the other way.

Oh, given. My friends and I were under the impression that you were supposed to reroll the scatter DIE along with the 2D6, thus making the scatter dice. Essentially a complete reroll of the result. Just as likely get a direction change, but with the added risk of increasing the result of the 2D6. But this may be RAI, since it's now clear in my mind that it's not RAW. :P

[Cazino]

I don't have my rulebook on hand, but it says on page? that whenever you have an option to reroll the scatter dice, you must reroll the 2 d6 also.

[Coyote]

We actually moved that part of the discussion to the Rules forum.

 

Feedback:

So, I played a squad of 6 w/ Lysander & Hvy Bolter last night in a 2000pt Planetstrike game (Defender). I did not see them as being as efficient as Terminators, overall. Yes, the 3+ save was nice in CC vs. some Power Weapons/Fists, but the Damned were just as vulnerable to regular bolter fire as a tactical squad. And even with the reroll, the shooting that they generated was suboptimal.

 

I'll give them one more shot in an Attacker game, but I'm leaning to Terminators.

Oh, and Lysander was INSANE!!!!!!! He did more than the whole squad of Damned by himself.

 

YOU HURT LYSANDER LITTLE FRIENDS. MAKE LYSANDER ANGRY. NOW LYSANDER SMASH!!!