Epistolary

[traxter]

First off do you think they are worth it and which 2 psychic powers have the most overall use and second can i use machine curse on a vehicle within 24" but still make an assault on a different unit?.

[Grey Mage]

This is a tactics question, not a rules question- thus Im sending it to Tactica.

 

Since Librarians take up an HQ slot, wich C:SM doesnt have many of, Id say its worth it in larger battles or if hes going to be your primary HQ.

[Zynk Kaladin]

Normally it isn't worth the point investment unless you're willing to sink more points into him (termie armor/storm shield). Your naked libby is too fragile as an HQ unit to sink an extra 50 points into because no invulnerability save and only 2 wounds means he's going to die fast in CC 'cus hes an independent character. However, the storm shield and termie armor make up for this wonderfully AND he can move and shoot a heavy weapon like vortex of doom AND do another power in a nice all in one deal.

[Xeonic]

Psychic shooting attacks "count-as" firing a ranged weapon, so...no. It's even plainly stated on P.50 of the BRB that he can only assault the unit he fired his shooting attack at.

 

Epistolary is a situational upgrade. Most of the time I'd leave it home but I do take it sometimes on my termie libby, there are a few good combos of powers you can use that make it worth it sometimes. In smaller games (1500 and less) I leave it home. Personal preference though.

[Zynk Kaladin]

I may have misworded the "AND do another power" part, but you're right.

[Xeonic]

I knew what you meant, I was saying No to this:

... second can i use machine curse on a vehicle within 24" but still make an assault on a different unit?.

Vortex of doom is the most awesome assault weapon a terminator can carry, bar none by the way. Best bolt pistol evar. ;)

I take it when my terminator libby is leading his squad of terminators to glory!

It's basically totally unuseable except in termie armor, for one because it -requires- relentless to be remotely useful, and second if it goes off on top of him it will turn him and his squad into jelly, while the termie will have a 3++ or at worst 5++ to fallback on(if you're using Vortex always take a storm shield!).

 

Most of the other ranged powers are kinda situational to bad, Avenger is gold(it's an AP3 heavy mind flamer!), smite and machine curse are pretty bad comparatively. Yes, smite is AP2, but it's still a bolt pistol(1.34 average wounds on MEQ if you were wondering, slightly better than a rapidfiring plasma gun). Not terrible, just kinda mediocre, espescially compared to some of the other codices anti infantry shooting powers(JOTWW and blood lance specifically).

 

Machine curse lets you glance a vehicle to 24", which is useful if the squad you've joined is packing some ranged AT and you'll be stopping to shoot at a vehicle.

Well, it's also kinda useful for sniping out the fire point of a rhino, but I'd only do that if none of the other guys in there had range with a special/heavy weapon. Range is pretty poor for an anti armor weapon though, and there's no chance to ever penetrate so the usefulness is severely limited. I say pass on this as it's an incredibly niche weapon you might have the chance to use once or twice a game. Even Force Dome can have more impact on the game than this power, and Gate can for sure.

 

If you really want your libby to bust tanks, give him Might of the ancients and pair him with a powerfist/meltagun combat squad. Bam, he's a monstrous creature as far as strength and armor pen is concerned.

[Grey Mage]

I dunno about that- Jaws: 11/12 itll go off, and then theres a 50/50 chance of a psychic hood shutting it down, and then theres an iniative test- wich a marine passes 2/3 times- and most of the time your looking at perhaps 3 enemy infantry getting hit-

 

So... assuming you do in fact get 3 marines on that particular line were looking at about a 30% chance of causing a single casualty.

[Xeonic]

But Jaws always seems to work on my key guys when I don't want it to, and smite just gets shuffled off on to kill 1-2 bolter bags. The effectiveness comes not from deadliness, but rather from ability to target models ignoring normal unit restrictions.

Any power that allows that is automatically useful.

 

It's 40k, whenever you make someone roll dice bad things happen. :tu:

 

EDIT: oh yea, unlike gift of chaos(the nearest like power I can think of) it has actual useful rules and a reasonable range too.

[Grey Mage]

Yes, gift of chaos was just plain nerfed.

[Ming]

Librarian with one power would be best with null zone.

 

Librarian epistolary with 2 powers would be best with null zone and either dome (if he is not in terminator armor w/ shield) or otherwise might, third choice is vortex....unless you can pick your powers in a pickup game right before play, then you could optimize to the opponent.

[Ming]

Librarian with one power would be best with null zone.

 

Librarian epistolary with 2 powers would be best with null zone and either dome (if he is not in terminator armor w/ shield) or otherwise might, third choice is vortex....unless you can pick your powers in a pickup game right before play, then you could optimize to the opponent.

[Jackelope King]

An Epistolary Librarian is necessary in a few rare situations (and thus not most of the time). First of all, the cost is huge, and a naked Librarian still has no problems using a Psychic Hood and Null Zone, which is all a Librarian really needs to earn one of your HQ slots. A backup power like Avenger is just gravy.

 

However, melee-focused Librarians usually need Epistolary. If you use Might of Ancients, you're gonna trigger your Force Weapon, as you're essentially swinging with a Relic Blade, and wound most things on a 2+. In order to use your Force Weapon and Might in one turn, you need to be an Epistolary. That said, in order to be a good melee Librarian, you also need to be in Terminator armor with a Storm Shield, usually accompanied by Assault Terminators, which gets real expensive real fast. At that point, you might as well splurge the extra 10 points on Lysander.

 

Which is why, unfortunately, Librarians in Codex: Space Marines aren't melee beasts :D

[glsn]

I used to use a Librarian in TDA w/ SS and epistolary. Gave him Gate and Vortex and had him run around with 5 TH/SS Terminators. I liked the results.

[DarkGuard]

In my experience having an Epistolary isn't worth it. You're paying 50% extra of your fragile model, just to use another power that unless you're in combat (why would you be in combat?) isn't needed. When I run a Librarian I run it 'naked' with Avenger and Null Zone in a 9-man Sternguard Squad with power fist and heavy flamers. Think of him as a glorified squad Sergeant, who can help them roast enemies, and strip away defences from elite enemy troops, while combating their magic. Very effective for his points cost, which is the best bit about him, he's cheap, so you can put more points into other parts of your army.

[Icechiang]

I am entering a tournament with my HQ as a epistolary and with Gate and Forcedome. Basically he gates around the battle field with a full sternguard squad and forcedomes every turn. I have tested this tactic in a few games and it has served me very well. Also, its nice when you say fail your first psyker test, you still have a chance to try it again.