Potential Captain Build

[Fated]

I was doing some thinking (can't remember how it happened), when all the sudden, I realized there was a VERY INTERESTING build for the Codex Space Marines Captain. If I were to give him hellfire rounds, we would be looking at a 110pt HQ unit, with 2+hitting and wounding. We would also have the regular save and a 4+ save (easily remedied with a storm shield if you can spare the pts). And the fact that you don't get to assault is SOMEWHAT negated by the 3 base attacks the captain gets. So, your thoughts, ladies and gentlemen.

[Jackelope King]

I was doing some thinking (can't remember how it happened), when all the sudden, I realized there was a VERY INTERESTING build for the Codex Space Marines Captain. If I were to give him hellfire rounds, we would be looking at a 110pt HQ unit, with 2+hitting and wounding. We would also have the regular save and a 4+ save (easily remedied with a storm shield if you can spare the pts). And the fact that you don't get to assault is SOMEWHAT negated by the 3 base attacks the captain gets. So, your thoughts, ladies and gentlemen.

1-2 wounds at close range with poor AP on a 110 point model is kinda "meh".

 

That said, a Captain with a Relic Blade and/or Storm Shield in an army with 10 points left to play with certainly could do worse than Hellfire Rounds for his bolter, particularly if he's riding on a Bike.

[DarkGuard]

I agree with Jackelope King here in that that Captain isn't the best idea. Ideally you should be spending points to get the best out of your Captain, and unfortunately that isn't shooting. Yes he has BS5, but it is in combat where his abilities lie. WS6, I5, 3A, he wants to be combat, and so the best upgrades are ones that expand on his combat ability and initiative bonus, so typically a relic blade or pair of lightning claws, and then possibly a storm shield and artificer armour. Jump packs and bikes are also handy as they are combat units that he can go in. So no, I wouldn't run a Captain with just a hellfire bolter, in all honesty, you might as well run a Libby with Null Zone and Avenger for less points and better effectiveness.

[LardO'Blood]

Agreed. Just take a librarian, much better for shooting. Make him an epistolary so you can use null zone and smite/avenger/VoD in the same turn. As a third power you can give him quickening or MotA. With quickening and null zone you have a great chance of instant deathing an enemy character before it can attack, or maybe take out a few harlequins. With MotA you have a good chance of instant deathing a MC. (My favorite tactic against trygons, use a solo suicide librarian to force weapon him. You spend 100-150 points and you kill about 200 points)

If you want a shooty captain play DA. We can have a combi weapon or storm bolter, plasma pistol and dual lightning claws all on the same guy. (With rites of battle for under 160 points!)

[deity12]

i have used hellfire rounds and they're not great,

take a power weapon for some extra points instead, they are only good against high toughness models who usually have a good save anyway, only any good when fired en masse, on sternguard they are not worth it on the captain.

[DarkGuard]

Agreed. Just take a librarian, much better for shooting. Make him an epistolary so you can use null zone and smite/avenger/VoD in the same turn. As a third power you can give him quickening or MotA. With quickening and null zone you have a great chance of instant deathing an enemy character before it can attack, or maybe take out a few harlequins. With MotA you have a good chance of instant deathing a MC. (My favorite tactic against trygons, use a solo suicide librarian to force weapon him. You spend 100-150 points and you kill about 200 points)

If you want a shooty captain play DA. We can have a combi weapon or storm bolter, plasma pistol and dual lightning claws all on the same guy. (With rites of battle for under 160 points!)

 

I'm afraid you can't take a third power on Librarians, they only get a choice of two. Also, I would advise against Epistolary. In my opinion, there is hardly any situation in which you would want your Libby to cast both powers in the same turn, and if you have to you just have to prioritise. Furthermore, it's not worth increasing the cost of a 100pts character by 50%, especially if he has Null Zone and the Avenger, which have different uses, and also as he doesn't have an invulnerable save. And finally, a second power per turn makes it more likely that he'll get Perils of the Warp, and he doesn't have a save normally to resist it.

[BearersOfSalvation]

110 for 2 'wound on a 2' shots and no assault is a bad deal - for 125 I can get 10 shots that wound on a 2, or are AP3, or AP4, or ignore cover with a sternguard squad. Captains are made for melee, spending that many points just to shoot is a bad idea. I'm not sure why you're worrying about his invulnerable save, with no power weapon he's really not that scary to anyone in melee, and should be in a squad to protect him from shooting. If I'm already taking a captain with relic blade, adding hellfire rounds to his bolter for 10 points is a decent way to spend a few leftover points, but it's not a primary function.

 

For just 100 points you can get a librarian with a power weapon and AP3 flamer template, if you're going to try shooting he's a way better choice.