Henchmen Squads

[Joasht]

There was another thread about them, but I think that was more about the Crusaders/Death Cult Assassins rather than the Henchmen in general. Thus far there has been a surprisingly small amount of discussion on the squad with the greatest combination of options, which I find almost unusual (but not entirely so, given that most of the people here are Power Armor lovers).

 

Just some random (and very vague, since I'm also very sleepy at the moment) thoughts of mine on them:

Arco-flagellants - S5 A4, FNP. I guess maybe for an assault-orientated squad, one or two may be decent in an environment where you don't know what you'll be facing, simply for the sheer weight of attacks.

 

Banisher - Not bad splashing in one or two if you face many invulnerable saves, like Vulkan armies. Or Daemons.

 

Crusader - An Imperial Guardsman with WS4, a power weapon and a storm shield. Stick someone with Hammerhand with them and they become pretty vicious. I'm kind of surprised no one talks about them.

 

Daemonhost - Not too sure what to make of this.

 

Death Cult Assassins - They kind of remind me of Genestealers somehow. Not that thats a bad thing. Also pretty vicious, I'd certainly playtest them once I get a chance to.

 

Servitor - Some people hate the Servitor because of Mindlock, and I can understand that, but its a pretty cheap way to get some Heavy Bolters/Plasma Cannons.

 

Monkey - Some good heavy weapons in an army that lacks your usual heavy weapons, thats pretty nice. Kinda soft and really pricey, taking them simply means a defenseless squad hiding in a Rhino the whole game. I see why people would use it, but unless those people talking about spamming apes were just joking, I'm not seeing why anyone would ever spam them en-masse....

 

Mystic - I actually like this a lot, he's basically a Teleport Homer. Another one of those "utility" henchmen.

 

Psyker - Take enough of them and put them in a Rhino, and you basically get a Vindicator, that can move pretty fast and shoot pretty far, but with the ability to ....misfire. For nearly the same cost too. Given that the big fat template is an Assault weapon, that makes it a tremendously mobile pie plate, but Ld 8 isn't too great. I'm not entirely certain if its a competitive choice, but probably would be fun to take an "Inquisitorial Vindicator" with Coteaz in a casual game.

 

Warrior Acolyte - Imperial Guardsman. For their points you could just swarm the table with cheap men carrying many Meltaguns in many Chimeras (assuming, you took Coteaz), providing you with many cheap bodies to soak fire and keep your expensive Grey Knights safe. Alternatively you could use them as small squads in Rhinos/Razorbacks either as Meltagun delivery devices, or just simply to capture table quarters. BS 3 means those meltaguns won't always hit though.

 

And of course, buying them opens up things like the Chimera, which you can use to ferry your Terminators around because apparently, the Imperial Guard figured out a way to make an APC that can accomodate Terminators, and all the Space Marines (Grey Knights included) figured it wasn't "good enough" for them -_-

 

That said, how do you guys plan on fielding them?

Thanks!

[BrotherWasted]

Mindlock is irrelevant; stick your Inquisitor with your Servitors and you have no problem.

[Massawyrm]

Mindlock is irrelevant; stick your Inquisitor with your Servitors and you have no problem.

The problem comes when you want to use Henchmen as troop choices. Mindlock prevents you from seeding heavy weapons in squads that are left to hold objectives or control a region of the field. You can have no more than 2 inquisitors, thus no more than two heavy weapon squads...

[Joasht]

Mindlock is irrelevant; stick your Inquisitor with your Servitors and you have no problem.

The problem comes when you want to use Henchmen as troop choices. Mindlock prevents you from seeding heavy weapons in squads that are left to hold objectives or control a region of the field. You can have no more than 2 inquisitors, thus no more than two heavy weapon squads...

This.

[Cpt_Reaper]

What exactly is the make-up of a henchmen squad? Is it the old 0-3 of any one type like in Codex: Daemonhunters?

[Ashe Darke]

What exactly is the make-up of a henchmen squad? Is it the old 0-3 of any one type like in Codex: Daemonhunters?

3-12 composed of any of different types.

[Massawyrm]

What exactly is the make-up of a henchmen squad? Is it the old 0-3 of any one type like in Codex: Daemonhunters?

3-12 composed of any of different types.

 

Only three servitors may swap out their servo-arm for a heavy weapon, though.

[Cpt_Reaper]

Awesome. That means my allied Imperial Guard units are not usless anymore. Please tell me that the special weapons used by Imperial Guard Vets (plasma gun, meltagun and noob-tube...er grenade launcher) are included for warrior henchmen?

[Whitefireinferno]

The Nade launcher is not but the others are In also they can be fitted with Bolters for dirt cheap.

[Ashe Darke]

Awesome. That means my allied Imperial Guard units are not usless anymore. Please tell me that the special weapons used by Imperial Guard Vets (plasma gun, meltagun and noob-tube...er grenade launcher) are included for warrior henchmen?

Warrior Acolytes will be what you want. Up to 3 can take special weapons but they are BS3 which kinda sucks. No grenade launcher options though.

[Joasht]

You could even give the acolytes power armor if you wanted to, but for an extremely premium price.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

If you roll +1 armour save they become terminators though... :)

[Joasht]

Terminators with IG statlines and laspistols, haha

 

But anyway, any one else care to chip in what they are thinking of running?

[Red Lost Soldier]

My initial thoughts run along these lines, that we will see more of the same binary builds we saw before, but better and with more internal variety.

 

The Traditional Gunline Squad

Lets get the negative out of the way first. No more MEQ BS (by that I mean Ballistic Skill, not the alternative acronym). We are down to GEQ equivalent accuracy and the Inquisitor can't boost himself anymore. This is more than offset by how reduced the points costs are across the board. Plasma cannon servitors are 44.4% the cost of the old ones for example. Melta/Plasma equipped bodyguards are only 70% of old cost, not as good, but you can combine the two now. Ablative wounds are now dirt cheap also in the Warrior acolyte section, and max restrictions have been removed.

 

We lost the old mystic ability. No surprises here, and it was simply too broken with certain builds. Small mention of Coteaz for the old mystic ability, but he is pricey for just that and he is striking last in combat with no invulnerable save. Ouch. Though if you are going for Henchmen troops you will probably have at least one gunline squad and he should be in it for anti mindlock and the nostalgic mystic love.

 

We lost Iron Will which is a shame, but retained maximum leadership and stubborn. Should still work mostly the same as before.

 

Mindlock is an issue, you will simply have to have an Inquisitor to babysit them. Thankfully they are cheaper and much better than before. With better Psycannons, fancy new Hellrifles, interesting support like Psychocculums, and crazy grenades incase the enemy arrives this shouldn't increase the points too much if you don't want and provide a useful support role to the squad in compansation. Big drawback is now they chew up an HQ choice, in an HQ section overflowing with good (albeit expensive) options.

 

Blast weaponry can be forced in here with Psykers and Orbital Relays, though pricey for the latter and dangerous for the former. Jokaero Weaponsmiths add a expensive but versatile array of weaponry in the squad and some of the customisation rolls are very nice.

 

Still will probably see at lot of these, especially with the new Chimera rules allowing up to half a full tactical squad equivalent of firing from the top hatch at a cheap price and 2 included heavy weapons. Combination of up to 3 special weapons and 3 heavy weapons, with a side option of Jokaero or Inquisitor wargear, some Gretchin costed ablative wounds and either in cover with good LOS or taking advantage of the new Chimera. Looking at about 100-200 points. depending on transport and upgrades.

 

Here's an example of something I'll be looking at:

 

Inquisitor, Deamonblade, Hellrifle.

3 Plasma Cannon Servitors, 8 Warrior Acolyes, 1 Jokaero Weaponsmith

Total: 182pt.

 

Park in cover and fire away. Could go for a Chimera instead of the Acolytes, but Acolytes are cheap, can't be shaken/stunned and have 8 lives. Daemonblade is for amusement, though depending on the rest of the list may be running with Psychic Communion and a Force Sword instead to call in Grey Knights. This unit is dangerous to anything outside of a vehicle, so rest assured other parts of the list will be responsible for peeling open the tin cans.

 

The Close Quarters Battle

Often shunned in the old codex due to expensive and fragility, both of these shortcomings have been addressed. This build has gained the most.

 

I don't have much experience with the CQB style of Inquisitorial Henchmen so this part is all theoretical.

 

The two that catch my eye are the Crusader and the DCA. Crusader has the survivability of the SS and the DCA has plenty of attacks at blistering speed. Not sure on the Arco Flagellant, the DCA has only 1 less attack and is faster with no armour saves, and the Crusader is far more survivable. A mix of the Crusader and DCA seems a good base for a combat unit, and if you can get a relatively cheap Inquisitor in here with Psyker and Hammerhand it gets even better.

 

Delivery systems have gotten better and cheaper for this squad also. The catch will again be not spending so much on them that they start costing you more than GKSS.

[Brom MKIV]

So I want to run a mixed unit of henchmen including a couple power armoured acolytes with meltaguns (fw cadian models). Since acolytes are average humans instead of superhuman space marines, would you be ok with me using these models or would you prefer marines in PA to represent these acolytes?

[Joasht]

I'm tempted to say "use Sisters of Battle miniatures" to be honest :P

[The Rose Princes]

I'm tempted to say "use Sisters of Battle miniatures" to be honest :P

i'm gonna do it.... not gonna let good models go to waste!

[Brother Hadafix]

I've been told that those psykers... about 50 of em in Chimera's a culexus assassin a mystic and an Inquisitor.

 

Was told that this would be nasty as.... thoughts?

[Fredegar Kadere]

Concentrating on running a force consisting of mainly Psykers is risky at best. With a leadership of 8 they have a good chance of failing multiple times during a game and a perils will hit every psyker in the squad if one happens. Against marine armies a single null rod or psychic hood could spell doom to your careful plans. Against Tyranids with Shadow of the Warp or Eldar with Runes will put a crimp in your killing. Against a Witch Hunter army or any army that allies an Inquisitor Lord.. meet Hammer of the Witches.

 

Relying on the Culexus to be your main mode of killing is putting alot of eggs in a wobbly basket. He will have an insane amount of low AP shots within 12" if near the chimera wall, but it only takes one melta/multi-melta/lascannon to burn the assassin to a crisp. Etherium is not an invincibility card.

[Freman Bloodglaive]

They are, but make sure each squad has a 4 point acolyte so that perils of the warp doesn't destroy the entire squad.

[Brother Hadafix]

Can't remember the full list... was told that it was basically broke, as very little could really stop it. Not forgetting that SotW doesn't work if in a Chimera, and think that being a synapse creature = psyker... could be wrong on the latter.

[Drachnon]

I have this weird idea and anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Coteaz makes henchmen troops also removes limit to amount of squads you can take.

For 12 points you can take 3 warrior acolytes that count as a scoring unit.

 

If, like at my local tournaments, you know that the judge hates kill points so there's never battles using them, having 12 points for a scoring unit is almost broken (after only a 100 point investment).

[Fredegar Kadere]

*edit: The first paragraph deals with the debate on if Coteaz allows an infinite number of Troop Henchman squads. If you are talking about removing the One Warband per Inquisitor then skip to paragraph two.

 

[ Coteaz making Henchmen bands as an unlimited and infinite troop choice is debatable at the best and WAAC playing at the least. For a friendly game it probably wouldn't be much fuss with permission but anything more than that won't help make friends. Pulling that card is like a Witch Hunter pulling the Exorcist Missile Launcher fires d6 missiles and an individual missile is listed as heavy d6, which means one tank can hit with 36 shots a turn, tis in the rules and all. The safest assumption to make is that when Coteaz makes your henchmen troops, then they become scoring as well as taking up a force organization slot. ]

 

I would not consider two to four extra 3 man acolytes that can score to be that broken. Against an opponent that plays a "broader" list that does not rely on a single unit or two to do everything then the acolytes are at best a brief speedbump. To make the 3 man acolytes enough to pose a threat to anything means you have to start spending more points on them which means you may as well expand them into a real squad. Now throwing them in a Razorback could make them scary, but that ups the cost significantly and they would have little chance of surviving come an explosion. The one man army lists would certainly have issues facing such a force, but again I do not think a balanced army list would have any problems what so ever.

 

I wouldn't base a list around the idea, but if you are running Coteaz and have some points left over and some troop slots left then go all out! They'd make a fine home field objective holder or mid field objective contester provided the opponent isn't savvy.

[Joasht]

I frankly fail to see the confusion regarding Coteaz. If Henchmen count as troops, then they are limited to six slots as the "count as troops" would override the "no limit" rule. Sure, maybe if you squint and read hard enough it sounds otherwise, but seriously, c'mon guys......

 

Anyway that aside, the Psyker Perils issue makes them immensely risky, but in a sense, if say you took five of them (and one acolyte, as was suggested earlier so the squad isn't totally obliterated by a single perils) its actually very few points for a pretty darn good pie plate. Put them in a transport, and zoom around nuking people. If they die from Perils or whatever, its frankly not many points even though it feels that way because its five bodies.

[monkeyking]

I have this weird idea and anyone please correct me if I'm wrong.

Coteaz makes henchmen troops also removes limit to amount of squads you can take.

For 12 points you can take 3 warrior acolytes that count as a scoring unit.

 

If, like at my local tournaments, you know that the judge hates kill points so there's never battles using them, having 12 points for a scoring unit is almost broken (after only a 100 point investment).

 

True, Coteaz does remove the limit on squads needing Inquisitors. However the part about warbands not taking a slot only applies when taken with an Inquisitor, Coteaz's rule doesn't disable that. Since you're taking them without an Inquisitor, it takes a slot. The henchamn rules are the most poorly written rule I've ever seen since WBB.

 

I can see the merit of them being very cheap, but an army solely composed of Henchmen would be eaten alive by a properly balanced army. Jokearo, which are not cheap, seem powerful, until you realize they can't move and shoot their Lascannon or Multimelta (Jokearo don't have Relentless and their weapons still fire as per their profile, unless they changed the wording on their wargear) and after that, the longest range weapon they have is a Stormbolter or Plasmagun, and no, the Jokearo range buff isn't reliable, so you should expect those as your basic ranges. You could always take them with TL-LC Razorbacks, but then they start getting expensive again.