Upgrade weapons for Priests or no?

[Olgerth Istaarn]

I'm putting together my Sanguinary Priests now and am stuck with a dilemma, give them a power weapon or a single LC each or just keep the default gear? I'm running a jumpy / all DoA list, and have very little experience with BA...

[Morollan]

The problem is that they go on the same initiative as normal marines. Wound allocation will therefore often result in stacking all the power weapon/lightning claw wounds on the same one or two models. IMO, save the points.

[JamesI]

The problem is that they go on the same initiative as normal marines. Wound allocation will therefore often result in stacking all the power weapon/lightning claw wounds on the same one or two models. IMO, save the points.

I disagree.

 

Priests are WS 5, S 5 I 5 on the charge. With a power weapon or lightning claw they are great.

 

Wound allocation can be an issue, but I still think its worth the points as it is rare that all the wounds get dumped on a single model. And if it is dumped on a single model, that is usual an upgrade model and someone you want gone anyway.

[Sokhar]

Depends on what sort of unit you're running them with. If its Sanguinary Guard or Terminators, the upgrade is essential to keep the entire unit with powered attacks. In a regular squad it can sometimes be beneficial. If the squad's sergeant has a power fist (and thus goes at different initiative) then I'd consider it. Typically you'll only score 2 or so wounds with a priest, so at worst wound shennanigan might take away 1 of those wounds, while still guaranteeing one kill instead of an armor save. Not terrible. I just wouldn't use a Priest and a Sergeant both with power weapons, as you're more likely to pile up power weapon wounds on the same 1-2 models then.

[Morollan]

Depends on what sort of unit you're running them with. If its Sanguinary Guard or Terminators, the upgrade is essential to keep the entire unit with powered attacks.

 

I agree with this. I still think that, in other cases, for the cost of the upgrade, there are better ways to spend the points though. 15 points will go most of the way towards another member of the squad in many cases and I think I'd rather have the extra body.

[Deschenus Maximus]

Except for very specific exceptions, I always go with naked priests.

 

 

...

 

 

 

Taken out of context, that sounds really sketchy...

[AbusePuppy]

Depends on what sort of unit you're running them with. If its Sanguinary Guard or Terminators, the upgrade is essential to keep the entire unit with powered attacks. In a regular squad it can sometimes be beneficial. If the squad's sergeant has a power fist (and thus goes at different initiative) then I'd consider it. Typically you'll only score 2 or so wounds with a priest, so at worst wound shennanigan might take away 1 of those wounds, while still guaranteeing one kill instead of an armor save. Not terrible. I just wouldn't use a Priest and a Sergeant both with power weapons, as you're more likely to pile up power weapon wounds on the same 1-2 models then.

 

Honestly, unless you're attacking a very small unit, the opponent shouldn't usually be getting to stack three wounds onto a single model, even with 10 ASM + Priest charging them. (Remember, against T4 that's an average of ~12 wounds.) And if you are hitting such a small unit, you'll likely massacre them anyways, wound shenanigans or not. The only time I can see it being an issue is charging a small unit of something with 2+ armor saves and five-ish or so members, and really ASM aren't designed to engage units like that in straight-up combat anyways, since most of them are significantly better than you in a fight.

 

I generally try to get a Power Weapon on my Priests, but I don't consider it a desperately important priority. Often enough you will want to be cautious with them so they don't get singled out and killed, so you may not always be able to use their fancy weapons. Oh, and a single Lightning Claw is pretty much equivalent to a Power Weapon if you keep a pistol around (i.e. don't take a Combi-Weapon); the Power Weapon has a marginally higher kill rate on the charge, the Claw is superior by the same meaningless fractional amount when not charging. The PW has a higher maximum output, the LC is slightly more reliable. The PW is better against T3 or lower targets, the LC is better against T5 or higher ones. In the end, it doesn't matter a lot which you take.

 

In the end, whether you want an upgrade weapon will depend a lot on your list; if you're just using the Priest to make your nearby ASM a bit more threatening/survivable, you may not need it. If you're having him fly alongside them, it gains a lot more value.

[Crimson Devil]

Use whatever weapon makes the model look cooler. If you plan on playing in future editions of the game than any options other than the most basic will be fruitless in the long term. GW is fond of nerfing or taking away over used options.

 

In the current rule set the Sanguinary Priest is an independent character which makes him vulnerable in any combat. Any model that gives FnP and Furious Charge has a big "murder me sign" on him. Expect him to die early and often.

[AngelofSorrow]

Power weapon, jump pack, inferno pistol for both priests and I've never looked back. They do wonders.

[Morollan]

Power weapon, jump pack, inferno pistol for both priests and I've never looked back. They do wonders.

 

At that price, they bloody need to!

[Anabis_Xero]

When I started running my priests with a 9 man assault squad (to fit in a rhino) i used to buy them a power weapon but i found that the priest has a bad habit of dieing in CC, hes to good and to easy to kill people want him dead. lately I have been using the points elsewhere to try and get more value out of them.

[spec.ops]

Jump Pack, Inferno Pistol, Power Weapon - Always.

 

-Keith Stone

[SamaNagol]

Infernus Pistol is the biggest waste of points known to man.

[Whitefireinferno]

I have to agree with SamaNagol on the infurnus Pistol. I would Rather use the Hand Flamer in my army to help thin out hordes.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I typically run mine with a jump pack, power weapon and melter pistol. If you attach the Priest to a squad of assault Marines and the sergeant has a power fist it's a deadly combination. Sure he is expensive but always well worth it in my opinion.

 

G :D

[Quillen]

How often does the melta pistol actually pay off? I rember a buddy of mine in Canada tring to hit my LRC with it but he was outside of double dice range. Is that a common flaw. Always short? Or does it pay off and I saw a bad example?

[Black Memories]

Always take the power weapon. In a regular assault squad they're much needed better-WS powered attacks. Again the allocation shenanigans aren't a huge deal as you aren't using a ton of powered attacks anyways and it's a guaranteed kill. As said earlier in a squad with power weapons it's essential as you don't want powered weapons allocated on to specific models (though again due to lack of attack numbers usually not a huge issue).

 

Unless you're using a mostly ranged army with very little assault to begin with then I'd always recommend powered units. Assault based armies will probably tend to upgrade the priests a bit where as shooting armies will probably leave them naked more often on average. The shooting army reasoning of "it isn't worth the points" is probably 100% true for those types of armies, but for assault I think it's very worth it.

 

If you don't want your priest killed in close combat then either a) wipe out what you're fighting or ;) tie up the power fists/weapons with models that can afford to take the hits.

 

How often does the melta pistol actually pay off? I rember a buddy of mine in Canada tring to hit my LRC with it but he was outside of double dice range. Is that a common flaw. Always short? Or does it pay off and I saw a bad example?

 

 

 

I feel like if you're big-tank hunting with it, you probably aren't using it right. They're very good against light armor for an extra S8 ap1 shot that might just pop a transport and spill some troops for your guys to assault.

[SirDuck13]

I find the Inferno Pistol lacking. It's short range makes it impractical. But then again, I'm running my priests in max assault squads with a pair of meltaguns.

 

As for the priest themselves, I try to keep it pretty simple. Jump Pack and Power Weapon. The Srg has a hammer and with the two lost attacks from the meltaguns, it works out just fine. I don't think I've ever had a problem with someone managing to double stack PW wounds onto the same model.

 

Just my two bits though, I'm sure other players have had experiences that make them love Infernos and fully kitted out priests.

 

SD13

[Hokkaido23]

I never use more than a jump pack. Priests are too easily killed in melee (barring very, very precise pre-assault movement) and the points for upgrades quickly add up. His role is to provide FnP and FC to his squad, not to win combat. 90 points for a 1 wound model with jump pack and power weapon? No thank you, I prefer to trim the fat.

[Quillen]

Ever notice some people only read the first post and then ignore all the conversiation after that? Annoying huh?

[knife&fork]

I've stopped using priests in deep strike lists with the sole exception of termy priests in tac terminator squads.

 

They simply aren't worth 90-100 points with upgrades and naked they don't offer enough of a buff to the squad when you can just take more bodies.

 

What I've used instead are shooty honor guard for that nice 1-2 punch. 165 pts for a unit that can take just about any upgrade and includes a priest that can't be singled out in CC is so much better value. It also allows you to be a bit more flexible with the loadout of the assault squad. You don't have to run that 2*MG+PF every time.

[AngelofSorrow]

I typically run mine with a jump pack, power weapon and melter pistol. If you attach the Priest to a squad of assault Marines and the sergeant has a power fist it's a deadly combination. Sure he is expensive but always well worth it in my opinion.

 

G :P

I'm with Orange on this one. Although mine run with sanguinary guard. The inferno pistol is so useful and with a 12" move it isn't hard to get to 3" of a vehicle.

[SamaNagol]

If I need my priests to pop vehicles, I messed up somewhere. It's 15points. FIFTEEN!

 

That makes them 105pts. I could buy another Librarian for that. Or another squad!

[Deschenus Maximus]

The only Priest I give an IP to is the one that accompanies Dante and his Sang Guard unit, as this gives me 2 melta weapons in the unit without giving up the Angelus boltguns, which I find rather nice.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

It's all about packing the most punch possible in a unit...

 

quality >> quantity

 

G ;)