Paladins and Psycannons!

[Thymebandit]

Hello again!

So I was looking over the army lists to see how people were primarily running their Paladins. It seems that the general style of play is to use them as shooty instead of stabby and that they fill the role really well. I can see why, all those str 7 shots with the rending. Does keeping them out of CC lead to more wounds in general? Or is the point to advance, fire and assault? Also, are 10 Paladins overkill for a single Elite slot when not using Draigo? The help on this board is amazing, especially for someone trying to catch up on a few editions :), thanks in advance!

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Hello again!

So I was looking over the army lists to see how people were primarily running their Paladins. It seems that the general style of play is to use them as shooty instead of stabby and that they fill the role really well. I can see why, all those str 7 shots with the rending. Does keeping them out of CC lead to more wounds in general? Or is the point to advance, fire and assault? Also, are 10 Paladins overkill for a single Elite slot when not using Draigo? The help on this board is amazing, especially for someone trying to catch up on a few editions , thanks in advance!

 

Well, there is no reason NOT to give them psycannons. Incinerators are trash in most situations (lulzy when spammed on Purgators, good for harassing with Interceptors, but thats it really), and psilencers are the worst weapon in the game for their points. Also, because all the good weapons (sword, hammer, halberd) are free, and you can carry both (as you just carry the psycannon on your wrist, like a bawss), there is no oppertunity cost either.

 

You never keep Paladins out of combat, they'll get focus fired to death too easily. You have to commit them as early as you can, because it's in combat that their TDA, multiple wounds, WS5 and Bro Banner turn the tide. Stormraven is the preferred delivery system for some armies, others use TGS to Scout or Outflank them into enemy lines.

 

The Paladinstar works best with Draigo (as he can use his TGS for other things, rather than burning it to make them scoring), but it also works really well in Henchmen armies. Whilst the cheap storm bolter/plasma/melta/Jokaero lascannons go to work dismembering the enemy from range (or rather Chimeras), your giant blob of hacky death advances up a different flank (or Scouts/Outflanks teehee) pumping out 16 psycannon shots a turn and basically impossible to kill unless they throw everything at them instead of the Henchmen.

Demolisher cannons and other S8+ AP2 templates (new Necrons have such a good hard counter in their army, Matt purposely wrote it to kill T4 deathstars) will wreck your face however, so just remember you aren't invulnerable.