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Viability of Nem. Warding Staves in Strike/Purifier Squads


DHeese

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Just rekitting my GK's and I was wondering, whats the viability of having Nemesis Warding Staves in them? Worth it for the otherwise Marine killing power weapon attacks that will 5 out of 6 times be saved, or no good b/c of the insane points cost?

Opinions...

 

-Dan H

A Stave in a unit of terminators is sometimes an OK investment. Kinda depends on what you want the unit to do. I'd consider taking a stave when buying a big unit of 10 basic guys, or for kicks to help wound allocations on Paladin units.

 

But more often than not, you're better off making your defense better by iimproving your offense. Which means: normally you should take halberds instead. Going at I6 means you'll go before almost everything else, and it's better to kill first rather than hope to save killing blows from guys you could have killed before they could even attack. Halberds are free on terminators. (And so are hammers.) Seems like an obvious choice to me: halberds (and hammers) >> staves.

 

A Stave in any power-armoured unit is a waste because of the insane points cost. If you're going to waste points on weapons upgrades in Strike Squads or Interceptors, the occasional halberd is a better investment for all the aforementioned reasons. (Though I think taking a single hammer per 5 guys usually make for enough weapons upgrades on these units.)

If I were going to use it I would put it in a purifier squad. As they can often win combat through resolution if one man lives. Also remember that it can be used to save perils. Now I never run it, but if I did that is where I would go.
i only take it on my Librarian. and i dont believe they work on Perils, as it specifically says against close combat attacks only. (no saves vs lascannons or meltas) but i have had that libby win the day because he lived thru 9 power klaw attacks. lol
The gk FAQ clarifies that the warding staff works vs all wounds that occur during cc not just cc attacks. So perils from powers like hammer hand or cleansing flame would be using the staff.

 

yep. almost like he flicks on a switch for cc which becomes his invul for everything, except for things such as a bad template scatter into cc

I disagree with the almost mandatory on Librarians Idea, it is a huge chunk of points on an already expensive character. You are looking at probably a 200+ point Librarian at that point, while it is nice to avoid the perils. As for a tech marine, again it is a fairly expensive upgrade making him what 130ish points for a 1 wound character. It is really not that hard to keep him away from power weapons, and in most cases he is likely in a squad that more often than not will wipe the opponent out prior to them swinging back.
I'm not saying the staff On a Libby is horrible, however the points for it are often used better elsewhere. It just depends on the role you choose for your Libby. I run mine at 170 points and he does most of his work outside of close combat. As for the tech marine if your henchmen are fighting at cc dread they are toast anyway more often than not. The dread will just swing on the squad, probably win combat at which point the tech marine is kind of a moot point. Can he help against a dread, sure but that is quite a pricey power fist.
If your 5 man purifier squad with 5x halberds is shot at by Terminators with assault cannons and must save against 6 wounds, of which 2 are rending, you can place the two rending ones on the knight of flame.

 

No, you can't...

 

are identicle in gaming terms. By this we mean they have the same profile of characteristics, the same special rules and the same weapons and wargear

 

all models in the unit that are identicle in gaming terms take thier saving throws at the same time

 

If the Knight of the Flame has a NFH, and therefore the same stats and wargear as the other Purifiers, how does he differ in gaming terms?

why would you not be able to, he is a separate designation with a separate statline, he is singled out for Perils etc, so him being different matters in game terms (If he is alive he eats perils, it he is not, goes on random guy.)

No, he's identicle to the rest of the unit.

 

What singles him out (for Perils) is the Special Rule "Brotherhood of Psychers", which the entire unit has.

 

The unit has a whole has the same wargear, rules and stats. Those 5 Purifiers are *idenitcle* for gaming purposes. The Keeper *cannot* be singled out.

 

Now if you gave him a Hammer, or Stave, instead of a NFH, it would be a different story.

 

Edit: In the army list he has his own entry, as he has specific upgrades 'normal' purifiers can't purchase (MCing / Digital Weapons), and he wouldn't be able to take one of the 'special' Ranged weapons.

How is it?

 

Another, exactly identicle, Purifier is then used. It's exactly the same game wise. You don't have a mini with a lower Ld to then test on. It maters not who takes the test, as the other members are exactly the same.

 

The keeper (in this instance) is absolutley no different to any other Purifier in the Squad, and isn't treated any differently.

 

You can't use him as a seperate save group to put wounds onto.

 

For him to be his own group, you would need to show hes got any of;

 

1: Different Stats to the rest of the unit

2: Different Wargear to the rest of the unit

3: Different special rules to the rest of the unit

 

And in this case, he doesn't.

True, but that's not enough to let you stack wounding hits on him. Unfortunetely.

 

The interaction of the Brotherhood of Psykers rule isn't taken into account for the wound group stipulations. Only if a model *has* a special rule or not, not how that rule works for the Squad.

 

If you want to stack wounds on the Keeper, or try to keep him from taking wounds, you need to make him 'unique' from the rest of the Squad.

It can be useful if you dowant to try to keep him alive. If, for instance your 5 man squad gets hit by 6 plasma wound and 2 Bolter wounds, you could stick 1 Bolter on the Keeper, and 6 Plasma's on the rest of the Squad.

 

Maybe you've given him a NDH and want/need the Hammer to live. Who knows.

 

Point is, unless he has different wargear to the rest of the unit, you can't single him out for Wound Allocation.

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