Best Loadout for a Librarian

[Vivster]

What would you guys say about a librarian who has:

•jump pack

Force sword

Plasma pistol

Epistolary

[Taranis]

I would ask why epistolary? The how often would you use two powers per turn. Knowing what he's helping/leading is important.

For 190 pournts it would perhaps better with terminator armour?

[Sidguard]

Keep them cheap. Jump pack, force weapon. If you're going to go higher, why not just take Mephiston? For 60 more points you get an insane statline, and mastery 3. If you're determined to get a M2 libby, DA lets you do it for 100 points, 115 with a jump pack.

[Vivster]

Ok what about the plasma pistol, if not what would you guys recommend?

[sockwithaticket]

Just stick with a bolt pistol. If you're in range to be firing pistols you're in range to assault or be assaulted, where the plasma's AP 2 is wasted. The bolt pistol also has the benefit of not knocking wounds off your libby when it is fired (okay you don't always fail 'gets hot' rolls, but it does happen) and librarians aren't sufficiently powerhouse HQ choices to be knocking wounds off themselves with anything other than perils.

[John Rainbow]

I'm all for the basic model too. Either standard libby with jetpack or Mephiston. I guess you could make the arguement for a hand flamer or a combi weapon in some situations but generally the cheaper the better.

[Taranis]

Ok what about the plasma pistol, if not what would you guys recommend?

Again. What powers are you aiming at? What problem will he be solving for you? Cc, ranged shooting? A prescience plasma pistol has excellent damage potential at range 12 or less.

 

If you don't have a specific mission for him, don't upgrade him. Match his gear with the squad he will be hooked up with. Jump pack for assault marines, nothing for devestators/tacticals.

 

If you want to go epistolary I'd recommend choosing powers from the codex. That way your sure to not get two shooting powers.

[Vivster]

I want him to be ableto either go with ass marines and a priest or with dc if i dont have a chaplain

 

So u guys r just saying plain jump pack with force weapon.

 

Also what would you guys say is the best model from gw that you would choose for a libby?

[sockwithaticket]

Yes, pay for the jump pack only and leave him be, With those units in particular he'll be buffing them with a power rather than showing them how to wreck face (DC do that well enough on their own!). 

IMO, other than the Dark Vengeance Librarian, the 'official' models are a bit lacking. More to the point only one of them comes with the bolt pistol and force sword combo you're looking for. They're also finecast. If you fancy it Sevrin Loth from Forgeworld is a quality looking sculpt and with him come some awesome bits for an honour guard that you can distribute around your army. Alternatively just kitbash one, there are loads of good examples out there of what people have achieved with a mix of grey Knights/Sanguinary Guard/Death Company/Dark Angels bits.

[knife&fork]

Bikes are good too if you want him in a supporting role. 

[Brother Maikel]

Taranis, on 06 Apr 2013 - 09:30, said:

If you want to go epistolary I'd recommend choosing powers from the codex. That way your sure to not get two shooting powers.

Why would you ever end up with two shooting powers?

 

If you get one to start with, roll your second power on Divination and, "worst" case, take Prescience (in other words, if the power you roll wouldn't help you more than Prescience).

 

In fact, if you're running anything other than a Biker Libby, I'd advise rolling only on Divination and Telepathy. Div gives you access to Misfortune (enemy rerolls successful saves), Perfect Timing (unit ignores cover), and Forewarning (4++ for unit), and if you don't get any of those (or for some reason they wouldn't help) you can always swap for Prescience (reroll any failed to-hit rolls). Telepathy has a suite of nice if situational powers plus a useful shooting attack for the primaris, especially against lower-Ld units.

 

That said, I'd avoid the Epistolary upgrade. 50pts is a MM attack bike, a bare priest, a quarter of a full assault squad, or a host of other useful upgrades that will likely be worth more than casting twice a turn.

 

Finally, a Force Sword isn't bad, but a Force Axe is usually better. You'll wound more often and it'll be AP2 instead of AP3, and as long as you avoid sticking the Libby in a unit without any other characters (DC, Sang Guard, leaderless combat squads) you can generally avoid getting challenged out.