Kitting out a Terminator Retinue?

[Akylas]

Hey everyone,

I'm putting together a terminator lord plus retinue for my Tzeentch aligned warband and trying to get a handle on how to equip the retinue.

 

I'm planning on equipping the lord with TDA, a Burning Brand, and power sword or axe. He'll also usually have a MOT, mostly for fluff reasons. For the retinue (five terminators for now) I'm struggling to avoid being distracted by all the options they have. Since they'll spend considerably more time on my shelf than in play, a part of me wants to go crazy with their equipment. The saner part of me wants to keep costs down. I think I can figure out the melee weapons (mostly power weapons, may lose internal battle and include a chainfist and/or lightning claw in there) but I'm not sure about the ranged weapons. Are combi-plasma a good option, or would combi-meltas be better? How about a heavy flamer on the fifth guy?

[bozo69pd]

Usually people just throw combi plasma or melta on them possibly mark them (although tzeench is really pricey and not worth it right? I thought I heard statistically adding another terminator model to soak a wound is better) Then kit them with melee depending on what they fight (swords for SM, axes for termies, fists for vehicles...)

[brother_contagion]

I was thinking of equipping mine with power mauls and power axes but I don't have the codex handy so I don't know if that is legal or not. If not that, a lightning claw and power fist.

[Xenith]

If theyre deepstriking, combis. If theyre going in a land raider, lightening claws.

 

How many models?

 

A mix of axes, maces and swords is always fun, and don't forget a fist/chainfist if you want them to be able to deal with armour.

 

Give the lord the sigil of corruption and a claw. Give the unit champion a chainfist.

 

If something with 2+ save attacks you, challenge it with the champ. if against a 3+ save unit, challenge with the lord for sweet boons. Or just roll with AP2 across the board.

[minigun762]

If HQ has an Axe, give retinue Mauls and combi weapon. Cheap and cheerful and a threat to most anything.

[daboarder]

Axe-Combi cheap threatens everything

 

consider MoT, with a rise in AP2 shooting the MoT definitely has a place.

[Excessus]

A lord with the brand doesn't really want to be in cc, so I guess plasmas would go well with the range and ap of the brand.

[Sception]

Alternatively, the brand could serve as incentive for the enemy to engage with you, which can otherwise be a problem for slow moving termies.

 

That said, for a retinue, you want to burn the points for at least one chain fist in there somewhere.  The rest can be power weapons - a mix of axes, swords, and mauls depending on your regular opponents.  If deep striking, take combi plas on everything (plas > melt for non-sacrificial squad, since landing in 12-24" without mishap is a lot easier than landing in 6-12"), if riding a transport, take 2-3 combi melta, but the rest can be left as bolters.

 

I'd encourage AP2 on the lord, though, either an axe or a fist, and maybe a lightning claw on the champ, though that's optional.

 

Remember in challenges with multiple characters, your opponent gets to pick who fights who due to the champions of the god rule (you're forced to challenge, your opponent picks who accepts).

 

For a 5 model deep striking retinue, I might go with something like: MoTz, champ w/ lightning claw & combi plas, 1x chain fist & combi plas, 1x power axe & combi plas, 1x power sword & combi plas, 1x power ace & combi plas.

 

For a 4 model land raider retinue, I might go with something like: 3x mutilators with MoN, 1x undivided level 3 terminator sorcerer w/ combi melta, force axe, biomancy, and spell familiar.  But if I were sticking to tzeentch and terminators specifically, I'd probably go: MoTz, champ w/ lightning claw & chain fist, 1x power axe & combi melta, 1x power sword & combi melta, 1x power mace & combi melta.

 

For a 5 model retinue in a spartan or eagle, I might instead go: MoTz, champ with fisticlaws, 2x power axe, combi melta, 2x lightning claw & combi bolter.

 

 

In all cases, for the lord I'd take MoTz and an axe, plus I guess the brand if you're high on it.  And maybe a sigil if you have the points.

 

Then again, for a tzeentchy themed termie boss, you might consider a sorcerer?  Sorcerer, terminator, mark of tzeentch, force axe, spell familiar, level3, biomancy.  maybe sigil if you've got the points.  Skip artefacts, unless you  ally the dude in from the black legion, then maybe memory or skull, or both if your group swings that way.

[Akylas]

bozo69pd Yeah, the mark of Tzeentch seems overpriced on the regular guys. Probably I'll only give it to the lord for theme and a possible Thousand Sons squad as troops. Good to know combiweapons and cheap melee are a viable option.

 

brother_contagion Do you mean each model would have a maul and an axe? I don't believe that's legal but it would look awesome.

 

Xenith Just five guys in the retinue for now (plus the lord). That number is likely to increase, though. I love terminators. I was thinking of deep striking them so combis seem the way to go. I'll make sure to stick a chain/powerfist in there.

 

minigun762 Sounds like cheap is the way to go. I may not be able to resist the call of at least on fist//lightning claw, but otherwise it's looking to be combis and power weapons.

 

daboarder At 5 pts per do you think the mark will add enough to survivability to be worth it? At least it's something I can give a try in some games to see if I can make it work.

 

Excessus That was my thought although I wasn't sure if mixing ranges with a flamer type weapon (the brand uses the flamer template, right?) and plasmas was workable or not. It sounds like it is so far.

 

malisteen I'm planning on deep striking them so combi-plasmas it is. Luckily between a forge world terminator weapon set and a recent chaos raid against a sternguard set I can pull together four combi-plasmas. I do want to go with the brand as I like it for fluff reasons, but everything else is flexible.

 

A terminator sorcerer is definitely in the works for the future but I wanted to put a lord together first. The warband's fluff has the sorcerer as the leader (he'll be getting regular power armor and tda versions). The "lord" is his lieutenant. He was an aspiring champion who backed the sorcerer when the old warband leader died. In return he had first pick of equipment gained in raids (like the TDA for him and his retinue) as well as magical items that give him lord level stats (for instance, the MoT will be represented with the sorcerer book that comes with the chaos lord kit).

 

Thanks for the help everyone! I'm think I'm ready to start assembling these guys once my weekend starts.