Death Company and Sevrin Loth

[L30n1d4s]

Pound for pound, I think Death Company may be the best single Power Armor unit for their points costs in the game right now.

For the price of a Power Sword + a Melta Bomb, you get a model with SM Veteran profile, plus WS5, Fearless, FNP, Furious Charge, Relentless, Rage and the ability to have CCW/BP for free (so 3 attacks base, 5 attacks on the charge). The only downside is, of course, never being able to be scoring (despite being a Troop choice).

Now, Death Company can take JPs, but these are pohibitively expensive, or DTs (inccluding Land Raiders), but theses also quickly add to their price and make them not so economical.

Enter allied Psyker Sevrin Loth. With his great Close Combat abilities, potetial 2++ save and, most of all, ability to GUARANTEE 3 powers from either Biomancy, Telekinesis, or Telepathy (really 4 powers, since he gets the primaris for free with Psychic Focus). Now, if you use take Levitate, Force Dome, and Psychic Maelstrom from the Telekinesis discipline and attach Loth and a BA Reclusiarch to a 10 man Death Company squad (with 2 Power Mauls and 2 PFs thrown in), you can make a true "Deathstar" (pun intended ) ...

Force Dome gives the unit increased survivability (3+/5++ and FNP against shooting is quite solid), Psychic Maelstrom gives a very potent shooting capability (albeit very short-ranged) that this unit lacks, and, most significantly, Levitation TRIPLES its mobility, from 6" to 18" a turn. Throw in D6" from running and you could have your Death Company 19-24" from your DZ turn 1, set-up perfectly for a follow-on charge in turn 2+.

On top of all his psychic support, Loth himself is no slouch. Activating his Armor of Selket and you have a 2++ save to tank things like Plasma shots and Tau Ion Accelerators. He also has 5 S5 AP2 attacks on the charge himself and gives the unit solid Deny the Witch ability, since he is PML(3), against enemy Witchfires/Maledictions.

Finally, not only should this unit absorb a lot of your oppent's attention (and firepower), freeing up the rest of your army to maneuver and engage more effectively but, should you make it into combat with this 15 wound Fearless beast, you will rip apart pretty anything much short of a Land Raider:

- 2 x Power Maul DC and the Reclusiarch will put out 15 x S7 AP4 attacks on the charge

- 2 x PF Death Company will put out 8 x S9 AP2 attacks on the charge

- Sevrin Loth will put out 5 x S5 AP2 attacks on the charge

- 6 x regular DC will put out 30 x S5 AP- attacks on the charge

All of this occurs at WS5 with re-rolls (thanks to the Reclusiarch) and also re-rolls to wound for the DC modesl (again from the Reclusiarch).

Now, points wise, all this ways in at just shy of 700 points, but that still gives you quite a bit to work with for the rest of your army and should tie up the attention of an equal (or greater) portion of the enemy combat power, especially if its barreling toward your oppent's DZ turn 1. The only thing to watch out for is mass Grav weapons, which will eat this unit for lunch, and S8+ pie plates that deny Death Company their FNP save.

[Morollan]

Do Loth's powers all have to come from the same discipline? If not then I'd head straight to Telepathy and pick up the amazing Invisibility power. Even if they do, I'd probably still go for Telepathy as there are some other useful powers in there for Loth to choose, such as Shrouding, Dominate and the primaris power. Shove them all in an (Objective Secured) Drop Pod, use Invis and Shrouding to survive anything fired at them on they turn they land and then destroy whatever you assault the next round.

[Jolemai]

To add, with an attached IC they become scoring whilst said IC remains alive.

[Shaezus]

Any chance of a page ref on that one? That is massive, I thought it was only the character who had scoring?

[Jolemai]

Any chance of a page ref on that one? That is massive, I thought it was only the character who had scoring?

Bad wording on my part. Essentially, yes - so you would need to make sure said IC is within range of an objective.