Malakim Phoros

[L30n1d4s]

Anyone use this FW character (he is the Chapter Master for the Lamentors, with rules found in the IA books) in conjunction with the new BA codex?

 

Overall, I'd say he is quite a solid choice, especially for his points. For the price of 7 Power Fists, he has:

 

 

-Chapter Master traits across the board, except for 3W vice 4W that CMs normally have

 

-Wargear-wise, he has Artificer Armor, Iron Halo (so 2+/4++; not bad) and standard grenades. He does not have a JP, so that limits his utility with BA jump units, but since he doesn't have TDA he can ride in any and all transports easily.

 

-In terms of "Relics," he has a Glaive Encarmine (a MCed Power Sword which gains +1S on the charge, but is two-handed) and the Catechist (a Inferno Pistol with 12" range; quite nice). These two give him some solid utility in both combat and shooting, with an aggregate S6 on the charge (S4 base +1S from Glaive Encarmine + 1S from Furious Charge).

 

-Rules-wise, he has Bloodline of Sanguinus (so he counts as being a part of the BA codex for all purposes, including getting Furious Charge as his army special rule/"chapter tactic"). He also has Rage until Death, which gives him +1A/+1S and Rage (so 7A on the charge, all at S7 AP3) if he loses one or more wound. Additionally, if he gains Rage this way, then any BA unit he has joined also gains Rage. He has Zealot, so he and his squad have both Fearless and Hatred. Finally, if he is the Warlord, his WL trait gives Hatred to all BA units within 6" of him.

 

 

So, where does that leave him? The lack of JP hurts in a BA force, as does the lack of EW or an AP2 weapon in combat, but were I really see Malakim shining is kind of in the role of the old Reclusiarch (except an "uber Reclusiarch" with 4A, a 6" Hatred bubble in addition to Zealot for his squad, and the ability to give himself and his squad Rage. Put another way, he is a great force multiplier for an assault based BA army, whether you put him with Sanguinary Priest and Assault Terminator squad (imagine Hammernators with FNP and WS5, Zealot, and 4 attacks on the charge due to Rage!) or with a 15 man Death Company squad in a LR Crusader or even Drop Podding in with a BA Assalt Marine squad, combining his Catechist with 2 Inferno Pistols on the Sgt and 2 Meltaguns for a total of 5 melta weapons in a single unit.

 

Malakim won't be able to go head to head with Lords of War or other "ultimate" close combat warriors in the game, but he can be quite devastating against anything lacking a 2+ save and also makes the squads around him better with his Hatred bubble... imagine combining him, Corbulo, and the Sanguinor to give a 6" buffing radius which makes all BA in that range have +1WS, +1A, +1I, and Hatred (not to mention the Furious Charge that all BAs have)... with those kind of buffs, even a 10 man Scout Squad is charging in with WS4, S5, I5, Hatred, and 4A each.... against a normal MEQ opponent, that's 40 attacks, 30 hits, 20 wounds, and 7 dead MEQs, all at I5 (so before most Marines even get to swing back).... and you can buff multiple squads to that level, given the 6" bubble.

 

 

Anyhow, I think he can be a competitive option and a viable choice in the BA HQ selection, especially in an assault based army.

 

Thoughts?

 

 

[Morticon]

Small point of contention  -  even though he is from the BA dex, he wont get FC on account of it not being listed in his special rules.  All BA have it listed as part of their profile, not on account of them being in the BA dex. 

 

Small thing, but not a huge issue.

[Morticon]

(For what its worth, i rate "Red Thirst" will be changed out for FC when the FAQ rolls around).

[Charlo]

It is a real shame he doesn't have a jump pack, but I suppose with it he'd be too similar to some of our other characters!

I really like the idea of him leading Hammer-nators with a Priest or Death Company - Comparing him to a Reclusiarch is an really accurate view and makes me think I might model a Chaplain and use his rules for them

[tsijben]

I think he is fine, it's like a regular Captain with an additional attack.

His strength is probably in the Rage unto Death, which can transform any unit into a scary close combat monster.

His Warlord-Trait is also nice, I always loved Hatred and I am happy that our new Codex gave it to all Chaplains.

Which is one important thing: I think we should treat Malakim Phoros as a super-Chaplain instead of a CM or Captain.

 

 

He suffers from the same problem Corbulo does: no jump pack (or bike). Without one or the other, it gets really hard to make effective use of his abilities.

I think that is less of a problem in our new Codex.

My current issue is that I don't have enough Drop Pods to use everything I want!

 

My preferred option would be 9 DC and Malakim in a Drop Pod.

Corbulo seems to fit better in a Pod with a regular Tactical Squad, because I don't want Corbulo in a challenge.

[Deschenus Maximus]

He suffers from the same problem Corbulo does: no jump pack (or bike). Without one or the other, it gets really hard to make effective use of his abilities.