Electro Priests

[Vel'Cona]

In either case, keep updating us on your experience with the Electro-Priests! I'd love to hear about the triumphs you can pull off with these guys.

[munocat]

I too look forward to more information to be posted I have one box and they are slated to be turned into tech priest auxilia unit. For 85 points, you get a priest with 4 tech servos, each with a servo arm, they are t5, str 4, with 2 attacks, str 8 ap2 with FNP. I was going to use them as a unit to put my HQ in. Or instead of the servo arm, flamer

[ronin_cse]

Well I'm finally going to get around to building my two boxes. Do we have a consensus on which version is better based on actual games? I know I ran the numbers earlier in this thread and it seemed like the Corpuscari were the winners, but it's hard to say until they are actually play tested.

[BassWave]

Bro, corpuscari hands down. Mine finished off a blood thirster yesterday when it charged me. Only lost 3 out of the remaining 8. Having zealot on top of the shock rule helps a lot.

[MaulerUK]

Well I'm finally going to get around to building my two boxes. Do we have a consensus on which version is better based on actual games? I know I ran the numbers earlier in this thread and it seemed like the Corpuscari were the winners, but it's hard to say until they are actually play tested.

IMO without running the Fulgurite numbers all I can say is that *if* they get into combat they'll be better vs high toughness targets but seeing as they're just AP4, can't thin out a target with twin-linked Tasla/Shock dakka before charging & have to kill something for their "we no longer have a 66% chance of getting killed by everything hitting us first" 'thing' to kick in (3++), they're a bit iffy. Corpuscarii will generally be better in almost every case simply through volume of dice (what I call "The Ork Approach") unless it's against T8 or greater which the Corpus' S4 can't hurt or are against something that they want to instant death or concuss down to I1 to help them survive the next round.

It's the +2S and AP4 that really hurts them though; S5 isn't amazing against most things and AP4 (the "blunt weapon AP") again isn't great when most things with a higher toughness have Sv3+ or better. Tough multi-wound daemons spring to mind where AP usually doesn't matter but most of those will have an edge over the Priests in some way be it init, psychic powers, melee prowess...

[ronin_cse]

Well I'm finally going to get around to building my two boxes. Do we have a consensus on which version is better based on actual games? I know I ran the numbers earlier in this thread and it seemed like the Corpuscari were the winners, but it's hard to say until they are actually play tested.

IMO without running the Fulgurite numbers all I can say is that *if* they get into combat they'll be better vs high toughness targets but seeing as they're just AP4, can't thin out a target with twin-linked Tasla/Shock dakka before charging & have to kill something for their "we no longer have a 66% chance of getting killed by everything hitting us first" 'thing' to kick in (3++), they're a bit iffy. Corpuscarii will generally be better in almost every case simply through volume of dice (what I call "The Ork Approach") unless it's against T8 or greater which the Corpus' S4 can't hurt or are against something that they want to instant death or concuss down to I1 to help them survive the next round.

It's the +2S and AP4 that really hurts them though; S5 isn't amazing against most things and AP4 (the "blunt weapon AP") again isn't great when most things with a higher toughness have Sv3+ or better. Tough multi-wound daemons spring to mind where AP usually doesn't matter but most of those will have an edge over the Priests in some way be it init, psychic powers, melee prowess...

Well here's the link to my post where I ran lots of the numbers from a couple pages ago: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/307902-electro-priests/?p=4063240

Went and found it in order to convince myself to go with Corpuscarii instead. Thanks to their shooting they are better in basically every case unless you get a lucky ID wound through against, especially when you take the Canticles into account.

I dunno why I keep wanting to use the Fulgarites against my better judgement though. I think it's just that temptation of getting a 3++ on them or something even though I know it probably won't happen.

Alright that settles it, Corpuscarii it is!

[Vel'Cona]

I have been pondering what 3 squads of 10 Corpuscarii could do from Drop Pods, but I'm not sure I can bring myself to fork out the money to try it.  Maybe a proxy attempt is needed . . .

[mmimzie]

Empire flagelents make the best proxy ever. They have some pretty mean shooting, but what makes the good is that the can shoot and do decent in melee. I think to get your cash back you kinda gotta do both. Be cool if we had a cheap flier to ship them in on.

[Cactus]

Be cool if we had a cheap flier to ship them in on.

 

Have you considered the arvus lighter?

[MoGuy]

So guys, I am reviving this thread because I'm trying to put together a close combat oriented Ad Mech and Inquisition force. At this point I don't even want to include Vanguards/Rangers but I have to, to get Dragoons and Sicarians. Now my question is, what if I just drop the Skitarii part and instead go more heavy on the Cult part of the force? The Corpuscarii seem like they could fill both the role of the stock Vanguards (killing blobs with their number of shots) and Sicarians (killing stuff with many attacks in CC). The canticles of the Cult Mechanicus also makes them quite durable (Shrouded + Ruins = 2+ cover save that we can re-use a second time) until they reach combat, which is when we crank up the gain with the Litany of the Electromancer to give them even more attacks in CC. 

 

"But Mo, what about Plasma/Arc Rifles that the Vanguard could take?". I'll use the Kataphrons for that. ;)

[DeStinyFiSh]

Well, only a few Corpuscarii does not make a CC oriented army

Either your Inquisition Force is focused on CC and is a big junk of that army, or you are not realy a CC army.

A CC based Ad Mech army should include Skitarii imho, since Sicarians and Dragoons are very decent CC units and the Vanguard with the debuff and the mid range shooting are just a perfect addition.

However, I think the E-Priests are not pretty good if they need to run up the field to get into range, I would consider them more as a counter strike unit or give them a transport (Land Raider could be nice to charge straight away, but I would try the Fulgrit then).

All in all, I think no one here has ever tried the E-Priests, at least I can not remember reading anything about their performance.

I just finished 10 Corpuscarii and will be back at home in May to field them, I'll let you know how they did

[MoGuy]

Well, only a few Corpuscarii does not make a CC oriented army

Either your Inquisition Force is focused on CC and is a big junk of that army, or you are not realy a CC army.

As I had written in my Forgeworld Thread, I have played (with great success) a CC army with an Inquisition Deathstar. My list was this:

Inquisition

Ordo Malleus Inquisitor (Inquisitor Kraken) w/ 2x Daemon Blades, Power Armour, 1x Servo Skull, Empyrian Brain Mines, The Liber Heresius and Mastery Level 1

Ordo Xenos Inquisitor w/ Needle Pistol, Force Sword, Power Armour, Psychotroke and Rad Grenades and Mastery Level 1

Henchmen Warband:

1x Priest w/ Power Axe

5x Crusaders

6x Death Cult Assassins

1x Land Raider Crusader w/ Dozer Blade and Psibolt Ammunition

Henchmen Warband:

2x Acolytes w/ Bolters

1x Psyker

Henchmen Warband:

See above

Cult Mechanicus (Formation from the Start Collecting Box)

Tech-Priest Dominus w/ Volkite Blaster, Makro Pistol, Converterfield

10x Vanguard w/ Omnispex and 3x Plasma

1x Onager Dunecralwer w/ Icarus Array

Skitarii

10x Vanguard w/ Omnispex and 3x Arc Rifles

6x Rangers w/ Omnispex

1x Sydonian Dragoons

1x Sydonian Dragoon

5x Ruststalkers

5x Infiltrators w/ Omniscient Mask and Tasers/Blasters

1850 points

If I add up the points of the CC Henchmen Warband with the Land Raider, the two Inquisitors and the Dominus (who also joined them), I easily break 700 points. As you can see the rest of the army was also geared towards CC. So yes, I do have a CC army. :P

My reasoning is, that I don't even want to take Vanguards because they can't double as a shooty and CC unit (anything that actually wants to get into CC will eat them up). The Corpuscarii on the other hand seem like they will hurt in shooting and CC. This, however, would mean that I would loose all Skitarii units as I can't take the Maniple without troop choices. :/ In a perfect world, I would like to have Sicarians, Electro Priests, Dragoons, Vanguards/Kataphrons and the Inquisition all in a 1850 points package.

If I am lucky, I'll get some Fantasy Flagellants on eBay today, which I'll convert into Electro Priests. Since I already have a Land Raider here, I'll try to test both variants and see how they perform. It's a shame that people don't field these guys not even in just-for-fun-games.

I just finished 10 Corpuscarii and will be back at home in May to field them, I'll let you know how they did

Please do! :D

[Tyriks]

There are reports in this thread (go back a page or two) of electropriests' performances.  

 

I think it would be worth the vanguard tax to get dragoons and sicarians into the army.  Two 5 man squads of vanguard are cheap as crap and could sit on objectives or harass enemy lines from a bit farther back while your sicarians and dragoons get into combat early to give your priests time to catch up.  Or just use the vanguard to screen the priests as they all move up.  I think you'd regret leaving Skitarii out more than you'd regret bringing them.  

[MoGuy]

 

I think you'd regret leaving Skitarii out more than you'd regret bringing them.  

 

 

The problem is that I want to take the Electro-Priests but I can't remove anything from the list posted above without the whole system collapsing. If I remove the Dominus I would lose the Dominus Maniple which gives me access to the anti-air Onager. 

 

If I remove anything from the Skitarii I would first have to fill up 300 points with the Kataphrons, just to take the Cult Mechanicus before I could even begin to spend points on the Electro-Priests. This means that I would have to free up ~600 points just to get the Electro Priests in the list - and that isn't possible without dropping the whole Skitarii section.

 

If I did that, I would have replaced the Vanguards with the Kataphrons and the Infiltrators/Ruststalkers with Electro-Priests. If I could, I would take all three groups (Inquisition, Cult and Skitarii) but it seems that I can't - at least not for 1850 points.

[HackedDuck]

Take the electro priest formation? Even if it is a little pricy.

[Tyriks]

That's exactly what I was about to suggest!

[Xisor]

Yep, say 200 on Shivs, 90 on Radtroopers, 300 on the Dominus maniple and another 100-200 on Sidonians, that's still only ~800pts. Load out on priests (and fancy bits & bobs) with the rest? That's a hefty amount of priests from the numinous conclave for the rest.

[MoGuy]

The Dominus Maniple without any upgrades costs 250 points. Now I add two more Squads of 5x Vanguards, 5x Infiltrators, 5x Ruststalkers, two Dragoons, the Numinous Conclave and the Inquisition and I have about 1830 points. Of those 1830 points only the Inquisition has upgrades. My 3x5 Vanguards are too squishy and will only hurt basic infantry, just like the Onager. I am lacking any means to deal with flyers or Vehicles and I have almost no shooting that can penetrate 3+ armour.

 

This would indeed enable me to get the Electro-Priests and the Skitarii. But I don't know if all those squads will perform well. :/ Min Squads of 5 Fulgurites won't make it into CC, they are too fragile. Same goes for the Corpuscarii and the Vanguards. 

[HackedDuck]

If your playing a friendly game just go unbound then

[MoGuy]

 

 

If your playing a friendly game just go unbound then 

 

That's what I'll propose to my friends. :D

[Kilofix]

I think most that are saying EPs are too expensive are considering them too narrowly. When you have 4 units of EPs (along with other Ad Mech) that are Shrouded + Stealthed+ FNP one turn and then dishing out 40-80 shots followed by 100 Zealot Electromancer hits the next, it gets "real".

 

I wouldn't run them small though, run a bunch of units or skip them. I like running 4x5 of Corpuscari myself.

[MoGuy]

 

 

I wouldn't run them small though, run a bunch of units or skip them. I like running 4x5 of Corpuscari myself. 

 

How do they perform for you? :) Personally I can't see min sized squads of Corpuscarii doing much. If they charge 5 Space Marines they will get pummeled to 2 or 3 guys, who won't generate nearly enough attacks to kill the Marines. A full-sized squad of 20 Corpuscarii (or 2x10 Corpuscarii) seem like they would perform much better.  

 

 

 

When you have 4 units of EPs (along with other Ad Mech) that are Shrouded + Stealthed+ FNP one turn and then dishing out 40-80 shots followed by 100 Zealot Electromancer hits the next, it gets "real".

 

I agree, the Canticles are the thing that can make them viable. 

[Kilofix]

 

 

 

I wouldn't run them small though, run a bunch of units or skip them. I like running 4x5 of Corpuscari myself. 

 

How do they perform for you? :) Personally I can't see min sized squads of Corpuscarii doing much. If they charge 5 Space Marines they will get pummeled to 2 or 3 guys, who won't generate nearly enough attacks to kill the Marines. A full-sized squad of 20 Corpuscarii (or 2x10 Corpuscarii) seem like they would perform much better.  

 

 

 

When you have 4 units of EPs (along with other Ad Mech) that are Shrouded + Stealthed+ FNP one turn and then dishing out 40-80 shots followed by 100 Zealot Electromancer hits the next, it gets "real".

 

I agree, the Canticles are the thing that can make them viable.

I run min squads for the Canticle rule. Since they are Zealots, I don't worry about them breaking. And it also makes targeting them more difficult. But I point all 4x5 at the same target to assault.

[MoGuy]

So, I revive this thread because I took the Corpuscarii from their shelf again to test them in battle once more. 

 

As we all know they aren't phenomenal and don't get the job done without some help. So I used stuff from the new Imperial Agents codex to make them work. Namely an Malleus Inquisitor in TDA and a Primaris Psyker LVL2 with Biomancy. This gives them the ability to deepstrike, thanks to the Inquisitor and the Psyker buffed them with Endurance . Ten Corpuscarii killed about six or seven Mega-Nobs because of the sheer number of hits and wounds they drop on anything. That's actually quite good but sadly not very cost efficient.

 

So I talked to my buddy what changes he could imagine in order for them to work. In the end we came up with this:

 

Drop their points to 16. Change them to Jumppack Infantry (thus they can deepstrike, generate two HOW - one from the Voltargheist special rule and another when they use their "Jetpack" - and can move faster around the battlefield). To keep things fluffy they get the Zzzap! Special Rule which means that they can move 2D6 when they activate their "Jetpacks". Since they basically turn into living lightning we thought that was fair, since it isn't that predictable where they will land, when compared with a Space Marine who can just navigate his Jumppack. For 5 or maybe 10 points they can buy an Voltarc Amplifier which lets them move 3D6 (or re-roll 2D6 since moving 3D6 might be a bit much) and makes their HOW from using their Jetpack S4.

 

That way they would get into battle relatively quickly and will drop some serious damage on any MEQ/TEQ unit they charge. With 2 automatic HOW hits (plus Litany of the Electromancer) and their 6s generating more hits, they can burn through hordes or force a lot of saves on heavier opponents. 

[Carlson793]

Namely an Malleus Inquisitor in TDA and a Primaris Psyker LVL2 with Biomancy. This gives them the ability to deepstrike, thanks to the Inquisitor and the Psyker buffed them with Endurance.

Umm...unless I'm missing something in your build, TDA does not convey deepstrike to a unit; only the model in the armour. Likewise, if the Inquisitor is attached to the unit, he cannot deepstrike.

 

 

from The Rules:

In order for a unit to be able to Deep Strike, all models in the unit must have the Deep Strike special rule and the unit must start the game in Reserve.