Best Primarch to run a Deathstar?

[chosen40k]

So I'm looking to expand to another legion (already got some Ultras) and I want to focus on the Primarch.

 

Which Primarch would be the best for a super deathstar tactic? One where the entire army and strategy is based around them.

 

Thanks guys!

[IronDrake28]

Well Lorgar getting to pick his powers can make for some nasty combos, especially with Val Gorbak.

 

Peturabo can get you an awesome terminator force with deep-strike. (Turn 1 reserves too IIRC.)

 

Horus is a beast too with some good buffs and his Justaerin are pretty cool.

[Ishagu]

-Lorgar with his psychic shenanigans and a big unit of Gal Vorbak.

 

-Horus with 10 Justaerins armed with Combi weapons and a Primus Medicae in Cataphractii armour.

[Slips]

Horus is pretty strong contender as are Perturabo, Ferrus and Vulkan mostly due to how tough they are and/or Reserve shenanigans.

 

Fulgrim could be too but Phoenix Guard are too expensive and relatively fragile as are Palatines which means strapping him to with Cataphractii terminators.

 

Transfig Lorgar with Gal Vorbak is cancer levels of frustrating to go up against with the amount of re-rolls he can give the unit.

 

Dorn can be ok since he can pump out a ton of Ws8 S6 Ap2 Shred or half as much S8 Ap2 Instant Death while giving the squad hes with Furious Charge and Crusader. While Tartaros w/ Stormshields is currently a no-go, having a 3++ bodyguard is pretty nice.

 

Mortarion is good but hes better of rolling solo to make the most out of Shadow of the Reaper though with the change to Deathscythes, him and some Shrouds are a nasty prospect to face.

 

Angrons is probably the most fragile but possibly the deadliest when run with ~20 Chainaxe Tacticals in a spartan and Berserker Assault. LOTS of attacks.

 

Curze and a Raptor Blob can be mean but is very rng heavy for their D3 charge bonus. That said, Stealth and Shrouded natively makes them hard to kill.

 

Corax wants to run solo 99% of the time.

[Idomeneus]

Yeah, Horus is a close combat monster with some good buffs. I've heard good things about Vulkan as well. TBH any primarch is a terrifying proposition for an opponent without a primarch of their own. If you look at the 1d4chan pages on any of the primarchs they will provide a rough tactica and a mathhammer analysis of primarch on primarch combat (spoilers: Horus wins).

[Ishagu]

Vulkan is ok, he's tough to crack with a big unit of Firedrakes but he requires transposition.

 

Horus and Lorgar can get around either through the precision deepstrike or in Lorgar's case, through powers like Levitation.

[Slips]

Id still take a Transport with lorgar since he is pretty fragile regardless. That and Gal Vorbak only have a 5++ (unless you get the 4++ power) and with 2 wounds and T5, they make for good S10 Large Blast bait.

Yeah, Horus is a close combat monster with some good buffs. I've heard good things about Vulkan as well. TBH any primarch is a terrifying proposition for an opponent without a primarch of their own. If you look at the 1d4chan pages on any of the primarchs they will provide a rough tactica and a mathhammer analysis of primarch on primarch combat (spoilers: Horus wins).

It should be noted that the Mathhammer Primarch Fight article is also performed in a Vacuum and says as much. Its a good approximation of where they stand but isnt really all that definitive.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

It will be interesting to see what the Khan and Sanguinius bring to the table.

 

Horus, Justerain and a couple Consuls in a Spartan is the best DS currently .

[Ishagu]

I would utterly ignore the 1d4 chan pages for any sort of Primarch Tactica, and also ignore their head to head performance.

 

A Primarch won't be alone (unless you run Mortarion or Corax as they function well solo) and their bodyguards have vastly different performance, pros and cons.

 

Justaerins are probably the best all round unit to accompany a Primarch and they become even better with Horus due to precision deepstriking on a turn of the controlling player's chosing.

 

Firedrakes are the strongest and most survivable in cc without buffs, but they are incredibly expensive and slow so require a Spartan as a minimum if you want them to accompany Vulkan.

 

Lorgar can actually be the best in close combat providing he is able to activate all the necessary psychic powers.

 

Guilliman and Suzerains are a very well rounded unit and require nothing more than a regular Landraider to get around, and you can even throw in a cheap FNP via am Apothecary.

[Prodigal Son of Magnus]

In terms of most dangerous stars, it's probably a 4 way tie between Vulkan-Medicae-Firedrakes, Angron-Medicae-Butchers, Mortarion-Morturg-Deathshroud, and Horus-Medicae-Justaerin. Lorgar and Friends would've made the list if Lorgar still had telepathy. Most of the other Primarch either have subpar melee bodyguards or run better alone. Of the 4 I'd say Horus and Co is best because the others have to pay for transports that will be focus-fired to oblivion whereas Horus doesn't have to.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Horus was designed to beat other Primarchs.

[1000 Sons]

I remember a game where Lorgar and some gal vorbak with invisible and some other psychic help killed off a unit of sword breathern, sigismund, a unit of terminators and Dorn. Slips might have some memories about that. /hide.

[Slips]

I remember a game where Lorgar and some gal vorbak with invisible and some other psychic help killed off a unit of sword breathern, sigismund, a unit of terminators and Dorn. Slips might have some memories about that. /hide.

Unmodified Invis is literally the worst thing ever.

Though even with Invis up, Siggy got 2 wounds off Lorgar. So, yeah. Without it he would have died like a punk in 2 more rounds

I blame his Primus Medicae with Burning Lore. Literally the only reason he had invis to begin with.

(also, the Templars was Perturabo, Different combat)

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Rematch (w/o Invisibility) !

[olsol]

I run Konrad Curze in a unit of 10 night raptors with an attached chaplain. The 2+++ save on the first turn as well as hit & run can be a nightmare to most MEQ and GEQ, just stay away from contemptors and terminators. Not to mention that jump infantry count as Bulky so with this full unit you get an equivalent of 24 models (when running them I have never been out numbered)

[Jimm]

As a wb player I'd def say lorgar. I still utilise him in dirty ways but hold way back on his potential and normally just run him with layak and blade slaves in a Dreadclaw now.

 

In the past I've done lorgar (precog) 10 gal vorbak and chaplin with biomancy (lucky endurance role) I also had be'lakor swooping around putting shrouding on there spartan as I thought invis was to much at this point. Was a ridiculously one sided game and I've not fielded it with be'lakor since.

 

He's also stupid in shooting, 10 twinlinked, ignores cover Lascanons with tank hunter from an additional siege breaker makes a glaive owners smile quickly change to a look of sadness. Well and night Lords and there turn 1 cover save shenanigans

 

Worth a note we usually play big points games so I realise in 2k these aren't that viable but still doable

[GorgeousGoat]

I've honestly found a chaplain, generic unit of bodyguard and a Primarch to be very effective. My own legion is the glorious and near perfect III so it looks like this:

 

"Deathstar"

Fulgrim - Child of Terra Warlord Trait (re-rolling 1's to wound for him and the unit) & +2 Combat Resolution

Eidolon - Concussing or killing most things

Chaplain - Zealot (Hatred) for that juicy re-rolling to hit in the first round)

Apothecary - FNP is always very useful.

Palatine Blades (10) - 3 with Phoenix Spear (just for the added AP2)

Spartan - I need to charge and what better to charge out of. (Currently looking at a Stormlord to replace it for higher points games....)

 

Strategy for Non-Fearless:

Charge, strike first and therefore take reduced damage back. Win combat mostly and then sweeping advance with Fulgrim's unmodified Initiative of 8 means I'm almost always catching and wiping a unit out. 

 

Strategy for Primarchs/Fearless:

Charge, strike first and therefore take reduced damage back. Fulgrim tanks up most bad things on his 3++ and then a 5+ FNP should soak up the challenge well. 
Eidolon and others mince the bodyguard, then everyone attacks into the challenge. Eidolon concussing the Primarch and it's S8AP2. Palatines there just to roll dice and get lucky. 

 

This has only ever struggled against Lorgar Transfigured, Gal Vorbak etc. Horus and Justaerin can be mushed with the weight of dice at AP2 and striking first, thus reducing their instant killing of the Palatines back. 

[noigrim]

Horus+termis with combiweapons add extra stuff to flavour

drop anywhee in the tabme without scattering turn 1 and kill at least one unit

afterwards Horus goes on a rampage and kills a quarter of the enemy at least

[PRE89]

Perturabo and the iron circle anyone?

[God-Potato of Mankind]

Iron circle are quite defensive, I have heard. I think they have very low attack numbers?

 

Vulkan is bossmode though, anything he touches dies. The base-template attack is fun to use against mobs and the lols of plasma immunity cannot be understated.

[IronDrake28]

Perturabo and the iron circle anyone?

Slow and expensive, but damn near unkillable.

 

Alpharius and some Iron Circle? ;)

[Ishagu]

I think the same applies to Vulkan and Firedrakes. Too pricey

[God-Potato of Mankind]

You could always use a huge tactical squad as low cost meatshields while the Primarch smashes face in.

[Idomeneus]

You could always use a huge tactical squad as low cost meatshields while the Primarch smashes face in.

Would work particularly well with Dorn, methinks. Mainly because then the marines are IF and so become BS5, and Dorn gives them Crusade and Furious Charge. Give them additional close combat weapons and they'll become quite nasty on the charge. There are few units that can shrug off 60 s5 attacks with easy grace.

[The_son_of_Dorn]

Ferrus manus Piloting a necron themed Death Star.

 

Except it would be called something funky, like the Iron Anvil or the "Giant hurt ball" 

 

Sorry totally miss understood the thread. Thought you literally meant what Primach would own a death star........