Cenobyte Servitors

[Schlitzaf]

These three little fellows are one of the biggest changes I feel in this Edition for us. It is a return to our strategy of being able to attitrition out our opponents. Espacially sense Cenos have 12" range and can hide out of LoS while still granting battle shock immunity. A lot of folks are talking about Helbrect, and Grim while looking over these guys.

 

While without Grim they hit on 5's and LD 6. It doesn't matter, because if they are attacking something has gone wrong and they themselves are immune to Battle Shock. It won't last for long, I have repeatedly found Cenos have been ignored consistently. And where taking 4-5 wounds turn could result in another couple of casualties, they don't. If you want to play the game of making "how about making their points back." They only need to save 1 Marine. Sense they are only 6 points. If they save anyone what so ever they already paid for themselves. And we have 6 elite slots in Battlion so it shouldn't be hard to fit them into our lists.

 

I said elsewhere my current list is 2 14 Man Crusaders and 2 Intercessors as my core or center portion of my list. And the Cenos have been allowing those Crusaders to dig in and stay in the battle despite losing sometimes 4-5 guys a turn (while I only have about 16% percent of failing. It keeps a Squad from

Bolting and means I never spend those two Command points to prevent the risk of giving up first blood). What has been everyone else experiences?

[Brother Chaplain Ryld]

Totally agree. As soon as they save you a marine or a command point they have recouped their cost. Will be running them in all my BT lists. 

[kombatwombat]

I really dislike how they lack the Character keyword. It forces them to be played in the most unfluffy way conceivable; they're supposed to be fearless servitors stomping into battle bearing relics to inspire the Crusaders to greater ZEAL. Yet because they are so horribly fragile, and can be sniped by any unit, they end up cowering behind a Rhino in terror because a Scatbike looked at them funny, out of sight of both the enemy and the troops they're supposed to be inspiring.

[Brother Chaplain Ryld]

I haven't played too many 8th ed games, but if morale in AoS has taught me something, it is avoid it if you can. And for such a small points cost for the unit it seems like an auto include to me. They don't have to last to the end of the game, just long enough to save a few marines. If I am running these guys between two crusader squads, then I am sure they will be protected well enough to last till mid game at least.

[Kilamandaros]

For 6 points who can argue, only downside is they take up an elite slot but for the buff they give and the ability to park them on objectives whilst your marines engage is fantastic.

[Medjugorje]

last time i take them... i had one more unit in my army then my opponent - so he was able to shoot first and take my LRC down to 3 points. in secound round - he shot with a few bolters and they was gone.

 

I know they are very cheap but they giving not any kind of bonus in the whole game.

 

They need the "character" keyword  - unless they are not playable.

 

ps. I dont think that GW gives us the rules we want to have - i think they are finished with us.

[Kilamandaros]

last time i take them... i had one more unit in my army then my opponent - so he was able to shoot first and take my LRC down to 3 points. in secound round - he shot with a few bolters and they was gone.

 

I know they are very cheap but they giving not any kind of bonus in the whole game.

 

They need the "character" keyword  - unless they are not playable.

 

ps. I dont think that GW gives us the rules we want to have - i think they are finished with us.

 

You're asking quite a lot from a 6 point unit there bud, how is their constant 12" buff not for the whole game? And the rules for our characters are better than they've been in a long time - there aren't any chapter bonuses yet outside of Dark Angels etc. It sounds like in that game your positioning was wrong.

Edited July 6, 2017 by Kilamandaros

[Marshal_Roujakis]

last time i take them... i had one more unit in my army then my opponent - so he was able to shoot first and take my LRC down to 3 points. in secound round - he shot with a few bolters and they was gone.

 

I know they are very cheap but they giving not any kind of bonus in the whole game.

 

They need the "character" keyword  - unless they are not playable.

 

ps. I dont think that GW gives us the rules we want to have - i think they are finished with us.

 

Keep them behind the Land Raider, or behind a Rhino or some vehicle if you have one in your army, the old rule of "You can't see it, you can't shoot at it" still applies this edition, and simply rotating a Rhino sideways is enough to cover a 4-5 man Squad without issue, let alone 3 Servitors... this tactic is still viable to everything this edition as well... disembark, move, shoot, advance... covers up shooting units from getting shot back, while forcing the enemy to shoot or maneuver around Land Raiders or Rhinos... also covers up low number units that aren't characters and similar...

 

also, why do you think that GW is finished with Templars? I highly doubt that... not after Fall of Cadia and the release of the Black Legion Black Library book, which will feature the Templars vs the Black Legion during the 1st Black Crusade...

 

And in regards to rules, currently everyone is sitting on the same boat... they just have the Indexes, and the first actual Codex to come out is going to be Space Marines, which will definitely have Templars in it, resplendent with new rules, more background and Relic items... (which will probably have the same or similar relics for each faction, just like Fall of Cadia and the Space Marine Supplements from 7th ed.) it's a great time to be a Templar player with the new stuff coming out... but I definitely won't be fielding Primaris in any shape or form... they make my current Templars look small :p

 

If your having issues with your games, maybe create a tactica thread or ask around here on how to improve your games... Templars have Crusader Squads, which are decent enough Troops choice on their own, and although they took a blow from losing attacks in melee, they are now more dangerous in ranged combat with the ability for a small 5-man Special and Heavy Weapon combo... Emperor's Champion is AMAZING!!! had a recent game with him, and he slew 3 Monstrous Creatures (Carnifex, Carnifex, Tyrant) on his own... Helbrecht, I haven't tried, but I heard great things, and Grimaldus was good at boosting 3 squads of Crusaders, 6" might sound like a small area, but he's buff is for Units in that circle, not per model... the Cenobyte Servitor is a must have with small squads of Vanguard Veterans or any small, but threatening squad like Assault Terminators... they keep those units alive even if they lose 3-4 wounds in a turn, and if the unit dies, then they can easily go back in the transport the next turn and move away... 12" is a massive area of coverage... even the standard Commanders are good this edition... so I somewhat can't see why GW would be finished with us... I think they might actually just be getting started...

 

The Cenobytes were playable enough in my group... they weren't shot at all as the Rhino they were driving around in covered LOS to them... while they still maintained the 12" bubble for my Crusader Squad and Vanguards... Vanguards though aren't so good in small squads... they do a decent enough damage, but it's now even harder to wreck enemy vehicles, even with Meltabombs and Power Mauls... I miss Armour Values... :(

[Ciler]

ON a related topic, as I find it difficult to source metal versions of Grimaldus and his servitors, any ideas for conversions/count as ?

[Marshal_Roujakis]

I really dislike how they lack the Character keyword. It forces them to be played in the most unfluffy way conceivable; they're supposed to be fearless servitors stomping into battle bearing relics to inspire the Crusaders to greater ZEAL. Yet because they are so horribly fragile, and can be sniped by any unit, they end up cowering behind a Rhino in terror because a Scatbike looked at them funny, out of sight of both the enemy and the troops they're supposed to be inspiring.

 

Servitors don't stomp... they more or less just shuffle :p

 

And I actually don't find the fact that putting them behind a rhino would be unfluffy... they are mindless drooling servants carrying heavy objects... the relics themselves may inspire Crusaders, but their bearers are mindless drones, so they would actually need some babysitting otherwise they would literally walk off a cliff if they weren't guided properly... it also makes sense why they don't have the Character keyword... they aren't really characters... the Imperium creates MILLIONS of Servitors in a day... there might only be a few relics, but their bearers are as disposable as... well... Servitors...

[+Chaplain Matthias+]

Ciler, I was planning to use "tormenters" bodies from puppets war with those hooded AdMec heads. I'm going for the look of the red hooded servitors on the cover of the old BT codex

[Ciler]

WHich faction are they, the puppetswar website does not give me any results for a tormenters search ?

 

Edit : found them... Neat idea !

Edited July 6, 2017 by Ciler

[+Chaplain Matthias+]

Oh yeah sorry. I see you found them. But if anyone else is curious, they're in the parts section under bodies. I'd link but I'm on mobile. I was thinking of replacing a few limbs with robotic stuff and chains words or flails.

[Metic]

I think the new cenobyte rules are fantastic. Cheap disposable buffs for a turn or 2, hide them inside a vehicle with the rest of the crew until they get to the destination. pop them out and hide behind the LRC while the crusaders do work.You're still within range to make your marines morale immune. If you don't like hiding them then don't, put them in the melee decent chances are that the enemy will forget about them until the times comes for morale or they soak up a few shots that could have killed your marines. Either way they did their job honestly. They only have to save 1 marine to pay for 2 servitors. That is worth every point.

[Honda]

I've seen someone around here use Empire Flagellants for servitors.