Company Champion - is he useable?

[sneakybamsen]

The Company Champion has with the codex had a decrease in cost. He now sits at 44 (I'm being told) points with combat shield, Blade of Caliban and a bolt pistol (and grenades).

He takes up an elite slot, but packs a decent punch with 3 s7 ap-3 D3 damage attacks. The shield gives him 5++, and he has ws2+ and 3 wounds. He's a character, so he's "hideable", but must perform heroic intervention if possible. He can take a relic and can reroll failed to hit rolls in combat when fighting enemy characters. If you're not already flooded with relics, he can make decent use of shroud of heroes or eye of the unseen, either becoming harder to hit or making enemy characters strike last.

 

If you need a cheap elite choice for a brigade, he's quite a bit better than a veteran squad equipped for melee, at least if only two models. If more than two models, the champion is a lot cheaper. If you need a combat deterrent that doesn't cost a lot, have a look his way. He won't kill a million models, but can do decently vs t6/t7 targets.

 

He's not top tier in terms of being competitive, there is no doubt about that. But for casual games, he could be quite useful, I think.

 

Please do share your thoughts.

Edited January 25, 2018 by sneakybamsen

[Stormxlr]

He is actually amazing! Take 4 with asmodai and throw them into a razorback, there you got a small cheap melee death star. Even better take Rhino instead and cp in sisters of silence with swords or flamers plus 4champs with asmodai.

[CCE1981]

The recent Marine FAQs corrected the Combat Sheild issue. You do have to buy it at 4pts so he still comes in at 44 pts. Cheaper than the other Champions who pay for their Sword and get a worse one to boot. So still an incredible buy for the price.

[palin2222]

Sadly, all space marines are male. Something in the fluff way back when stated that the process of creating a space marine was incompatible with the female body.

 

On to your main point. While I like the idea of having a Company Champion,Im not sure I would actually ever field one. Its seems good on paper, but I've never had much luck with DA in melee combat.

[palin2222]

The recent Marine FAQs corrected the Combat Sheild issue. You do have to buy it at 4pts so he still comes in at 44 pts. Cheaper than the other Champions who pay for their Sword and get a worse one to boot. So still an incredible buy for the price.

Where did you see this FAQ? There is nothing for the DA on the website.

[SnakeChisler]

I did try assault marines in a rhino when 8th 1st came out but quickly came to the conclusion the only way to kill stuff in combat is with a specialist otherwise your not doing enough damage to force any sort of moral check.

 

He's very good value for what your getting, if your parking him next to Azreal it gives you a vehicle to take eye of the unseen to block enemy characters going 1st. Any weapon you can get with D3 damage and high strength not hitting on -1 and he's ws2+ as well has to be worth a punt

[CCE1981]

 

 

The recent Marine FAQs corrected the Combat Sheild issue. You do have to buy it at 4pts so he still comes in at 44 pts. Cheaper than the other Champions who pay for their Sword and get a worse one to boot. So still an incredible buy for the price.

Where did you see this FAQ? There is nothing for the DA on the website.

https://www.warhammer-community.com/faqs/

 

Just cluck over to 40k, it was put out a week or two ago.

[Kasper_Hawser]

I'm just wondering why you titled "he/she". Unless you really are a believer in fem SM being a thing, in which case i will back away very slowly. :P

 

Kidding.

[sneakybamsen]

Title was mainly to avoid provoking anyone. I'm quite aware that fluffwise there are no female space marines, but in these times of political correctness having gone overboard, you never know how you might offend people in ways you couldn't even have dreamed.

 

I'm thinking as a filler in either vanguard or brigade and as a decent melee deterrent, or as "protector" of our Chapter Master. It would be damn cool to bring Azrael with a champion and 4 vets equipped with Breacher Shields (for looks) from 30K and power weapons. Stick em in a razorback if they need to do some wetwork.

[Chaplain Lucifer]

The notion of a female DA Company Champion ofends me. See? You can't please everyone. ;)

[Stormxlr]

Title was mainly to avoid provoking anyone. I'm quite aware that fluffwise there are no female space marines, but in these times of political correctness having gone overboard, you never know how you might offend people in ways you couldn't even have dreamed.

 

I'm thinking as a filler in either vanguard or brigade and as a decent melee deterrent, or as "protector" of our Chapter Master. It would be damn cool to bring Azrael with a champion and 4 vets equipped with Breacher Shields (for looks) from 30K and power weapons. Stick em in a razorback if they need to do some wetwork.

Breacher sheilds could just aswell work as storm shields. Not very effecient but i dont think thats what you are asking for

Edited February 6, 2018 by Chaplain Lucifer

[Pigshead]

I recently used a modelling knife to trim away the groin armour of one of my marines. Sliver by sliver, I sliced away the plastic until there was nothing left and the legs and torso fell apart in three separate pieces.

 

This leads me to the conclusion that marines are not all male. They are genderless. They may look like oddly proportioned males, and be described in the fluff as all males, but I fear GW had been lying to us. They are completely lacking in gender. And as such, I suggest we need a new term to refer to them, and I propose that instead of “he” marines are now referred to as “urk”.

 

My personally company champion has done quite well. Killing Typhus once, and saving Azrael from a chaos Terminator lord. Urk is well worth urks points.

Edited January 25, 2018 by Pigshead

[Kasper_Hawser]

If you are going to run aggressively, then I suggest running TWO champions side by side, along with a command/veteran squad with stormshields/combat shields to tank for them. If the command squad survives the reprisal shooting and charge, then they can both heroic intervention and go chop chop.

 

Either put them together in a drop pod or rhino. Not sure how much this will add up in terms of cost though.

[Ithorion]

My plan is to run two in a Crusader with 5 Knights. I think they add some nice Punch to the already hard hitting DW Knights, who lack a Bit the amount of attacks. In addition, they are the cheapest way of filling up a vanguard detachment.

 

I tested a single one in a 800 point test game. This however isnt really anything to base a judgement on, since I was able to charge a Tau Ghost Unit T1. The Ghosts managed to kill the accompanying Squad. Then the Lt and the Champ made a 10“ charge and chewed them up. They also finished off a Fire Warrior squad later, as I was able to stay out of LOS and sneaked around the terrain.

[Stormxlr]

My plan is to run two in a Crusader with 5 Knights. I think they add some nice Punch to the already hard hitting DW Knights, who lack a Bit the amount of attacks. In addition, they are the cheapest way of filling up a vanguard detachment.

 

I tested a single one in a 800 point test game. This however isnt really anything to base a judgement on, since I was able to charge a Tau Ghost Unit T1. The Ghosts managed to kill the accompanying Squad. Then the Lt and the Champ made a 10“ charge and chewed them up. They also finished off a Fire Warrior squad later, as I was able to stay out of LOS and sneaked around the terrain.

Think of Asmodai, he is a great force multiplier

[Ithorion]

You are right, Stormxlr. However, I do not have enough spare points in this list for Asmodai. I was just able to fit the DW Ancient, who will accompany the Knights and Champions in the Raider.

[Interrogator Stobz]

+++Yet another thread going off topic, take it back please, or it gets locked.

 

If you want to discuss other things then by all means start new threads.+++

[Jamesb_05]

I've been thinking of sticking 3 champions with apothecaries, support characters and vets with storm shields into a pod with my ravenwing.

 

Comes To a lot of points but it's a lot of wounds with good saves if you use azrael.

[sneakybamsen]

I've been thinking of sticking 3 champions with apothecaries, support characters and vets with storm shields into a pod with my ravenwing.

 

Comes To a lot of points but it's a lot of wounds with good saves if you use azrael.

 

3 champions is 132, Azrael is 180, two apothecaries is 110, lieutenant can be kept at 60 as minimum, and then 3 vets (2) with shields and power swords sitting at 70. Plus drop pod which is 85. 637 points. It might do damage IF they do get to charge, but it's 9" charges and a lot of points quite vulnerable to massed fire of any kind.

 

Does sound like a cool thing to do, however :)

[Jamesb_05]

 

 

I've been thinking of sticking 3 champions with apothecaries, support characters and vets with storm shields into a pod with my ravenwing.

 

Comes To a lot of points but it's a lot of wounds with good saves if you use azrael.

3 champions is 132, Azrael is 180, two apothecaries is 110, lieutenant can be kept at 60 as minimum, and then 3 vets (2) with shields and power swords sitting at 70. Plus drop pod which is 85. 637 points. It might do damage IF they do get to charge, but it's 9" charges and a lot of points quite vulnerable to massed fire of any kind.

 

Does sound like a cool thing to do, however :)

Exactly the composition I was thinking haha, it would be a cool little force, but you're right, it's a lot of points for not a lot of guarantee...

 

Maybe with positioning of scouts and quick ravenwing units it could draw most of an opponents fire due to most of them being characters (depending on where you drop them relative to your opponents force)

[Darkangeldentist]

Just to want chip in my 2 pence worth.

 

The company champion has worked out great for me. Usually he gets eye of the unseen as it ensures that he gets to swing against enemy characters. He combines well with any of our synergistic named characters (such as Azrael and Asmodai) but just as a cheap character who can deal decent damage the Champion is a very solid choice. 

 

I have also discovered that our veterans operating as a bodyguard work very well with more fragile characters like the champion (4 wounds is okay but they disappear frightening quickly) and anything that helps keep them alive is worth playing a game or two with. (I find it stacks very well with apothecaries.) You don't need to spend many points on the veterans, although they too can contribute a significant number of attacks, since they are not going to last very long.

[Berzul]

Just commenting here that the Company Champion is amazing, and definetly useable. Cheap fill for elite slots for a brigade or vanguard, good on his own in melee, awesome looking, cheap... It is am amazing unit, and I love them like crazy.

 

One way Iike to use them is by putting 2-3 of them, with a Company Ancient, some Plasma Cannon Devastators, and a Master with Fury of the Lion or Master of Maneuver, inside of a Drop Pod.

Bring it down, walk out, fire the Overcharged Plasma Cannons (firing again if they die, due to the Company Ancient) to clear up the place a bit and open a path for the charges. Then charge in the Champions. Master of Maneuver is a good choice if you are short on command points, to have a better chance at making the charges; while Fury of the Lion is the better option if you can spare a command reroll here, so that your Warlord can make the Champions hit at S8 (thus wounding on a 2+ against anything T4 or less).