Unit of the Week: Malakim Phoros

[Jolemai]

Welcome to the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 8^th edition Codex, there is no better time to discuss all the unique units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

FDB825; padding: 12px 8px 12px 8px; border: 1px solid #DDD; margin-left: 0 auto; text-align: left; color: #fff; text-indent:10px; font-size:130%; width:50%;"> Malakim Phoros

Malakim Phoros (kitbash), sockwithaticket

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you play Phoros (found in Imperial Armour - Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes)?

Would you maximise his aura buff Lord of Ruin? If so, who would you run him with?
It's quite obvious he needs to be in combat. Delivery method? Balance on army build?
What Warlord Trait would you give him? How would you factor in Rage onto Death?
What buffs and Stratagems would you give him?

Over to you.

(Malakim Phoros is found on page 62 of Imperial Armour - Index: Forces of the Adeptus Astartes)

[Jolemai]

Despite having an excellent model already, I would like to add another in Lamenters colours.

If you have one, please submit it to the following link. Thanks.

[Shiboinky]

I have never used him before, but I have recently been looking at a list that would use some of my 10 man volkite squad from 30k as a stand in for grav cannons. I feel that 2 quad grav dev squads in razorbacks with Malakim giving rerolls could be pretty nasty. I honestly hadn't even thought about using him until I saw this thread. I won't be able to get a game in until next week, but I'll be sure to share how it goes.

[Panzer]

I'm not sure if he's worth over the relics you could take by just using the Blood Angels keyword.

[Jolemai]

Which is irrelevant to a topic on how best to use Phoros.

[tychobi]

Sorry who is this guy? What makes him unique?

[Paladin777]

He’s the lamentors chapter master. He’s got the awesome ‘reroll all failed wounds’ aura. I’ve heard that he’s also supposed to get reroll failed hit rolls like other chapter master. If that’s the case, maybe running him up with a gun line of a ton of assault bolters and assault plasma gunners at sit at max range and go to town with rerolls of everything. Alternatively, stalker bolters and heavy plasma exterminators might work.

 

It might be completely unfluffy, but he might be effective in some capacity as a gun line.

[tychobi]

Sounds great! Capt/lutenant in one. Wish he was in the codex.

 

This begs a gunline. Trio of preds? Devastators for days? Rifle dreads? Lots o ways to shoot up your foe and make em lament they faced our yellow cousins!

[Shiboinky]

Paladin, I remember reading something about him having the chapter master rerolls, but I haven't been able to find it resently. If that is the case, that could be awesome.

[NemoVonUtopia]

I am planning to use him with a primaris infantry line to boost their effectiveness. He has a 12" inferno pistol and is strength 7 with his glaive so I figure he can deal with dreadnaughts and the like. His reroll wounds aura only effects infantry, dreadnaughts, and bikers. I hope they faq him to have the chapter master rerolls soon since he is quite expencive.

[Brother Crimson]

As far as I know he does not get both rerolls, that would make it mini-Guilliman ( but cooler)

 

I don’t play Lamenters but I’ll jump in on 3 ways I’d try to use him.

 

1- inside a storm raven with sanguinary guard. His buff is perfect for them but he does not have a JP so he needs a way to be delivered with them.

 

2- Moving gunline with lots of ROF and assault possibilities. Captains reroll one in an army that misses on 1-2. However against higher T, bolters and alike quickly starts to wound on 4-5. This mean that you get to reroll 1-3(4). This is a huge buff and a big increase compared to lieutenant. anyone that played Guilliman knows how the reroll wound is devastating combined with reroll to hit. Sanguinary guard can be dropped a lot later to run by him later in the game. I could see him+ smash baking a primaris army pretty effectively.

[Ornithologist]

Where are his rules located?

[Diagramdude]

Forgeworld forces of the adeptus astartes. You can also see his rules in Battlescribe under the FW ASTARTES faction.

[Jolemai]

Where are his rules located?

This information can be found in the OP :)

[brother_b]

Interesting I didn't know this guy even existed good pull. Did he have a dedicated figure?

[Captain_Krash]

No he has to be converted. 

 

Krash

[Shiboinky]

I got the chance to use Phoros in a game against the new neurons (which I have to say can be pretty nasty). It was a fun game for sure. My list centered around 2 quad grav dev squads in assault cannon razorbacks. I used Phoros for rerolling wounds and Cpt. Slamguinious for rerolling 1s to hit. I want to say it was a good idea, but my opponent's list didn't present many ideal targets for the grav cannons. His only vehicles had 4+ saves meaning they only did 1 damage per hit instead of d3, and all his multipoint models had good invuln saves. I feel that as blood angels, Phoros' rerolls would best serve a melee unit or 2 but the lack of jump pack makes that difficult.

 

On another unrelated note, it was literally the first game since the codex dropped where I have gotten to go 1st while playing death company. I used forlorn fury to get right in the face of his infantry blob. I gunned down most of a warrior squad and charged his immortals ..... Then proceeded to lose 6 of my 10 death co to overwatch. In a separate engagement I lost 2 sanguinary guard to overwatch against an annihilation barge (or whatever the one from the start collecting box is called) in the same charge phase. I think that pretty much sealed the game.

 

I'm still debating if Phoros is worth losing access to the good relics, etc.

If nothing else, he is a pretty decent beatstick. He pulled down another annihilation barge and 2 wraiths on his own.

[Charlo]

If they clarified him having the "to hit" aura in an FAQ he'd be a really powerful and an awesome force multiplier, but even with just wounds he's pretty great.

 

Actually a little bit of synergy with being locked into the relic power sword as he can help it wound easier in a tag team. It's no Angel's wing but it will do. If you really need the relics too just bring a cheap other detachment of Slamguinius + some cheap guys - easy!

 

Funnily enough works really well with something like a Captain in the new Termite Drill full of Melta Devastators. Heroic bearing is a pretty nice trait for him too, auto-passing morale.

[Zebulon]

Despite having an excellent model already, I would like to add another in Lamenters colours.

If you have one, please submit it to the following link. Thanks.

Hi Jol, my figure is up in the Photo Op gallery... let me down gently if you don’t feel it’s quite what you were looking for... ;)

[Ishagu]

Interesting character.

Imo he'd be better with a slight point increase and the addition of a re-roll all hits aura.

[Grazcruzk]

I think he has great potential with a marching Primaris gunline. That style of play might not work in a lot of situations because you may end up needing to walk a long way, but you get an ancient in there and a cheap captain and you're going to be doing decent damage on the way up.

 

That or a dreadnought list. Frag cannon Furiousos, Siege Dreads, and Chaplain Dreads come to mind with their options to take auto hitting weapons. Again though, you have to get there.

[Morticon]

Thread res here as I wonder about Phoros.  

Does he (and the other successors) have the BA "chapter tactic"?  Or what? 

 

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

What do people think about taking Malakim with a chaplain and some death company? Chappie gives reroll to hit in combat, Malakim gives reroll to wound, could make a decent little Death Star. Obviously there are thing to take into consideration, warlord trait (is Malakim locked into a particular trait, or is he free to choose? Not quite sure on this myself), death coy. load out and delivery method to name a few. Could work with any close combat unit, though would synergies best with footsloggers in a LR or rhino variant, but lightning claws would mean Malakim’s ability would kind of be wasted. I don’t know, food for thought anayway.

[Charlo]

Thread res here as I wonder about Phoros.  

 

Does he (and the other successors) have the BA "chapter tactic"?  Or what? 

 

Yep! They have the chapter tactic, however you cannot take any relics other than the (crappy) sword, as only actual keyword BLOOD ANGELS can take the others - or any of the BLOOD ANGELS unique characters.

 

For 99.9999% of successors this doesn't matter (even Lamenters/ Flesh Tearers) unless you take a special character as then you aren't just playing BLOOD ANGELS, but the appropriate key word.

 

BASICALLY, unless you are using a specific character it's better to just play count-as for your successor (while the rules murkily prevent this, screw them no one enforces a stifling of creativity!)

[lash144]

What do people think about taking Malakim with a chaplain and some death company? Chappie gives reroll to hit in combat, Malakim gives reroll to wound, could make a decent little Death Star. Obviously there are thing to take into consideration, warlord trait (is Malakim locked into a particular trait, or is he free to choose? Not quite sure on this myself), death coy. load out and delivery method to name a few. Could work with any close combat unit, though would synergies best with footsloggers in a LR or rhino variant, but lightning claws would mean Malakim’s ability would kind of be wasted. I don’t know, food for thought anayway.

I don't think that would work since he can't deepstrike unfortunately. :(

I'm really wanting to make him work, but I'm not quite sure how... I would think something along the lines of making an infantry / dreadnought blob which moves up the board and get their shooting buffed by his reroll to wounds.