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Unit of the Week: Terminator Ancient


Jolemai

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Welcome to the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 8th 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:

sml_gallery_62972_10568_1098.jpg Terminator Ancient
sml_gallery_62972_11847_207623.jpg
TDA Ancient (kitbash), Joeker


What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Terminator Ancient?

To compliment a list, or to build a list around?

What units are you regularly buffing? Are you buffing the Ancient in any way?

Footslog, transport, or teleport?

Warlord? If so, what trait? Are you running them in multiples?

Stratagems?

Over to you

Imo he works well in a unit of TH/SS Terminators. The +1LD isn't that exciting but being able to re-roll all failed hit rolls in the fight phase counters the -1 to-hit from the Thunderhammers pretty well. Maybe for some Aggressors stuck in melee as well for the same reasons.

Other units are often either too fast for him to keep up with or don't really need the improved to-hit reroll over the one you already get from a Captain.

 

Of course how viable a TH/SS Terminator unit is an thus how viable the Terminator Ancient is is a whole other question. We all know that Terminators are overcosted as is, no need to mention it. However an Archangels Orbital Intervention force is one of our more iconic units and if you want to include one for fluff or coolness reasons I'd always include an Ancient with relic banner as well (5+++ Terminators, especially with Stormshield are pretty hard to shift despite being overcosted).

I literally just finished building mine. I built him with a thunderhammer, just cause it looks cool, but a storm bolter is probably more competitive. My problem with him is, what does he have to offer more than a terminator captain? Cant think of anything except the lower cost. That and the fact he's an elite and not an HQ.

I gather we can pull shenanigans when a Company Ancient is on the field?

 

Exactly!

 

I have yet to use the Terminator Ancient, though he will be making an appearance in fluffy/for- :cuss -and-giggles games when I roll the Archangels. Shooty Terminators...yea...that's not caring about winning...

 

Purely on paper, I would say that the Term Ancient's "best" * use is to rock with LC Termies (any flavor) and Corbulo: This gives you S5 AP-2 D:1 claws re-rolling all To Hit and To Wound with exploding 6's To Wound. Nice little blender box.

 

If you're going to be using the Standard of Sacrifice relic, then TH/SS terminators certainly get even further mileage out of him.

 

Alternative uses cases (for the sake of making them) would be dakka Terminators as this fella can also take a Storm bolter...yea even that is a stretch, since if you're actually going that route, a TDA Capt is just far more useful and almost as effective.

 

What's really weird about this dude is that there is a Strategem, Strike of the Archangels, that does pretty much what this guy does, but for 2CP. I guess it's nice to have options: do you want to save points or CP?

 

I always try to find the optimal use for every possible unit, but I gotta admit this Terminator Ancient guy is just in a weird place.

 

 

 

*always relative and depends on the rest of your list/your opponents' lists

This unit is remarkably similar to a Chaplain in Terminator Armour. They both basically provide an aura of Leadership 9 and rerolling hits in the fight phase, plus their statlines are almost identical. If I were to bring the Ancient then it would be for the Standard of Sacrifice and the interaction with a Company Ancient. Otherwise the Chaplain does the same job slightly cheaper.

With SOS and backing a TH/SS termi squad works great for me.  Nightmare for enemy to take out with the 3+ invulnerable and SOS. Preferably transporting all of them in SR Gunship. Throw them in the heart of the enemy and aim for something hard.  Even if Gunship dies before they get out you're likely to lose only one model, and the enemy will have used most of their shooting killing the Gunship leaving the termis ready for revenge.

  • 8 months later...

Does anyone else find it odd that the ancient is the only terminator of any sort to not get a points decrease? Hopefully just an oversight that gets errata’d.

 

Only a little odd. Ancients are small force multiplier so with cheaper Terminators to buff he automatically becomes stronger. Especially for us thanks to our relic banner.

What would people advise arming him with? I would have personally said a Thunder Hammer but I don't play (at the moment) so maybe others would go with the Lightning Claw? Am I'm right in thinking he also gains the re-roll that his banner grants?

The general consensus I’ve heard is to give him a Storm Bolter as you want him near combat for the bonus, but not in combat where he can be targeted. YMMV.

 

Edit: I modeled mine with a LC as I didn’t have any right handed Storm bolters and didn’t feel like paying for the hammer.

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