Close Combat troops

[Sword Brother Adelard]

It's worse than that in favour of Intercessors, although you have carefully analysed the damage output, they also don't die as easily, they all have 3+ saves and extra wounds. I'm almost afraid to ask, but how does that compare

[Schlitzaf]

Well the long and short version

Losing 1 Crusader Model removes on average 0.33 MEQ Wounds

 

While losing 1 Wound not doing to Intercessors obviously. But losing 2 Wounds for Intercessors removes 0.55 MEQ Wounds. On average.

 

Notice that means you are overall losing more wounds per Wounds in Crusaders taken by Crusader Squad. (Intercessors lose 0.275 while Crusaders lose 0.33). But then you have to let’s qualify 4 Weapon types

Lasgun: BS4+

18 Shots (40 Points), to wound 3+ T4

12 Shots (26 Points) to wound 4+ T4

 

Bolter: BS3+

9 Shots (65 Points) to wound 3+ T4

6 Shots (40 Points) to wound 4+ T4

 

Strength 5-7 -1 Rend: BS4+

6 Shots (46 Points, 2 Mar w/HvyBolter) to wound 3+ T4

4.8 Shots (same points) to wound 4+ T4

-2 Rend at 3+ T4 is the same as -1 Rend at 4+ T4

-2 Rend requires 3 shots (23 points) wound 4+ T4.

-3 Rend at 3+ T4 is the same as -2 Rend vs 4+ T4.

 

Strength 8+ Damage 2 -3 Rend BS3+

2 Shots (23pts) vs 3+ T4

2 Shots (23pts) vs 4+ T4

 

Now the long and short of all this. At lower damage/low strength/low AP, the Intercessors are significantly more points efficient. Taking 20% more points to kill a whole model. And not losing relatives effectiveness at one wound. Where Crusaders outshine Intercessors is at the anti-armor AP Level. One you get to minus -2 and more the fact that remains two realities:

1) Difference between 6+ and no save is minor to insiginficant.

2) More importantly, one shot will not reliably kill one model. Two shots at Neo is overkill, because 2 > 1.32 > 1.10 Is 10% overkill. But because one shot is, 1 > 66 > 0.55. Means reliant on a coin flip to kill. (In contrast a model with 3+ save will be suffer on average 0.96). Basically meaning despite the null save, the enemy dedicated the same firepower as if the model was itself still a 3+ save.

 

Now Intercessors lose an entire model here to Crusader Squads one model I.e 0.33 vs 0.55. Now I will point out the kill count between the two units is 5.5 v 6.5.

 

Losing 2 Wounds from each squad reduced the Crusader to 4.84 and Intercessors to 5.95 An additionally 2 Wounds. 4.2 v 5.3. After 4 Wounds, the Crusader Squad And Intercessor are only reduced by 20%.

 

If you add as I said elsewhere Flamers and Stormbomters making Crusaders 6 at the start. 4 wounds reduce it by 4.8. That is 20% damage reduction for 4 wounds. The Intercessor Squad in contrast also loses nearly 20% in contrast. But now back to the 2 wound v 1 wound.

 

A Crusader Squad at 6.0 loses about 0.33 Wounds it loses just over 5%. But it should be noted that a larger portion of that damage comes from Power Swords (roughly a sixth) and double special weapon (also roughly a sixth) so about a net 13rd. Now you will say that same damage is roughly as the two Intercessor Sgts w/PowerSword (both setups do roughly 1.5-1.8 Wounds). Now here is the difference. Once Melee is joined one of those special bros can be thrown to the wolves (Flamer bro). Meaning that in Melee you need to kill 12 models (which you take the AP 0 And -1 on Initaites and modifierd -2 And -3 on Neos). Or 12 Wounds. While Intercessors. You only need to do 8 Wounds before can start hitting the cool weapon bros.

 

The tl;dr, both degrade at a similar pace. And while Damage 1/0 And LowAP favor Intercressors, Damage 2+ And highAP highly favor Crusaders. In combat the Crusaders weapons are better hidden given you can choose whom to save on and even then you 12 Wounds to get to coolWeaponbro. While Intercessors only require to deal 8 wounds to get to cool weaponbro.

 

In other words the squads are very very comparable. But that comparison requires, once again to reiterate

1) Crusaders to be Tided.

2) Intercessors to MSU w/PowerSword

 

Like neither is better than the other, they are very comparable. And for many roles Intercessors shine because they can shift between Melee and shooting better than Crusaders. Where Crusaders are strategically (list building) locked into a battlefield role. A sub 14 Man Crusader Squad, will be basically be better as an Intercessor except for objective stealing. And this equality requires you to spend point on things like power swords (sense they are cheaper that another wound) for one initiate. And in general pick cheap upgrades (Flamers and Stormbolters) over Plasma and Grav. Otherwise for example in the example above. You lose what is roughly a wound and can longer advance and shoot. While also suffering role confusion.