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Are Centurions a viable option?


Aothaine

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Hey everyone!

 

With the new chapter approved rule giving all of your units cover if you go on turn two, can Centurions possibly make a reappearance on the table?

 

I know they are expensive but this unit alone, with split fire, can cause massive damage to enemy armour/MCs. 

 

 

Devastator Centurions - (PL 32)

- Lascannon x2, Centurion Missile Launcher x5

- Lascannon x2, Centurion Missile Launcher x1 (Sgt)

 

That is 12 lascannons and 6D3 Krak Missile shots. 

 

I can see these being used best with Iron Hands or possibly Raven Guard.

 

Something else I wanted to look at is their stat line. They have 5T and 3W which is on par with Custodes. They have a 2+ save without any additional modifiers and they ignore cover due to Omniscope. 

 

Toss an ancient with them to give them the banner that lets them attack when killed on a 4+ and this unit is pretty damn scary. You could possibly even want to split the unit and just run 3 and 3 to get the extra Sgt and just keep them together for the banner buff with a captain(chapter master) giving them rerolls to hit. 

 

Something else to consider is that they almost have the same wounds as a tank when the unit is combined. But they are also a lot more expensive.

 

However, I'm curious what you guys think. With the new strat, Prepared Positions, and running them as Raven Guard or Iron Hands do you think they might survive long enough to make their points back? 

 

If I was going to run this I would most likely run with 3-4 Intercessor squads as the front line but I'm not sure how many points I would have left after that to fill out the list. Maybe a thunderfire cannon or two if I make the Centurion group one squad? I might have to lean toward Raven Guard here for the -1 to hit. But I would also want to look into getting at least one counter assault unit on the board to help with assaults. Hmmm...

 

Well back to the main question. Do you think with the added survivability if they don't get first turn that Centurions might be a viable option going forward?

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I’m afraid I don’t think they’re any more viable. The setup you’re suggesting would cost 930 points! For 6 models! That makes Custodes look cheap.

 

Even if you ignore the fact that that is over half your points (in a typical match) tied up in that unit, it’s just not points efficient. Yes it would provide a good anti-armour base but if you’re fighting a mainly infantry force they’ll be pretty much useless. Even with the cover stratagem they’ll still die horribly quickly when your opponent realises he can kill half your army if he targets those 6 guys.

 

The other way to look at it is what else you could get in an anti-armour role for the same points. You could get:

 

4 x full lascannon predators (16 lascannon shots)

5 x Venator tank destroyers (15 S12, -4ap, D6 damage shots)

2 (very nearly) x Spartan assault tanks (16 lascannon shots)

 

All of those combinations have way more wounds, much higher toughness, and are generally harder to kill than the centurions.

 

Sadly Centurions remain massively overpriced, particularly the lascannon variants, and until they get a serious points drop no amount of cover or support will make them viable.

No.  Everything in this game needs to be looked at from a "how much bang for your buck".  Centurions are not cost efficient.  They have an impressive statline for an infantry model, that is true. The problem is they are priced like a vehicle; put that statline in an Excel spreadsheet next to the typical predator/rhino chassis. Now compare points. Does it still look as sexy?  (And the predator/rhino chassis isn't particularly good either!)

Nope. 3 Dreadnoughts with Las cannons and missiles cost the same as 3 Centurions with the same weapons.

 

Until their cost is reduced substantially they won't see the tabletop.

Dreads being better than something? Someone hold my drink I need to lay down for a little while.

 

I don't think you can get a more damning verdict on the state of Centurions :confused: My box has been sat in the cellophane for a very long time :sad.: Hopefully CA can do something to address this, otherwise there's not much hope currently...

 

Nope. 3 Dreadnoughts with Las cannons and missiles cost the same as 3 Centurions with the same weapons.

 

Until their cost is reduced substantially they won't see the tabletop.

Dreads being better than something? Someone hold my drink I need to lay down for a little while.

 

I don't think you can get a more damning verdict on the state of Centurions :confused: My box has been sat in the cellophane for a very long time :sad.: Hopefully CA can do something to address this, otherwise there's not much hope currently...

Lol I've been waiting to find something Dreads are better than!

Naw man, bump that. Buy and build and paint. They are a great looking unit to own in a collection.

 

HOBBY FOR THE HOBBY GOD!!

 

I don't agree on the great looking part but instead I'll agree twice on the hobby for the hobby god part! :biggrin.:

Back in 7th I got myself lots of Stealth Suits, Vespid and Pathfinder with Rail rifles ... aka the worst units the Tau Codex had to offer but I just liked them too much. Now in 8th with the new Codex they suddenly all are viable and you can find Stealth Suits in basically every competetive T'au list. Times change but your models stay. Get what you like even if it's not good unless you plan to play only on serious tournaments. ;)

One advantage centurions have over dreadnoughts is that they can be healed or brought back to life by an Apothecary. I'm not saying this suddenly makes the centurion a good choice (even dreadnaughts aren't a good choice imo), but at least they have that going for them.

Buildings and bunkers

 Yeah but those are not allowed in competitive play.

 

 

 

One advantage centurions have over dreadnoughts is that they can be healed or brought back to life by an Apothecary. I'm not saying this suddenly makes the centurion a good choice (even dreadnaughts aren't a good choice imo), but at least they have that going for them.

 

I've built a few lists in the past using Centurtions and Apothecaries. The problem is though if the unit is wiped and it can happen pretty easily. The best way to try and solidify them up is to use that invuln bubble building with Raven Guard or Iron Hands. Though Raven Guard is most likely the better option here.

 

 

They look alright if you convert them to be a little taller.

 

I really love the look of Centurions. I love the "hulk buster" look they have and really hope they get some love in CA. 

I was on the receiving end of a Dev Centurion castle a ways back. My opponent had 4 of them up high in cover with the banner of Emperor's Cheese (remember when that was considered good?) and an apoth to heal/revive them. Scouts castled them in to make charging harder.

 

On MY TURN he took out one of my Stormravens and put 8 wounds on another with that :cuss banner. He then revived one his next Turn and continued to shoot the :cuss out of stuff.

 

So what's not to love?

 

That was in a 3000pt game. The size game where I, his opponent, could squeeze in 3x Stormravens and still have room to spare for another 2000pts of army. So pretty much what everyone above said.

Ok so let's add this up...

 

3 centurions, depending on the cofiguration, you're talking 400 pts.

 

Another 100 pts for a building to protect them (cuz they suck)

another...150 for an Ancient and Apthocary to support them.

 

Awesome. You're now in for 650 points to support 3 overpriced models.  You could buy 3 quad las predators for that amount and a techmarine to repair them.

 

Don't matter how much or what brand of lipstick you put on the pig. It's still a pig.

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