Primaris and chainswords

[Knight of the Raven]

I've seen several comments about close combat weapons—usually chainswords, hence the title—for Primaris space marines over the months and I thought I'd start a topic dedicated to that subject, rather than have all and any discussion spread across the forum in short-lived crumbs.

This topic is about all melee weapons used by the Firstborn, despite the title. It is however with the humble chainsword that I will start the discussion.

There's something thoroughly, beautifully brutal about the chainsword. And it suits Tacticus-armored space marines well, even if I had to hunt down one specific arm through my cupboards like a dog in the night and go all Darth Vader on it in order to find a hand with the right angle for my assault marine.

So yes, this is the thread for your wishes, dreams and declarations of love to the iconic instruments of mass, wanton slaughter you hope those beautiful, brutal murder-machines will get to wield soon in the future.

[Blindhamster]

I would indeed be very pleased to see chainswords become a thing in some way. But yeah close combat weapons of all kinds could be equally good

[Thunderforge]

I too love the chainsword, but I do wonder why the Imperial Guard seem to be issued with the same sized chainswords as the Astartes use. Surely mere humans should be given smaller ones... or Astartes should be given bigger ones?

I’ve been adding some sheathed ones to my Rough Riders and they are perilously close to the floor!

 

Oh, and don’t tell the Inquisition, but I do like chainaxes too!

[Sete]

I mean, the chainsword is an iconic weapon of the Space Marines. The primaris need a unit fitted with them.

It conveys the raw brutality of 40k.

They are just awesome.

[Rik Lightstar]

I'd love to see some variety in Primaris Melee, Chainswords for sure, but also Power Swords and Power Axes, it'd be really good to see mauls and spears too.

 

Rik

[Panzer]

Regular chainswords are too underwhelming on the board to tickle my fancy ... but Eviscerators, now we're talking!

[Sete]

 

 

Regular chainswords are too underwhelming on the board to tickle my fancy ... but Eviscerators, now we're talking!

Quoting yourself? Kinky :D

[Irbis]

 

Regular chainswords are too underwhelming on the board to tickle my fancy ... but Eviscerators, now we're talking!

 

 

Aren't they just fancy power fists in rules? Nothing stops you from giving one to sarge and just using fist rules...

 

Or, seeing how modular 8th is, just ask opponent if he would be OK with you using actual points and rules of it?

 

I too love the chainsword, but I do wonder why the Imperial Guard seem to be issued with the same sized chainswords as the Astartes use. Surely mere humans should be given smaller ones... or Astartes should be given bigger ones?

I’ve been adding some sheathed ones to my Rough Riders and they are perilously close to the floor!

 

That has always been the problem with garbage 'heroic' scale and oversized weapons - I for one love that one GW artist doing slimmer, more realistic looking weapons with details that don't look like they were made with sledgehammer. I mean, just look at bolters, do they look like 20 mm guns they are supposed to be?

 

Incidentally, I always facepalm seeing cosplayers and animators not getting the memo and trying to recreate guns from the miniatures 1:1 (and was kind of disappointed in GW deciding to keep laughably oversized bolters in sister revamp, instead of making something looking closer to official art)

[zero88]

Emperor's Spears getting some sort of a power trident would be pretty cool.. +1 S, -1 AP, rolls of 6+ to wound cause an additional wound to represent the barbs latching

[redmapa]

I can see this type of unit being added in two ways, maybe at the same time. One can be an infantry unit with access to chainswords and power weapons, maybe even traditional jump packs, this would be what Reivers should have been, another way to implement this unit would be in (Jet)Bikes, right now Inceptors are the Primaris equivalent to bikes so a unit in actual bikes but with a close combat focus would fill a role that Primaris currently dont have and this would be the equivalent to a Vanguard Veteran squad.

 

Now I was thinking about this and I came with an idea that perhaps is too good to actually be implemented, at first I wanted a unit that came with the new transport as part of the squad so you would have a mechanized infantry unit that was buffed when it disembarked BUT what if the new transport had a set of upgrades to give it a role? Hell give that to Land Raiders too! Something like Veteran tactics of old but for transports and a way to make up for the lack of Chapter Tactics, maybe something like 20-50pts per upgrade and only one per vehicle, for example

 

Kill Zone: Units may fire at -1 to hit in the movement phase after disembarking from this vehicle as if it was the shooting phase

Assault Vehicle: Units disembarking from this vehicle add +2" to their charge range

Spearhead: Vehicle cannot advance but infantry units can disembark after the vehicle has moved

 

So getting a transport wouldnt just be a bunker and could open a lot of possibilities in terms of deployment and uses, maybe even turning certain units into assault units.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I’d love to see a Veteran Intercessor squad with access to power weapons.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Emperor's Spears getting some sort of a power trident would be pretty cool.. +1 S, -1 AP, rolls of 6+ to wound cause an additional wound to represent the barbs latching

Pretty sure adb said not to expect them to use spears as a particular thing. Maybe give them a unique sword to represent their chapter masters title

[Panzer]

 

 

Regular chainswords are too underwhelming on the board to tickle my fancy ... but Eviscerators, now we're talking!

Quoting yourself? Kinky

 

I'm a lazy bum and was wrecking walls all day so I'm happy I managed to even just quote myself before falling in a coma for the night. :D

 

 

 

Regular chainswords are too underwhelming on the board to tickle my fancy ... but Eviscerators, now we're talking!

 

 

Aren't they just fancy power fists in rules? Nothing stops you from giving one to sarge and just using fist rules...

 

Or, seeing how modular 8th is, just ask opponent if he would be OK with you using actual points and rules of it?

 

Nothing stops you from giving your Sergeants regular Chainswords either. We obviously want more! :P

(also if one day Eviscerators and Powerfists get different profiles again it would be weird for them to have Eviscerators instead)

[ShibeKing]

Chainswords and Lightning Claws. I want my Primaris to be armed with weapons that cause an unnecessary amount of carnage. The bolt rifles and plasma incinerators are too efficient.

[Subtleknife]

Just slightly irritating GW started giving intercessors more weapons ie sgt can now take power fist. Means I have to magnatise everything just in case

[Red_Shift]

There are so many hopes pinned on the second one wave of primaris that we are bound to be disappointed; however I've been hoping for chainsword armed primaris for some time. One of the new novels (?honour and iron) features a classic assault marine sergeant leading some primaris inceptors with some cool thematic moments, so I've been hoping for an assault load out inceptor squad - especially if it would allow a primaris smash captain. Gw could make a really cool inceptor lieutenant with a double handed weapon and a couple of weapon head options - hammer, big axe, maybe trident

[Sete]

I dont think the next wave will have Primaris chainswords units.

The teaser showed multi part eliminators, a new transport, a Walker, reiver lt, and what I assume multipart infiltrators.

 

The Iron Father might mean more chapter specific units are coming, or it's just one off for the IH players, it's hard to read into it.

 

But yeah melee units might still be a while away coming.

[Marshal Reinhard]

There's the whole handflamer thing to think about too. While it could be possible that won't see the light of day for a while yet, the inclusion of it on the updated intercessors sergeant data sheet was pretty interesting as far as potential intercessors updates go

[Sete]

There's the whole handflamer thing to think about too. While it could be possible that won't see the light of day for a while yet, the inclusion of it on the updated intercessors sergeant data sheet was pretty interesting as far as potential intercessors updates go

Ah yes, forgot about that. A generic upgrade sprue with weapon options?

Veteran Intercessors?

Imagine if we had a sprue like the mk3/4 hh one.

[Blindhamster]

A generic upgrade Sprue feels like an absolute no brainer honestly. I put such a suggestion in the last questionnaire and I doubt I am the only one

[War Angel]

The teaser showed multi part eliminators, a new vehicle, a Walker, reiver lt, and what I assume multipart infiltrators.

Fixed it for you.

[Toxichobbit]

 

Nothing stops you from giving your Sergeants regular Chainswords either. We obviously want more!

(also if one day Eviscerators and Powerfists get different profiles again it would be weird for them to have Eviscerators instead)

 

They already have different profiles. Eviscerators are AP4, power fists AP3.

 

 

[Dracos]

Am I incorrect in that Chainswords and Combat Blades have the same rule for the table? (+1A)?

 

 

I'd give Chainswords - 1AP and Combat Blades + 1A to distinguish between the two. It would be an either of freebie to any model in the Space Marine armory

[Toxichobbit]

Yep. Chainswords, combat blades, choppas, cultist knives and hekatarii blades all have the same "Make 1 extra attack with this weapon" rule and the same basic profile. Not quite a +1 attack as it can only be used with that weapon, not, for example, a power fist.

[Panzer]

Am I incorrect in that Chainswords and Combat Blades have the same rule for the table? (+1A)?

 

 

I'd give Chainswords - 1AP and Combat Blades + 1A to distinguish between the two. It would be an either of freebie to any model in the Space Marine armory

 

That's correct. So currently you could just equip Reivers with Chainswords for style purposes, but the same thing I said about Eviscerators and Powerfists a bit above applies. If GW eventually changes their profiles to be actually different it would be weird to have a weapon with the profile of another. Like using Thunderhammers with the profile of Powerfists on Marines.

I'm still hoping for Combat Blades to gain AP-1 based on them being described as having a powerfield in one of the Dark Imperium novels, though it's really Chainswords who should get it if I'm honest.