Ex Tenebris: Best Build?

[superwill]

I read through this a few days ago but it seems like the LT is the unit of choice. From looking at stats I think a Primaris LT is the better choice as opposed to a Phobos LT? The PLT seems to get more of an upgrade than Phobos (His rifle already ignores cover, more damage) and the only real sacrifice is grav-chute deployment, do I have that right?

 

Yeah, that's pretty much the conclusion I've come to in reading through it all. For me, I'm doing a big T2 drop so having him join that makes the phobos lt better for me, but if you're just gonna throw him in your gunline then might as well stick with the primaris. Definitely makes more sense to me than any of the cpt options.

[Jacques Corbin]

Well, it all depends on what you want the LT to do. Do you want him in your DZ, perched, buffing other long range fire units? Or, do you want to drop him in, and assassinate the opponent's backline camping characters?

 

Also, one thing the Phobos has going for him is his Camo Cloak. A regular LT is 2+ in cover, but any AP drops that un turn. With a Camo Cloak on top of a 3+ save, you get +2 to your save for cover instead of +1. So, your opponent needs to fire AP-2 to get you to a 3+ save, and if he is more than 12 inches away, he will be at -1 to hit. That, and with both of the being characters, your opponent has to make sure, one way or another, that the LT is the closest visible unit to be able to shoot at him.

 

I mean, think about all the effort that takes to remove one junior officer with a fancy sniper rifle. Not only do you have to remove his screening unit, but you have to make sure no other units advance and cover him by becoming closer that the LT is to the enemy. Shooting at him is ridiculously inefficient, unless you are willing to commit a large volume of small arms fire, or a decent amount of high AP fire, but then it will often be more points than your opponent is comfortable to devote to removing one model, and will likely leave them poorly positioned after he is dead. The other option is sending an Assault unit at him. Again, they may get him, but they will take losses, be poorly positioned, and get shot off the table before they get anywhere near another one of your units.

 

Basically, what I am saying is, Phobos Lt all the way, use those Grav Chutes. Count on him to die, but not as a throwaway, it should cost your opponent dearly to remove him. Everything he throws at that Lt, is Shooting or Assault not being weathered by the rest of your army.

 

My plan is to use his Grav Chutes, and drop him in, during Tactical Doctrine, with a 10 man squad of Carbine and Grav Chute Reivers to screen. I will have Incursors (when they come out) deployed via Concealed Positions, that can move up, if they survived. Failing that, Scouts in Land Speeders Storm in reserve are fast, and cheap, and can easily get into position to make sure they are closer to any real threat to him than he is to that threat.

 

So, how does the opponent react? Do they get frustrated, and double down on killing that Lt? Or maybe not frustrated, even a cool head can be deceived into believing that the Lt is more crucial to your plan than he really is. So he devotes whatever it takes to kill the Lt, but what about the rest of your army? Or, if your opponent is mobile enough, he will just move away, probably just characters, but maybe withdraw in force. So, now he either just handed you the entire sector of the board, and any terrain and objectives therein, or he has left unit to hold the terrain/objectives but they lose all the buffs that character was providing. Either way, that Lt softened up the enemy in his area of operation, without even firing a shot. Option 3, your opponent just ignores him. Depending upon the list you are facing, that is either the best or the worst option. Your best option is convincing your opponent that ignoring that Lt is the very worst option. Not verbally, that is rude. Just use that Lt to cause as much damage and disruption as possible.

[SkimaskMohawk]

Phobos lt doesnt have a camo cloak; neither of the models do, not sure where this confusion comes from

[Dracos]

Yeah it's missing the camo-cloak, its one reason I'm toying with adjusting for a PCpt. He offers an ability to use a variety of Relics that allow for a flexibility in a tournament TAC setting. Means losing things like Haywire mines on the Incursors but I think worth it. The PCpt acts as I choose whereas the Haywire mines are only effective if the opponent chooses. 

 

That said I thinl the PLt is a great choice and Jaques Corbin has laid out a good plan. It has context. A word I'm goign to use alot around here because our Supplement isnt a pick a unit point and click type army build. Any suggestion we have has to be done taking multiple factors into account and ... I believe this forum has the ability to discuss things at a deeper level than might be found in a more general discussion.

[Brom MKIV]

If going Lt I think primaris is better due to cost.

 

However the Phobos captain is more durable more flexible in relic choices and maybe most importantly he has a omni scrambler. The few extra pts over an Lt are made up for by allowing you to skimp on one unit of infiltrators.

[thewarriorhunter]

Great points all around. You could get the benefit of the camo cloak with the Phobos Captain. I could see an argument for wanting rerolls on wounds since it's only STR 4, but even the Captain can't deep strike in. I really like/hate this choice because you can't get everything in one package. You have to pick and choose.

 

I think the Shadow Spear PLT had a good rifle built into his profile since it ignores cover. That stock loadout is another reason I was considering a non-Phobos LT because that model gets a better upgrade. If you have both of those in the field you've got two rifles that are dealing damage and ignoring or adding modifiers that help performance.

[Jacques Corbin]

Phobos lt doesnt have a camo cloak; neither of the models do, not sure where this confusion comes from

You are right, my bad.

[Archon_77]

I've been thinking of sticking it on a Captain who is the Warlord with Shadowmaster... and taking him with a group of Overcharging Assault Plasma Hellblasters.   I think the fact that Ex Tenebris is an Assault 3 gun could really enhance this group while keeping them immune to overcharge death while keeping them mobile.    Bonus that this provides pretty good AT.  

[Dracos]

I'm a fan of Echo of the Ravenspire for the Phobos Captain and the Benediction of Fury for the Primaris Chaplain

[VanDutch]

I'm a fan of Echo of the Ravenspire for the Phobos Captain and the Benediction of Fury for the Primaris Chaplain

I'd also thought about using Echo for a Primaris Lt with Ex Tenebris, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice a round of shooting and another warlord trait for it.

[MajorNese]

I've been thinking of sticking it on a Captain who is the Warlord with Shadowmaster... and taking him with a group of Overcharging Assault Plasma Hellblasters.   I think the fact that Ex Tenebris is an Assault 3 gun could really enhance this group while keeping them immune to overcharge death while keeping them mobile.    Bonus that this provides pretty good AT.  

Shadowmaster is the no overwatch trait, I guess you mean MoA.

 

While the assault version seems useful to keep the distance and mow down primaris, S7 (with overcharge) is hardly good AT (wounding T8 only on 5+). With free positiioning, the rapid fire version would be better AT, but of course would have to get closer to work at full capacity, which is riskier.

[Archon_77]

Doh.  Of course.  This is the problem with making posts sans codex at work.

[MajorNese]

Doh.  Of course.  This is the problem with making posts sans codex at work.

That's why I always have everything as PDF too.

[Dracos]

 

I'm a fan of Echo of the Ravenspire for the Phobos Captain and the Benediction of Fury for the Primaris Chaplain

I'd also thought about using Echo for a Primaris Lt with Ex Tenebris, but I'm not sure I want to sacrifice a round of shooting and another warlord trait for it.

I admit I’m not committed to Echo as the best combo either but since I can’t use Marksman I haven’t seen one I’m excited about either. WIP :)

[Brother Lias]

I will play mine as the Primaris Lieutenant with the Ex Tenebris, but I think that probably we get the best setup with the Phobos Lieutenant. It allows us to deploy him in the best position from which he can snipe the enemy characters. I think that the relic is wasted on the Phobos Captain who can boost his rifle with Marksman's Honour and the Korvidae bolts.

[Dracos]

Agreed. Since the FAQ I’m leaning heavy into WarriorHunter’s Primaris Lt. a/ Ex Tenebris and the Phobos Cpt with the KBolt and MHonors. It’s really causing me to tinker with the list I want to lock into. Never much wiggle room with Primaris unit options :(

[Archon_77]

Agreed... the Capt with a Ap 3 D4 36" ignoring cover/los is just too spicy.  Back to LT for me.