New Mephiston/Psychic awakening p3

[Pathstrider]

Looks like the leaked release list was on the money for the battleforces, hopefully that means it will be for Mephiston to.

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/10/30/gifts-for-good-grotsgw-homepage-post-1/

 

Our battleforce is a bit of an odd one - Primaris basic squad and the almost all of our non-primaris stuff (Death Company, Sang guard, Chaplain, Terminator, and Ball Pred). Would say they were clearing out the old stuff, but they would have probably included the tactical squad as well...

[Chronos1985]

Looks like the leaked release list was on the money for the battleforces, hopefully that means it will be for Mephiston to.

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/10/30/gifts-for-good-grotsgw-homepage-post-1/

 

Our battleforce is a bit of an odd one - Primaris basic squad and the almost all of our non-primaris stuff (Death Company, Sang guard, Chaplain, Terminator, and Ball Pred). Would say they were clearing out the old stuff, but they would have probably included the tactical squad as well...

 

I feel like all it means is we'll still be using regular marines for several more years. If that's the case, i'm mildly ok with it as it should likely mean they won't abandon giving proper points to non primaris in the near future. Hope for our Baal Predator perhaps?

 

I still think next year the only new updates we get is Dante and SG aside from the next wave of  (non chapter specific) primaris. I feel like it's going to be awhile before we get DC Primaris. Here's to hoping though!

Edited October 30, 2019 by Chronos1985

[happyslugger]

Won't be rushing out for the battlebox.

 

I don't really need any of the BA box minis.

 

Chaos one is ok I guess, but still not going to buy it. Save me some money this year...that's a first in this hobby :-)

Edited October 30, 2019 by happyslugger

[Cleon]

Yeah, that's the money put aside for a BA battlebox back in the pocket. Don't need any more of any of those units/models. Would have been interested if it was Inceptors/Aggressors

[Spagunk]

My opinion is that if you want to start a brand new BA army, the box is great. If you don't, not really anything you don't already have I suppose?

[Majkhel]

Gives hope our Baal Pred will get some points drop and/or the Assault flamers perhaps?

[SnorriSnorrison]

The BA force looks like a good way to start an army, which is what GW is going for obviously - get more people into the hobby with these one-click options.

 

Fingers crossed that Meph will get a bangin’ new model. I don’t care if he’s primaris or not, just a menacing pose, dramatic cloak and robes and lots of details on the miniature.

He’s powerful enough to not need to be embiggened, but I think that all new SM characters will be exactly that.

Keeping my hands off new Sprues until he hits the shelves though.

[Indefragable]

What I want to see in a "new" Mephiston (for the purposes of this conversation I am focusing on rules/stats and hand-waiving whether it's via Primaris-ifying, embiggening, tansmogrification, beefcakes, night classes at the local university, or just plain updating rules to"how they should be").

 

Note: items in bold are changes/additions:

 

Chief Librarian Mephiston                          200pts

M         WS      BS        S          T          W        A          Ld        Sv

8”        2+        2+        5          5          6          5          9          2+

 

Wargear:

Plasma pistol:             (standard profile)

Sanguine Sword:         Melee Sx2 AP-3 D:D3

Frag grenades            (standard profile)

Krak grenades            (standard profile)

Hood of Hellfire:        add 1 to any Deny the Witch attempts within 12”. In addition, when an enemy unit uses any psychic power that would cause harm to Mephiston, roll a D6. On a 5+ Mephiston is unharmed by that power, but any other models may be affected.  Note this is separate from any other saves Mephiston may be able to make.

 

Special Rules:

Angels of Death: re-roll failed Morale tests, Bolter Discipline, Shock Assault

Red Thirst: +1 To Wound in melee when Charging, Charged, or Heroic Intervention

Lord of Death: Attacks directed against Mephiston are -1 To Wound and every time he loses a wound, roll a D6: on a roll of 4+ the wound is ignored. In addition, all models—friend and foe alike—within 6” subtract 1 from their Leadership value.

Sanguine Mastery: When attempting to cast powers from the Sanguinary discipline, you may re-roll any dice used in the attempt.

Speed of the Primarch: You can always choose your Warlord to fight first in the Fight phase even if he didn't charge. If the enemy has units that have charged, or that have a similar ability, then alternate choosing units to fight with, starting with the player whose turn is taking place.

 

Can attempt to manifest three psychic powers in each friendly psychic phase and attempt to deny two psychic powers in each enemy Psychic phase. He knows Smite and three powers from the Sanguinary discipline

 

Warlord Trait:
Soulwarden:  You can attempt to resist one psychic power with your Warlord (or attempt to resist one additional psychic power if he is already able to do so) in each of your opponent's Psychic phases.

 

 

Designer's* Commentary

Hidden Content

 

Disclaimer:

As a design philosophy, I lean in the direction that named characters should be above+beyond what a player can "build" on his/her own via wargear, relics, warlord traits, etc... or at least different in some way; providing a unique ability that is not found elsewhere. Likewise, they should thus cost noticeably more, making them fun and interesting for narrative games, while presenting a discrete strategic choice for competitive players on whether they should be included, ala the "boyz over toyz" mindset.

 

The above represents how I firmly feel Mephiston should be represented on the tabletop. The biggest changes are to make him considerably more survivable, with both his FNP increased to 4+++ in addition to the -1 To Wound special rule. Crunchwise, this makes him worthy of the title of "Lord of Death" and a unit that can comfortably wade into small arms. Yet there is also the drawback of a Leadership debuff, representing the misgivings and dread he induces in all around him, even of his own chapter.  The additional Wound (bringing to W6) further cements his durability.

 

Offensively, he has an additional attack (bringing to A5) and the permanent addition of the Speed of the Primarch ability. These put him at par with, if not above, many straight-combat characters and is done deliberately in conjunction with the psychic improvements listed below. He also moves 8" now, the same base movement amount as Dreadnoughts. Aka dead guys. Hmmm....

 

Mephiston, even as far back as 2nd edition (if my memory/research serves me well), has traditionally been one of, if not THE most powerful human psyker in the Imperium. For this reason, his psychic capabilities have been vastly improved to better represent said fluff. He now both knows and can cast three psychic powers. Likewise, he can re-roll any dice used when attempting to cast a Sanguinary power (but not Smite or any other powers he may get access to for some reason), both representing his prowess mentioned above as well tapping into something I would like to see in general for all Astartes factions, with a "Chief Librarian" rank being able to cast three powers from their faction's psychic table. The Hood of Hellfire is because...c'mon, that hood he has is just rockin'! You're telling me that's just a normal Psychich Hood? Ahem, anyways. It provides further psychic defense and when coupled with his ability to deny up to three enemy powers (see WLT below) with +1 to Deny and an added special save against any harmful affects to his model, it makes him a singular beast able to shrug off damage of both the corporeal and empyrical variety.  As mentioned in the "offense" section above, the Speed of the Primarch ability is meant to imply a sort of passive boon for him, sort of like the Sanguine Sword wargear.

 

His Warlord trait is deliberately "okay." This is partially to balance all of the above, but also to hint that he really shouldn't be your warlord, unless he is leading an excursion on his own to find some artifact or such. He is not a leader.

 

Which brings me to the end "product" I want to convey with these rules: Mephiston is a singular force in the setting, unlike anything else we have seen. He is a beatstick able to go up against most other beatsticks yet also can play the mind games with the best of them. However, as implied with his new Warlord Trait, there is a certain selfishness to him; in contrast to other Blood Angels named characters like Dante and the Sanguinor (stay tuned!) who provide buffs to your army, Mephiston is all about being a solo character, buffing himself up and best used on his own, with only basic units to give him <Character> screening, just like he is in the fluff.

 

My image of him is one who sets his mind to certain tasks and hell (the warp) have no fury like Mephiston on a mission, yet there are few out there, even amongst his blood brothers, willing, let alone able, to keep up with him.

 

Hope you enjoy.

 

++++

 

Ok that being said, with Abaddon's new rules being nowhere close to the above, I don't expect anything at all like the above. And given that Abaddon really should be one of the most powerful characters in the setting by any measure, I'm not holding my breath.

 

*aka me

Edited October 30, 2019 by Indefragable

[Thoridon]

Meph doesn't need to become Primaris as such, he just needs a good model in better scale than the current ancient sculpt (which I've had twice in metal and resin and would happily bench for something larger and more dynamic). It's probable that they make him Primaris to justify a size increase and that's just fine by me.

 

Seth really needs the same treatment; he's supposed to be huge but the model looks so small. The same pose scaled up would look great.

[Inquisitor Eisenhorn]

It took me a while to realize just how excited I am for a new huge Mephiston model.  I love the idea of a massive vampire leading a bunch of red power armor.  The original was one of the first miniatures that I actually did a solid paint job of back when I was like 14.  I remember figuring out how to thin black paint sort of like a modern wash and was able to shade the model really nicely.  Funny how things like that stick with you.

[Are Verlo]

Did the first PA contain any specialist detatchments? I would love some for both BA and nids. But if not I’ll probably buy it just for any updated rules for Mephiston.

[Karhedron]

Did the first PA contain any specialist detatchments? I would love some for both BA and nids. But if not I’ll probably buy it just for any updated rules for Mephiston.

No. It contained various DIY traits for the armies, a new psychic discipline and alternative Exarch powers and some new stratagems. I don't see our Trait being modified or replaced, perhaps there is an outside chance that we will get our Doctrines (although I might be optimistic there).

 

The Eldar also got some points adjustments for Ynnari unitsso perhaps we might see our units brought into line with the new SM codex (or perhaps that will be in Chapter Approved). Hard to guess what it will contain at this stage.

[Blindhamster]

I could see us getting some successor chapter rule stuff maybe

 

Blood of baal suggests more than just blood Angels maybe

Edited November 2, 2019 by Blindhamster

[Indefragable]

Regarding how much of a "boost" BA get in PA p3 all depends on the designers' methodology. If SM 2.0 was planned well in advance or whether it was reactionary to feedback. If the latter, than I think we're in for a long wait. If the former, than I would still hazard nothing drastic for us outside of some Detachments and a character (Mephiston).

 

My gut feeling is that we'll see some Detachment-y things that are a test bed for any changes for what a potential 2.0 codex will feature.

[Blindhamster]

I doubt we will see detachments. If they appear in pa2 maybe. But I honestly think that's something they tried and decided isn't quite right.

[Sabadin]

Teaser video of Mephiston at the end of the newest warhammer community post today;

 

https://www.warhammer-community.com/2019/11/02/new-reveals-chaos-sororitas-tanks-and-moregw-homepage-post-1/

[Blindhamster]

Woo

 

The teases suggest a very nice update for the lord of death. Which also makes me hopeful for a similarly good dante update in the future

[Blindhamster]

For those that dont have access to a video for whatever reason:

head

upper body

lower body

sword

foot (primaris styled boot)

and the classic art its clearly based on

[Jolemai]

Primaris :cry:

[Spagunk]

Yeah, definitely the pose is matching the art. It's not a bad pose but they could have gone another route imo.

 

If anything, gunna pick it up to paint even if I don't end up using him for anything.

[Blindhamster]

For me its a happy thing lol.

Primaris

 

Not sure it matters too much? everyone wanted him to be bigger - he will be. He rarely got put in transports anyway, so not being able to use rhinos/land raiders anymore is unlikely to matter either. And his design looks to be SO CLOSE to the classic art that other than his boots and presumably power pack, he won't LOOK especially primaris :)

[neonmole]

My body is ready

[Sabadin]

My body is ready

My wallet is not.

[Blindhamster]

anyone else really interested to see what his head looks like now? I always loved classic Mephistons head, so hoping he has had a good update, the marine heads have generally been good for a while now.

[keeblerartillery]

anyone else really interested to see what his head looks like now? I always loved classic Mephistons head, so hoping he has had a good update, the marine heads have generally been good for a while now.

No, because I hate painting skin....also, as a soldier, I can’t freaking stand it when space marines aren’t wearing their freaking helmets