Character combos/load outs (9th edition)

[leth]

So I have been thinking about how things change for us in 9th edition, and what are some good, not just individual character wargear options, but also what “sets” of characters we should take. With that in mind I figured we could get a fun discussion going. 
 

To start with I will throw out that Hector Rex feels like a borderline auto include(unless his points go up significantly). Cast two/deny three, can take the 5+ invul to an imperial unit, spend 1cp to give him rerolls or an additional cast/deny per turn, 2+/3++ save etc. he is your all around best option for psyker defense. 
 

His biggest strength however is that he fulfills some psyker casting/defense while not taking up a slot. This is significant since we will want to make the most of the three slots we have. In my mind one of the obvious slots gots to a Watchmaster warlord with CP regen and unlocking the tome for the army. Tome would go on one of the other three characters. Pretty bog standard and I don’t see much need to deviate from this. 

 

I am thinking bike chaplain, hero of the chapter for +1 damage, Give him the tome since he will be part of my forward, aggressive force. Main idea here is that you have a beat stick that can pretty reliably solo primaris squads or even take on transports. Alternatively he can buff another forward unit, 

So :

 

Hector Rex(1CP for warlord trait)

Watchmaster(Warlord - Lore)

Chaplain on Bike(1CP + 1 DMG) 

 

are what I am thinking will be he core of my lists, last HQ will be suited to taste.

 

all of this assumes we get the new primaris mind you. If not? Back to the drawing board. 

[Daynga-Zone]

The bike chaplain is strong and assuming his rules/price stay similar after the forgeworld update Hector Rex is a beast. Inquisition fills in a lot of gaps for me as well.

 

I went with a terminator captain with melta fist and combi melta, a primaris chaplain with tome and a normal malleus inquisitor with power sword and needle pistol. If I had the points for Rex I’d definitely take him, but at 67 and 1 CP the normal inquisitor gives me the 5++ and mental interrogation for some much needed CP regen. That 5++ goes a long way on a unit of intergressors.

 

The chaplain with tome is basically a Lt who can +1 to hit that same intergressor unit and the terminator captain saves me the CP for DSing in with plasma inceptors. A smash captain might be more effective and keep up better, but the term captain is too cool to give up.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Daynga-Zone

[ashc]

As much as I love librarians in the background I love Inquisitors more, and either taking Rex or the cheap Xenos one works really well for Deathwatch, depending on whether it's going big on defence/offence with Rex or having a little defence and going big on generation of CP both look incredibly useful for us.

 

I think either way you cut it the Watchmaster and a Chaplain are then must-haves, and the chaplain can be pretty much whatever flavour you are needing to run to suit your force; terminator armour or jump pack to DS in without the teleportarium, Primaris or normal for on foot or in a transport, and fingers crossed on the bike one coming to us (I see no reason why not). I reckon some people may even run two chaplains.

 

Watch Captains will continue to be great, whether it's double-melta terminator like Daynga-Zone, classic Smash Captain, or anything else inbetween, depending on what you need them to do they can be quite the multitool.

 

In summary, I don't think much has changed for us in ninth regarding HQs (for now...)

[Mobius0288]

The Chaplain bike will be huge for us if we get him, mostly because he'll be our first hard-to-snipe character (biker key word vs vindicare, and t5 vs GSC's sniper). Give that boyo Castellan of the vault and let him go to town. You could also use him to advance (turbo boost) and beacon a heavy hitting unit in the face of your opponent, attempting to pin part of their army for a turn while you go for some objectives. Drop pod support as appropriate :)

 

Rex has always been good and will continue to be good. Keep in mind the warlord trait and the new strat that can be used to give inquisitors psychic powers - that gives a normal 55 pt Malleus dude 3 casts and denies. I plan to drop pod a libby with an inquisitor whenever I can for some mortal wound spams, while also beaconing a support unit. If I can get that mental interrogation off, additional CP would be nice.

 

Xenos inquisitors (vanilla) can be used to gain CP back from your opponents stratagems, while freeing up your deathwatch to keep the damage focused warlord traits. Draxus and Eisenhorn seem more like flavored inquisitors rather than auto-includes. They look fun and can't wait to try them.

 

A shout out for assassins as well. I still enjoy my vindicare. He provides a lot of pressure on characters by just being there, he can hit two characters in the same phase and he can get CP back for killing characters (limit removed this edition). Taking multiple assassins and/or inquisitors requires a second detachment but I dont think thats a bad thing for how we can kit them out. The Callidus could be interesting. We have a whole more CP which could make her not as effective, but players could also be more reckless with their CP spending knowing that they have plenty to start with. Eversors are always good for nuking a target. The Culexus is a little more niche but still good.

 

Maybe an odd choice by most and not super fluffy, but I picked up Ephrael/Kyganil and they look pretty decent if deep striking with some support. Kyganil hits in melee pretty well and has a bonus to save with Ephrael alive. Ephrael can smite in the shooting phase with no consequences or blocking. They also don't have the imperial agents key word, nor do they affect combat doctrine. And they deep strike together.

 

I spent a lot of time in another thread talking melee combos with characters (teleport chaplains or units affected by chaplains via the beacon). Those are still viable but I think you're going to see a big focus on getting Eradicators across the board. Chaplains and watchmasters will be super helpful in that combo. Possibly a Termie Captain with melta/fist/combi-melta and bane of monstrosities.

[Roland Durendal]

How much does Rex set you back? I know a normal Xenos Inq is like 55points. I ask bc as I build my list I’ve got my Jump Smash CPT and Jump Chappy and trying to figure what else to bring. I had a DW Librarian in there initially but I’m thinking maybe Rex or a regular Xenos Inq might be a better use of points.

[Mobius0288]

Technically, I dont think he's listed (Rex) in the new book (according to google). If thats the case, it will be like the chaplain dreadnaught where he's not included this edition. I had totally missed him in building my own points master list.

Edited July 23, 2020 by Mobius0288

[Daynga-Zone]

Rex is 110 and a normal inquisitor is 60 base now. Since I have another librarian in my list and points are tight I feel Rex’s casts/denies have diminishing returns outside of being able to throw out a smite and/or castigate along with the 5++ and mental interrogation I take them for.

 

Rex is quite tanky though and can DS in with a squad. If I was planning on deep striking a 10 man kitted out kill team then he’d be my go to. He’ll ruin the day for some Eldar/Chaos/GK players with his denies.

 

I like the above mention of beaconing eradicators into position as well. Makes melta range easy to accomplish and allows you to litany them beforehand.

[leth]

Rex also has the durability to survive, and do the psychic objective reliably, it’s another option in the arsenal combined with the warlord trait which is basically a CP reroll per turn for 1CP. That he can deep strike in turn 2 is just icing on the cake. 

 

one thing I have been considering is twin lighting claws captains. 1 for the cool factor and 2 because with +1 damage he would be a pretty solid primaris hunter. 6 attacks on the charge, most likely 6 hits. 4-5ish wounds. If you take 1-2 models off he can easily wipe an objective sitter. Think he is also significantly cheaper than the thunder hammer/SS variant. 
 

however at that point it might make more sense to take an Eversor since he can also unlock your scorpius. 

Edited July 23, 2020 by leth

[bortbortbort]

Is Hector Rex still around? I read he was missing from the munitorum points update...

[Daynga-Zone]

He’s there, or was in the YouTube video where the points were leaked. Plus Forgeworld still makes his model, I don’t think they plan on sending anything to legends that they still make.

[ashc]

Yes forgeworld stuff seems to disappear only when they stop making it.