Choosing a Captain

[Alcyon]

Been working on a 1000pt Crusade Order of Battle for an upcoming campaign I'm helping run. Here's my force:

• Primaris Captain (MC Auto Bolt Rifle, Power Sword) (-1 RP for Bellicos Bolt Rifle)
• Phobos Lieutenant (-1 RP for Ex Tenebris)
• 5x Infiltrators
• 10x Intercessors (Bolt Rifle) (-1 RP for Veterancy)
• Invictor (Incendium)
• 3x Outriders
• 3x Eradicators
• 5x Hellblasters

We're doing a form of escalation so we're doing the first 3 Combat Patrol missions at 500pts, then 3 Incursion missions at 750, 3 more at 1k, then 3 at 1500 and 3 at 2000. 

 

I picked up a standard Primaris Captain as I was planning to run him either MoA with the Veteran Intercessors (with a power sword), or more likely leading the Hellblasters so they don't blow themselves up on those now-unmodified 1s. He can also take the excellent-looking Bellicos relic, S5 AP -1 D2 Bolt Rifle with 24" range Assault 4.

However, I've been struggling with my fire support units being charged, especially out of deep strike on the smaller boards of the new edition, so Infiltrators have been key. Working on the lists, there's also a lot of times when I'm under the total by a good 15-20 points just because Primaris are so devoid of options usually.

Accordingly I've been thinking about swapping him out for a Phobos Captain. That'd give him the 12" anti-DS bubble, my Infiltrators can benefit from his aura by taking a vox, and he could even deploy forward slightly with Concealed Positions so the Hellblasters can use the Infiltrate strat in deployment to move forward and help get range. He does sacrifice the sweet gun, but I've heard people have had success running him with Korvidari Bolts/Marksman's Honours to snipe off T3 characters without LOS. 

Has anyone tried running either of these Captains and can speak to their efficacy?

[Frater Cornelius]

Can't speak for 9th yet, but Phobos Cap was a staple for me in late 8th. This guy zones out together with Infiltrators, is quite hard to shift and provides rerolls for your backline. If you are playing against 3 or 4W characters, you can slap the Korvidari Bolts on him and maybe the +1 damage warlord trait to really go to town.

 

Given than outside of Shrike all the Primaris Captains have a rather awkward footslogging setup, I think you can't go all too wrong with the Phobos.

 

Shoutout to the new Captain though. With the Shield he is quite durable. Use MoA to toss him to the front. Never tried and seen it though, so this one is purely theory.

[duz_]

I've only messed around with an RG list once so far

Especially with the rumoured 1 captain per detachment I just went Shrike and a Lt :lol:

 

Sooo many captains to choose from these days depends what you want

In your face smash captain support

Or cheap and cherry back line re roll 1s

[thewarriorhunter]

I really like the Phobos Captain with K-bolts. Now that I'm close to finishing my Infiltrators I'm thinking he'll be deploying forward with them to zone out a huge section of the board. I'm thinking of putting him slightly behind the Infiltrators that way as some of my backline units move forward he'll get sandwhiched in between and be difficult to target if my opponent is able to work their way in from a flank deep strike in my back lines.

 

Curious about the campaing - are you limiting everyone to the same number of games so one Crusade doesn't get too far ahead? (I realize there's mitigation in the rules, haven't read them all yet).

[Dracos]

I'm gonna be a bit salty if the Captain thing is true, unless they finally let Primaris Captain have build options. Three Primaris Captains are too much but three Demon Princes are okay? Calling Shenanigans.

 

Phobos Captain is a boss though with the options for Oppressors End close up or Korvidari Bolts/Marksman's Honours alt Ex Tenebris at range

Edited August 1, 2020 by Dracos

[Tyberos the Red Wake]

I'm gonna be a bit salty if the Captain thing is true, unless they finally let Primaris Captain have build options. Three Primaris Captains are too much but three Demon Princes are okay? Calling Shenanigans.

 

Phobos Captain is a boss though with the options for Oppressors End close up or Korvidari Bolts/Marksman's Honours alt Ex Tenebris at range

 

There's a very high chance it's true, I would highly recommend basing your plans around the assumption that it's going to happen. Here is the source which caused that particular speculation, it's a screenshot of the 9E C:SM codex from the Warhammer Community stream where they flipped through it on camera:

 

[Dracos]

This’ll definitely make named Chapter Masters more popular. I never build an army based on character named or unnamed but I still call :cuss if Chaos still gets trip Demons. Some factions dot have options, it if this is a nerf to Smash Captains then they need to do same to Demon Princes.

 

And Farseers

 

And Riptides ... just cause

 

Signed

Captain Salty

Edited August 1, 2020 by duz_
Don't dodge the swear filter

[AenarIT]

This’ll definitely make named Chapter Masters more popular. I never build an army based on character named or unnamed but I still call :cuss if Chaos still gets trip Demons. Some factions dot have options, it if this is a nerf to Smash Captains then they need to do same to Demon Princes.

 

And Farseers

 

And Riptides ... just cause

 

Signed

Captain Salty

Tau say hi, they already had a limit on 0-1 Commanders per detachment for years now. Edited August 1, 2020 by duz_
Fixed quoted post

[Riddlesworth]

I mean, the biker chaplain is basically a smash captain equivalent.

 

2 CP for a patrol is something people were considering anyway for the extra FA and HS so theres a third smash captain if needed.

 

Alcyon, I'm assuming you're using successor tactics as you're paying a CP for ex tenebris.

 

The way you're looking to run the phobos captain sounds just like what he was made for. I would make the LT the MoA caddy in that situation, obviously.

 

Second the shootout for the indomitus captain. Dude is a beast but doesn't solve the problem youre having

[Alcyon]

 

Curious about the campaing - are you limiting everyone to the same number of games so one Crusade doesn't get too far ahead? (I realize there's mitigation in the rules, haven't read them all yet).

 

We're doing one game per week, with the option to catch up in later weeks if you miss one or two. Then fixed points for the escalations.

 

Thanks for the input, gang. I've pretty much committed to the Phobos Captain now and rejiggered all my lists to fit in his increased points cost. For the points, getting the Omni-scrambler plus Concealed Positions PLUS a camo-cloak just seems like a great deal. Losing the relic gun is a shame but given the Look Out, Sir! rules change I'm leery of investing too much in characters, and the think the cloak will help improve his survivability. 

 

I've actually cut the Lieutenant completely too - he doesn't have an invuln and I don't think I have any units I really want to MoA at this point. If I do end up wanting a character to do that with I think I'll run a Bladeguard Lt or maybe even a Judicar or something since you can give non-HQ characters warlord traits in Crusade. But my army is going to be much more of an objective-seizing, footslogging gunline than an assault setup so I'm lower on those guys than otherwise.

[Alcyon]

So far the Phobos Captain-specific abilities haven't come up too much - the Omni-Scrambler has been pretty unhelpful in the small points games though I've only faced one assault army and three shooty ones. Ex Tenebris has been insane though and the Camo Cloak has come up a number of times.

 

Surprisingly he's killed a ton of units, including enemy commanders, with nothing but his Combat Knife - seven WS2 Str 4 AP0 attacks turns out to be nothing to sneeze at on a unit that's already weakened. It's probably poor play on my part that's even gotten into combat as often as he has, but given how things have gone I expect to run him with Oppressor's End and Korvidari Bolts outside Crusade.

[Debauchery101]

In the smaller size games of 1000-1250 ive played the indomitus units been really awesome. Been using lias and a phobos captain who mostly buff my eliminators. They've had great effect against armies like GSC and Death Guard who use quite a few buffing characters. For my assault part of the lists I've had great effect using a Trifold path Judicar with swift&deadly, master of ambush and a master crafted weapon. If i get first turn i can take him and a group of blade guards, redeploy, advance move a unit of incursors to help them using the infiltrators strat. Its kind of a huge alpha strike. I usually line up my outriders to also get in the mix to hopefully advance and charge or they can peel screens. On the smaller boards ive been able to do a lot of damage turn 1.

 

Also I give the Phobos lord of Deceit. I screen out as much area as I can during deployment then I have 3 redeploy options to hide or line up some lethality