Centurions, how does 9th edition look?

[chapter master 454]

So these chunky boys have been central in ether being absurdly broken they never stop showing up or so absurdly pointed they never see even a lasgun flashlight of day on nostramo's remains. (and I suppose to some they look silly. I personally love 'em).

 

So the big and obvious part here is that devastator centurions see a boost across ether only 1 weapon or possiby 2 depending on how GW handle grav-cannons and their amps. However we do know that from the slannesh like cries from the Imperial Fist camp that Heavy Bolters are going to be a very popular option and I can't blame anyone, the firepower they would output could almost be mistaken for a riptide. However Lascannon variants haven't really been touched but when you field that sort of lascannon ensemble...you clearly don't like things that walk around with more than 5 wounds.

 

A grouping of winnings however I would point to is the assault centurions. Flamers buffed and Meltaguns now scary, these guys have something to work with in these buffs. Certainly not earth-shattering but might make them more credible as threats and in my opinion, meltagun spam on these guys was an underrated concept though...I admit the main issue is delivery and always has been with these slow-pokes (don't get stuck behind one of these in the battle barge, that's all).

 

What has everyone's experience been with centurions if any...sadly I am still unable to get games and thus have been relegated to theory crafting non-stop to keep...heretical...thoughts at bay. That and also keeping up on my oath...need to update that, last week was slow but not nothing at least. So my current crafting was focused on a very particular idea that I mulled around on and going to throw it here as a thought but want to keep the discussion open to the other chapters for their various tactics and combos. I personally have 15 centurions, thinking I will bump it to 21 so I can have 18 centurions to be devastator or assault variants (because 3 are hard modeled gunning, 3 are hard modelled punchy) and one gimmick I have mused is Iron Hands Father of the Future 18 devastator centurions. That would be 18 fat boys with a 5++, with the main gauntlet to slap down being "While we stand, we fight" as a secondary and dare your opponent to try and remove them with other objectives...not so sure.

 

Throwing out to the fraters...this is an open discussion of centurions in 9th in case anyone is wondering, I mean we have discussed melee weapons, intercessors and whether or not pigs have wings. Lets see now what we think of these boys and if they have a place in the 9th edition.

(and then for all this to be moot in october when the new codex releases).

[MegaVolt87]

I'm expecting a points bump to properly cost them for their new power. But because they become properly pointed to reflect it, people will complain obviously.

[Captain Idaho]

Centurions really benefit from the lower costs of weaponsfor infantry compared to vehicles here, with Lascannons being particularly a bargain. Whether that stats the same in the next Codex I can't say, but it seems likely.

 

I like Devastator Centurions. They're powerful and will be a terror on the tabletop thanks to obscuring terrain granting them at least 1 turn to live, or Outflanking them to bring them in turn 2 and hose down a target.

 

I particularly like Heavy Bolters because of all the shots you get and being D2 means they're going to be very handy at killing Marines. Hurricane Bolters alongside this means 1 target will die when they come on and if Obscuring terrain is in your favour you won't receive retribution.

 

Seems almost mandatory to take an Apothecary with them!

 

As for Assault Centurions... they seem very powerful. Their biggest weakness is of course speed but there are builds around that. My Ultramarines won't make use of them (my style) but adding a Land Raider will help them out a bunch. Or Storm Raven.

[Mandragola]

I used assault centurions a bit at the beginning of 8th. They never did anything all that special to be honest. Adding an Apothecary and Pedro nearby would help though. They might end up being a good option for models to put in a Land Raider, if Land Raiders are good in the codex. The Prometheus looks pretty interesting.

 

I don't think they work well with While we stand we fight. Bear in mind that works on individual models, not units. A Centurion is pretty unlikely to be your most expensive model and, if it is, it probably won't be too hard for your opponent to kill.

[Ishagu]

Centurions are great, however I feel we are currently in a Limbo period a single month away from a new codex.

 

I'm just focusing on adding to my army and getting models painted before the new book. All the units will have to be reviewed and assessed again in a short while.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

Is anybody else expecting a nerf to grav cannons...?

[9x19 Parabellum]

Is anybody else expecting a nerf to grav cannons...?

 

A *nerf* to grav-cannons?  I am not, at least. Is there some reason you think they need to be nerfed or some evidence of why they are getting nerfed?  Grav cannons really weren't any good until they released the gravitic amplification stratagem, and even now the best use of that is dropping in Devastator Marines in a pod, not centurions. 

Edited September 2, 2020 by 9x19 Parabellum

[Ishagu]

Grav Cannons are nothing special without the strat. If anything I expect a range increase.

[9x19 Parabellum]

Grav Cannons are nothing special without the strat. If anything I expect a range increase.

Agreed. There was really no purpose for Grav in 8th edition.  They were bad range, middling strength, good AP, but unreliable wounds, and they tended to be costed at a premium.  There was virtually no circumstance where having them would have been as good as let alone better, than having plasma. 

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I suppose I mean the strat. It's a prime candidate for a nerf. The grav bomb being Omni present these days.

[9x19 Parabellum]

I suppose I mean the strat. It's a prime candidate for a nerf. The grav bomb being Omni present these days.

 

Well that changes the conversation. Really, the strat exists as a band-aid to the Grav-series guns, which are lackluster.

 

They really need to find a niche for it.  One path they could take (but they won't) is that it bypasses Invulns or something (since it has nothing to do with a "projectile" of energy or mass that gets intercepted by a force field) as it just crumples a thing based on its mass/volume and density.

[Mandragola]

Is anybody else expecting a nerf to grav cannons...?

Not especially. What makes you think that will happen? With heavy bolters getting a buff I think it would be odd if grav cannons were significantly nerfed.

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I just think, that with everyone taking them, them doing well, and being relatively cheap for what they do, and the fact they are relatively consistent, means that in GW land, they need a nerf. That's what usually seems to happen.

[Riddlesworth]

I just think, that with everyone taking them, them doing well, and being relatively cheap for what they do, and the fact they are relatively consistent, means that in GW land, they need a nerf. That's what usually seems to happen.

Time frames don't work on the dev cycle. Points hike in next CA maybe. Or a rework to not need the strat.

 

On the OP, any unit that required a transport or army alternative deployment method to get to do their job properly in 8th benefitted massively in 9th due to smaller boards, missions forcing midboard conflict and strategic reserves strat.

 

Assault centurions were already good in white scars and raven guard due to deployment and charge boosting options. Now everyone can do it with strategic reserves.

 

In october, we know that flamers go to 12 inches. Assault centurions coming from strategic reserves are value for everyone not an ultramarine or salamander (where aggressors are better) moreso if you have charge roll boosting options. Assuming points don't change drastically.

 

I'm interested in seeing if heavy bolter/hurricane bolter cents have some game now but i can just never find the points