Captain Builds

[Indefragable]

Long Live Capt Smash!

 

 

 

....kinda sorta. 

 

Anyways finally wrapping my head around things and here are the fun builds I've been toying with, though they are certainly putting your eggs all in one basket. 

 

 

Death Captain Smash

-Jump Pack

-Relic Blade

-Inferno Pistol

-The Lost +20pts

-Angel Exemplar 1CP

-WLT1: Imperium’s Sword

-WLT 2: Artisan of War

-SIW1:​ Master Crafted Weapon (Relic Blade) 

-SIW: Adamantine Mantle

 

As close as possible to the original 8th Ed Capt smash: max damage with the HoB + Inferno Pistol

 

Captain Staying Power

-Jump Pack

-Thunder Hammer

-Storm shield

-The Lost +20pts

-Angel Exemplar 1CP

-WLT1: Gift of Foresight

-WLT 2: Artisan of War

-Relic: Armor Indomitus

-SIW: Adamantine Mantle

 

This guy has crazy defense: 6W and a 1+*/4++* re-rollable** /5+++

*can go to 3++ twice per game, once from Armor Indomitus, once from the Death Vision The Angel's Grace

**once per turn ala Gift of Foresight

1+ is Sv2+ from Armor Indomitus + 1 from Storm Shield

 

Captain Blender

-Jump Pack

-Dual Lightning Claws

-The Lost +20pts

-Angel Exemplar 1CP

-WLT1: Imperium’s Sword

-WLT2: Artisan of War

-SIW1: Adamantine Mantle

-SIW2: Master-Crafted Weapon

 

This guy has 9A on the charge at S5 AP-3 D:2 re-roll To Wound on Turn 3+. I think dual LC's edges out The Teeth of Terra due to the re-rollable To Wound from the LCs. A ToT build would be a bit more all-purpose and allow for other options, or just be paired down so as not to use Angel Exemplar on him; a great Hero of the Chapter supporting character, a Fire and Forget weapon to throw into the enemy lines, especially if you can pop the Death Vision that gives you +1A for every 5 enemies nearby. 

[The Unseen]

I'll have to check the wording again, but don't think Lost captains can be the warlord, and therefore you can't use exemplar to give them a 2nd warlord trait.

Happy to be wrong though.

[Karhedron]

I'll have to check the wording again, but don't think Lost captains can be the warlord, and therefore you can't use exemplar to give them a 2nd warlord trait.

You are correct. Lost characters cannot be your WL.

 

I would go for a Biker Captain with the Following upgrades:

• Chapter Master (to reroll his own hits)
• Thunder Hammer (-1 to-Hit is mitigated by the above)
• Iron Resolve WLT, Angel Artifice and Storm Shield (This gives him 8W at T6 with a 1+/4++/6+++ save)

This leaves a free slot for an additional BA WLT. You could take Artisan of War to Master Craft his Thunder Hammer for instance. Or you could use the AoW to buy Adamantine mantle for a 5+++ and go for a more aggressive primary WLT.

[Indefragable]

.....but with Hero of the Chapter, you can give a <Character> a WLT to someone other than your WL. Can you not then pop Angel Exemplar on your dude? 

[Karhedron]

I think Angel Exemplar can only be used to give your Warlord a second trait. A Lost character cannot be your Warlord and so cannot be a valid target for AE.

 

You can use HOTC to give a Lost Character a WLT but only the one.

[AngelofRedemption]

Hero of the chapter wording specifies that the model is counted as a warlord *only for the purpose of that warlord trait*.

So yes, only your actual warlord can be given Angel Exemplar.

 

It's the same reason that need to run Sang Guard with your actual warlord, not just a HOTC.

Edited December 21, 2020 by AngelofRedemption

[Indefragable]

Hero of the chapter wording specifies that the model is counted as a warlord *only for the purpose of that warlord trait*.

So yes, only your actual warlord can be given Angel Exemplar.

 

It's the same reason that need to run Sang Guard with your actual warlord, not just a HOTC.

 

Noted. That makes Angel Exemplar far more useful in my eyes, since I think the "optimal" WL is the one that buffs your Sang Guard the most. If you're not bringing SG, then a Death Captain would be next "best", but if you go The Lost then you use lose out on Angel Exemplar, thus leaving a double-dip build to basically a "red wing" fight Captain which I don't know if I would honestly ever run compared to the above two.

 

Basically, I'm finding ways to pair Gift of Foresight with The Angel's Grace and/or Armor Indomitus because go big or go home sometimes...

 

(I don't like to be that guy, but always want to have such a move in a back pocket to protect oneself when facing That Guy). 

[Karhedron]

The problem with Lost characters is that they lose the ability to buff non-DC units. In 8th edition you could keep a DC Captain back buffing your army like a normal Captain until a suitable target presented itself.

 

My early lists have featured Plasmaceptors and MM Attack bikes and I have enjoyed the flexibility to buff their shooting for a while before getting into melee (Plasmaceptors in particular depend on those rerolls). Previously DVOS was practically a no-brainer upgrade. Now you have to think more carefully about what role you want your Captain to play in your battle plans.

[Indefragable]

The problem with Lost characters is that they lose the ability to buff non-DC units. In 8th edition you could keep a DC Captain back buffing your army like a normal Captain until a suitable target presented itself.

 

My early lists have featured Plasmaceptors and MM Attack bikes and I have enjoyed the flexibility to buff their shooting for a while before getting into melee (Plasmaceptors in particular depend on those rerolls). Previously DVOS was practically a no-brainer upgrade. Now you have to think more carefully about what role you want your Captain to play in your battle plans.

 

I don't disagree. 

 

But as many others have pointed out in other places, "the best" build right now seems to be Red Marines, doing what works for Codex: SM. That's fine for some, different strokes and all, but for me I like to really go with the unique flavors of BA. So an insane captain lost to the Black Rage charging into the enemy ranks is what appeals to me. 

[SnorriSnorrison]

I don't like DC captains at all at the moment. With pre-game upgrades being much more important now, I'm usually building lists with just a battalion. I spend around 4 CP before the game begins, 6 with a Folorn fury, so taking more detachments to get a DC character into the list seems a bit...wasteful to me.
My captain build right now is a bit of everything. Melee in both offense and defense as well as a force multiplier.

 

Even though not technical a captain anymore:

 

Captain, Warlord

- Chapter Master

- Inferno Pistol

- Relic Blade

- Relic: Angel Artifice

- WLT: Gift of Foresight

- Angel Exemplar: Artisan of War (MC weapon, relic blade)

 

He's fairly tough, durable and can hit like a truck. The CM buff isn't necessary, but very strong obviously.

[Karhedron]

If going for CM, I would be tempted to give him a Thunder Hammer since he can give himself full rerolls. He can then either go for a 4D hammer or trade AOW for something like Gift of Foresight.

[SnorriSnorrison]

Yeah, good point. The 3D blade was good though, but another pip of Strength and damage sure won't hurt! The thing is that he doesn't need to buff himself and can do it on other units, 1 re-roll per turn being included....

[Diagramdude]

130 pt Blender:

 

Captain on Bike, Chainsword+Stormshield, Teeth of Terra, Imperium's Sword, The Lost. 10 attacks on the charge T1, more with Death Visions if you can get a bunch of enemy models within 6". S6 AP-2 D2, can get extra AP w/ Blood Chalice.

 

 

I like the bike for the 12"+14" move, plus T5 and 6W to make him more annoying to remove in the opponent's responding turn. 

[Karhedron]

Yes, Teeth of Terra is quite a tasty Reilc. Personally I tend to give it to my Sanguinary Priest since he can't take any other weapon upgrades but Captain Blender does look like he has mileage.

[Indefragable]

For Captain Blender, I lean towards the dual LC's, personally....Teeth of Terra + storm shield is more well rounded, but if you're going for a straight-up squad-deleter the re-rolls To Wound from the LC's are just too good to pass up. 

[Captain Caine 24th]

These builds are great.

 

Lightning claw blender builds seem comparatively better with the advent of more and more models reducing multiple damage attacks. Also really like the native re-roll wound with red thirst (it hits like a much higher strength weapon). It's also relatively cheap.

 

I've not used an inferno pistol before (well besides Dante). I hesitate due to the range, but if it hits it definitely will cause problems. I suppose a plasma pistol could strip a wound but I'm not thrilled by that either.

 

Imperium's Sword: I think this is top tier when looking to shovel on the damage. Pour it on thick. Come get the gravy. Charge reroll's are really good because you don't need Icon of the angel, gleaming pinions, or a nearby chaplain. I should note that top tier depends on the purpose of the captain. If the smash captain only lives for a turn or two his total damage output may be significantly less than an aura supporting captain build surviving most or all game. On the other hand if he has one purpose he must accomplish that purpose (spare no expense as they say at Jurassic park).

Champion of Humanity I actually like it, but it has no function if you aren't hunting characters.

Rites of War I really like but moreso in a supportive captain role.

Selfless valor isn't in my top tier, but 6" heroic intervention could win a game. I feel it's more of a support choice.

 

Gift of Foresight: I like that the trait uses "and" and that it uses "turn" not battle round. There's mileage on this one. To me it's a good solid pick.

Soulwarden: I think it just says mortal wounds (not mortal wounds in the psychic phase). I don't get blasted by mortal wounds that much, but I could see value in take all comers list.

Heroic Bearing: helpful for support, but not a smash captain.

Artisan of war: It's a solid pick in any list, i don't know that a captain will be getting it though. 

Speed of the primarch: I was reading the advance rules on 'fight first' issues. Looks like the rule says an enemy charging unit would go first despite this warlord trait. Also this rule triggers prior to the pile in phase, so it seems like somehow a unit might pile into you and this trait wouldn't work. Alas, I loved it in 8th ed.

 

Can 'the lost' take relics then? I didn't see a prohibition, except that they can't be the warlord or get chapter command or perform actions. I actually originally read it too fast and thought they couldn't take a warlord trait at all so this is all much better than I thought. On first glance I discounted 'The Lost' entirely. It's cool they don't necessarily take up a captain slot, but HQ is a crowded section for me already and I'm not worried about captains these days. But, what do other space marines not have--why do we stand out---forlorn fury + red thirst. I mean maybe I'm missing something but even white scars are only charge after advance. Though I am entirely convinced it'll get an FAQ to reign it in.

 

I actually am very interested in the idea of a super mobile & durable captain, just as much as a blender or smasher. I wonder if there is value in using forlorn fury to tie a unit up 1st turn with a captain. We don't have a means to prevent falling back, he couldn't pin a unit in by himself, and having so many attacks he could wipe a small unit. So, you certainly wouldn't want to launch forward and wind up out in the open when your opponent pays CP to fall back. Trading the captain for some incursors midfield wouldn't be all that great either. But, if at least one other unit could make it into combat it could start to get real interesting. 1st turn charges seem just on the cusp of our grasp. 

[Diagramdude]

1st turn charge is basically a given with either a jump or bike DC captain (and probably a DC squad alongside him). It's a 12" forlorn move followed by a 12-14" normal move depending on if you are jumping with or without Wrath of Baal or using a bike. Thats 24"-26" movement and the deployment zones are 18-24" apart. You can deploy your DC units right on the line now because if you go second and are threatened by exposure you can still forlorn defensively into a safer location. So your opponent either has to commit heavily to backlining or you will be in his ranks T1. 

[Gloomfoe]

Terminator death company captain

-storm shield

-thunder hammer

-HOTC:gift of foresight

-relic:visage of death

 

Now you're rocking a 1+ out in the open, 4++,6+++(5+++ for 1 CP PER PHASE)-1 to hit in melee(removes obsec w/in 3" as well)

 

With forlorn fury who needs jump packs? Just throw this guy into the biggest blob you can find, preferably next to an enemy character so he can do some death visions shenanigans

[SnorriSnorrison]

Terminator death company captain

-storm shield

-thunder hammer

-HOTC:gift of foresight

-relic:visage of death

Now you're rocking a 1+ out in the open, 4++,6+++(5+++ for 1 CP PER PHASE)-1 to hit in melee(removes obsec w/in 3" as well)

With forlorn fury who needs jump packs? Just throw this guy into the biggest blob you can find, preferably next to an enemy character so he can do some death visions shenanigans

He does, or are you going to spend 1CP on a 5 “ move before the game? 2CP for 10” if you’re allowed to use the stratagem twice?

While the build itself is quite tanky and can pull off some nice tricks regarding objectives, be noted that a single character won’t override a 5 or 10-man squad holding an objective because the Death mask doesn’t grant ObSec itself.

He most likely needs to deep strike to actually make an impact.

Edited December 24, 2020 by SnorriSnorrison

[Xenith]

Terminator death company captain

-storm shield

-thunder hammer

-HOTC:gift of foresight

-relic:visage of death

 

Now you're rocking a 1+ out in the open, 4++,6+++(5+++ for 1 CP PER PHASE)-1 to hit in melee(removes obsec w/in 3" as well)

 

With forlorn fury who needs jump packs? Just throw this guy into the biggest blob you can find, preferably next to an enemy character so he can do some death visions shenanigans

 

As per above, he'll struggle to get to combat and make an impact. 5" move TDA +1CP for forlorn is unnecessary  when you can spend the CP on Angel Exemplar > Artisan > Artificer armour and then take a jump pack or bike. You get more movement, then can still forlorn if you want to afterwards. 

[ixzion]

130 pt Blender:

 

Captain on Bike, Chainsword+Stormshield, Teeth of Terra, Imperium's Sword, The Lost. 10 attacks on the charge T1, more with Death Visions if you can get a bunch of enemy models within 6". S6 AP-2 D2, can get extra AP w/ Blood Chalice.

 

 

I like the bike for the 12"+14" move, plus T5 and 6W to make him more annoying to remove in the opponent's responding turn. 

 

That sounds great! I should really convert up a bike captain at some point.

 

I have now played twice with the following build:

 

Captain w/ jump pack

Chainsword

Stormshield

Imperium's Sword (WL trait)

Of Wrath and Rage (Flesh Tearers WL trait)

Teeth of Terra (relic)

 

"Only" 9 attacks on the charge when not in assault doctrine, but each 6 to hit grants additional hits. Last time I played my opponent I did 13 hits in total on more than one occassion which was pretty great. 120 points.

[Diagramdude]

With Unleash Rage and Of Wrath and Rage would each 6 be 3 hits?

[ixzion]

I believe it would have been 2 hits for each 6. Unfortunately Unleash Rage can only target Core units so the Captain can't be affected.

[Captain Caine 24th]

Ah I don't have my rule book on me. I seem to remember exploding hits (extra hit on a 6) coming up with imperial fists bolters. I think you can have multiple rules triggering extra hits but those extra hits themselves don't benefit from other bonus rules that may trigger on a 6.