Deathwing Apothecaries - too powerful?

[m_r_parker]

Just mucking my way through the new supplement, and the amount of shenanigans someone can pull is extreme, but the Deathwing Apothecary feels a bit OTT as he stands at the moment.

 

1) Upgrade him to a Chief Apothecary for an additional Power, make him your Warlord and give him the 'Selfless Healer' warlord trait.

2) Spend a CP on the 'Paragon of the Chapter' stratagem to give him an additional DA Warlord trait, give him 'Innexorable' from the Deathwing Table.

3) Obviously take the Dark Angel 'Grim Resolve' Chapter Tactic

4) Include a Deathwing Command Squad to keep around him.

 

After those steps, you have a 5W 2+ / 5++ character who can't be wounded on an unmodified 1-3 roll, can't be targeted by a ranged attack whilst he's within 3" of the Command Squad, has a 6" Narthecium 6+ bubble around him, has -1 Damage on any attacks against him (to a minimum of 1), can heal 2 models every turn by 3W and restore a dead model via the 'Combat Revival' stratagem every turn for 0CP due to 'Selfless Healer'. 

Plus if you do this in a Vanguard Detachment via the 1st Company detachment ability, the detachments Command Benefits is increased to +3CP.

And all of this is before you start looking at Relics / Special Issue Wargear, or looking at other abilities (such as the Pennant of Remembrance)

 

As a Deathwing fan this all feels just a little too much. Trying to place myself in my opponent shoes, I'm struggling to think how you could begin to shift this should this be placed in-between two other Deathwing units. 

If this were some sort of specialist build that really hampered you, through taking units you wouldn't normally think about or spending a boat load of Command Points, then I could understand it - but anyone thinking about a Deathwing build (which in itself is now pretty strong), you really would want to take an Apothecary and the additional 1P and 1CP to upgrade him to a Chief Apothecary with a second Warlord Trait feels very conservative.

 

Or have I gone completely nuts and missed something blindingly obvious?...

[Karhedron]

No, Apothecaries are strong in 9th and the Deathwing and Ravenwing versions even more so as they have access to upgrades that other Chapters do not get.

 

The only restriction is that you are teathering the squads and character together but no more than other Character with good buff auras. What can I say? Go wild and enjoy fielding units that make Deathguard look fragile.

[Angel of Solitude]

Or have I gone completely nuts and missed something blindingly obvious?...

I think the "blindingly obvious" might be the opportunity cost of investing so much in one model. For example: spending 1CP on a second warlord trait is a warlord trait that another unit is missing out on. Having the Command Squad babysitting the Apothecary could prevent them from protecting another model that is more important - for example for scoring secondaries. The final thing is that if you go for a Ravenwing Apothecary instead, then you have the mobility factor which allows you to move your apothecary to somewhere it is needed, and so takes away some choice for your opponent.

 

As with many things, it's one of the things worth trying.

[LucidNinja]

I honestly feel the ravenwing apothecary is in line for a change. Standard it is a great unit, as soon as it becomes a chief though it's pretty op.

[Chaplain Lucifer]

C'mon guys... After só many bitter editions you are complaining we have something OP?

Just kept it quiet else we get hit with the nerf bat... ;)

Edited February 9, 2021 by Chaplain Lucifer

[FarFromSam]

Some one get this fool back to chamber 42.  We've served our time.   (All friends here, just teasing ya bud.)

Edited February 10, 2021 by farfromsam

[Malakithe]

Thats a lot to invest on one model only to have it killed via Smite

[Karhedron]

Given that the Apothecary wants to be near the infantry he is buffing, getting someone in place to Smite him may be easier said than done. Even if they succeed, 5W with a 6+++ means you will need 3 successful Smites on average to bring him down. If you fail to kill him in one round, you can bet he will be healing himself next turn. Similarly the 2+/5++ from TDA means Snipers won't have an easy time taking him out either.

 

Not saying the model in indestructible, nothing is in 9th edition. But he is reasonably well protected to the point that your enemy may simply be better off killing the models the Apothecary is there to buff.