Unit of the Week: Lieutenant in Reiver Amour

[Jolemai]

Welcome to part two of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week Series!

Following the release of the 9^th edition Supplement, there is no better time to discuss all the units we have access to. Each week a different unit will appear, with the idea being that we discuss how best to use that model on the battlefield. Where part one will focus on the unique BA units and part two will focus on BA units that are new to this edition of the Codex, part three will discuss how to get the best use the generic units from the past that are still with us (and that many of us have in our armies still), and part four will discuss the Legends units that we still own and love. Finally, part five will be dedicated to the reinforcements from Forge World.

Note, this isn't to lament any nerfs, etc, from previous editions; the rules are as they are so try to unlock its potential for those who wish to use them all the same. Similarly, this thread is only for using the option being discussed; it matters not if you feel something is a better choice as such comments aren't constructive to the topic and shall be removed.

Without further ado, here's this week's entry:

Lieutenant in Reiver Armour

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use your Reiver Lieutenant(s)?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? Will the beta rules affect your list(s)?
• Will you be running multiples or a mixture of Lieutenants via Company Heroes?
• How are you buffing this unit?
• How are you making use of Tactical Precision and Terrifying Aura?
• Stratagem synergy or note?

Over to you

Please note that the Lieutenant, Lieutenant in Phobos Armour, and Primaris Lieutenant will be discussed elsewhere.

[Jolemai]

Should you want your model on display here (or on another thread from the series), then submit a photo here please.

[Karhedron]

I am planning on building a Reiver Lt as he seems to have definite possibilities. He hits as hard as a wet noodle but he still brings the full aura of rerolling 1s to wound that any other Lt has so put him with a decent squad and let them do the heavy lifting. His ability to inflict -2 Ld on the enemy can make morale bite a bit harder. Plus he has access to shock grenades. If you opponent is relying on a powerhouse unit then slapping a -1 to hit on all their attacks can be a real pain.

The inability to use Concealed Positions is a nuisance but as a character, footslogging is not too dangerous as long as he sticks close to friendly units. Give him Rites of War and laugh as he can single handedly steal any Objective, even when outnumbered 20-to-1 by ObjSec Troops. Remember if you and your opponent both hold 2 Objectives that is 10 VPs each. If your Lt can steal one, even for a turn that becomes 15:5 to you. A 10VP lead at the right time can really swing the game.

He is a bit of a finesse tool but he has a lot of tricks in the bag for 75 points and only uses up 1/2 of an HQ slot.

Edited April 7, 2021 by Karhedron

[Tokugawa]

An HQ with the crappiest wargear among all sorts of Marines, could seen tournament play. This fact already proved its special ability is very useful. The only question is whether you have "unoccupied" HQ slot to bring him.

[Xenith]

Reiver Lt in a BA Successor (Fearsome Aspect, other)

 

WLT: Fear Made Manifest

Relic: Vox Espiritum

 

An enemy model within:

9" has -1 Ld

6" has -4 Ld. 

 

If you can somehow get both him and a second REIVER unit within 3" of an enemy unit, the enemy unit gets -7 Ld. 

 

Combine this with Terror Troops to Switch off ObSec within a 18" diameter bubble, and make people fail actions on units within 3" on a failed Ld test at -4. Guerilla tactics can be used to get him where needed.

 

Still very niche, probably casual games only, and CP hungry. 

[FormelyKnownAsSmashyPants]

He’d be a lot more useful with the option to take a grav chute. But I’m sure he has his uses. Even though he probably isn’t super effective in Matched play, I plan on getting the model as I mainly plan on play crusade.

[DistractionTacMarine]

If he could take the grav chute I would include him in a lot of lists. As is, he is a terrible combat unit but has some strong abilities. Unfortunately even stacking LD modifiers are rarely significant since your opponent can pop Insane Bravery or just lose the few models to morale. If he (and/or regular Reivers) gave a debuff to combat attrition tests instead of (or in addition to) LD, then they would have a niche.

[Tokugawa]

In fact the official model for this unit is even not a reiver: it has "Primaris Lieutenant in Phobos Armour" printed on box. So sadly, no grapnel and gravchute.

 

The reason which made GW gave it reiver keyword, is possibly because there is already exist a "Primaris Lieutenant in Phobos Armour" model in the game, and GW wanted to make some differences.

[Karhedron]

Unfortunately even stacking LD modifiers are rarely significant since your opponent can pop Insane Bravery or just lose the few models to morale.

Actually it is better than it looks. Insane bravery is not cheap at 2CPs and your opponent can only use it once per phase. 9th edition tends to favour MSU. If you use Xenith's build above, you may be able to catch several units per turn in its aura. You opponent cannot IB all of them and is going to start bleeding to attrition one way or another, even from light casualties.

[Tokugawa]

Leadership affection was never a tournament-level competitive strategy in 8th, and in 9th it just become worse since the meta favors MSU more. Especially, currently there are many "top tier" lists don't care about morale at all(e.g. DA, chaos monsters, very MSU harlequins).

[Metzombie]

 

Insane bravery is not cheap at 2CPs and your opponent can only use it once per phase

Insane bravery can only be used once per game.

[DistractionTacMarine]

 

Unfortunately even stacking LD modifiers are rarely significant since your opponent can pop Insane Bravery or just lose the few models to morale.

Actually it is better than it looks. Insane bravery is not cheap at 2CPs and your opponent can only use it once per phase. 9th edition tends to favour MSU. If you use Xenith's build above, you may be able to catch several units per turn in its aura. You opponent cannot IB all of them and is going to start bleeding to attrition one way or another, even from light casualties.

A 5-man unit of marines that fails morale won’t, on average, lose another marine to combat attrition. A squad of 10 will lose less than 2 on average. Most of the biggest horde squads in 40K either don’t care about morale - boyz - or are immune. It’s a lot of effort to stack on an enemy unit to hope that they have bad luck on their combat attrition tests.

[Xenith]

If he could take the grav chute I would include him in a lot of lists. As is, he is a terrible combat unit but has some strong abilities. Unfortunately even stacking LD modifiers are rarely significant since your opponent can pop Insane Bravery or just lose the few models to morale. If he (and/or regular Reivers) gave a debuff to combat attrition tests instead of (or in addition to) LD, then they would have a niche.

 

The Fear Made Manifest trait gives -1 to attrition tests. 

 

 

 

A 5-man unit of marines that fails morale won’t, on average, lose another marine to combat attrition. A squad of 10 will lose less than 2 on average. Most of the biggest horde squads in 40K either don’t care about morale - boyz - or are immune. It’s a lot of effort to stack on an enemy unit to hope that they have bad luck on their combat attrition tests.

 

 

Within range of this build above, if they lose 1 model, they fail Ld on a 4+, so not great. If you kill 2/5, then they fail on a 3+, if they do, they drop to 2 models remaining and take attrition tests at -2, losing on average one more. 

 

But yea, I agree, it's not a tournament winning strategy, but it's not a great unit. This is maybe just how to have some fun with it in game that might surprise your opponent. 

[Karhedron]

To be fair, that is why I think using him to mess with ObjSec is better. Between "Terror Troops" and "Rites of War", you can go stealing Objectives from under your opponent's nose.

[DistractionTacMarine]

 

 

If he could take the grav chute I would include him in a lot of lists. As is, he is a terrible combat unit but has some strong abilities. Unfortunately even stacking LD modifiers are rarely significant since your opponent can pop Insane Bravery or just lose the few models to morale. If he (and/or regular Reivers) gave a debuff to combat attrition tests instead of (or in addition to) LD, then they would have a niche.

The Fear Made Manifest trait gives -1 to attrition tests.

 

A 5-man unit of marines that fails morale won’t, on average, lose another marine to combat attrition. A squad of 10 will lose less than 2 on average. Most of the biggest horde squads in 40K either don’t care about morale - boyz - or are immune. It’s a lot of effort to stack on an enemy unit to hope that they have bad luck on their combat attrition tests.

 

Within range of this build above, if they lose 1 model, they fail Ld on a 4+, so not great. If you kill 2/5, then they fail on a 3+, if they do, they drop to 2 models remaining and take attrition tests at -2, losing on average one more.

 

But yea, I agree, it's not a tournament winning strategy, but it's not a great unit. This is maybe just how to have some fun with it in game that might surprise your opponent.

Marines and DG ignore the attrition modifier, but against other factions this could have some play, especially against large squads.