Paladin Squad- how to equip?

[Helias_Tancred]

Subject says it all. I have a five man paladin squad to equip. New GK player looking for advice on this.

 

I'm seeing it as mostly swords, with a hammer on the Paragon? Or a halberd on the Paragon? For a heavy weapon I'm thinking incinerator?

 

Again, never played a paladin squad yet? For that matter I have yet to get a game in with my GK yet. Still building and painting.

 

Thanks.

 

[Skywrath]

I go with halberds and hammer on the paragon. AP 2 is all you need to force invuln saves. Plus with T5 being more or less common, wounding on 3s instead of 4s would be preferred.

 

As for heavy weapons, I'd be looking at either the psycannon or incinerator. Psilencers seem dead this edition.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Skywrath

[L30n1d4s]

All Nemesis Daemon Hammer loadout is a pretty solid option... support with a Paladin Ancient (for 26 attacks and hitting on 2+s, since the Ancient gives them +1 to Hit to counteract the -1 to hit from the NDHs). Add in full rerolls to Wound with Hammerhand and the option to go to Dmg4 on the NDHs via Empyric Amplification and you have an outright devastating unit.

 

This volume of S8 AP-2 attacks can deal with hordes (like Skitarii and massed Sisters and T5 Ork Boyz), vehicles (like Drukhari massed Raiders or lots of Ork vehicles with "Ramshackle"), or elite Infantry (like DG Terminators and Deathwing Terminators). Finally, Tide of Convergence gives you MWs for even more damage output, if you are up against an extremely tough opponent.

 

As a bonus, the Paladin Ancient can cast Sanctuary on them for a 4++ and can make them ObSec with the Unyielding Anvil WL Trait.

Edited September 2, 2021 by L30n1d4s

[Skywrath]

All Nemesis Daemon Hammer loadout is a pretty solid option... support with a Paladin Ancient (for 26 attacks and hitting on 2+s, since the Ancient gives them +1 to Hit to counteract the -1 to hit from the NDHs). Add in full rerolls to Wound with Hammerhand and the option to go to Dmg4 on the NDHs via Empyric Amplification and you have an outright devastating unit.

 

This volume of S8 AP-2 attacks can deal with hordes (like Skitarii and massed Sisters and T5 Ork Boyz), vehicles (like Drukhari massed Raiders or lots of Ork vehicles with "Ramshackle"), or elite Infantry (like DG Terminators and Deathwing Terminators). Finally, Tide of Convergence gives you MWs for even more damage output, if you are up against an extremely tough opponent.

 

As a bonus, the Paladin Ancient can cast Sanctuary on them for a 4++ and can make them ObSec with the Unyielding Anvil WL Trait.

 

Let's not forget that Paladins are overcosted for what they do, and you'd be paying 10pts for each instance of a hammer. Then there is the 100pts on top of that for the paladin ancient that only works on the paladins, and not the brotherhood, in an already elite army. Then on top of those mentioned posts, there are other units that can do the same thing but better - see every single PA unit and the Apothecary. 

 

If you wanted to run Paladins, I'd be tempted to leave them as a 3m/5m squad as a pseudo mortal wound bomb with purifying flame, and perhaps armored resilience once you settle on a point. Giving everyone in that squad a hammer is not ideal, when there are better options floating around.

Edited September 2, 2021 by Skywrath

[Captain Coolpants]

It's a weird one. With all the attacks we get now, hammers are worth it more than ever, especially now they all have WS 2..but at the same time, I don't feel that hammers are as useful as they once were. Nowadays, it seems more efficient and reliable having extra AP.

[jay170788]

All Nemesis Daemon Hammer loadout is a pretty solid option... support with a Paladin Ancient (for 26 attacks and hitting on 2+s, since the Ancient gives them +1 to Hit to counteract the -1 to hit from the NDHs). Add in full rerolls to Wound with Hammerhand and the option to go to Dmg4 on the NDHs via Empyric Amplification and you have an outright devastating unit.

 

This volume of S8 AP-2 attacks can deal with hordes (like Skitarii and massed Sisters and T5 Ork Boyz), vehicles (like Drukhari massed Raiders or lots of Ork vehicles with "Ramshackle"), or elite Infantry (like DG Terminators and Deathwing Terminators). Finally, Tide of Convergence gives you MWs for even more damage output, if you are up against an extremely tough opponent.

 

As a bonus, the Paladin Ancient can cast Sanctuary on them for a 4++ and can make them ObSec with the Unyielding Anvil WL Trait.

 

Don't forget that there is an abundance of ignore AP-1 and AP-2 in the game right now. which means that your humble sword would actually be so much better against things like sisters and admech infantry.

[L30n1d4s]

Well, decent point about AP-3 Swords being better against Sisters and AdMech infantry, but let's scope this realistically a bit... only one AdMech unit a turn can benefit from the "Logi" Holy Order Trait to ignore AP-1/-2 and they have to be within 6" of the Techpriest in the previous Comand Phase to do so, which limits the application, and frequency your Paladins will have to deal with this, a lot.

 

For Sisters, Order of the Valorous Heart has changed since 8th... now it reduces AP-1/AP-2 by 1, so AP-2 NDHs would be hitting at AP-1... between 26 attacks, WS2+, and wounding on 2+s, you are still doing serious damage to the Sisters squad (and that only if they are Valorous Heart, which is not the top tier choice these days... everyone else you are still hitting at AP-2).

 

About the only other place you can find ignore AP-1/-2 is the unique Strat for Custodes Terminators (even Salamander Chapter Tactics only ignore AP-1), so I am not sure this problem for AP-2 NDHs is as big a deal as you suggest.

[WAR]

For Sisters, Order of the Valorous Heart has changed since 8th... now it reduces AP-1/AP-2 by 1, so AP-2 NDHs would be hitting at AP-1... between 26 attacks, WS2+, and wounding on 2+s, you are still doing serious damage to the Sisters squad (and that only if they are Valorous Heart, which is not the top tier choice these days... everyone else you are still hitting at AP-2).

I annoyed my friend with the OotVH against his iron hands including a repentia make her saves against a redemptor in melee, repeatedly. Granted his was a dread heavy army and not a melee army like grey knights. It made the rest of my group watching the game take notice (a lot of them are newer and have not seen sisters before or if they have not played aggressively like I do with them).

 

I still prefer halberds on my Paladins (hammer on Paragon) but I did do a squad of all swords with dual incinerators for chaff clearing against certain opponents. But I also play for fun so competitive play is enh to me

Edited September 2, 2021 by war009

[Gnomeo]

Personally as above power armour is generally more points efficient at the moment but a 3man paladin unit isn't massively experience and gives a lot of threat. Being 3 man it is easier to deep strike and with there choice of powers you have some utility. I do think 5 might start getting too expensive. But the codex is new and we are all getting used to it so play what you feel is cool and have fun.

 

Welcome to grey knights the coolest space marines around

[Grimlock]

If you are looking to run them for a pick up game, any of the opinions would work on them. It comes down to flavor. I do like the idea of 5 of them running with hammers as this can pretty much obliterate anything it touches.

 

Competitive I would leave them home at the moment until you get some games under your belt. The problem is that they do not benefit from a brotherhood which can be problematic and they are very expensive.

[Helias_Tancred]

If you're going to put a daemon hammer in the squad is it a no-brainer to give it to the paragon?

[Mr4Minutes]

I feel 3 barebones paladins, in cover, with armored resilience and tide of shadows could be a strong back field objective holder.

 

That’s a pretty hard unit to shift with most weapons that don’t need LoS. And they’ll clean up most units that try to get into your backfield for ROD or other objectives.

[Helias_Tancred]

I got 'em built. I went with the balanced route; 2 halberds, 2 swords, and a hammer. For a special weapon I went psi-cannon.

[Axilleas]

I keep my Paladins in min squads with barebones load out to keep them cheap. One squad with halberds and one squad with falchions.

 

They have a small footprint and can serve multiple purposes. I've only played one game with the new codex, but both squads put in work and ended up being the best performers for me.