Primaris Crusader Squads

[Arufel87]

So, now we've had chance to digest the new rules what is the consensus for loadouts for the primaris crusader squad? Also, do we think running a big mob of 20 would work?

[Khornestar]

I think I’d rather take multiple units of 10. 20 are just a bit unwieldy to me on the table, though I would like to try.

 

Fists all over the place. Love it with my WE berzerkers, templars can do it even better. Can the sword brother also take a fist? 3 fists and 7 Astartes chainswords sounds great.

Edited October 10, 2021 by Juggernut

[BitsHammer]

So, now we've had chance to digest the new rules what is the consensus for loadouts for the primaris crusader squad? Also, do we think running a big mob of 20 would work?

Between Uphold and Transhuman we have a lot of durability and we can always pop Gene-wrought might to make it easier to auto-wound tougher targets. Plus if you want a caddy for 4 power fists it's definitely an option.

 

Sadly the lack of transport options really stands in the way of it being great, but on the flipside we can take 3 blocks of 20 for roughly 1k so they're priced pretty decently for Primaris bodies.

[redmapa]

I think small 5 man troops are still the better option BUT I can see a 20 man squad with 4 power fists being a pain if you outflank it and Uphold vow does offer much more viability to a black tide type of list but for me a single 20 man unit is enough of a brick without leaning heavily into infantry spam.

[Marshal Reinhard]

I think small 5 man troops are still the better option

Minimum size for the Primaris crusader squad is 10. You have to take a sword brother, 5 initiates and 4 neophytes at minimum.

 

There's also some peculiarities in the armaments, the sword brother has to do HBP and either power sword or axe. Initiates can freely choose between auto bolter and HBP and CS, but the neophytes all have the same armament (either all BP and CS, all carbines, or all shotguns)

[T14]

Two fists, a Psword and the rest armed with Cswords sounds like a fun 10 strong unit for just over 200 pts

[Palmu]

I'll be testing out a 20-strong unit with a single PF, a PS on the SB, Shotguns on the Neos, and the Seal of Sigismund. 

 

It just feels to me that the Seal is the best fit on an unit with less quality output like this, instead of an unit that's already going to slaughter anything it comes into contact with, buffs or no buffs. An unit like this rolling down the field with a Chaplain keeping them under protection feels like a great unit to anchor the army around. 

[BitsHammer]

I'll be testing out a 20-strong unit with a single PF, a PS on the SB, Shotguns on the Neos, and the Seal of Sigismund. 

 

It just feels to me that the Seal is the best fit on an unit with less quality output like this, instead of an unit that's already going to slaughter anything it comes into contact with, buffs or no buffs. An unit like this rolling down the field with a Chaplain keeping them under protection feels like a great unit to anchor the army around. 

 

Honestly I don't like the Seal. It costs 20 points and only works against a single unit you designate. Sure that's fine for hunting super heavies, but against most armies it's a lot less handy.

[Palmu]

 

I'll be testing out a 20-strong unit with a single PF, a PS on the SB, Shotguns on the Neos, and the Seal of Sigismund. 

 

It just feels to me that the Seal is the best fit on an unit with less quality output like this, instead of an unit that's already going to slaughter anything it comes into contact with, buffs or no buffs. An unit like this rolling down the field with a Chaplain keeping them under protection feels like a great unit to anchor the army around. 

 

Honestly I don't like the Seal. It costs 20 points and only works against a single unit you designate. Sure that's fine for hunting super heavies, but against most armies it's a lot less handy.

 

 

I view it less as an applied tool, and more of a psychological tool. 20 points to deter a scary or frustrating enemy unit from touching the unit carrying it sounds like a steal. 

 

Not everything needs to lead to a tangible effect. The fear of a result can be just as devastating as the result itself. 

Edited October 10, 2021 by Palmu

[T14]

BTW, Do we have access to enough high-res images to make a load-out tally of the sprues?

[tvih]

Two fists, a Psword and the rest armed with Cswords sounds like a fun 10 strong unit for just over 200 pts

Probably more or less what I'm doing, though I haven't looked at all the possibilities yet. Also I don't have plans to buy more Primaris Crusaders at this time - I'll run Assault Intercessors or my oldmarines for the rest of my troop needs. The lists I'll run with BT with this supplement should play quite differently indeed compared to my post-Primaris Crimson Fists lists (not that CF can't do a nice CC list too).

Edited October 10, 2021 by tvih

[General Strike]

BTW, Do we have access to enough high-res images to make a load-out tally of the sprues?

You get two of each sprue in a crusader squad. You get enough bolt carbines, bolt pistols, initiate chainsword arms, neophyte chainsword arms, heavy bolt pistols, and auto boltrifles to equip the five initiates and four neophytes with either. It also comes with two pyreblasters, two power fists, two power swords, and two power axes. Not sure why they aren't allowing initiates to take a sword or axe and just the fist when they give us enough.

[BitsHammer]

 

BTW, Do we have access to enough high-res images to make a load-out tally of the sprues?

You get two of each sprue in a crusader squad. You get enough bolt carbines, bolt pistols, initiate chainsword arms, neophyte chainsword arms, heavy bolt pistols, and auto boltrifles to equip the five initiates and four neophytes with either. It also comes with two pyreblasters, two power fists, two power swords, and two power axes. Not sure why they aren't allowing initiates to take a sword or axe and just the fist when they give us enough.

 

Or why the Sword Brother can't take a chainsword.

[General Strike]

On the topic of the sword bro, is he optional or mandatory?

[BitsHammer]

On the topic of the sword bro, is he optional or mandatory?

Mandatory. I think the idea is much like how Baldemort presents Crusader Squads: A Sword Brother takes up a task and others follow him to complete that task.

[Cryptshadow]

On the topic of the sword bro, is he optional or mandatory?

U need 1 in the squad as a sgt

[Sete]

 

BTW, Do we have access to enough high-res images to make a load-out tally of the sprues?

You get two of each sprue in a crusader squad. You get enough bolt carbines, bolt pistols, initiate chainsword arms, neophyte chainsword arms, heavy bolt pistols, and auto boltrifles to equip the five initiates and four neophytes with either. It also comes with two pyreblasters, two power fists, two power swords, and two power axes. Not sure why they aren't allowing initiates to take a sword or axe and just the fist when they give us enough.

Email the FaQ team.

[BitsHammer]

 

 

BTW, Do we have access to enough high-res images to make a load-out tally of the sprues?

You get two of each sprue in a crusader squad. You get enough bolt carbines, bolt pistols, initiate chainsword arms, neophyte chainsword arms, heavy bolt pistols, and auto boltrifles to equip the five initiates and four neophytes with either. It also comes with two pyreblasters, two power fists, two power swords, and two power axes. Not sure why they aren't allowing initiates to take a sword or axe and just the fist when they give us enough.

Email the FaQ team.

 

I'll add it to the list.

[Freypal]

Curious if there were any more thoughts on this? My launch box is in the post and still undecided on how to loadout the Crusader squad. Tempted with the 2PF, 1PS, rest chainsword melee route to complement my existing assault intercessors... 

 

Not owning any regular shooty intercessors, I'm not really sure how a shooty loadout on the crusaders would compare to them? Melee crusaders vs assault intercessors seems a close thing, not sure if it's the same for regular intercessors. I'd been planning on getting some mid-range objective sitters so a bit torn on what would be best. 

[Blindhamster]

I’d say melee intercessors are better due to the fight twice strat…

 

Though extra special weapons on crusaders makes them better without CP expense.

 

Bolter intercessors are better at shooting due to shoot twice start, the two squads are roughly equal without

[Palmu]

Plenty of thoughts, no chance to test even the first of them. One thing I realized was that Crusader Primaris are now the only primaris unit that can mix and match equipment in any form, unlike the static loadouts of other primaris units - The Initiates can run one kind of equipment, and the Neophytes can run another kind. So you can mix CC ability with reasonable shooting if you want to. Like Initiates with rifles, Neophytes with chainswords for an unit that does a bit of everything. 

[ChargingSoll]

I’d say melee intercessors are better due to the fight twice strat…

 

Though extra special weapons on crusaders makes them better without CP expense.

 

Bolter intercessors are better at shooting due to shoot twice start, the two squads are roughly equal without

 

Yeah I reckon CP will be the driving factor of assault intercessors or crusaders, heir of Sigismund, champion of the feast, bombastic delivery, tenacious assault, abhor the Witch and strength in conviction will all eat up our CP even before we use the regulars staple ones from the main codex.

 

We have alot of flexibility to play with even before we consisted options from the base codex. Could see a moment where a fight twice could make a difference and when the power fists are needed to rekt vehicles and monsters.

 

Personal choice I reckon, crusaders are cooler to me them assault intercessors.

Edited October 13, 2021 by ChargingSoll

[Marshal Loss]

Still equivocating about how best to run these guys. Their main selling point as I see it is their ability to be run as a blob, so that's what I'll do with my first 20 - but running more than a single unit of that size is probably not a good idea.

• Neophytes are far more efficient equipped for melee rather than range, as their output is the same as a fully-fledged marine. I'd probably equip them in this way even if arming Initiates with auto bolt rifles.
• They're too expensive to be used for backfield objective holding, so we're still going to want one or two cheaper/long-ranged units to sit back on our side of the board.

Need to get some game time in with 10 man units and see how they go. Primaris Crusaders are such a flexible unit, which is great, so I'm looking forward to trying them out. I don't see them setting the tournament world on fire, same as Sword Brethren, but they're still very solid.

[BitsHammer]

I’d say melee intercessors are better due to the fight twice strat…

 

Though extra special weapons on crusaders makes them better without CP expense.

 

Bolter intercessors are better at shooting due to shoot twice start, the two squads are roughly equal without

Fighting twice is only handy for dealing with a tarpit. In most situations you'll kill your way out, maybe consolidate to touch another unit and be unable to fight the new target.

[BitsHammer]

Eliminates with Witchseeker bolts on the SGT feel like a fun pick. They don't get camo cloak bonuses under Upheld though so paint the clocks up in tabard colors and add a chapter symbol on the back.