Relic of Lost Cadia

[mertbl]

I run a Cadian heavy force at the moment. All Shock troops, 3x10 Kasrkin, 2x Cadian Command Squads. I'm trying to make the Relic of Lost Cadia work but its trigger in the command phase based ability makes it difficult for me to use. Anyone used it? How? Successful? 

[OldWherewolf]

I haven't tried the Relic of Lost Cadia. 

 

I would imagine your're right that it's very difficult to use.  To get the most out of the relic, It's something you use during a counter-charge, which isn't something Guard really want to do.  +1 attack isn't really going to majorly shift anything except other GEQ. 

 

Quick numbers of 10 infantry in melee, with +1 attack & WS :

• vs GEQ: 21 attacks => 14 hits, 7 wound, 4.6 damage after 5+ armor
• vs MEQ: 21 attacks => 14 hits, 4.6 wound, 1.5 damage after 3+ armor
• I'm not even going to do TEQ...

So it doesn't really appear to be a boon in melee, except vs. GEQ, which we have lasguns for.

 

Since it's +1 BS (not to hit!) and +1 WS (again, not to-hit!), then the next best thing would be Kasrkin, since it's CADIAN INFANTRY only, but then it overlaps with Take Aim!  So then you'd want to use it on a turn when you give a different order to Kasrkin, and/or are planning to charge with the Kasrkin .   Since you can't have 2 relics on the same model, this unit won't have the Barbicant's key, so most likely you'll be charging something in your DZ or the mid-board.  But at that point, the Relic is really in competition for Experienced Eye and Ingrained Precision strats, which can be used at the start of the shooting phase. 

 

There's also the range limitation.  Its good that the Relic provides an aura, that just means you need to be within 12" of the spot on the table that the infantry will need it (activate in command phase, then move 6" to put the aura in range). 

 

So it looks like a really niche relic, where you're going up against a large GEQ force (really, only Eldar/De/Harlequins come to mind), know you're going to have to be in melee at some key point, and you won't have anything better. 

 

On the flip side, it has a really good use if you take a LOT of regular Cadian Infantry Squads.  Since it's an aura, and it's +1 BS, you can use it with Take Aim! and the Regimental Standard to buff multiple infantry squads.  Then you can have ~3 infantry squads hitting on 2s, re-rolling 1s to wound with +1 AP.  That's a pretty decent buff to output for 1 CP.  It's debatable if the relic is better with a Command  Squad or a Castellan, as you're either re-rolling 1s to hit or 1s to wound, but it's probably not worth having 2 OFFICERs that close to one another to get both.  But with the Finality of Vodal Kresh relic banner you can make a phase-capped C'tan go