Building our Brotherhood Terminator Squads & Paladin squads

[Helias_Tancred]

So in building our terminator squads each one will have an ancient, and an apothecary? No brainer right?

 

I'm building two terminator squads and the first one I equipped with a psy-cannon. For the second I'm considering the psilencer given its sustained hits 1 attribute? Or maybe an incinerator? Thoughts on this?

 

I'm a Grey Knight newbie, but I understood previous edition roles of our paladins. With 10th edition what are they now? They can carry more heavy ranged weapons than a terminator squad. They also have some increased durability with their Inner Fortitude ability, but their wounds, # of attacks, etc are the same as a terminator squad. So what is a good way to build these guys?

 

Thanks.

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Eilio Tiberius

[Helias_Tancred]

Also I'm assuming every paladin squad will have an ancient in it with a banner since its +1 OC?

[Sothalor]

Psycannons generally seem to be the way to go in 10th. More S5 AP0 D1 ranged shots from Psilencers don't seem to really shore up GK overall threat capabilities.

 

As of the current index, Paladins seem to have de facto become a ranged-emphasis variant of Terminator squad. They lack the melee boost of Hammerhand, but can take up to three special weapons in a five-man squad. Notably, they also have BS 2+ versus the Terminators' BS 3+.

 

You'd pretty much always take the Ancient banner in a Paladin squad and throw on an extra Psycannon.

 

At first glance, my inclination for a Paladin squad is to say take 5 with the Ancient and 3 Psycannons. Maybe attach a Brother Captain with his own Psycannon for quadrupling down.

[Valerian]

Sorry for the delay in responding to your question, @Eilio Tiberius; I saw it last night, but just now have an opportunity to sit down at the computer.

 

With 10th edition's new format for free Wargear Options, you always want to take everything additional that is available, unless there is a clear opportunity cost.  So, every Paladin Squad should always take an Ancient's Banner - they give up nothing, and this actually gives them the opportunity to take an additional 'special' ranged weapon.

 

Likewise, every Brotherhood Terminator Squad should always take an Ancient's Banner and the Narthecium; the only thing lost is a single storm bolter in the unit, so the Narthecium is well worth that tradeoff.  

 

Of the 3 special weapon options, I think the Psilencer is the weakest choice in 10th edition.  6 attacks with sustained hits 1 is pretty mediocre compared to the other two options.  I would recommend a mix of Psycannon and Incinerators in the army; we have the insane mobility with all of our teleporting shenanigans to pretty much always offset the relatively short range of the Incinerator.  And by teleporting (or using Advance +Fly, and the Death from the Warp stratagem), you will very often be able to land in upper floors of Ruins to take advantage of the extra +1 armor penetration of plunging fire.

 

For the Brotherhood Terminator Squad (and Strike Squads, and most other squads), I'd personally go with the Incinerator first, and Psycannon as the alternate choice.

 

For the Paladin Squad, however, I'd use them as a Terminator Armored 'Purgation' squad, with Psycannons on two Paladins, the Paladin Ancient, and the attached Character, if you pick a Character that can have one.  I'd highly recommend a generic Brother-Captain - he gives the unit [Sustained Hits 1] on all of their Psychic weapons, ranged and melee (who needs Psilencers, when you can get Sustained Hits Psycannons?), and he himself gets to re-roll his Wound rolls with is Psychic weapons.  That'd give you 4 Psycannons in a 6 model unit with Inner Fortitude, which really helps keep them safe against high-strength attacks.

 

If they end up fixing the Grand Master's Master Strategist ability to work each battle round, instead of just once per battle, then I'd put a Grand Master (still with a Psycannon) with the Paladins instead of a Brother-Captain, and use his free stratagem each round to Mists of Deimos to safety every turn.  Pop in and shoot like crazy, then teleport away if any enemy unit gets within 9" each turn would drive your opponent crazy.  

 

Edit: I forgot to mention that the Incinerator's ability to Ignore Cover is hugely important in 10th edition, where by all accounts everything and everyone gets the Benefit of Cover for much of every battle.  Also, Incinerators are absolutely the best weapon to use for the Overwatch stratagem - auto hits are much better than hitting on 6s.

 

Edited June 19, 2023 by Valerian