Blood Angels Unit of the Week series Unit of the Week: Sanguinary Priest

[Jolemai]

 

Welcome to part one of the Blood Angels Unit of the Week series!

 
Following the release of the 10^th edition Codex 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 discuss the units from the units found within Codex Supplement: Blood Angels, parts two to four will discuss Codex: Space Marines, part five will be Imperial Armour, and part six will be Legends.
 
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:

 

Sanguinary Priest

What are you thoughts here folks? How best would you use a Sanguinary Priest?

• To compliment a list, or to build a list around? 
• Which Detachment are you using?
• What delivery options are you using? 
• What deployment options are you using?
• What unit is he leading, and how are they set up?
• Stratagem synergy of note?

 

Over to you.

 

Please note that the Sanguinary Priest with Jump Pack Datasheet will be discussed elsewhere.

[Jolemai]

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

 

(Once I work out how best to float it!)

 

***

 

As an aside, the thread setup may change over the coming weeks until I'm happy with them. This includes the photos.

[Kryczek]

I love my priest and his 10 AI in a repulsor.  I don't leave home without them.  They've killed silent kings solo for me. Yet to try them with a captain.

 

It's not even the 5+++ it's the -1ap.  It makes a lot of units down to their invulnerables.  Very efficient.  Better than foot DC in almost every way.

[DemonGSides]

Yeah I just wish he had more applications!

And of course, a Jump pack ;)

I have my new one still in box, he's the only remaining boxed mini from the newest release wave.  I've got a second, separate captain I picked up aside from the Combat Patrol box, but saving him for some future kitbash with whatever new models eventually come out in further releases.

But back to SP; like Kryczek said, the -1AP is where he is glorious.  I wish he could hang with BGV, but that's probably a bit much in LAG.

[Casual Heresy]

Despite my attempts to keep my building of new models under control, I've ended up with three Sanguinary Priests! I picked up the previous firstborn model before it went off sale, built the new one without any kitbashing (a rarity for me but I love the model), and I kitbashed a third from spares from the new one, a spare of the backpack and Narthecium from Bitzbox, and a Bladeguard body from my kitbash stash.

 

I've yet to play a game with one though, but I want to try out one with a full squad of AI, and another with a full squad of Hellblasters. May even try both combos in the Grotmas Detachment.

[Rhavien]

I just recently ran him together with a captain and 10 AI in a redeemer. It was frightening. A storm of blades cutting through GK terminators like they were wet tissues. 

[Darwhine]

Hello.

The Sanguinary Priest is very good, but he has 4 defaults:

-He remains expensive (90 points is 10 more than a captain on foot)

-He does not fit into all units (he cannot accompany a captain in a squad of company heroes for example)

-It gives assassination points.

-It prevents access to the improved Aoth of the moment (which gives +1 to wound if you don't play any blood angel units)

 

Apart from that a lot of people focus on its AP bonus, but we must not forget that 'an FNP5+ on a squad is 1/3 more HP statistically.

But it goes further: since if our marines with 2 HP are injured by a weapon with damage 2, only one FNP succeeds and it will automatically take a second attack with damage 2 to finish it off. In this case the figurine will not have tanked 2hp but 4.

 

Taking this into account, the priest allows several things:

-Accompanying a lieutenant or a captain it allows combos with several optimizations to increase the counter in terms of dps. But it quickly becomes very expensive.

-It increases the efficiency and resistance of a melee unit (typically AI) in order to be certain that it plays its role.

-(My favorite) it can transform a unit that is not supposed to do melee into a melee unit.

In a stearnguard squad for example, which have a base of 4 attacks each.

These 4 attacks become 4 chainsword attacks: that's as many as a generic foot DC.

 

You can put him in intercessors, but as surprising as it may seem, I personally prefer to put him in a first born tactical squad.

Why ?

-They remain the cheapest PV of marines in sav 3+ in the codex (140 points for 10 is 14 points per figurine).

-They are battleline (the only ones who can do certain mission objectives) and OC2.

-They have special shooting weapons (we'll get to that).

Tactics have a preference for shooting and are bad in melee (only 2 generic melee attacks, in addition to the sergeant's special weapon). The presence of the priest “rebalances” them. The priest will make them more resistant (see above) and they will need it since their role remains to hold objectives (battleline + OC2).

I generally add a lieutenant to them: he provides them with the lethal hit, but also the retreat fire/charge, hence the interest of special weapons: I ensure that whatever happens, my tactics will always be able to fire, even if They are engaged in hand-to-hand combat.

I prefer this to intercessors: I find that a melta and a multi-melta which will fire at short range when disengaging, are worth more than firing intercessor bolters.

 

The combination Sanguinary Priest + Lieutenant + 10 Tactics may seem expensive (295 points), but in Liberator (+1 attack and +2 charge strength) that's still 16 bolter shots in lethal hit + 1 meltaton shot and 2 multi-melta (again lethal hit).

We also have 24 attacks in 3+ F6 PA-1D1 (lethal) + 3 hammer or gauntlet attacks F10 PA-3 D2 from the sergeant, 6 F6 PA-2 D1 attacks from the priest (lethal) and 5 gauntlet attacks F10 PA-3 D2 of the lieutenant (lethal).

All combined (shooting and melee phase), without bonus, done in stats:

-11 hp on a landraider or a monolith

-13 hp on Canis Rex

-10+ on a rhino (it destroys it)

-20 hp + on marines (it destroys a squad of 10)

- 4 terminators

In liberator we can for 1 pc put them red rampage which will add "Lance" (+1 to wound in melee).

In this case, we go to:

-5 terminators killed

-14 hp on a landraider or a monolith

-16 on Canis rex

-7 hp on mortharion.

Not bad for first born tactics, right?

 

We can have an equivalent in the "angel inheritor" detachment for less, thanks to Sanguinary Grace and the reroll of 1s to wound.

On the other hand, it deprives us of the reroll of charges, but it allows us to save a lien, by doing without lethals; lethals that can still be recovered with the “focused fury” stratagem in addition to “Lance” for 1 pc.

Note: when disengaging and shooting, if you have 1 pc in your pocket you can also throw a grenade before shooting to add a few more mortal wounds.