Knight Combat Patrols Incoming

[NTaW]

In the upcoming White Dwarf magazine we'll be getting Armiger Combat Patrols. By the looks of it they will include just two Armigers, though it would be nice to have three. I've never played Combat Patrol since my collections are older and none of them quite fit, but this may just let me get my Knight army on the table before 2026 hits.

 

I had been wondering if there would be a Combat Patrol once the Codex came around, and since it looks to be much later this year I'm happy to pick up a WD and try this out.

[N1SB]

I converted a pair of Armigers into Chaos ones, they are so ready for this.  Thanks a lot for this great heads up.

 

 

Edit - they're like rusty, greasy Nurgle Armigers I've nicknamed "The Brothers Grime."

Edited February 3 by N1SB

[INKS]

very tempt and interesting

[NTaW]

On 2/3/2025 at 2:42 PM, N1SB said:

I converted a pair of Armigers into Chaos ones, they are so ready for this.

 

Those look awesome! Papa Nurgle would approve.

 

I wonder, since Combat Patrol has static loadouts, what that will look like for both sides. I imagine if there's no option the Imperial side will be one of each type.

[N1SB]

I got the White Dwarf, Issue 509!  Now I will TELL ALL.  I'll focus on the Loyalist "Armiger Trailblazers".

 

I'll underline the components of what I think make up your go-to strategy, like you are well-equipped to win.

 

To confirm, it IS just 2 Armigers, but it's 1 Armiger Helverin and 1 Armiger Warglaive.  Box-wise (like SKU-wise), they're from 2 different boxes unless you convert them, so unless you're a heretech like me and are used to converting, you kinda do need to buy both Armiger boxes?

 

(Edit - thanks to Brother Focslain below, the Armiger box as per the GW webstore does let you make both configs.)

 

So you got:

 

• Armiger Helverin "Pilot Dantos and Thauvir"
  • 2 Autocannons (it doesn't explicitly say, but it's understood)
  • Heavy Stubber
  • Armoured Feet
  • If he's the Warlord, when you kill a Character, roll a D6; on a 2+ you get 1 Command Point

 

• Armiger Warglaive "Pilot Morrigan and Viridor"
  • Heavy Stubber
  • Thermal Spear
  • Reaper Chain-Cleaver
  • Once per battle, you get 6+ Feel No Pain for a Fight Phase

 

So they took out details like the Helverin doesn't have that Skyfire rule in your deployment zone or controlled objective, nor the Warglaive getting Sustained Hits on Charge.  Your Detachment rule is to choose 1 from 3 options during the Command Phase for JUST 1 of the pair of Armigers:

 

• This Armiger and Fallback and Shoot OR
• Until your next Command Phase, this Armiger has +4 OC OR
• This Armiger regains 1 Wound

 

Your Objectives are where you're kind of a big deal, because I think this is easy for you.  At the start of your Movement Phase:

 

• Choose an Objective Marker.  If you hold it until the next Command Phase, get 5 Victory Points
• Your OPPONENT chooses an Objective Marker.  If you hold until next Command, get 10 Victory Points

 

I think you have a reliable strategy.  You can constantly score an easy 5 VP with your Helverin by playing keep-away; with his 12" movement, just be on a faraway Objective and shoot up everyone, have Warglaive run blocking for you.  Then you either Fallback and Shoot OR get +4 OC.  You good!

 

There's some stratagems...doesn't even matter, because your strategy is to play keep-away.  I was at the Warhammer Store, walking around the 40k shelves looking at each Combat Patrol, they have very few Anti-Tank options and those that do, your Helverin can hide from.  I'm quite envious of you, you know.

 

 

+++ QUICK WORD ON CHAOS WARDOGS +++

 

 

We have a Wardog Stalker (melee) and a Wardog Brigand (shooty).  Instead of Objective Markers, we get 5 VP for killing a unit of our choice, 10 VP for killing a unit of YOUR choice.  Much more hard work.  The only thing we got going for us is, again, few Anti-Tank weapons in Combat Patrol.  You see why I'm envious.

 

 

+++ BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE +++

 

 

It's a great White Dwarf, too.  I got more lore than I ever knew about Krieg, like their Regimental Organisation and Markings, then there are rules for this Drag Race game where you can use any Vehicle, some simple customisation rules to represent you tinkering with it, and you try to get to the finish line without blowing up.

 

Thanks again to Brother NTaW for the heads up, really worth getting this White Dwarf Issue 509.

Edited February 24 by N1SB

[Focslain]

On 2/23/2025 at 8:11 AM, N1SB said:

Box-wise (like SKU-wise), they're from 2 different boxes

Actually the box contains the parts for both the warglaive and helverin in the same box if the description is to be believed. So you can build this CP on just one box of Armigars.

[N1SB]

Oh in that case thanks for the correction, the box's contents must've changed...I'm going to check if I myself got the bitz then.

[Focslain]

Also there are some CPs we have to be careful of. I need to dive deeper, but a few that I know will have little issue with a pair of armigars are:

Custodes, Orks (Beast snaggas), Guard (Rough Riders), and Necrons.

 

Custodes have access to a lot of multi-damage weapons and are pretty sturdy naturally.

 

The Beast snagga patrol is full of anti-vehicle/monster weapons and abilities.

 

The new Rough Rider guard one is pretty decent. the melta mine and the RR hunting lances can do some decent damage.

 

Necrons have the Doomstalker that can one shot an armiger on average. The destroyers have a decent melee and activating the plasmacyte will make that round pretty devastating. Not to mention the lethal amount of fire the warriors can output.

 

I'll have to look at what is in the others later. Off hand the current marine one is ok if the terminators can get ahold of one of the mechs. 

 

The current Tyranid, Tau, Admech and Sisters would definitely be on the back foot.

Edited February 24 by Focslain

[Focslain]

Looking at the current CPs found the following contenders.

 

GSC: The mining laser hits hard, add the leader to the unit and you can preform hit and runs with the bike unit. The ridgerunner has an ok missile rack, enough to make it a threat.

 

GK: Just take the Dreadknight, the thing hits like a truck. I suggest taking on the warglaive first as the melta will be an issue. After that your fine. Even the strike squad can hurt them semi-ok.

 

IA: If it wasn't for the Eversor they'd have nothing really. Just send that monkey to go Levi (Attack on Titan) on the knight while scoring your objectives.

 

LoV: Takes to their army rule they actually have a decent chance as most of their weapons now wound on 4s and have AP. Might be best to hold the warriors into a squad of 10 to give the magna-rail rifle some cover. 

 

SW: Like the GK, this breaks down to having their own mech which is decent. It will need to get the initiative on the warglaive as it will not survive against the thermal spear, but can go toe-to-toe with it in melee.

 

WE: Was doubting this until I read up on Blessing of Khorne. So if you can get Warp Blades to activate you have a chance as that many attacks with Lethal and AP will help out. 

 

The basic strategy against the IK CP would be to taker out the warglaive first as it is the more deadlier of the pair. 
 

[Ming the Merciless]

The Drukhari CP has 5 darklances to worry about at s12 ap-3 d6+2

[N1SB]

Great analyses, Brothers...because I'm on the Chaos side of the ledger, I was feeling pretty gutted until now.

 

Because whether Imperial Armigers have to stand on an objective or Chaos ones to kill a unit, it looks like the winning move involves killing the opponent's actual threats 1st.  In that case, I'd much rather the Chaos ones because they're overall a bit killier.  And sometimes the safest place is in melee (like vs. 5 Dark Lances).

 

But really great analyses, because I now see with Combat Patrols ESPECIALLY this one, it's all about the Match-Ups.

[NTaW]

Some excellent points to consider here. Once I saw it's two Armigers holding objectives for a turn my first thought was on target priority. I remember playing my Land Raider back in the times of armour values and once I got rid of the things with attacks s8 and higher my tank was free to run amok as I saw fit. This seems quite the same in order to stay functional in scoring points.

 

Also I can confirm that the Armiger box contains parts for both variants. They're the two models I've built for my army so far, and I went one of each just so I got to see them both built. Now I have a Combat Patrol! Glorious.

[N1SB]

Man, Brother NTaW, this was EXACTLY what you wanted when you 1st saw news of this.

 

Like this was how you hoped it would play out when you even assembled your 2 Armigers.  I can feel it.

 

I'm about 2 steps behind, I gotta convert a Thermal Spear arm and a Havoc Launcher, but I'll catch up with you.

 

Lots of new players in the Store these days, they usually get a Combat Patrol.  I see us as their 1st real test.

 

Like we're almost being GMs in a RPG, with 2 big monsters, Attack On Titan like Brother Focslain said.

[SWORD BROTHER RYAN]

Glad to see that GW has apparently made 1 kit to build both variants of the Armiger. When I got mine, you could only build 2 of the same type (1 kit made 2 Helvirens, 1 kit made 2 Warglaives). Or am I mistaken that GW made 1 lit for both?

[Focslain]

They used to be two of one type per box, IIRC they slide the extra weapon sprues in sometime last summer with a minor price increase.