In the last article I looked at the “normal” Legionaries in the Troops and Support sections. Here I’m going to talk about the more expensive infantry that make up the Elites, Heavy Assault and Retinue units.
These units have access to the best equipment in the Legion. Terminator or Artificer armour are common, as are all kinds of interesting weapons to try out on the enemy, both at range and in melee. Better stats and better equipment means these models can each take on several normal Legionaries, or countless lesser opponents.
They also mostly have slightly better LD and CL than the normal Legionaries and several are Heavy, improving their CL even more. However, only the units in Power Armour on foot get access to Nuncio Voxes and Augury Scanners. If your unit of Terminators or Jump Pack Veterans with no vox gets a Tactical Status, they’ll be stuck with it till at least the end of your turn. It’s a big problem if an expensive unit is Panicked or Pinned.
Melee Weapons
These units have access to all sorts of melee weapons, some of which they need to pay extra points for and others that they come with. You get a lot of choices and they have different uses. Many of the units in this section are defined by the weapons you give them so it’s worth having a quick look at the options.
These weapons are much better for some units than others. A WS4 Terminator averages one hit against another Legionary from its two attacks but a WS5 Veteran or Chosen, with three attacks, averages two hits – getting double the value.
So let’s run through all this stuff:
Chainswords give you AP5 and Shred 6+. Neither of these will matter very often but it’s better than nothing. Sergeants can sometimes have one for free and they look cool, so why not. Never swap a bolter for one of these though.
Chainaxes are like Chainswords but with -1 Initiative and +1 Strength. They are also free. These are a bit of an upgrade, especially if fighting ordinary infantry, who won’t do much damage before you strike.
Heavy Chainswords and Chainaxes are 5 points and both AP4 with Shred. The sword gives -1I and +2S while the axe is -2I and +3S. Useful against 4+ saves but Legionaries should easily be winning those fights anyway.
Charnabral Sabres for 5 points give you +1I, Duellist’s Edge 1 (only relevant in challenges, which most models can’t do) and Breaching 6+. Against 2+ saves they’re arguably better than power weapons, though you’re probably still going to lose that fight.
Power Swords are AP3 and Breaching 6+, which is fine but unremarkable.
Power Axes are also AP3 now, with -1I, +1S and Breaching 5+. They aren’t the auto-take they used to be but might still provide the best balance of strength and chance to get AP2.
Power Mauls are AP3 too with Breaching 6+, so with -1I and +2S they’re the best option against AP3 enemies with 1 wound.
Power Lances are AP3, +1I and Precision 6+ but not Breaching. The Initiative is excellent but Precision is a bit wasted on a weapon with AP3, when so many characters have 2+ saves.
Lightning Claws are a better version of Power Swords, with AP3, Rending 6+ (a 6 to hit is an automatic roll of a 6 to wound) as well as Breaching 6+. Paired claws also give you +2A, making them the stand-out option for assault troops in Power Armour I think. Single and even double claws cost 10 points – the same as other power weapons. They aren’t so great for a Terminator who already has a combi-bolter and power weapon. You can’t have a shield and paired claws but you want other models tanking the hits anyway.
Power Fists are -3I, +4S, AP2 and D2. They cost 15 points for people in Power Armour and +10 for Terminators. S8 (usually), AP2 and D2 makes a huge difference compared to power weapons.
Thunder Hammers are -2I, +3S, AP2 and D2, for the same price as Fists. Terminators with hammers will strike before those with fists, so they’ll easily win that fight. However at S7 they can’t hurt AV14 vehicles all and will struggle against high-toughness targets.
Chainfists are only available for Terminators, as a 10 point upgrade. They are -3I, -1A(!), +6S, AP2 and D2 with Armourbane and Shred 6+. Losing an attack is awful and, while S10 is excellent, you won’t do all that much to anything with just one attack from a normal Terminator. They are twice as effective on models with A3 to start with, like Cataphractii retinues. Shout out to World eaters for getting +1A on the charge, which is fantastic with these.
Krak Grenades are given to pretty much all Legionaries, except Terminators. -3I, 1 attack, S6, AP4 and D2 with the Detonation rule, meaning they can only be used when you’re in melee with a vehicle* and no other enemies are engaged. In the past you’ve been able to use grenades against Dreadnoughts and Automata but not any more.
Melta Bombs are available to some Sergeants and officers, though occasionally you’ll find a whole unit that can have them. -3I, 1 attack, S9, AP2 and D4 with Armourbane and Detonation. You don’t need them against vehicles with rear armour 10 as Krak Grenades will be enough. Against things with AV14 rear armour a single Melta Bomb won’t usually be enough.
*You can actually use Detonation weapons against targets with move 0, though I can’t think of any of those that aren’t vehicles. If they do exist then it might make the initiative modifiers and AP of these grenades relevant, but they have no effect on vehicles.
Which Weapons to Take?
I think the most efficient option for a squad of 10 melee Legionaries is something like half with Chainswords/axes and shields and the others split between paired Lightning Claws, Power Fists and Thunder Hammers.
I think it’s nearly always going to be better to spend 15 points on a Power Fist instead of 10 on a power weapon. Those extra 5 points buy you so much more strength, AP and damage. You’ll almost always do more by having two Power Fists than three Power Swords. Paired Lightning Claws are the exception, where the extra attacks and Rending makes them better for clearing infantry. Even then you might decide to only invest in fists and hammers, since they’re more useful against more targets.
Krak Grenades are all you need to destroy vehicles with rear armour 10. Tougher vehicles can only really be destroyed in melee with lots of attacks from Power Fists, Chainfists and Melta Bombs. Just one of these weapons in a squad will usually fail to kill the vehicle and mean everyone else is doing nothing, so that’s a waste.
Trying to kill a Kratos or Spartan with lots of HP and rear armour 14 is very difficult and probably too expensive. There are quite a lot of vehicles with rear armour 12, however. Power Fists with S8 are much more of a threat to those vehicles, as well as high-toughness targets like Dreadnoughts, than Thunder hammers at S7.
I think you’re generally better off investing in some Rapiers or maybe a double-Chainfist Contemptor to destroy the really big stuff. Have your melee troops take out enemy infantry instead.
Now to look at the actual units.
Elites
This is a much smaller section than we’re used to, with only three units of Infantry left after things like Terminators, Dreadnoughts, Apothecaries and Rapiers have been moved elsewhere. You’ll find that there are quite a lot more Elite units in the Legions, as their best troops tended to exemplify their Legion’s traits even most of all.
Veteran Tactical Squad
This is a squad of WS4 BS5 W2 models with bolters and bolt pistols. 85 for five, then 15 for the next five, so not all that expensive. They have Line (1), so they’re a nice objective-holder, thanks to their toughness and better mental stats. Bolters can be swapped only for guns: combi-weapons, shotguns, Volkite Chargers and Disintegrator Rifles. One in five can have a Special weapon, a Heavy weapon, a Disintegrator Blaster or a Heavy Disintegrator.
It’s cool to have loads of disintegrators in Saturnine, so we can make these units if we want. Personally I’d be quite nervous about using them though. That AP3 D2 profile is perfect for killing a veteran if their disintegrator overloads. Volkite Chargers do similar damage to 3+ save T4 infantry anyway, unless the target has W2. They are also Assault weapons so they can be fired during volley fire – hitting on a 4+ thanks to these guys’ great BS.
Disintegrator blasters and Heavy Disintegrators are interesting, as they’re AP2 and S5. I can definitely see a case for bringing a couple of these, though Plasma and Meltaguns are both also good options. Heavy Flamers could be a really good option for a unit in a Rhino, potentially causing a lot of damage and Panic checks. Many of the other Heavy weapons could work.
So this is a very flexible unit with Line (1) that doesn’t cost too much. They may be the best unit the Legions have for riding in Rhinos and contesting the midfield. You could base your army around them if you wanted, especially if playing a Legion like Sons of Horus, which gives you access to Elites choices in an Auxiliary detachment.
Veteran Assault Squad
This is a unit of Legionaries with jump packs for M12 and Deep Strike. They have WS5, BS4, A3 and access to all the fun toys for melee, including the option to swap their bolt pistols for combat shields. 120 for five, then 22 each for the next five. They have Vanguard (3).
This is a really solid melee unit – far more so than the Troop Assault Squad, thanks to having more attacks, wounds and better WS. That WS will make them tougher to hit in melee for most opponents so they’ll defeat normal Legionaries in melee very easily.
This unit doesn’t feel quite as efficient as Tactical Veterans, to me. Those are 160 points for 10 and these come in at 230. Both will probably cost a fair bit more once you’ve upgraded them, though that’ll probably make the difference in price even bigger. When list building I tend to find that Veteran Assault Squads come to similar prices as some of the really scary Legion-specific units, like Dawnbreaker Cohorts and Dark Furies, where every model has a Power weapon of some kind.
Those units don’t always have Vanguard, however. I think the niche for this unit is as a bodyguard for a character, probably with shields, chainaxes and a few Power Fists. They can engage even quite scary enemies like Cataphractii and Saturnine Terminators in melee, assuming they can avoid Volley Fire. And they’ll go straight through anything weaker than that. Perhaps try not to go mad and spend 150 points on upgrades though.
Seeker Squad
These are the only W1 models in this article, and possibly also the best unit available to the Astartes. They have WS4 but BS5 and Infiltrate (9) – which they don’t really need. They cost 105 for five, then 18 each. They can exchange their Kraken Bolters for combi-weapons but they never should because Kraken Bolters are incredible. Two S4 AP4 shots at 30” is nice, precision shots 4+ is nasty and the three kinds of special ammo they can fire with their shot selectors are outrageous. You’ll most often pick Breaching 4+, which effectively makes them AP2 as every wound against Legionaries will be Breaching. Alternatively, you can have Panic (1) or Suppressive (2), which of course you can take against Auxilia as the gun is already AP4.
Seekers are far better at sniping characters than Recon squads with Nemesis Bolters. They’re cheaper, better shots, fire twice and Breach a character’s 2+ armour on a 4+. If you prefer, you can have them panic or suppress enemy heavy weapon squads, or whoever you like, meaning you can make an enemy unit non-scoring from far away. They infiltrate but are not Support Units, so they can score full VPs for objectives.
The way that Precision works is a bit odd. You pick who the target is from a unit but you still roll to wound against the majority Toughness. This means you can potentially force even a Primarch to roll a lot of saves, while any lesser character could be in very serious trouble. On the other hand it’s not much use for shooting the crew of a Rapier battery, as you still need to roll to wound against T6.
This is a fantastic unit. I feel a bit bad that I have 10 already for my Raven Guard because they’re going to be horrible to play against, firing from 30″ while the enemy can only Snap fire back – if they’re in range at all.
Heavy Assault
This is the slot for our three types of Terminators. Cataphractii and Tartaros both get Vanguard (3), which is a great way to earn extra VPs. Combi-bolters have four shots, meaning they’re pretty good at shooting squads off objectives to score those VPs and if they get to melee they’ll kill or chase off most things. They are also T5 now, so extremely resilient against small arms fire, though only WS and BS4.
Terminators have Implacable Advance, letting them volley fire with all non-heavy weapons. This means you don’t need the assault rule, which their default Volkite Chargers have, as they can also volley fire with Combi-bolters (and other Combi-weapons), Heavy Flamers and Plasma Blasters. You should definitely swap out their Volkites for combi-bolters, with four shots instead of two and much better range. I just hope the new kits come with both options. Oh, and Volley Fire from Saturnines with Particle Shredders is horrific.
Cataphractii Terminator Squad
150 buys you five Cataphractii and you can buy up to seven more for 30 each, with volkite chargers that you should exchange for free combi-bolters, which are much better. Other combi-weapons are too expensive I think. They also have power weapons, which can be swapped for Power Fists, Chainfists, Thunder Hammers and Lightning Claws if you want. Cataphractii are Heavy* and Slow and Purposeful (they can’t pursue fleeing melee opponents). They move 6” too, with just a 1″ set up move, so their charge reach isn’t great even coming out of a Land Raider.
Cataphractii make a great unit for deploying on foot. They aren’t that expensive, they’re extremely durable and they fire a lot of shots. They have Vanguard 3, which they may well score by shooting enemies off objectives. You can buy them better melee weapons but I think I might leave them mostly with Power Axes or Mauls to keep their cost down. A Chainfist for the A3 Sergeant might be useful.
*Note that there are two types of “Heavy” in 30k. Heavy units can’t Rush, have slow Set-up moves when you charge but get +1 to any CL check you take. Heavy weapons get bonuses for not moving. Cataphractii are Heavy and can also carry the Heavy Reaper Autocannon.
The fact these guys come in units of 5-12, and the Volkite Chargers they come with, strongly suggests that we’ll see new models for them soon. I wonder if it’ll be six with the option of making one into a Centurion.
Tartaros Terminator Squad
These are very similar to Cataphractii, for the same price but only up to 10 models. 7” move and not Heavy or Slow and Purposeful, but only a 5++. They come with volkite chargers too, and should also swap them for combi-bolters. In the printed books they only have access to power weapons and lightning claws for their melee weapons, not power/chain fists or hammers. That was changed in a FAQ published just before release day, giving them access to Power fists, Thunder hammers and Chainfists, which forces a re-evaluation. As ever, check Warhammer Community for the latest FAQ.
Access to the full list of melee options makes Tartaros Terminators a good all-round unit. They’re reasonably mobile, durable and a threat both at range and in melee. There are units that are better in melee but they don’t usually also have Combi-bolters. This unit gives you lots of potential ways to score your three Vanguard VPs.
The strange armament options in the printed books implies there might be a new kit coming with fewer options than we have now… which doesn’t make sense. We’ll see. Apparently there’ll also be a siege version in the Legacies document, though I’ve no idea what that is.
Saturnine Terminator Squad
Credit – meltabombed
These guys have their name on the box so I’m happy to report that they’re pretty fun, offering some new options. 200 points for three, with up to three more at 60 points each. They’re M5, WS and BS4, S4, T6, W3, I3 and A2, with a 2+/4++. So they’re extremely tough but not all that great in melee.
Their Occulix Targeting Auspex gives them Firing Protocols (2) if they don’t move, which is fun as you can stick a big gun on each of their arms, though a bit limited as those guns only have a 24” range. Thermal Disruption Fields reduce the strength of enemy las, plasma, melta and flame weapons hitting them by 1 and means their own weapons only Breach their armour on a 6+ if they overload. Special rules are Bulky (4), so very awkward to transport, Explodes (6+), Implacable Advance and Slow and Purposeful. Note no Vanguard or Line.
And yes, when they die they explode on a 6 – with a 6” radius. Every unit in that area will take 3 S8 AP- hits.
Saturnine Disruption Fists are -2 initiative, only add 2 to a Saturnine’s Strength for S6 total, but do 3 damage at AP2. A model with a Fist can have a particle shredder, which is a devastating Template weapon with S6, AP3, D1, Breaching 6+ and Overload (1). Bear in mind that Deep Strike doesn’t scatter now and you can imagine how much damage just three of these appearing could cause to things like tactical marines. And Implacable Advance means they can Volley fire these too, making it very tricky to charge this unit.
Plasma Bombards are unusual guns: 24” range, 3” blast, barrage (1) plasma guns. You get one of these to start with and can swap the fist for a second. They overload on a 1 or 2 if overcharged, though that probably won’t trouble a Saturnine too much.
You can swap the relatively tame Plasma Bombards and/or your fist for Twin heavy disintegrators for 10 points per model. With two shots, S7, AP2 and D2 they’re very nasty into enemy terminators and veterans. Unfortunately they have overload (2), so they’re very nasty for their owners too. If you run dual Twin Heavy Disintegrators you can more or less expect to lose a model any time you fire.
I think I’d keep the fist, add a Particle Shredder to it and then either main weapon option has merit. Two big guns might not be so great, though it’s a cool option to have, given that you might not get to fire two guns very often.
Retinues
The various Command Squads in this slot are some of the most powerful units in the game, with WS5, usually 2+ saves, at least 3A and all kinds of equipment options. However they don’t have either Line or Vanguard, as their job is looking after characters, not breaking through lines or holding ground. They can usually bring Legion Standards, adding +2 to combat resolution and +6 to outside support in a challenge.
Speaking of Challenges, the Champions you’ll find in Command Squads are able to take part in them as they have the Champion unit sub-type, meaning they can issue and accept challenges. Most Sergeants can’t do that, so Command Squads are unusually good at protecting your characters, or freeing them up to cut down the enemy.
Despite their name, Retinues aren’t directly associated with any particular characters and you can have loads of them if you want. They are in a FOC slot that you can unlock through either an Apex Detachment, the Warlord Detachment, the Champion’s Veteran Cadre or as a Logistical Benefit.
Praetorian Command Squad
Power Armoured models on foot, with BS4, WS5, A3 and 2+ saves. 130 for five, then 20 each for up to five more. The Chosen Champion is even better, with A4 and the Champion keyword.
They come with Bolters, Bolt Pistols and grenades. They can swap their bolters for melee weapons like Chainswords, power weapons and fists, any of the combi-weapons, shotguns, Volkite Chargers or Disintegrator Rifles. They don’t get special weapons. If they swap their bolter for a melee weapon they can take a combat shield for a 5++ save in melee. It may be worth swapping some bolters for chainswords, even though they do almost nothing, to get access to shields.
Disintegrator Rifles are an interesting choice as, with a 2+ save, they aren’t likely to blow themselves up. Unfortunately a unit of 10 would come to 280 points and still only kill about three Marines a turn, so that’s probably not the way to go. Volkite Chargers and Shotguns are both available for two points less and maybe a Shotgun or two are worth having, to try and Stun enemies. It’s probably not worth the risk of a Return Fire reaction though.
So just do the obvious thing with this unit. Tool them up for melee and stick them in a Land Raider with a scary character or two.
Praetorian Command Squad with Jump Packs
Exactly the same unit as above, except now with jump packs that give them M12 Bulky (2), deep strike and let them jump over stuff. 160 for five, then 25 each. They actually come with Bolters as their default weapons too and have all the same options for things like combi-weapons that Praetorians on foot have.
If you’re running a scary melee character with a Jump pack, or even a Primarch like Sanguinius or Corax, you should seriously consider this unit to accompany them and keep them as safe as possible. Jump packs and a 2+ save is a great combo. The main decision is whether you’d prefer these or something with Vanguard, like the Veteran Assault Squad.
This is an expensive unit, though not as expensive as a squad on foot with a Land Raider. Their access to guns like combi-meltas means that they might actually be a perfect unit to have Deep Strike on Turn 1 with a Master of Descent, looking to melt a vehicle or something. That would probably be more points than it’s worth, however.
Centurion Command Squad
Similar to the above units, these are only available on foot. They’re cheaper, at 85 for five then 15 each, because they only have 3+ saves. This unit kind of feels like it ought to be in the Elite section, called “Veteran Despoiler Squad,” but here it is.
They’ve got the option of one special or heavy weapon for every five models and can have a Company standard or Vexilla instead of a Legion Standard.
Having only a 3+ save, rather than the 2+ all the other retinues have, clearly hurts. But you save 45 points for the first five of these guys compared to a Praetorian Command Squad, then 5 points for every other model you add. Saving 70 points on a 10-model unit is significant and could well be worthwhile.
Tartaros Terminator Command Squad
140 buys you a Champion and two other Terminators, with up to seven extras costing 40 points each. They come with combi-bolters that can be exchanged for combi-weapons and power weapons that can, now we have the FAQ, can be upgraded to Lightning Claws for 5 points, a pair of them for 10 or any of the other Terminator melee options. One can swap a combi-bolter for a Legion Standard but they can’t have Heavy Flamers, Reaper Autocannons etc.
Terminator retinues are far scarier than normal Terminators as they’ve got WS5 and A3 instead of 2. A five-model retinue can quite easily beat a squad of ten normal Terminators in melee and you get a lot more value out of any melee upgrades you buy, since they’ll hit more often. The downside is not having Vanguard (3), which the normal Terminator squads do. You can score full value from objectives though, which is nice.
A Tartaros retinue is an exceptionally dangerous unit, especially if they have an Assault Transport like a Land Raider to extend their reach. They will get a lot of hits on the enemy with very unpleasant weapons. There may even be a case for having a squad of these with Chainfists, to rip open enemy tanks.
Cataphractii Terminator Command Squad
Credit: @badusernametag
Also 140 for three and 40 for extras, but with the unit size going up to 12 if you want, Cataphractii have all the same options as Tartaros and additionally can still take Power fists, Thunder hammers and Chainfists. They have a 4++ instead of the Tartaros’ 5++ but like normal Cataphractii they’re Heavy, 6” move instead of 7” and are Slow and Purposeful.
A Cataphractii retinue is probably the most powerful melee unit available to all Legions. They might also be the only unit that’s worth equipping with all Chainfists, to hunt really heavy tanks. They’re pretty expensive, however, and don’t have Vanguard. You may find that the sheer cost of this unit, plus an assault transport of some kind, is hard to justify. It’s great to have unit you can charge into almost any target and expect to win though.
Final Thoughts
The various melee units we’ve covered here are all very good at what they do, but expensive. I think the balance in this edition has swung away from them and towards shooting. As such I’m not sure whether big expensive squads of elites or retinues, lead by beatstick characters, are a good use of your points. They will dominate the midfield, however.
I’m very interested to see how the shooting units here perform. Seekers seem outright broken, though they aren’t tough enough to fight over objectives. Veteran Tactical Squads and Cataphractii look great for firefights.
For now these sections are made up of only Infantry but we expect this to change with the Legacy document. We’re told we’ll be getting bike and jetbike retinues, veteran breachers and so on. I imagine a lot of the same issues will be relevant around things like the equipment to give them. We’ll have a lot to cover when that document appears.
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