Power weapon for Sanguinary Priest? (jump heavy armies)

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**Black Blow Fly**

So is it worth the points and if so why? If not then again why?

**jbunny**

I saw yes, because as an IC, you need to be able to kill any models in base contact if at all possible. THe PW gives a few more no-saves, normally at a hirer Int so a greater chance of the IC surviving.

**Skarboy**

Depends on what you're running them with. Terminators, don't bother. Assault marines, another PW doesn't hurt if you have the points. Generally, the best use of SP I've seen is keeping them behind in the Landraider and having a huge FNP bubble from the hull. The rest of their gear is largely meaningless, much like KFF mek.

**Black Blow Fly**

If your army has a landraider that is a great place for the priest. Obviously this is not always the case.

G

**schadenfreude**

A jump spam army is vastly different than a mechanized BA army. Jump Spam has jump packs not transports so minimum cost priests can't just hide in a transport, they are forced to get into the icky sticky.

**Black Blow Fly**

THats pretty much how I see it as well.

G

**kill dem stunties**

I dont give mine power weapons in my assault squads, i just make sure to move them in such a way they dont make it into assault very often, not hard to do if you charge, but a little more tricky if they do ... Cheap is best imho, 75 pts for one with a jump pack.

**dumplingman**

personally I'm against it because i'd rather have honor guard apoths in my army than the S priests since they are cheaper and can't be singled out in a JP army.

**jbunny**

Glad the voting basicly say "EH"

**MRMUMMBLES**

I tend to use a comepletely un-upgraded priest to give my combat squaded tactical squads a better survival rate. And ill team him up in the half that has the seargent with a power weapon anyway. And since theres no need for a jump pack in a tactical squad you can fit the whole unit in a razorback which will most likely cost less points than the power weapon and jump pack anyway. I assume this, i do have the codex next to me but its far to hot to pick it up and attempt any kind of maths at the momment.

**jbunny**

ANd this would be great if he was not running a jump Heavy list.

**wuestenfux**

I'd keep Sanguinary Priests as cheap as possible.
They'll accompany a cc oriented unit.
Let them get the job done.

**Sanguinary Dan**

If you don't give him a power weapon you may as well not bring him. He's a one wound IC with fair CC stats. That means under the four circumstances where he gets into base to base (1. you screwed up and had him closest to the target of your assault. 2. your unit was charged and as an IC he must be the first model to re-act. 3. it's time to pile in and as an IC he moves first 4. you really, really need those extra dice and there's a scarier IC for the enemy to focus on.) he better be able to have a decent effect on your combat result.

And the in game difference between a 75 point model that allows Orks to make armor saves and a 90 point model that performs the whole "plasma torch thru butter" trick on Terminators is worth every one of those 15 points. That doesn't mean you should be a pin head and give him a Power Fist. Anybody who doesn't dump at least four attacks on a one wound IC who can't attack till I1 is a moron. Don't be a

-ing moron enabler.

**Major Malfunction**

Power weapon, and throw him into an Assault Squad with a Power Fist Sgt. This will force your enemy to decide between hitting the SP and taking a Power Fist in return, or putting wounds on the Assault Squad and allowing the FNP to persist.

I'm all about providing my opponent the opportunity to make mistakes.

**Black Blow Fly**

dumplingman wrote:personally I'm against it because i'd rather have honor guard apoths in my army than the S priests since they are cheaper and can't be singled out in a JP army.

Yeah you can have up to two HG and bare bonez they will be a lot more points than 2x SP.

G

**schadenfreude**

Bare bones honor guard are 165 with the jump packs, so they are far from cheap. 165 points is a lot of points to not army an honor guard with power weapons and a power fist, but then the unit will be well over 200 points.

The weakness of the Sanguinary Novalite versus the sanguinary priest is the novalite is not an IC. Being an IC is a liability in the assault phase, but an asset in the shooting. If a BA play is going to rely on 2 honor guard to provide their priests the weakness is amplified in the shooting phase. An IC SP can join and leave units, while the SN is stuck inside the honor guard. The SP can join a 10 strong assault squad that will have 10 ablative wound to protect him from krak missiles, the SN is stuck inside the HG. If the assault squad is shot to hell the SP can leave the decimated squad and join a fresh 10 strong assault squad with 10 new ablative wounds. It takes focused and concentrated firepower to kill 5 FNP MEQ that have a 4+ cover save, but it's reliably achievable for many armies. It's not reliably achievable for most armies to kill 11 FNP MEQ with a 4+ cover save in a single turn before the priest leaves and joins another squad. If it's not done in 1 turn the SP will just leave the damaged unit and join a fresh one. The SN is stuck in the HG at the start of the game, the SN is stuck with the HG when 15 long fangs start sending krak missiles his way, and the SN is stuck with the HG when he is the last remaining member of the squad.

**MorbidlyObeseMonkey**

Depends what you want to do with him. If you intend for him to get into assault (jump packing assault squad for instance), I'd say absolutely give him a PW. If you're keeping him with some Devastators to give them FNP which I have been seeing people do, there's no point because they should be left out of assault. So it comes down to what you're using the SHP for.

**StarGate**

I usually give my priest a PW and a hand flamer, run him in a pack of assault marines with flamers, Sgt has a hand flamer and power fist.. and there usually a Chaplian in the group too with a hand flamer.... So my tactic is flame a unit( that two str 4 flamers and 3 str 3 flamers too thin out a crowd) then charge in if i can get a combo charge that good too. But ive notice most of the hits will go toward the squad and the chaplain( i usually stick him close too the Priest so when all wounds are done , there usually no one left next to them).

**Shovan**

Sanguinary Dan wrote:If you don't give him a power weapon you may as well not bring him. He's a one wound IC with fair CC stats. That means under the four circumstances where he gets into base to base (1. you screwed up and had him closest to the target of your assault.

If he is not in base2base contact with an enemy unit he cannot attack as per rules page 49 "This is to make them (Independent characters) stand out in the fight, as befits such heroic individuals, and it means that they have to be in base contact with the enemy to be able to attack"

I'll run him with a PW but nothing more than that CC wise. I don't want to put him at I1 with a Fist cause in most of my fights my opponent will go ape crazy on him in order to make sure my priest is dead.

**Black Blow Fly**

I agree that the Sanguinary Priest is much more practical than taking a squad of Honor Guard. I was being facetious in my last reply.

G

**Nurglitch**

So really, as usual, the better question would be "When should a Sanguinary Priest be equipped with a Power Weapon?"

**Zid**

I never run mine with a PW at lower end games. Higher end, however, definitely. Making my opponent choose to use some PW attacks to knock out my priest is a boon!

**Jayden63**

I have two Sang. Priests in my army. One on a bike with a lightning claw and the other stock.

But thats tailored to my list.

I run the bike guy attached to a bike squad. T5, 3+ save, FNP, and FC is awesome. Especially when the Sanguinor is also running next to the squad. The extra attack that he gives makes all the difference. I need those units to hit hard, thus the priest gets the claw.

The stock guy hangs out in the backfield next to my two devi squads. There FC is not such a big deal. But 3+ armor, 4+ cover, and FNP keep those missile launcher roaring.

**schadenfreude**

If positioned properly a SP is only going to be in base to base contact with 1 model which is probably a standard grunt, say a tac marine or single ork boy. The chances of a single tac marine or ork boy killing a FNP MEQ 1 wound priest is very slim.

Tac marine with 1 attack 1/2 hit /1/2 wound 1/3 fail armor 1/2 fail FNP so 1/24 times a NP is in bast to base with a single tac marine the priest will die. That's well worth 4 attacks that hit on a 3+ and wound on a 3+ with no armor save.

Ork slugga/choppa Boy with 3 attacks 1/2 hit 1/3 wound because he's str3 when charged, 1/3 failed armor save, 1/2 failed FNP so 1/12 times the ork boy will take down the SP. 1/12 is a bit risky, but it's safer than risking an ork Nob getting into base to base with the SP, and whenever the SP is engaged in CC within the middle of a squad it's very easy to ensure that nobody else can get to him.

Once again my comments only really apply to a jump spam list. Mechanized or devestator heavy lists have entirely different tactics with their SP.

**schadenfreude**

If positioned properly a SP is only going to be in base to base contact with 1 model which is probably a standard grunt, say a tac marine or single ork boy. The chances of a single tac marine or ork boy killing a FNP MEQ 1 wound priest is very slim.

Tac marine with 1 attack 1/2 hit /1/2 wound 1/3 fail armor 1/2 fail FNP so 1/24 times a NP is in bast to base with a single tac marine the priest will die. That's well worth 4 attacks that hit on a 3+ and wound on a 3+ with no armor save.

Ork slugga/choppa Boy with 3 attacks 1/2 hit 1/3 wound because he's str3 when charged, 1/3 failed armor save, 1/2 failed FNP so 1/12 times the ork boy will take down the SP. 1/12 is a bit risky, but it's safer than risking an ork Nob getting into base to base with the SP, and whenever the SP is engaged in CC within the middle of a squad it's very easy to ensure that nobody else can get to him.

Once again my comments only really apply to a jump spam list. Mechanized or devestator heavy lists have entirely different tactics with their SP.

**Black Blow Fly**

Oooh that double post.

G

**zeekill**

Lightning Claw --> Power Weapon. Having that reroll wound makes up for one lost attack.

**Black Blow Fly**

It's a hard choice between the claw & sword. The sword is better versus T4 and below while the claw is better versus T5 and above. I typically run two Priests, one has a lightning claw & the other has a power sword.

G

**ultramarcos**

I trully believe that there is not magic bullet to answer that question. It really depend on case by case. What I do, I keep them simple as possible and if there are any points left I would give them the PW, still the ideia is to add more value to the RAS or other squad that it's under it's buble of influence..not really make him a killing machine. If we can do both..the better.

**Black Blow Fly**

It's even more important to charge with the advent of the new FAQ if he's not embarked inside a vehicle.

G