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What are the "most efficient buys" per codex? It doesn't necessarily mean it is the best unit, but in terms of cost efficiency vs versatility some purchases are an almost no brainer. This is not a measure of necessity, but a measure of "wow you get all that for 10 points! schweeeet"

To get onto this list it should be wow it's that cheap for something that does everything?? wow


If you mention "why" they are such good value, it would be great too

Dark Eldar: Venoms with 2 splinter cannons
Eldar: Fire Dragons (cheap melta troops)
Space Wolves: Grey Hunters
Sisters of Battle: Saint Celestine
BA: Lemartes
Vanilla SM: Terminators
IG: Mabo
Grey Knights: DCA


I really liked this thread, so I based it on it: Best Units per codex, http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/399856.page

In honesty the list I've put up is based on the thread above and information gathered from the forums. I'm very interested in your tactical insights.

Probably an inflammatory response, but I stand behind it:

IG Stormtroopers!

I know they get a lot of hate (or perhaps apathy is more accurate), and that the classic argument goes "Vets are better!" to be rebuffed with "ST's fill a different role!" but at the end of the day, it's one of the most flexibly deployable units in the game; and you don't have to decide how you're going to deploy them beforehand.

They excel at popping up where and how you need them to and performing surgical strikes against the enemy, which is fantastic in a codex that is otherwise full of big blasts and (generally) foot-slogging or transport-riding grunts. I never leave home without 'em!

Without a doubt, it has to be the 70 point Land Speeder Typhoons for the Black Templars. They are great at 90 points, but 70? Pretty much a must take.

Tyranids - Gargoyles

For 8 points you get a Termagant that also works like jump infantry, and gains almost-but-not-quite 3rd edition rending. For 2 more points you can give them poison (4+) and Furious Charge.

35 point Rhinos for Chaos Space Marines.

Pretty much mandatory for every single troop choice we have. Much needed mobility, metal bawkses protection, cover, strategic terrain, 2 firing points for Melta/Plasma pew pew, target saturation, tank shock.

For the price of 2 piddly CSM.

Otherwise our Spartan DP (with only Wings) is a steal for 130 points.

Though I've not really done any working out on which unit in the Ork codex is the most point efficient, I do know my opponents constantly remark with disdain how cheap Killa Kanz are. 35 points for a walker with dreadnought close combat weapons make's them frown. Trukks get the same treatment, but to a lesser extent.

The god-damn Vendetta.

Big Mek with KFF 85pts of goodness and useable so many ways

Death Cult Assassins for the Grey Knights

Warwalkers for Eldar. For 180 points I get three walkers with the ability to put out 24 S6 shots a turn?! O_O

Amanax wrote:Warwalkers for Eldar. For 180 points I get three walkers with the ability to put out 24 S6 shots a turn?! O_O

Hmm maybe I should buy more war walkers!

I do have 3 fire prisms and 2 falcons though. If long-ranged anti-tank was not so necessary... i guess in comparison to 1 fire prism you get a truckload more shots and WH40k is about rolling as many dice as possible

Lemartes is terrible, as is Celestine. Terminators may be good, but they're in no way must take or points efficient.

For IG, I'd say the Manticore. Str 10 Large Blasts are always helpful.

Marshal Laeroth wrote:Without a doubt, it has to be the 70 point Land Speeder Typhoons for the Black Templars. They are great at 90 points, but 70? Pretty much a must take.

I was going to say this too, but then I realized that there's something even better: Accept Any Challenge, No Matter the Odds. 50 points for army-wide Preferred Enemy: You and your family?!

Irdiumstern wrote:Lemartes is terrible, as is Celestine. Terminators may be good, but they're in no way must take or points efficient.

For IG, I'd say the Manticore. Str 10 Large Blasts are always helpful.

Right, TH/SS Terminators aren't cost efficient and Lemartes/Celestine is bad. Got it. In other news, stocks are up, unemployment is down and the UN has just declared world peace forever.

One of the most point efficient units IMO is a 10 man GK Strike Squad with Psybolt ammo.

For 22 points per model you get a unit with Force Weapons, S5 storm bolters, 3+ Save, Frak Krak and Psyk out Grenades.

They can be Strength 5 after psy test can cause deepstikers to misshap and can deepstrike themselves.

Thats really good!




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Amanax wrote:Death Cult Assassins for the Grey Knights

Warwalkers for Eldar. For 180 points I get three walkers with the ability to put out 24 S6 shots a turn?! O_O

I've always equiped my Warwalkers with Shuriken Cannons rather than Scatter lasers. That way they're only 120 points. Yes they have less range and 1 less shot but as they cost a 3rd of the points of a scatter laser so i went that way.

Chimeras, vendettas and veterans

All three are so points efficient I feel bad for my opponents, sometimes

Psybolt ammo on Psyrifle Dread - 5 points people!!
Jacobus looks amazing value too

I'll do the codex I knwo best and highlight the best points cost per slot... orks get some good deals

HQ
BigMek w/ KFF - 85 points for 4+ cover on vehicles and 5+ for all other units very good deal to make sure the ladz get up close where they want to be

Elite
Mega-nob - 40 points, not out strongest unit but seeing as a regular nob with a power klaw is 45 points and has a 6+ save, instead you get a 2+ save, a powerklaw and TL shoota all for a discount... downside is slow and purposful, but good thing they can take a battlewagon

Troop - tie

ork boy - at 6 points toughness 4 and 2 base attacks it is really hard to beat them point for point effectivness, 30boys plus nob pk and bp is only 220 .. thats alot of green

the reason it is a tie is cheap little objective takers

gretchin - 3 points, they suck ... period they only claim objectives, but for 40 points you get 11 models to daisy chain in unit coherency between objectives and people usually forget abotu em and don't bother to attack them as its a waste of shots

Fast attack

rokkit buggies - 35 points each for fast AV10 vehicle squadrons ... sure they are open topped but its alot of rokkits goping out and if the opponet is pushign shots at them the majority of your points ar ebeing left alone as they deal with this cheap little threat... adn if ignored thats 3 TL rokkits going off assuming you take max squad size , lots of cans opened (or MEQ split apart with no armour save)

Heavy support is rough killa kanz are hard to beat points wise, big gunz have better BS than most ork stuff and is dirt cheap ... btu the nod in my mind goes to the...

BattleWagon- AV14 front, 12 sides, range of options all for a bargin price (pioints wise.. the models are pretty expensive). as i can't give individual points costs here's hwo I usually run am and cost. wagon w/ deffrolla, red paint job, 2 big shoootas, and armour plates- lots of upgrades and clocks in at 135 points. deffrolla's D6 str 10 hits before DoG and D6 after should they choose to (which hits even if DoG sucsessful) against other vehicles you have a good chance to do somethign to even a land raider/monolith. with a 20 model capacity its a real bargin imo

G00fySmiley wrote:I'll do the codex I knwo best and highlight the best points cost per slot... orks get some good deals

HQ
BigMek w/ KFF - 85 points for 4+ cover on vehicles and 5+ for all other units very good deal to make sure the ladz get up close where they want to be

Blugh I hate that rule.

Anytime i see it used with a Kan wall i wish i was allowed to use my Eldar Cobra to kill them all in one shot.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

G00fySmiley wrote:
BattleWagon- against other vehicles you have a good chance to do somethign to even a land raider/monolith. with a 20 model capacity its a real bargin imo

The monolith would get a 3+ save however due to being a skimmer, hard to imagine it dodging really though.

Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

DarknessEternal wrote:Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

Yes I often find a character that makes my DC re-roll wound and hits, has a MC Power Weapon, Jump Pack, can be S6 I6 very useless.

/sarcasm.

-Loki- wrote:Tyranids - Gargoyles

For 8 points you get a Termagant that also works like jump infantry, and gains almost-but-not-quite 3rd edition rending. For 2 more points you can give them poison (4+) and Furious Charge.

6 points, 8 points with all the trimmings. So even better.

I like the scout sentinel. Yeah, its only av10, but you get to move, shoot 3 s6 shots, and can tarpit. Not to mention outflanking. All for only 35 points.

Valkyrie wrote:

DarknessEternal wrote:Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

Yes I often find a character that makes my DC re-roll wound and hits, has a MC Power Weapon, Jump Pack, can be S6 I6 very useless.

/sarcasm.

He makes you take jump packs for the entire Death Company. Which is HORRIBLY over-priced. You pay 75% more to make them easier to kill and harder to control. The re-rolls can be achieved better with either a chappy or reclusiarch. Any smart opponent will have no problem with a Lemartes DC (unless it's because they're laughing too hard at you taking him).

I can only speak of the Codex's that I have known well. Some codex's have multiple 'awesome buys', so Its hard to pick one.

Eldar
Fire Dragon
10 points is the standard price for a melta gun. That means, for 6 points your paying for a aspect warrior statline.

Banshees
Like the fire dragon, most armies pay 10 points for a single power weapon. For 6 points your getting the shuriken pistol, banshee mask, fleet, and aspect warrior statline.
This is now overshadowed by the death cult assassins, which have a higher STR and more attacks and invlun save.

Eldrad
For just over 200 points, he brings three psychic powers per turn to the table, and runes of warding and witnessing and all four powers.
If you tried to buy all the gear that Eldrad comes with on a vanilla farseer, it would be nearly expensive as Eldrad. Eldrad gets all that gear, with the ability to use an extra power each turn, a higher toughness, and a better save.

Codes : Marines
TH/SS Termies
Pound for pound, TH/SS termies pound other CC into the ground.

Grey Knights
Psydread Rifleman
I honestly believe this was an 'oops' moment on the developers. I cannot think that they would have a single model 4 STR 8 shots for as cheap as they did.

Death Kult Assassain
As cheap as a basic CSM and would tear the CSM apart in assault. Two power weapons, a higher init than marine characters, and an 5++ save is an awesome buy.

Imperial Guard
Vendetta
I believe this model was made as cheaply as it is because GW wanted to sell the model. 3 TL LC, transport ability, scout, AV 12 for roughly the same cost as a AC/LC predator.

Chimara Vet Squad
Point for point, this squad delivers a ton of firepower with a good BS for a low cost. Equip with 3 PG to have your squad toss out 6 MEQ killing shots from a cheap AV 12 shell.

Space Wolves
Long Fangs
There is a reason that you see them in so many lists. They are amazingly cheap for what they deliver. The only comparable model would be the GK psy-dread.

Blood Angles
Assault Razorback Squad
Its incredible how cheap this unit is for what it delivers. As an added bonus, the razorback is fast, allowing the BA to move 6" and fire both the las and plas as the same target, giving 3 AP 2 shots at targets within 12". A scary, overcheap unit.

Dark Eldar
Trueborn
Putting 4 blasters in a venom for that cost is just sick.

Ravagers
For a cheap cost you can move 12" and fire 3 dark lances/disengrators. What a great value.

Orks
Da Boy
6 points is very cheap for what the ork boy provides. GW made the orks cheap to encourage people to buy lots of them, and it worked.

KFF
In the right army (BW spam), this is a huge advantage. It allows the ork player to doubles the survivability of his transports, increasing the chances of getting those boys in CC

Orks: Toss up between boys and kans. 6 pt combat specialists vs rhino armored jr dreadnoughts with a str 8 ap3 rokkit for the same cost as a rhino.
BA: Razorbacks after the discount of taking off your jump packs, or a properly equipped storm raven.
SW: Grey hunters, long fangs, and thunder cav. Yea thunder cav are a million points, but whenever I play against them they kill 60% or more of my army and thats efficient.
Necrons: Monolith, Destroyers
CSM: Berserkers, rhinos.
GK: Purifiers, cheap and quite a bit over powered to be honest. Cleansing flame, power weapons/force weapons/halberds, and psylencer canons or whatever those are called are just excessive for what you pay.
DE: Venoms and ravagers and raiders, 2 of the three are way cheaper than LR but kill LR fairly easily.
Nids: Doom of Malantai

touche

for the cheapness and value of that one model you have to take some pretty overpriced troops to go with it. There's something sexy about running 20 man death company with lemartes... flying death angels... but then for that price it'd be the only unit you're running lol

SlaveToDorkness wrote:

Valkyrie wrote:

DarknessEternal wrote:Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

Yes I often find a character that makes my DC re-roll wound and hits, has a MC Power Weapon, Jump Pack, can be S6 I6 very useless.

/sarcasm.

He makes you take jump packs for the entire Death Company. Which is HORRIBLY over-priced. You pay 75% more to make them easier to kill and harder to control. The re-rolls can be achieved better with either a chappy or reclusiarch. Any smart opponent will have no problem with a Lemartes DC (unless it's because they're laughing too hard at you taking him).

SlaveToDorkness wrote:

Valkyrie wrote:

DarknessEternal wrote:Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

Yes I often find a character that makes my DC re-roll wound and hits, has a MC Power Weapon, Jump Pack, can be S6 I6 very useless.

/sarcasm.

He makes you take jump packs for the entire Death Company. Which is HORRIBLY over-priced. You pay 75% more to make them easier to kill and harder to control. The re-rolls can be achieved better with either a chappy or reclusiarch. Any smart opponent will have no problem with a Lemartes DC (unless it's because they're laughing too hard at you taking him).

Uhh no, you don't have to take Jump Packs. You should if you're taking him, but you're not compelled to.

Valkyrie wrote:
Uhh no, you don't have to take Jump Packs. You should if you're taking him, but you're not compelled to.

Doesn't that make it harder to put Lemartes and the DC into a rhino or razorback? Because of Lemartes jetpack, it's either jumpslog or 5 in a Storm Raven...

do those limitations dilute the value, points wise, of lemartes?

Valkyrie wrote:

SlaveToDorkness wrote:

Valkyrie wrote:

DarknessEternal wrote:Lemartes? That guy should be on the list of incredibly overpriced and near useless list.

Yes I often find a character that makes my DC re-roll wound and hits, has a MC Power Weapon, Jump Pack, can be S6 I6 very useless.

/sarcasm.

He makes you take jump packs for the entire Death Company. Which is HORRIBLY over-priced. You pay 75% more to make them easier to kill and harder to control. The re-rolls can be achieved better with either a chappy or reclusiarch. Any smart opponent will have no problem with a Lemartes DC (unless it's because they're laughing too hard at you taking him).

Uhh no, you don't have to take Jump Packs. You should if you're taking him, but you're not compelled to.

So you are walking them? Yeah, you should buy them jump packs... doing anything else is like buying a motorcycle helmet and leathers and not having a motorcycle.

My contribution is DE: Beast packs. for 280 pts you get 21 models with 50 wounds, a huge number of attacks (some with rending) in a unit that also has invul save soaking models and beast movement. You can customize them to lower points and less footprint depending on the list. But think about how much damage 3 full units for less than 900 pts could do.... All in a FOC that DE don't really have much competition in. If it didn't cost 1200 bucks to field that, I would in a heartbeat.

obsidianaura wrote:One of the most point efficient units IMO is a 10 man GK Strike Squad with Psybolt ammo.

For 22 points per model you get a unit with Force Weapons, S5 storm bolters, 3+ Save, Frak Krak and Psyk out Grenades.

They can be Strength 5 after psy test can cause deepstikers to misshap and can deepstrike themselves.

Thats really good!

Agreed. DCA are great and all, but they only do one thing well and then get shot to pieces. GK Strike Squads can shoot other things to pieces and aren't terrible in CC either.

Shoota boyz