Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I just started playing IG, and decided to pick up some psykers. In two games, they have been at best, albative wounds, at 12 pts. a model.

How are they best used?

Most people view them as being a waste of a doctrine point, but I've always wanted to try them for flavour.

Try and convince your buddies that you can roll for their power before you assign them to squads, they might be more useful.

Otherwise maybe keep them for 1500/ 2000 point games where you won't notice the points.

The Pysker works best as part of an aggressive Command Squad spearhead. This is when you take all the platoon and general HQ command squads, put commies or priests into the unit, tool up the officers beyond a reasonable level, and throw them into combat through an infantry screen in one insane combat unit. This is a lot more effective than you might think because Heroic Senior Officers can be made into ferocious fighters with a master-crafted power weapons or power fists, and if you have lots of those you can make a big hole in the lines of MEQ. This strategy puts all your pyskers together in the assault as well, giving you a much better chance of using their powers, whatever that may be.

Psyker powers are too random, and too weak, to really justify taking them for any serious list. As you noted, they just end up as expensive ablative wounds.

I have to disagree with open_sketchbook. While it's an interesting idea, overall, throwing more stuff to try and make an IG list competitive in melee is just a recipe for disaster.

Now, if you're dead-set on using the models, maybe you could get the witch hunters codex and use them as mystics? At least then you get a fairly useful ability (shooting deepstrikers) that will help your list overall. I'd only use this for larger point games (1850-2000).

The best power is 'Telepathic Order'. The second best power is 'No Power'. Why is 'No Power' good? It's not, it's just better than the other 4 results.

I mean, any table where the '6' result (ie. best result) is a Heavy D6 Lasgun is not a table worth rolling on.

When it comes to Sanctioned Psykers you either bring 5 of them to increase your chances of rolling Telepathic Order, or none of them. You don't give them equipment and you certainly don't fall into the trap of giving them the Honorifica Imperialis teamed with a Force Weapon.

BYE

Quoted for truth!

Capt K

H.B.M.C. wrote:The best power is 'Telepathic Order'. The second best power is 'No Power'. Why is 'No Power' good? It's not, it's just better than the other 4 results.

I mean, any table where the '6' result (ie. best result) is a Heavy D6 Lasgun is not a table worth rolling on.

When it comes to Sanctioned Psykers you either bring 5 of them to increase your chances of rolling Telepathic Order, or none of them. You don't give them equipment and you certainly don't fall into the trap of giving them the Honorifica Imperialis teamed with a Force Weapon.

BYE

I use mine (my avatar) as a Sage in my Inq. retinue, because "GHahhh! Differential Calculus is HARD!!!" reminds me of college. Though it was mostly the prof's accents that were hard, not the subject.

The vehicle-scrambling power is a bit hard, isn't it?

That and trying to account for wind velocity, direction, gravitation differentiation for a plasma cannon and two seperate heavy bolter servitors spraying at moving targets probably is enough to make them go insane. Throw in the fact he spends a vast amount of time on Dakka while doing his job, and his brain is about to pop right out.

Careful, there might be Sororitas in your HR department.

I have the three Sanctioned Psykers and the old Primaris Battle Psyker from 2nd Ed. They all get used as Mystics in my two Kyoto-Pattern Inquisitorial Fire Teams.

I've never used them as Sanctioned Psykers except for one game, my first ever game with the current Guard Codex, where I purposfully took a 300 point CHQ maxed out to the gills.

BYE

Grimaldi wrote:Psyker powers are too random, and too weak, to really justify taking them for any serious list. As you noted, they just end up as expensive ablative wounds.

I have to disagree with open_sketchbook. While it's an interesting idea, overall, throwing more stuff to try and make an IG list competitive in melee is just a recipe for disaster.

Now, if you're dead-set on using the models, maybe you could get the witch hunters codex and use them as mystics? At least then you get a fairly useful ability (shooting deepstrikers) that will help your list overall. I'd only use this for larger point games (1850-2000).

The command spearhead is not intended to make the army competitive in close combat so much as to give you a counter-attack that isn't an obvious target to enemy shooting like Rough Riders tend to be. You aren't supposed to use it against enemy melee units, but against the bulk of the enemy force if they get too close. They can usually buy you a turn or two, and the vast majority of the time when I've used them, they've got their points and then some back as well as throwing the enemy on the back foot. Maybe it's not the most competitive option, but it's a good choice for anyone that wants to turn the tables on the enemy and be dynamic with Guard for once.