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I am thinking of fielding a jump pack captain (w/relic blade, stormbolter, artificer armor) attached to a ten man assault squad. Anyone have any experience with that build, or recommended tactics for best results?

My friend and I used to use similar, but instead of the storm bolter we ran a storm shield, as shooting for the squad is mostly pointless.

Our conclusion?

He sucks. 180ish points is WAY too expensive for 3 S6 attacks, 4 on the charge, even with a 3++ save.

I've personally found a JP chaplain to be a much larger boon to the assault squad and he's like 50 points cheaper. Also, if you are spending more then 170 points on a commander you are into the realm of special characters and almost every single one of them is much better then the JP Captain.

Interesting. I wasn't sure how much of a benefit the S 6 attacks, and WS 6 would be over a standard chaplain (and the re-rolls that go along with liturgies of battle).

I use one with just a Power weapon, Digiweapons, Bolt pistol, and sometimes and Aux grenade launcher. I find he works rather well, especially leading my 10 man Assault Squad.

JP chaplains are the best. You can get them where their needed and their extra mobility makes them even scarier than normal chaplains.

Well, the OP's build is very much meh. I like captains, but they're a huge pointsink compared to what they will actually do. Some games they do really well, but more often than not they'll fail to make their pts back.

Jump pack chaplain: 115pts. MUCH BETTER OPTION.

whenever I use a jump pack squad, I put a jump librarian with avenger and null zone in it. Pretty much guarantees I have the hood where I need it, and gives me the mobility to land an avenger template wherever its needed. Also lets him keep up with my assault land raider and terminators, to provide null zone for support if needed.

The squad itself, with a TH/SS sarge, and 2x flamers, can lay down some serious anti-infantry support, and hold their own against most things. Its a favorite unit of mine when playing non-competitive games, or tournaments that award alot of comp. Pure mech is definitely more powerful, but variety doesn't hurt, depending on your tournament venue.

The Chaplain seems like a way better choice than the captain. Perhaps a Librarian, I've never used one.

Unless if you include Shrike as a Jump Pack Captain then I probably wouldn't use one (I'm contemplating trying one though) as Chaplains are so much better for the cost (especially with Shrike ). One of the main reasons I'm thinking of trying the Jump Captain is stroy though, he deserves it after he (as a vanguard) got around 3 times his points back and didn't get killed until he came up against a trygon. That's Captain material (he killed more than Shrike).

Nantukoshade wrote:The Chaplain seems like a way better choice than the captain. Perhaps a Librarian, I've never used one.

Cheaper and more effective!

Presently I use a Chappy in Termie armor with my assault termies. It works out pretty well, Lightning claws that re-roll to hit and wound pretty much takes out any kind on infantry, and re-rolling the to hits on the hammers really ups their deadliness!!!

Interested in all the chappy love as I've never liked them for nilla marines. If I want bare bones HQ or just someone in termie armor prefer the libby as I find that null zone (plus GOI for when I lose my ride) and the hood much more useful than the rerolls to hit. Don't want combat over in just one turn, prefer to be stuck in combat at least through opponents turn and with TH/SS termies not too much stands up against them for all that long.

Like captains for the higher stats and a s6 weapon that strikes at initiative. Never tried a jumppack, but often use a bike. Having them mobile is really a plus.

Captain on a bike may be a better option than the jump pack. I like the chappy because of the liturgies of battle, and I use him with my Termies. If you use GOI they are stuck, cause they can't assault after DS. Then, whatever you are chasing just pours fire into them or moves away, or both!!

Nantukoshade wrote:Captain on a bike may be a better option than the jump pack. I like the chappy because of the liturgies of battle, and I use him with my Termies. If you use GOI they are stuck, cause they can't assault after DS. Then, whatever you are chasing just pours fire into them or moves away, or both!!

You make a good point about the no assault with GOI, but if you're ride is blown (yes people do kill LRs) it is sometimes preferrable to jump them across the field as opposed to footslogging. Yes, you'll get fired at, but for less turns then if you have to hoof it all the way there. If they move away sometimes that is just as effective for you. You don't have to always kill things with the termies, if you can force your opponents actions that is sometims just as much of a win.

I agree. The GOI is up to 24 inches, right? If you can switch them from the anvil to the hammer, and chase the enemy into something equally deadly, the that seems worth it. Also, the Libby can equip a SS for survivability, rigth?

Honersstodnt wrote:whenever I use a jump pack squad, I put a jump librarian with avenger and null zone in it. Pretty much guarantees I have the hood where I need it, and gives me the mobility to land an avenger template wherever its needed. Also lets him keep up with my assault land raider and terminators, to provide null zone for support if needed.

The squad itself, with a TH/SS sarge, and 2x flamers, can lay down some serious anti-infantry support, and hold their own against most things. Its a favorite unit of mine when playing non-competitive games, or tournaments that award alot of comp. Pure mech is definitely more powerful, but variety doesn't hurt, depending on your tournament venue.

I've run a jump Librarian several times, as well. Avenger, and Null Zone. Depending on the enemy, I have combat squadded the Assault Squad on arrival, landing the two flamers alongside the Librarian for a "flamer bomb" attack. Makes short work of backfield fire support infantry (Lootas, Devastators, etc).

Just one small note...the sergeant cant have Thunder Hammer and Stormshield. The only option is a Combat Shield, which is a far cry from a Stormshield.

As for a Jump Captain...it's not a unit I've ever had the urge to field. Shrike? Sure, but only for his army-wide rules. Standard captains just don't add enough to a force unless they're modifying the force as a whole. I run a biker captain in just about every single list I make. Relic blade, arty armor, hellfire rounds. He's a beast in close combat, but that's largely because of his T5 from the bike. Guardsmen need 5s to hit him, and then 6s to wound. I've carved up entire blob squads with this guy, without ever taking a wound because the power weapns in the unit whiff, or fail to wound.

assault squad sergeants can totally take stormshields :(

its just a shame the librarian can't.

Actually, they can both take a storm shield