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.

Is this guy really worth it? I do realize that in a 10 man squad of guys that you would normally give cloaks to, his normal 50 point cost - the 30 point cost of cloaks means that you get the master chief of the ultra marines for a mere 20 points. Also, he hits 31/36 times, or can endow the same feature on that missile launcher that scouts always seem to miss with, or he can go picking off sergeants and special weapons off from a squad of infantry. And of course his shots are rending and pinning.

I remain unconvinced though. Personally, I rarely run 10 man sniper squads anymore, and at 5 men the effective cost of Tellion goes from 20 to 35 points. I see the strength 4 as more of a hindrance than s X, although if you're firing at big stuff then making your ML more accurate might be a better choice than firing, even if it were two shots at S x.

Obviously, I have mixed feelings about the guy, thus this thread.

I run a lot of scouts lists, actually all of them have scouts, and he's been a part of some of them and his points just really never justify. You are bound to run into mech in almost all lists these days he is definitely ace vs ork hoards in neutralizing those PK Nobs though.

I don't run my scouts much anymore, but when I did I found him to be the best thing for them. I would run five with Telion, 3 snipers, and a ML. The almost never miss Missile was great for killing Tyranid warriors. The bolter he carries is great for killing Special weapons, Nobz, Commissars, etc. Usually I would use him to draw fire also. A lot of times he would start to do just enough damage that my opponent would just have to do something about him. Personally I find him to be the only good sniper though. I'm a bigger fan of giving the other scouts regular bolters. Nothing worse than having to roll 4's to wound, when you could be doing the same on 3's.
I rarely worry about pinning, but against a guardian squad it is nice to shut them down.
I always paid more for the squad, to have cloaks. Our group has not be sure if he gives the whole squad stealth or not. If he does, then I think he is well worth the points. Just don't infiltrate up close to the enemy.

I think he is great. I have never personally run him, but I think if you are running any size scouts that aren't CCW, and you have the points, then he is amazing. 50 points for a beefed up scout sniper? I'm in. The only problem I see is that he has only a single wound.

The reason good old Tellion is worth it, is the simple addition of flexibility to a sniper squad. The ability to kill IC or upgrade chrs attached to a squad is worth the points five fold. Secondly the ability to make your missile launcher nearly never miss makes the choice even easier.

Sir Blayse wrote:
I always paid more for the squad, to have cloaks. Our group has not be sure if he gives the whole squad stealth or not. If he does, then I think he is well worth the points. Just don't infiltrate up close to the enemy.

GW addressed this question. He does indeed confer stealth to his compatriots

Worth it. Most of the times i consider him as a scoring IC who can distribute wounds, can hit with an ML shot when it counts and has 5 wounds. Most of the time the scouts with him are just wounds, anyway.

Say you are running him with 5 scouts with an ML. For 35 points more, your guys have a cover save worthy of a real space marine while sitting on an objective (I also alwas have an MotF on my list, so a bolstered ruin gives them a 2+ cover save. It's either your opponent ignores them, so you get an objective or he tries to kill them, having a hard time with 2+ saves and our more expensive units gets to have more breathing space). You also get an ML shot that almost always hits. You remember your frustration when your HW tac squad didn't hit with that ML when it should count? Almost not gonna happen with Telion. And you need your ML shots to hit especially now when everyone is meching up. It is a valid reason to take him.

He's also good at sniping things you don't like that are part of a squad. Don't like that meltaguy near your vehicle? Have a go at sniping him. A Nob with a klaw threatening to charge on our opponent's turn. Snipe-snipe.

Honestly, I'd rather run him in a 5-man squad than get a 10-man squad without Telion. Don't know about the math but I feel like he deals more damage where it counts. He adds survivability to the squad, and makes the squad useful--period.

The only problem I have with Telion is that I can only run one of him.

Is he worth it? Yes. Yes he is.

I've run with him every time a sniper squad will take to the field and in a 5 man sniper squad with ML he brings a nice improvement to the squad and helps ensure some kills. That Bs6 and ability to legt someone else have is real neat too - that ML now can hit tanks better than most marines.