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After finally picking up the new rulebook, I'm questioning whether Mephiston is still usable. Since he is now only AP3 he can no longer charge into a squad of Terminators and annihilate the squad.

What are your opinions on Mephistons's viability in the new edition?

He's still good but not OMFG awesome.

consider also that now most things that hurt Mephiston in the assault (power weapons) are now also AP3. One downside to him now is that he cannot stop force weapons anymore, so if someone can wound him, they will kill him, but in most cases you would challange the character with the force weapon.

Well my mate is a BA player and for the last dozen games he's failed to get meph into combat as he's always shot down by a hail of AP2 shots.

As for melee TH/SS termies are a supper effective against him so while he may make a mess of one squad he'll quickly find himself pulverised.

Heck a char with artificer armour and a power axe could seriously ruin his day aslong as those pesky 1's dont show up.

He was always bad against TH/SS termies, you are right about Artificer armor, he is no longer a character killer, but a squad killer as he is safer from things like power fists. I think he is a bit weaker now simply because assault is a little weaker (random charge, overwatch, AP3 force weapon...)

I think I've just answered my own question really. I just played a game against my friend who runs Space Wolves and Mephiston was slaughtered, partially by my own poor rolling, before he even got into combat. He finally succumbed to Jaws Of the World Wolf after being shot down by AP 2 weapons.

His role has changed a little bit, first off his stats still allow him to mess up non CC units with ease regardless of powers. A good use of him I have been seeing is in gunline or armor lists. Have him follow behind with either telepathy or divination passing out buffs/debuffs like its candy and countercharge if required. Also mastery lvl 3 psychic hood is a negate on a 3+ vs a lvl 1.

Divination: all the rerolls for you or your friends, 4+ invulv save.
Feel no pain: works on PotW (one of the only things that can anymore)
Teelpathy: can negate the ability of other beefy deathstars with hallucination and invisibility

I have a friend at my FLGS who plays Mephie. He always hides him behind a Vindie so I can't see him to get a shot in until he's within flying range of one of my units. More times than nought he get's the Lord of Cheese into play and wreaks havoc.

Evilledz wrote:He finally succumbed to Jaws Of the World Wolf after being shot down by AP 2 weapons.

Just ouch. That is so unlucky.

It is quite obvious you should be better at dodging ap2 weapons. Try blocking LoS to him using tanks or scenery, then make every shot that goes towards him be one less shot on your other units, then you should be choosing which part of the enemy he will face, look for the bit with low strength and non ap2 weapons.

To be honest, Meph would've died to similar AP2 shooting in 5th ed too (unless Overwatch puts the final lucky nail in his 1W-left coffin). If you're letting Meph die to shooting, you're doing it wrong. Find cover or use a tank to make some!

In combat, he's no longer that good against 2+ saves, but that just means being a bit more careful where you throw him. There are very few army builds with entire 2+ saves, so he's still very usable.

And you should be running a Priest near by so he can take a FNP save on those AP2/1 shots. That is the biggest buff to him this edition. Before he just took wounds, now he can get FNP. And just like last edition, keep him away from Termies with Hammers and Fist. LC termies are not scarry for him, but they will tarpit each other for most of the game.

one big fat YES.

He generally slaughters his way through my Eldar List, because so little is able to get a wound on him, let alone a unsaved wound ...

He will kill all of the tough stuff, though it can be amusing to watch him kill 4/5 grots a turn

I find he is like a monstrous creature, but luckily Karandras will now kill him, so that may be in my 'to get' list soon.

All in all he is still a Death Star ... but like the older Death Star

Yeah, you're definitely right about hiding and getting cover/no LOS, I'll try that next time. The problem I find is that my friend runs a large proportion of Terminator Wolf Guard which is a considerable problem for Mephiston. I was wondering if it'd be worth taking Smite just for the AP2 goodness against Termis?

I'm not denying that Mephiston is still a close combat monster against any army that doesn't have many 2+ saves because he is.

The other issue is the change to coversaves. Any good BA player relies a lot on that extra 4+ "invuln" save, which is now gone. I'm not sure I'd play him these days, purely based off cost vs the downsides in 6th.

Loss of cover save
AP3
Overwatch
Buff to shooting

The list of stuff that goes against him is a lot longer than what he gained.

Farseer Tahril wrote:one big fat YES.

He generally slaughters his way through my Eldar List, because so little is able to get a wound on him, let alone a unsaved wound ...

Pathfinders(using guide especially) and a number of Runes of Warding?

hazal wrote: Also mastery lvl 3 psychic hood is a negate on a 3+ vs a lvl 1.

No it's not. You only ever get 4+ for any psyker that's lower than you.

Psychic hood just allows you to help out on DTW for nearby units (6").

pretre wrote:Psychic hood just allows you to help out on DTW for nearby units (6").

That too, I was mostly responding to the incorrect statement for mastery levels and DTW.

6+ Base, 5+ if Psyker (= to or Lower level than the caster), 4+ If you are a higher level psyker

Yeah, I was agreeing with you and disagreeing with him.

And I am saying thanks for correcting me :p

Let's take a look....


Does he still have that GAM (GOD ALL MIGHTY) stats?
Ahem... its not GAM... its GAMDOTW (GOD ALL MIGHTY DESTROY THE WORLD).

Can he still be Superman and fly around in red panti- I mean power armour?
Yes. He may not be Goku but unlike Naruto, he can fly.

Is he affordable in terms of points?
Debatable. I'll leave this up to situations and size of games but generally in a 2000pnts or less, I feel that he is worth it.

Nerf to power weapons?
Double-edged sword. 2+ armour save is pretty much GAM now but those Termies want a revenge against our supa-saiyan in power armour.

Can he challenge?
Yes... and that's a good thing.... right? Unless its Ghazzy the Big Green Meanie, Failbbadon the Spoiled or Logan the X-man, he should be able to win.....

Psychic hoodie nerf?
Again, double-edged sword. No one's gonna nullify the super-vampire-psycker but BA in general can't nullify zappy powers as easily.

Overwatch?
Hurts. But remember that 2+ save, unless its Marneus Calgar with his unexplanable AP 2 bolter, it should be fine.

General buff to shooting?
Again, hurts. Our Space-Superman wants to beat face with fist.

Somehow those ruins and terrain doesn't wanna block those lasgun shots for you?
Loss of cover save is a big minus for BA in general... Guess what. Mephiston is a BA.



Basically my feelings currently....