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So, I want to ally a bunch of IG to my marines, and want a Primaris Psyker to be their HQ. I have not much experience using psykers in this edition (or the last one either, for that matter.) What would be the most generally useful psychic discipline for a Primaris Psyker?


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Telepathy, right? Its telepathy?

What else is in your list and where do you plan on placing him? Biomancy is quite good for buffing MEQ/TEQ units (FNP on Terminators? Yes, please) and some of the telepathy spells have underwhelming ranges on a GEQ

The only power in telepathy I would care for with a primaris psyker is puppet master, don't care for anything else besides invisibility, which has a warp charge of 2. I would say go biomancy, life leech, endurance, enfeeble, and haemorrhage are all good, as is smite. I imagine endurance with some devastators could be sweet.

Hmm. I see why Biomancy could be good. However, Telepathy Primaris power is clearly better, is it not?

His basic powers are also respectable: Str6, AP4 or 5(can't recall) 2d6 assault lightning bolts, and one that forces a Ld test to be fired upon.
I always used them (for the few times I used a psyker) and they worked well.

Edit: I'm stupid

tybg wrote:
Prescience (Divination primaris) is never a bad option

Primaris Psykers can't take Divination.

I wonder if you can keep the chain lightning spell and roll on the BRB for the leadership spell.
Biomancy, in a blob, can be useful (hello endurance/enfeeble).
Telepathy for puppet master, in telekenesis has some interesting ones.

The problem though is that a few of them are WC2 and the defaults kind of suck.

 TheCaptain wrote:

tybg wrote:
Prescience (Divination primaris) is never a bad option

Primaris Psykers can't take Divination.

My bad, haven't looked at the FAQ in awhile

for 205 Points, you can get a Primaris + PBS in a Chimera.

lower Target's Ld, then Shriek. Chimera will Flamer the rest of it.

EDIT: Brilliant way to get rid of the likes of Termies, as 5++ will crumnple under even an average value on 3D6-4 wounds

 IHateNids wrote:
for 205 Points, you can get a Primaris + PBS in a Chimera.

lower Target's Ld, then Shriek. Chimera will Flamer the rest of it.

EDIT: Brilliant way to get rid of the likes of Termies, as 5++ will crumnple under even an average value on 3D6-4 wounds

I guess, but if you're getting that strategy off (ignoring the fact that neither spell can be cast from within a chimera) you might as well start going to Vegas with your luck.

If you have to take a Primaris Psycher, go biomancy. It's the only table with a few decent spells, but in reality the CCS will be better.

On a positive note, I've had the occasional awesome piece of luck with a PP and allies, but once the new DA codex came out where you can get a marine statline psycher, with access to divination for five points less the primaris psycher became rather defunct.

how is that lucky?

Its fairly average rolls TBH, as termies are usually in 5-man squads.

to kill them all, you need to put 5 wounds through.

this is 2/3s of wounds caused, so lets call 8 wounds caused.

plus 4 from the Targets Leadership, you need to roll a 12. On 3D6, this is relatively easy.

I agree that CCS is certainly better, but Primaris is cheap and it is the model I happen to have painted, so...

I'm starting to lean towards, Biomancy. Shriek is clearly better than Smite, though.

If I was forced to chose though, Id roll on Bio, and take Shriek as well, as I can roll for 2, but only cast one (Correct? I play Necrons mainly, forgive me for not know Psychic stuff very well)

 IHateNids wrote:
how is that lucky?

Let's do the math!

Edit: Blaggard did it clearer. Although he did miss out that the PP requires a to hit roll too.

Then you have to take into account the issue of any sort of psychic defence, getting within 12" of the unit you're aiming at, unmolested, disembarking from the transport leaving the squad with a model who's potentially your warlord standing around in the open.

 IHateNids wrote:
If I was forced to chose though, Id roll on Bio, and take Shriek as well, as I can roll for 2, but only cast one (Correct? I play Necrons mainly, forgive me for not know Psychic stuff very well)

BRB says that you generate powers until you've generated number of powers equal to the mastery level. PP has two powers but only one mastery level... So what happens? Do I switch both codex powers for one BRB power, or can I keep the other? I'm confused... As I said, last time I used a psyker was in 3th edition.

 Crimson wrote:

 IHateNids wrote:
If I was forced to chose though, Id roll on Bio, and take Shriek as well, as I can roll for 2, but only cast one (Correct? I play Necrons mainly, forgive me for not know Psychic stuff very well)

BRB says that you generate powers until you've generated number of powers equal to the mastery level. PP has two powers but only one mastery level... So what happens? Do I switch both codex powers for one BRB power, or can I keep the other? I'm confused... As I said, last time I used a psyker was in 3th edition.

FAQ clears that up. Link in my sig.

 IHateNids wrote:
how is that lucky?

Its fairly average rolls TBH, as termies are usually in 5-man squads.

to kill them all, you need to put 5 wounds through.

this is 2/3s of wounds caused, so lets call 8 wounds caused.

plus 4 from the Targets Leadership, you need to roll a 12. On 3D6, this is relatively easy.

You've got a 89% chance of the PSB passing, 16.7% of that failing (74.2%), 89% of the PP casting (66%), then another 16.7% DTW bringing the total casting probability to 55%. Lets say you get a average 12 for your 3D6, so 9 wounds, after invulns that is 6 wounds.
That's just too many hoops to jump through with no reliability.

still a dead Termie Squad...

 IHateNids wrote:
still a dead Termie Squad...

I guess, if you don't mind spending 200 points to get a 50% chance of that kill. Assuming it makes it within 12" of a squad, which it probably won't. You're far better off spending 65pts on Marbo if you want a one shot wonder to kill terminators.

I know, but this is useful more than once.

I've always wanted to try out the -Ld and shriek combo but felt it was too dependent on dice rolls. Powerful yes but random.

Also the Primaris psyker can shoot his psychic shriek out of a chimera since it's a witchfire/shooting attack but alas the PBS cannot. Those psykers would eat a battle cannon soon as they jump out of their chimera.

If you do not have a lot of ignores cover weapons you could try pyromancy.

 Griddlelol wrote:

FAQ clears that up. Link in my sig.

It says you cannot mix and match, but I found nothing on the number of the powers. I guess this means PP will get only one power if he chooses to use BRB powers...

 Crimson wrote:

 Griddlelol wrote:

FAQ clears that up. Link in my sig.

It says you cannot mix and match, but I found nothing on the number of the powers. I guess this means PP will get only one power if he chooses to use BRB powers...

Look in the IG FAQ. It answers that clearly.

as far as I know, you can trade the number of Codex Powers you have for an equal number of BRB powers, but may only cast one per turn (as you are assumed to only have 1 Warp Charge Point)

 kronk wrote:

Look in the IG FAQ. It answers that clearly.

Yeah... So it does. I was looking at BRB FAQ.

 Crimson wrote:
Hmm. I see why Biomancy could be good. However, Telepathy Primaris power is clearly better, is it not?

I honestly have to disagree, it is okay to say the least, but it losses a lot of effectiveness if the enemy gets a cover save or invulnerable save. Might be lulzy to use it against a high armour save, low or no invul save special character like Drazhar, but overall I would much rather get endurance or something. Besides, psychic shriek relies too much on luck, on average you will get a wound or two against marines, but you could very easily not get any wounds (roll two 3s and a 2 and you won't score any wounds), smite has a lot of AP 2 shots and life leech is like a short range plasma gun. Overall I would decide what you want to use him for first, if you want to weaken high toughness models, shriek wins, if you want to kill MEQs biomancy wins, if you want to boost the squad, biomancy wins.

Shriek dosent allow Cover

 IHateNids wrote:
I know, but this is useful more than once.

No, you use it once, if you get to use it at all. Marbo always fires once, the shriek combo requires your opponent ignore 230pts screaming up the table towards him in a fragile chimera. Then if you do manage to get within 12", you're standing in the open...with a PBS.
Sorry no, you'll never get to use it more than once. Then you have around a 50% of it failing. You really over estimate this. Have you ever actually tried it?

IHateNids wrote:If I was forced to chose though, Id roll on Bio, and take Shriek as well, as I can roll for 2, but only cast one (Correct? I play Necrons mainly, forgive me for not know Psychic stuff very well)

Griddlelol wrote:

 IHateNids wrote:
I know, but this is useful more than once.

No, you use it once, if you get to use it at all. Marbo always fires once, the shriek combo requires your opponent ignore 230pts screaming up the table towards him in a fragile chimera. Then if you do manage to get within 12", you're standing in the open...with a PBS.
Sorry no, you'll never get to use it more than once. Then you have around a 50% of it failing. You really over estimate this. Have you ever actually tried it?

I think his first quote will tell you no, he has not tried this.

What people are saying is this... That Chimera is worth a lot of points and is starting out in your deployment zone. To make what your doing practical, you will have to charge toward deployed Terminators, as your not moving the first turn waiting for them to DS in. Weaken Resolve is not a Witchfire power, so can not be done from inside the Vehicle. The PBS has to get out of the vehicle to use it which really exposes them for a turn (thus why it is said they will do it once... if they survive to get that close). If you can pull this off your considered lucky but it is rather difficult and you have to have your opponent ignore the squad. Complex combos that need several things to go right in your favor are not practical tactics.

Marbro appears anywhere on the board and can place his charge. I will note that technically units/ADL guns with Interceptor can fire on him at the end of his movement phase as long as he is within LoS and Range (specially a Quad gun that gives you 4 TLed shots that can ID him). This does make him a little less of a sure thing to do what he does.

FAQ rules that I feel matter in this discussion, just to make sure they are here.

Q: Can Psykers use a Transport’s Fire Point(s) to manifest powers that require line of sight whilst still embarked? (p78)

A: No. Note, however, that witchfire powers specifically allow you to do so and are the one exception to this rule.


A Primaris Psyker may use the psychic disciplines found in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, instead of those in Codex: Imperial Guard. If he does so, generate two new powers from the Biomancy, Pyromancy, Telepathy and Telekinesis disciplines (in any combination) before armies are deployed.