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.

How best would you build a Captain to accompany something like a Sternguard unit in a pod?
Toss him a combi weapon and fist or claw for cheap counter attack?
Shield and art armor for wound tanking?

I generally use a librarian or chaplain Cassius for that role. If I’m putting a HQ in there, it’s either for buffs, or he’s got no place better to go.

If I do place a captain in there, it’s going to be my WYSWYG one (SB/relic blade) which doesn’t really answer your question.

IMHO it’s not really worth giving a captain a gun. He should either be there to tank wounds, or to blender things. Gear him for what you think you need more. If you just have him there hanging out, AA and some sort of power weapon as a bare-bones option is probably the best use of him.

Fair point. There is something nice about using the Captain's BS5 and adding to the initial alpha strike.

There are plenty of things that shoot in the codex, but fewer that have the captain’s CC statline. I’d rather take advantage of his WS/I/A then his BS. If you just want a little extra shooting, the techmarine is very nice (and gives you a lot for your points)

If you need to take the captain anyway (for the formation,etc.), and want shooting, take the combi and either a single specialist/2H weapon. LC/Relic/ToT depending on points. Or a fist/hammer. But as I think of this as a budget job, the LC should do fine. Just don’t expect him to take down monsters.

 Nevelon wrote:

If you need to take the captain anyway (for the formation,etc.), and want shooting, take the combi and either a single specialist/2H weapon. LC/Relic/ToT depending on points. Or a fist/hammer. But as I think of this as a budget job, the LC should do fine. Just don’t expect him to take down monsters.

Yeah, I was playing around with a few Battle Company lists. I'd prefer the Captain on a bike with a bike squad for the improved T and mobility, and put the Chaplain with a Combi-Plasma/Melta in a drop pod with either shooty Command Squad or Sternguard.

 kronk wrote:


Yeah, I was playing around with a few Battle Company lists. I'd prefer the Captain on a bike with a bike squad for the improved T and mobility, and put the Chaplain with a Combi-Plasma/Melta in a drop pod with either shooty Command Squad or Sternguard.

I'm not sure what the value in the drop pod chaplain would be. Combi weapon doesn't pair well with the maul, you have BS4, no 2+ save and one less wound.

Even a cheap combi weapon, single claw, art armor captain seems to be a better bodyguard unit for Sternguard or a non-bike command squad.

Sternguard/command squads are still vets with 2A base. The chaplain has zealot, so can act as a counter-charge deterrent. He’d be better with an assault squad, but has some use in a CC one.

Cassius, of course, has both a combi (w/hellfire) and a BP+ maul, so fits in very nicely with drop pods. But that’s just for us Ultramarines.

When it comes to shooty HQ, I go with Issadon. 175 points and his squad gets shrouded and infiltrate along with 3 other units. plus he comes stock with artificer armor and a locator beacon.