It's confusing because the Raven Sword is
Str +1, then the text says that it is
Str x2 on the charge.
1. So does that make him (
Str 4) x 2 on the charge for
Str 8?
2. Or does that make him (
Str x 2) + 1 on the charge for
Str 9?
3. Or does that make him (
Str 4 + 1) x 2 on the charge for
Str 10?
I see a lot of people saying he's
Str 9, but the math for that outcome is the sketchiest for me.
I'd previously thought he was
Str 10 on the charge, based off of the math in option 3.
The Blood of Kittens review put him at
Str 9:
Sammael has T6 and 6 wounds, a 3+ save and 4+ invulnerable. He also has WS and BS 2+, with 5 attacks, making him quite potent in combat. His Raven Sword thankfully gets a strength boost in 8th edition, being +1S (so 5 in combat), AP-3 and 2 damage with each wound. It also gives him double strength if Sammael charges, taking him up to S9 in combat. This gives him some pretty potent attacks on the turn that he charges into combat.
The Frontline Gaming review put him at
Str 9 also:
He has some very potent combat ability. On the turn he charges, he gets 5 attacks at S9 that hit on a 2+ re-rollable, with -3AP. That is going to tear through most units that don’t have an invulnerable save and is even going to put a dent on vehicles and monsters. I like the flat 2 damage rather than a D3 roll. I think this makes his combat output more reliable, so you know who to send him up against, rather than hoping he rolls high for each damage roll. After he charges, he is still S5, meaning he will wound most infantry on a 3+ and other Bikers on a 5+. I think this is a great change to the Raven Sword, as one of the biggest problems with Sammael in previous editions of the games was he was limited to S4.
The Bell of Lost Souls review put him at
Str 10:
Sammael and the Ravenwing Talonmaster are going to present some interesting challenges on the tabletop. If you choose the option where Sammael is riding in Sableclaw he and the Talonmaster are both land speeders that can’t be targeted by the enemy unless they are the closest model (because they are characters.) Sammael even keeps his Ravensword in this mode and keeps his 5 attacks at str 10 if he charges!
And I found a battle report video with him at
Str 8.
So the player base, and the reviewers, have no sort of consensus on this.
It's a significant issue to address too, as there's a huge difference with the importance of T8 and T5 whether or not you wound on 3+ or 4+ for T8, and whether or not you wound on 2+ or 3+ for T5.
I would like to see official word from GW, or from tournament play, on this, as opposed to relying on any random person's opinions.
< This emoticon indicates that the previous sentence is in jest, playful teasing, and not an attack on the journalists themselves.