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I am not quite sure if this fits here or in the army list forum...

But I was wondering, I am slowly accruing my Luna Wolves and I have a Chapter Master on the way. I am wondering what would be an optimal set up for him. Now I know this comes into what the rest of the army is going to be and stuff. I am just concerned if I just make my commission to be 'flashy' and a showcase piece instead of a tabletop 'playable' piece. Please do note that I don't have 8e Space Marine codex yet. I haven't had the opportunity to pick mine up yet.

So any advice for what codex and what loadout my Chapter Master should be equipped with would be great.

FOR THE EMPEROR! FOR LUNA!

I think there are two big things you need to decide before you get into specific gear:

1) What chapter rules will you be using? Luna Wolves obviously aren't a supported chapter, so you'll be running using the rules of something else. What that is will dictate special relics and warlord traits that will in turn better support different loadouts.

2) Whether the captain will be supporting a gunline, or will be rushing up to get stuck in as a melee beatstick. The former probably wants a decent ranged weapon, but also a melee weapon as a counter charge unit. The latter probably wants a jump pack unless you have transport for him, a great melee weapon (probably a relic one) and possibly a storm shield.

Stux wrote:
I think there are two big things you need to decide before you get into specific gear:

1) What chapter rules will you be using? Luna Wolves obviously aren't a supported chapter, so you'll be running using the rules of something else. What that is will dictate special relics and warlord traits that will in turn better support different loadouts.

2) Whether the captain will be supporting a gunline, or will be rushing up to get stuck in as a melee beatstick. The former probably wants a decent ranged weapon, but also a melee weapon as a counter charge unit. The latter probably wants a jump pack unless you have transport for him, a great melee weapon (probably a relic one) and possibly a storm shield.

He is definitely going to be a melee beatstick. I was thinking of equipping him like Horus. With a Power Maul and a claw but now that I am reading rules and what not I don't think it'll work. (Oh well, there goes mini Horus ) I might have the Luna Wolves more of an assault, melee based chapter codex and I don't know which one supports that I am obviously new but I'd like to get it right than getting to the table and having minis that are quite all over the place. I mean I can have them act as multiple chapters, Salamanders, Ultramarines and the Iron Hands. What are your thoughts? I mean I can change my army into a shooty one too for the smurf codex to work out.

Thunder hammer/shield eternal captain (or just a normal storm shield if you have other plans for your relic) is nice and smashy, and pretty tough. Little pricy, but gets the job done

Teeth of Terra is a good budget option. It replaces your free chainsword, so keeps the investment low. Pair that with the gun of your choice for a basic blender.

Storm bolter/power sword (or axe) is another low investment option. Probably better reserved for a guy sitting back with the long range campers.

T-Hammer, Plas Pistol & Jump Pack. I use him as a counter charge unit for my devastators.

If you want to go melee, you might want to consider Blood Angels too then. They are famed for their melee captains!

Stux wrote:
If you want to go melee, you might want to consider Blood Angels too then. They are famed for their melee captains!

I arm my Captain the way I do simply because my army is NOT melee, but a gunline. So I can use the Captain's bubble to boost my Devs, and then Jump Pack him to either counter charge or flee.

phydaux wrote:

Stux wrote:
If you want to go melee, you might want to consider Blood Angels too then. They are famed for their melee captains!

I arm my Captain the way I do simply because my army is NOT melee, but a gunline. So I can use the Captain's bubble to boost my Devs, and then Jump Pack him to either counter charge or flee.

Yeah, depends on the overall game plan for the OP's army. If he wants a melee focused army then Blood Angels should be considered though!

Oh true! I forgot about Blood Angels. I am liking Thunder Hammers, big smashy and a shield, because I am trying for a fluffy army, they are said to be fierce, and ferocious out of all the legions so I am leaning towards Blood Angels and maybe Salamanders possibly Iron Hands?

I personally am a big fan of honour blades. Pricey, but I think well worth it. Couple that with either something shooty (perhaps a Storm Bolter at a budget or a combi-weapon or pistol) or a shield and you have a good unit.

There's also the Space Wolves codex coming out too of course. Difficult to say with certainty, but likely to have some tasty melee stuff in it!

I might make my troops around salamanders and Iron Hands, Blood Angels require Sanguinary Guard and unique units to that Codex and that will sorta ruin the fluff army

Oh yes I am enjoying the melee smashy smashy ideas Thanks alot guys I was trying to make a sorta balanced army with, melee and ranged or maybe 70:30 Or vice versa etc. Unless those types of armies aren't great and diminishes in each field due to spread your troop choices too much etc.

Teeth of Terra and Storm Shield.

Likran wrote:
I might make my troops around salamanders and Iron Hands, Blood Angels require Sanguinary Guard and unique units to that Codex and that will sorta ruin the fluff army

Oh yes I am enjoying the melee smashy smashy ideas Thanks alot guys I was trying to make a sorta balanced army with, melee and ranged or maybe 70:30 Or vice versa etc. Unless those types of armies aren't great and diminishes in each field due to spread your troop choices too much etc.

Melee marines is not amazing generally speaking. Vanguard Vets are pretty nice, but get very expensive with decent equipment, and are relatively fragile. Assault Terminators are also pretty badly overpriced. Blood Angels are one of the few ways of making a truly strong melee focused loyalist marine army thanks to their chapter tactic and strats. Other chapters will usually lean more gunline with a smattering of melee.

It depends how competitive you want to be of course!

Stux wrote:

Likran wrote:
I might make my troops around salamanders and Iron Hands, Blood Angels require Sanguinary Guard and unique units to that Codex and that will sorta ruin the fluff army

Oh yes I am enjoying the melee smashy smashy ideas Thanks alot guys I was trying to make a sorta balanced army with, melee and ranged or maybe 70:30 Or vice versa etc. Unless those types of armies aren't great and diminishes in each field due to spread your troop choices too much etc.

Melee marines is not amazing generally speaking. Vanguard Vets are pretty nice, but get very expensive with decent equipment, and are relatively fragile. Assault Terminators are also pretty badly overpriced. Blood Angels are one of the few ways of making a truly strong melee focused loyalist marine army thanks to their chapter tactic and strats. Other chapters will usually lean more gunline with a smattering of melee.

It depends how competitive you want to be of course!

Awesome! Gives me alot to think about. But now the big bug bear comes into the room.

"Rawr!"

What do I put on the mini I am getting commissioned

I am leaning towards Thunder Hammer and Shield. And I don't mind slapping him and making him a big point dump basically. Or a massive target for everyone and their XENOS mother to shoot at him Would you even considering Cataphractii Terminator Armour? I am not quite sure if they have rules for the Tartaros Pattern yet. I saw a loadout that had:

Cataphractii Terminator Armour
Thunder Hammer
Shield Eternal
Auspex (Dunno what that is.)


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Actually that raises a good question, is there rules for Tartaros Pattern Terminator HQs? Captains or Chapter Master?

Cataphractii armour gives captains a 3++ already, so Storm Shield is redundant. Sure, you get the benefit of the Shield Eternal, but you should go normal Terminator armour so your movement is higher.

Hammer and shield is good though


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Auspex is a strat now, not wargear. Anyone can use it any time an enemy deep strikes near you.

Ooh I see I see. Also I found this

Wargear
Cataphractii Terminator Armour
Combi-Bolter
Bike (Troll)
Power Fist
The Gorgon's Chain

I don't know if this is a legit loadout/wargear soo yeah thanks for this Stux

This is with Iron Hands codex rules.

Likran wrote:
Ooh I see I see. Also I found this

Wargear
Cataphractii Terminator Armour
Combi-Bolter
Bike (Troll)
Power Fist
The Gorgon's Chain

I don't know if this is a legit loadout/wargear soo yeah thanks for this Stux

This is with Iron Hands codex rules.

I'm not sure about the other parts as I don't have the books to hand, but you definitely can't be a Terminator on a bike sorry!

Stux wrote:

Likran wrote:
Ooh I see I see. Also I found this

Wargear
Cataphractii Terminator Armour
Combi-Bolter
Bike (Troll)
Power Fist
The Gorgon's Chain

I don't know if this is a legit loadout/wargear soo yeah thanks for this Stux

This is with Iron Hands codex rules.

I'm not sure about the other parts as I don't have the books to hand, but you definitely can't be a Terminator on a bike sorry!

Ahahah. I figured out that was a complete troll xD.

But the other bits seem quite interesting. I don't own any books so its quite difficult for me to figure out things other than asking on forums such as this one

Yeah, I'm just wary because that looks like a build that was really good in 7th edition, and I'm not sure it transferred over that well to 8th... Someone else can hopefully advise!

Yeah I hope so That would be great to know! But even without the Terminator Armour, I could make my captain 'chapter master' and have it with a thunder hammer and shield eternal or a gorgon's chain (Still dunno the rules lul) and have Iron Hands chapter tactics to make him annoyingly hard to kill :/ all the while he can maul and maim all who come into contact with him unless its a 'special' character or daemon prince etc.

Ah sorry, yeah the Gorgons Chain is a 7e thing, doesn't exist in 8e. Also Thunder Hammer is way better than a fist!

Stux wrote:
Ah sorry, yeah the Gorgons Chain is a 7e thing, doesn't exist in 8e. Also Thunder Hammer is way better than a fist!

"Noooooo!~" in Darth Vader's voice.

Jokes aside I am wondering if you can have a storm shield while driving a bike? Another loadout I am looking at is

Thunder Hammer
Shield Eternal
Bike (Vroom Vroom)
Something else (I dunno)

Iron Resolve?

So confused at this point

Yeah that loadout is fine!

Personally I prefer the jump pack, so you can deep strike in where you're needed. But Bikes are good too, high movement and +1 T.

Iron Hands are ok, but Salamanders I think are better for this build. Their relic takes a bike captain up to T6

Oh nice! Plays in well with what I was looking for, for my Luna Wolves.

I might even consider getting another 'chapter master' but make him with his jump pack instead no harm in moar minis

And I think you can master craft his weapon with Salamanders too.

Oh... Except you can't take Shield Eternal and the Salamanders Mantle. One relic per model! Can still have T6 and a storm shield though. Which is better out of T6 or halving damage will depend a lot on what you are facing, not very clear cut...

Overall I think the Salamanders tactic is better than Iron Hands though.

For any camping army, probably stick with The Primarchs Wrath or Teeth of Terra. Keep it cheap and simple. The moment you start to spend more, you could get a named character that's going to be better for the price in basically every way.

Ooohh makes sense!

I was wondering if to attach him to a squad of bikes that use storm shields and melee weapons unless that is not a thing then nevermind, ahah.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
For any camping army, probably stick with The Primarchs Wrath or Teeth of Terra. Keep it cheap and simple. The moment you start to spend more, you could get a named character that's going to be better for the price in basically every way.

Depends which chapter you're running really.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Likran wrote:
Ooohh makes sense!

I was wondering if to attach him to a squad of bikes that use storm shields and melee weapons unless that is not a thing then nevermind, ahah.

Attaching to squads is not a thing in 8e. You can't target a character with shooting attacks unless they are the closest enemy, so they have that protection. But in melee they are basically on their own!

Oh okay the more you know