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How do!

So with a box of Castellax assembled and Thallax underway, my thoughts turn to general arms and the options before me.

The Castellax were a no brainer, and I went for Multimelta and Darkfire Cannon, as in low point games, accompanying a Praevian Consul, they bring me some solid ranged fire support and are less beardy than a Contemptor.

The Thallaxi though? I’m really torn. So your thoughts and rationale on these things would be greatly welcome.

I run mine in units of 9. In one, I include 3 Photon Thrusters and in the other I only have two.

Whilst I leave myself open to taking Gets Hot wounds, I don't take that many, and I can always choose not to shoot with those weapons if it becomes critical.

The army I use them in has several ways to Blind opponents, and whilst I never rely on it, it is nice to know I may have opportunities to take advantage of it once in a while. An unexpectedly Blind Contemptor is a great target for a charge by the right unit lingering nearby, for example, who normally wouldn't even consider it.

I did forget about Blind.

That’s definitely a useful trait to have in play.

Read up on Blind. Definitely punts Photon Thruster into contention. It’s like a more reliable Pinning, as it’s an I test, not Ld. Fail it, and your WS1/BS1 in your next turn.

Hmm.

Thinking more on Castellax, as I’ve just bought a second box (FLGS should not be allowed to open that close to the supermarket. It’s reckless. And I have no impulse control)

These two will be armed the same as the others, one Multimelta, one Darkfire Cannon.

But the maniple can max out at 5 Castellax. And y’know, I think that fifth Beatle, in every squad, will have the Bolt Cannon.

Why! I hear you ponder silently. Well. The other two are paid-for upgrades, so having a sacrificial prawn makes sense. Some cheap-as-possible ablative wounds before the maniple starts seeing its effectiveness eroded.

But also, whilst AP4 means it’s not massively reliable against Astartes? I still think having some chance for every such maniple to Pin an enemy unit is a very attractive option. As with most of my observations, hardly something to build your strategy round, but still something which, time to time, could be game winning, especially if I buck the odds and pin two or three units in the same shooting phase.

I haven't assembled any yet but I saw the new plastic Thallaxi don't need their weapon arms glued. So you can swap out special weapons without magnetizing!

I'd go Photon Thruster for small Thallax squads of 3, for forcing blind checks. Plasma or Multimeltas for bigger squads of 6 to reliably kill hard stuff.

Together with Darkfire Cannon on your Castellax you'll have a lot of Blinding possibility. However if you go all in on that you'll need some AT/Multimelta elsewhere. Thallax are faster than Castellax and a better place to go MM imo.

Thinking a bit further on Thallaxi.

If I was to filed a full strength, 9 strong unit? I don’t think a single Multi-Melta would go amiss.

On the flank and rear of most tanks, it wouldn’t be entirely wasted as a single chance, because the Lightning Guns on “Strike” are S7, so have a not unreasonable chance of plinking vehicles into oblivion. And to the front? It comes into its own, provided the rest of the squad doesn’t have a more useful target.

Also any T4 Characters caught out could be vaped in short order.

Hmmm.

If I were to rebuild mine, I'd be tempted to include a multi-melta alongside a pair of photon thrusters.

That’s what I’m thinking.

Plasma is decent, being a native AP3. But the chance to slag a tank, and Blind enemy units for me outcompetes it.