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I picked up the Dark Angels codex today and have been browsing through it and a strange thing caught my eye, that I'm not sure has been addressed here yet. The Blade of Caliban weapon to me seems absolutely and completely useless.

Blade of Caliban

Range: melee, str: +1 ap3, Unwieldy
It is essentially a power axe (but represented as a sword) with ap3 instead of ap2... what is the point of this weapon?

I considered that it COULD maybe be useful on a ravenwing knight sgt as he would normally be equipped with a corvus hammer, which only gives him +1 str and rending instead of a set AP3 which would be more 'predictable' but other than that, this weapon seems like utter garbage for no reason. This weapon is supposed to be given to the Champions of the Dark Angels, but a regular sergeant can take a power axe, which is effectively a better weapon. To make it even worse, the Blade of Caliban is the weapon that a company champion replaces his chainsword/bolter with, paired with a combat shield, effectively making him a worse close-combat character than he was before, potentially.

Has this struck anyone else as odd? Is it a typo? I can see it being used as a power axe but represented as a sword, or being +2 str ap3 but being unwieldy, effectively a beefed up relic blade like Azrael's. I just have no idea why this weapon exists, and is basically going to single-handedly remove the idea of a power armored champion as a viable option.

On the other hand, the HALBERD of Caliban for the Deathwing Champion is freakin' sweet!

-VardenV2

Can the units that can take a blade of Caliban also take standard power weapons? If so, is the standard power weapon more expensive?

AP3 Unwieldy does seem kinda redundant.... I suppose the first FAQ will tell us if it is intended.

 Peregrine wrote:
Can the units that can take a blade of Caliban also take standard power weapons? If so, is the standard power weapon more expensive?

RW and PA company champs get it instead of the standard power sword of vanilla/BA

 Krellnus wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
Can the units that can take a blade of Caliban also take standard power weapons? If so, is the standard power weapon more expensive?

RW and PA company champs get it instead of the standard power sword of vanilla/BA

I'd prefer a power sword to be honest haha. Seems like a total waste of a champion if he's 1 strength higher but he's dead before he even gets to attack, an dhe's not ap2 like an axe. Plus even a basic sergeant with a power sword has a good chance of killing him, and if that sergeant had a power axe he'd actually be better off as well. totally useless.

-VardenV2


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Just did a quick search.

Apparently DA get a Blade of Caliban and combat shield for 15 pts. for their champion.

Blood Angels (the book I had handy) gets a power weapon (not specifically a sword) and a combat shield for 20pts. for their champion.

So I guess DA do get a cheaper champion but he's stuck with a crappy weapon... i will not be using a champion regardless haha.

-VardenV2

 Krellnus wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
Can the units that can take a blade of Caliban also take standard power weapons? If so, is the standard power weapon more expensive?

RW and PA company champs get it instead of the standard power sword of vanilla/BA

I mean within the DA army list. IOW, do you have:

May replace bolt pistol with:
Blade of Caliban ........ +5 points

or

May replace bolt pistol with:
Blade of Caliban ........ +5 points
Power weapon ........ +15 points

or

May replace bolt pistol with:
Blade of Caliban ........ +15 points
Power weapon ........ +15 points

for Command Squads, its a package deal: the blade, the shield, and the Champion upgrade

As falcon said it's a package deal, so you essentially get:

May replace chainsword with:
+1 ws + char + combat shield + blade of caliban for 15p

or

May replace chansword and/or bolt pistol with:
+Power weapon for 15p

Well then you just discovered the purpose: so the package deal is not strictly better than the plain power axe. You can either have AP 3 on your power axe and all the extra stuff, or AP 2 and nothing else.

Still, a rotten deal given how useless 6++ is, but at least it's not mandatory and one can just take a sword or such instead.

I'm with the OP, passing on this one more times than not.

It should just be user str, AP 2, user init... then it would make sense at least

 Lobukia wrote:
I'm with the OP, passing on this one more times than not.

It should just be user str, AP 2, user init... then it would make sense at least

Then it would be far costlier, AP2 at Init is something even chapter masters and such rarely get. For my BTs it's actually impossible to get, and in C:SM at least none of the characters I use can get that either. Which is frickin' annoying when you run into I5 AP2 Incubi that buttsecks any and all marines you might have.

tvih wrote:

 Lobukia wrote:
I'm with the OP, passing on this one more times than not.

It should just be user str, AP 2, user init... then it would make sense at least

Then it would be far costlier, AP2 at Init is something even chapter masters and such rarely get. For my BTs it's actually impossible to get, and in C:SM at least none of the characters I use can get that either. Which is frickin' annoying when you run into I5 AP2 Incubi that buttsecks any and all marines you might have.

To me it just makes no sense that a chapter known for sword iconocraphy and the use of swords, gives their champion what is effectively a limp power axe. You would think that it would be a str+1 ap3 power sword for like 25 pts for the whole package... therefore making the champion special and more powerful... instead it is just a pile of crap. ANY power weapon is better than the "special" blade these guys get. Pretty dumb.

Regardless, I like the book, it's just a shame that all those fancy beautifully sculpted swords are actually a pile of garbage :/ I may use them as power swords that just look pretty though

-VardenV2

 VardenV2 wrote:
To me it just makes no sense that a chapter known for sword iconocraphy and the use of swords, gives their champion what is effectively a limp power axe.

You working under the assumption that just because a weapon is important to the chapter that it also has to be the *ultimate* weapon as well. If circumstance and heritage are what make it the "sword of caliban" then it is an honor for a champion to carry and would not be thought of as a limp power axe. Of course in a war game such distinctions add flavor, but are ultimately going to be blown off by people who play the numbers as opposed to the story. Conveniently both are allowed approaches.

Skriker

 Skriker wrote:

 VardenV2 wrote:
To me it just makes no sense that a chapter known for sword iconocraphy and the use of swords, gives their champion what is effectively a limp power axe.

You working under the assumption that just because a weapon is important to the chapter that it also has to be the *ultimate* weapon as well. If circumstance and heritage are what make it the "sword of caliban" then it is an honor for a champion to carry and would not be thought of as a limp power axe. Of course in a war game such distinctions add flavor, but are ultimately going to be blown off by people who play the numbers as opposed to the story. Conveniently both are allowed approaches.

Skriker

I suppose the reasoning is that it is a ye olde power sword from the monster hunting days of Caliban. It would technically be worse because it's an old weapon, but an honor to use. I just wish that it was more usable because I think it is a cool weapon, but there is really no reason to take it over the alternatives which is a bummer. I feel the same way about the Chapter Relics as well. They are super cool, but ultimately I think they are too expensive for what they do, with maybe the exception of the Mace of Absolution. That thing will make CSM heroes cry home to their mommy haha.

-VardenV2