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Mephi took a big hit losing his codex powers. They were how he got around & how he was able to deal with the toughest targets. Now, he is stuck footslogging (or in vehicles that ARE NOT FAST). I think this is a big hit, but there are some good psychic trees for a ML3 psycher to use.

In his case, I think telekinesis may be best because of 3 spells that augment his loses: Levitate, Telekinetic Dome (or whatever its called), and Vortex.

Levitate allows him to keep up with jump troops. Combined with regular movement and run Mephi could move a grand total of 24 inches! That is a lot of movement. It sucks that he can't charge after using it, but it allows him to keep pace and reposition. Good 1 warp charge spell. This would, of course, be combined with the dome.

The dome is like sanguine shield, but better because of its superior radius and it being an invulnerable save rather than a cover safe. It provides utility to Mephi. He can help keep his fellow BA units alive against low AP shooting. Since BA jump pack units are almost exclusively good only with plasma weapons for the beta strike, this lets them survive the counter hit a little better. Plus, its use ensures that Mephi will be close by his allies to deal with would-be threats. A way to deal with really close ones is the vortex.

The Vortex is a powerful spell. Large blast, S10, AP 1, Barrage, that can do a lot of damage. And... it is assault 1! After defending his allies & continual repositioning, mephi could drop this and charge an enemy for sure kill. Its a possibility at least.

I think this is the best tree for keeping him viable. There are other options but I just think that they don't give him what he needs: speed, utility, and killing power. But, what do you think?

Give him biomancy and either put him in a death star (by attaching ICs to him) or give him a PimpRaven.

He doesn't have IC so that plan is bunk unfortunately.

I think he's grotesquely overpriced to be used as a support caster. At 150, I'd zip him around buffing other units. For 250, I expect him to be bouncing around like a Jedi, assassinating Troop choices. He doesn't have the resilience to take on anything heavy but he used to excel at killing deck chair units hiding in the opposing backfield.

 warpspider89 wrote:
He doesn't have IC so that plan is bunk unfortunately.

Doesnt matter. He is a unit. The ICs can attach to him.

Thats why I think telekinesis gives him some chance of being good. The buffing is just to give him something to do while he gets into position to wipe out weaklings, which has always been something that people using him have had to contend with since he traditionally has only been good around turn 3-4 when he hits CC.

Here just went to get the link. I created a thread abouy mephy in a death star. Some people said it couldn't be done. Unlike most debates on dakka it was well and truley decided in the end. Check it out:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/596980.page

Good point! Thank-you for the clarification

No probs.

I'm not entirely convinced that it is the best option, and it doesn't work if you want to keep within the codex, but if you are interesting in mixing together codexes it is a potentially powerful option.

I prefer telekinesis for now tho.

I'd still rather para him in from a raven. Then he can be a lethal killing machine with biomancy powers. Or just run him behind a raider the old way. With fleet for his run you're more often than not going to be making 10" a turn.

OR put him in a bunker/bastion with escape hatch. Deploy the escape hatch during deployment 12" away from your deployment zone, turn 1 disembark 6" from it and run a further (lets say) 4", thus now being only 2" from the opponents deployment zone.

Think about the levitation combo tho. You can potentially move 24 inches per turn with move + lev + fleet run.

 warpspider89 wrote:
Is Mephi still viable for a BA list?

I didnt think he was viable in 6th. He pays for his uber combat stats yet isnt good at combat. He is unlikely to actually cast many of his powers. Being ML3 and rolling some good powers he still has to cast them, which isnt guarenteed.

 warpspider89 wrote:
Think about the levitation combo tho. You can potentially move 24 inches per turn with move + lev + fleet run.

Yeh its not bad and does save on a bunker, raven or raider if you weren't going to take one.
It would be far more effective at threatening backfield shooty units compared to what I've put forward. I just like using mephy to boost the main battle line. Depends how you play him.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Exergy wrote:

 warpspider89 wrote:
Is Mephi still viable for a BA list?

I didnt think he was viable in 6th. He pays for his uber combat stats yet isnt good at combat. He is unlikely to actually cast many of his powers. Being ML3 and rolling some good powers he still has to cast them, which isnt guarenteed.

The slightly exciting thing now is that IF mephy does get iron arm and IF he does cast it, he now has ap2. We have waited years for this! The only reason he was ever poor in combat was against 2+ targets.

After playing around with Mephi last night, I think Malefic Daemonology may be the best spell tree for him 1) until the new codex comes out and 2) if he isn't being put into some sort of deployment mechanism. Why? Of all the marine psychers, he is best suited to deal with the almost inevitable perils of the warp wounds that result from summoning daemons. 5 wounds = 4 perils (many of which will could pass!) without dying. Plus! FNP can be taken on perils, which means those 5 wounds stretch out even further! No other imperial marine hero can get so many summons in so safely.

If he goes for the fast daemons, they can be wasted on locking the enemy in combat for mephi to get in there.

I just couldn't bring myself to do that!

Fair enough. Still, the tactic is valid. Maybe chaos will tempt you one day