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 Nevelon wrote:

Roknar wrote:
Am I the only one here that builds for theme?
Granted, playing CSM that almost always means that a powerful character is leading the army, but yea, theme first, list second.

And I have trouble imagining a theme where the commander of the army just kinda sits there doing nothing. In the case of csm, legging it with his trusty bolt pistol and being the bodyguard for some random shmuck.

Just because I don’t sink a lot of points into my HQs doesn’t mean I’m not running them forward to victory.

A chaplain equipped with just a jump pack will lead assault marines into battle.
A stock librarian (with maybe an extra ML) rides in a drop pod alongside the sternguard.

Captains need a little gear to get the job done, so I buy them more upgrades. Normally artificer armor as a base, and a CC toy. Relic blades make for a good all-around weapon, ToT for a few more points if I want to get fancy. Usually a bike or JP, depending on where in the army they are going.

Yes, but those already come with gear stock. And additional buffs as well. They are quite capable as they are.
A captain with nothing is pretty much just going to stand around if they are anything like a chaos lord.

I can see having a barebones version as a secondary HQ, but it just feels wrong to have one as the head honcho. Although I suppose the OP was about characters in general and not just the warlord.
In which case I don't like having barebones HQ's, but that doesn't mean I will pump 300 points into a single character. So I generally field a single strong HQ. I only really take multiple HQ's if I'm trying to go heavy on psychic powers. I tend to keep those support HQ's cheap.

I was actually referring to warlord. In a space marine pod/sky hammer army for example a single captain with a combi weapon in with some command vets or stern gaurd and just joining in the bolter unloading procedure. Keep him cheap = more units = more pods and more guns shooting. Even in the total reverse static gunline style a basic captain with bolt gun seems preferable as it frees up pts for more devs etc.

Previous armies of mine used to have awsome total kit out Necron lords, DE archons, ork war bosses .... All of em used to take on And beat units solo and win games. Now? I dont think so...

Roknar wrote:

I can see having a barebones version as a secondary HQ, but it just feels wrong to have one as the head honcho. Although I suppose the OP was about characters in general and not just the warlord.
In which case I don't like having barebones HQ's, but that doesn't mean I will pump 300 points into a single character. So I generally field a single strong HQ. I only really take multiple HQ's if I'm trying to go heavy on psychic powers. I tend to keep those support HQ's cheap.

I’ll take bare-bones HQs (Librarians/Chaplains) as my warlord and sole HQ, and still run them face-first into the meatgrinder. Not unsupported, but leading the charge. Obviously, I’m not going to be heading to duel my opponent’s beatsticks that cost 3x what I do and challenge them to personal combat. I’ll be mulching their units, while I focus my long range firepower on the choppy death machines.

But timidly hiding? That’s for guardsmen and xenos.

Ok maybe I should specify that when I say bare bones HQ, I'm actually referring to things like a choas lord or a canoness that have the basic marine loadout.

Aka they have nothing going for them but a basic CCW and a bolt pistol or similar. On the battelfield, they're only useful for manning a quadgun or so. It can make sense to take one as the sole HQ to unlock certain units or change their role, but I for one don't like having such an HQ as my Warlord.

Melee beat sticks all the way (or handing out free mind bullets for everybody with the only generic lvl 4 psyker in the game ). Even just a barebones sorcerer comes with a a forceweapon and could get iron arm, which would totally make him bad ass. And a Dark Apostle, while infinitely weaker than a chaplain, still come with a power maul and a 4++, not to mention all the re-rolls.

But a barebones lord?...What's he gonna do with that knife? Slap a grot? 100 points bare minimum before I take one.

Roknar wrote:
Am I the only one here that builds for theme?
Granted, playing CSM that almost always means that a powerful character is leading the army, but yea, theme first, list second.

And I have trouble imagining a theme where the commander of the army just kinda sits there doing nothing. In the case of csm, legging it with his trusty bolt pistol and being the bodyguard for some random shmuck.

My Canoness is built for theme. My second Canoness, who just has a bolter, is also built for theme. The first is the hot-blooded young Palatine leading from the front, the second is an older, more dignified lady who knows the key to victory is in careful guidance of her troops. She's not "sitting there doing nothing", she's commanding.

 Furyou Miko wrote:
She's not "sitting there doing nothing", she's commanding.

Yeah, just what we said, doing nothing

 Furyou Miko wrote:

Roknar wrote:
Am I the only one here that builds for theme?
Granted, playing CSM that almost always means that a powerful character is leading the army, but yea, theme first, list second.

And I have trouble imagining a theme where the commander of the army just kinda sits there doing nothing. In the case of csm, legging it with his trusty bolt pistol and being the bodyguard for some random shmuck.

My Canoness is built for theme. My second Canoness, who just has a bolter, is also built for theme. The first is the hot-blooded young Palatine leading from the front, the second is an older, more dignified lady who knows the key to victory is in careful guidance of her troops. She's not "sitting there doing nothing", she's commanding.

Not even a book of St.Lucius? I get the theme fluff wise....but in game terms........? Sounds more like my canoness, only joining retributors to be pretty and eat some bolter rounds. (Because I'm not big on melee with sisters and that's the only other option she's half decent at. And I refuse to use special characters.)
Back in the witch hunter days she would be soaring on wings of rightous fury and bringing down the empereors wrath, until GW though that was giving sisters too much credit.