The best swordmaster of the imperium? (By 8th edition rules)

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**RedCommander**

The imperium has a long and glorious history of melee fighting, as set by the example of The Emperor himself.

Who do you think is by the current 8th edition rules the single best melee fighter of the imperium? For this thought experiment, imagine that you have to put together a 2000 point army list and you don't know which factions you'll be playing against. However, (for some reason) it's vitally important to get this one guy to close combat and kill everything there and beyond.

I'm hoping the answer is not "Guilliman" but if it is, imagine that Primarchs are disqualified. Obviously, units, death star-set ups and Knights are disqualified too. Anyone fights better if they are a mythical gene modded demi-god, gets assistance and support from allies or is piloting a humongous mecha. Or all of the above. Transports and such delivery systems are ok to figure in this thing.

**jhe90**

Emperors champion is a blender against characters. Very specialised but with re rolls etc, damage output is going to hurt with a black sword, re rolling high Ws and strengh.

Add his chapter master and double team is even deadlier.

**Thommy H**

Eversor Assassin has to be in with a shout, I would've thought.

**Eldar Vampire Hunter**

Celestine has to be in with a good shot.

**THE_GODLYNESS**

Cawl.

With cantcles can re rolls 1.
Or +1 str.

So his ax is hitting at str7. Or his scourge at str12.

Then an extra 2d6 str 6 attacks. Or 5s with re rolls.
Heals himself also.

**Taffy17**

He doesn't use a sword but Dante is one of the choppiest characters I've come across in 8th, and if he does kill you with his axe he's got an inferno pistol for his next shooting phase.

The Callidus's sword ignores invulns so she should be on the list as well. She's probably more suited to 1v1s than the Eversor.

**A Watcher In The Dark**

You can't disqualify the Imperial Regent. What is this heresy!

**Dakka Wolf**

Ragnar Blackmane.
He has luck.
When you slip on the ice and it causes you to avoid having your head lopped off and accidentally lop off the Dark Angel sword-master's sword hand in a duel to the death where you didn't actually want to kill your opponent because his reason for hating you personally was totally legit.
Yeah, he has ungodly plot armo - I mean luck.

Oh, tabletop.
Ragnar has re-rolls on top of re-rolls, probably not the best in offense but that boy survives.

**Slayer-Fan123**

Thommy H wrote:
Eversor Assassin has to be in with a shout, I would've thought.

The Eversor is monstrous for the points and should definitely be considered part of the best bang for your buck.

**IandI**

I'm going with Saint Celestine. She's faster than anyone else, tough, hits hard, and can regenerate and come back from the dead. She can literally run rings around any contender and can double her attacks almost at will. In game on Wednesday she decapitated Mephiston on the charge for me.

**Red__Thirst**

Mephiston.

He's 2+ armor, with the ability to give himself a 4+ invulnerable save (on a 6+ psychic heck) and smite and an extra +1 attack since he can cast 3 powers a turn. He hits on 2+ both in melee and shooting with a plasma pistol, and his sword is x2 strength (St:5 base) at -3 AP doing d3 damage per hit, so he's wounding on 2+ against most any infantry target. He also can ignore any wound suffered (including mortal) on a 5+.

He moves 7" normally, is T:5 (So unless you're St:10 you're wounding on 3+) and has 5 wounds.

Not going to say he's the end all be all, but he punches above the standard power armored weight class. On average he's going to get 4 or 5 hits (after firing his plasma pistol) and then get 4 or 5 wounds each doing d3 damage per wound. So running pure averages of 2 damage per wound, you're looking at 8 to 10 wounds at -3 AP. Most characters have around 5 or 6, so barring some well above average invulnerable saves he's going to trounce most anything he runs up against in one round of combat.

Take it easy.

-Red__Thirst-

**Rolsheen**

Salamander Captain Pellas Mir'san. 130pt Master Duellist

**eldritchx**

Bray'arth Ashmantle delivered by Storm Raven?

**Inquisitor Lord Katherine**

Without a doubt, it's the Imperial Guard Conscript.

He's only exceeded by the Grot and the Brimstone Horror in other nations.

**44Ronin**

Inquisitor Lord Katherine wrote:
Without a doubt, it's the Imperial Guard Conscript.

He's only exceeded by the Grot and the Brimstone Horror in other nations.

Hey, the gretchin can be buffed to hit on +3's

**axisofentropy**

Given those criteria, probably Draigo, Calgar, or Dante.

**BrianDavion**

axisofentropy wrote:
Given those criteria, probably Draigo, Calgar, or Dante.

Calgar doesn't count, he just death punches everything!

**Grimgold**

Belial might be in the running, hits on 2s wounds on 2s, forces his opponent to hit at -1, 2+/4++, and has all the usual reroll misses shenanigans.

**GAdvance**

Pre-full on heresy Lufgt Huron

2+ rerollable to hit, Str 5, ap-5 and passed invulnerable saves have to reroll.

He probably isn't quite top dog due to lower S and T but he's got imho the best weapon

**Lobokai**

Sammael should be a contender. Ravensword, beast on the charge, rerolls, great stat line, etc. Bad fight? Jump out and blast someone with a cannon.

**vipoid**

I'd probably go with Celestine.

I don't think she's the best in terms of raw damage, but I think she brings by far the most utility:
- She can move 12" with Fly (and so doesn't require transports or other aids to reach combat)
- Every turn she can either heal d3 wounds or get a free move, shoot or charge phase.
- She can have bodyguards and resurrect one of them each turn.
- She has excellent defence with 7 wounds and a 2+/4+.
- She has an aura that buffs nearby SoB and IG.
- She has a Heavy Flamer.
- If she is killed, she can revive anywhere on the table with full wounds (so you can throw her into the thick of it without having to worry about losing your warlord if things go badly).

If you just want raw damage though, I'd probably go with Draigo.

**G00fySmiley**

Sadly the answer truly is ole Roboute, the OG papa smurf is just insanely good for the points. really though all of the choices from the gathering storm boxes are good. I like Dante best of non gathering storm for ease of use and being fairly flexable. jump up, destroy some vehicle with a melta pistol or at least cripple it then charge and turn most units into paste

**captain bloody fists**

I'm putting my money on St Celestine.

**hobojebus**

Russ the answer is always Russ.

**Saber**

Leman Russ isn't a swordmaster. He's a wolfmaster of the wolfblade during the wolftime, and a clawmaster of the fanghowl during the frosttime.

Geeze, keep it straight.

**Selym**

Saber wrote:
Leman Russ isn't a swordmaster. He's a wolfmaster of the wolfblade during the wolftime, and a clawmaster of the fanghowl during the frosttime.

Geeze, keep it straight.

Any way the Wolfhowls doesn't really matter to me.