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Another topic which will hopefully attract some good responses.

When it comes to equipping a Praetor, I struggle with the 'rule of cool' versus combat effectiveness. For instance, my WiP Cataphractii Praetor current has a lightning claw (or perhaps an Abaddon-style power fist) because that's what looked best on his left arm - I am converting the plastic Cataphractii Praetor, whose left arm is rather inconveniently posed. Now I'm trying to work out what else he should have. Meanwhile, I also have the sword Praetor for the AoD set with a paragon blade and a thunder hammer, but that seems like overkill. What kinds of combinations are you using? And any suggestions on arming the Cataphractii Praetor?

What Legion do you play? I think that should play some factor in how you arm your Praetor. My Dark Angel Praetor uses a Terranic Greatsword. My other Praetors are armed differently the Cataphractii terminator Praetor is armed with a chainfist. My Delgatus/ Command Squad Sgt as a power fist and combi flamer.

I always err on the side of being fluffy. If you're an Iron Warrior, Salamander, or Iron Hand a thunder hammer would work well. If you're a Blood angel or Emperor's Children an ornate weapon like a Sanguinary Guard sword would work well. If you're a Space Wolf, Sons of Horus, or World Eater a good axe would work. If you're a Night Lord or Raven Guard, lightning claws would look good. If you're a Raven Uard or Alpha Legion a sniper rifle would look good too. You can't go wrong with a Legion specific weapon either.

The Cataphractii Praetor is a Sons of Horus dude. So (as you mentioned) he should have an axe. However, it doesn't really suit the pose of the model.

The other Praetor is meant to lead my (as yet unbuilt) Ultramarines army, so his paragon blade was looted from a Primaris captain and looks suitably Ultramarine-y.

 Snord wrote:
The Cataphractii Praetor is a Sons of Horus dude. So (as you mentioned) he should have an axe. However, it doesn't really suit the pose of the model.

The other Praetor is meant to lead my (as yet unbuilt) Ultramarines army, so his paragon blade was looted from a Primaris captain and looks suitably Ultramarine-y.

Hmm. Have you considered to mimicking this one:
https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-EU/sons-of-horus-cataphractii-praetor-2021


The OG cataphractii praetor? for the SoH

Because Powermaul and by extention thunder hammer may well look quite fancy on him and powermauls are something you can find in the CSM terminator kit often left over. (btw powermauls aren't half bad in HH)

I converted both AoD Praetors into AL:
One into a sorcerer/ librarian consul and the other into my longstanding tradition of sword point goes down.


Spoilered because horrifically painted is horrific.

The normal sword praetor i did just run paragon volkite as he comes with a bit of reposing and greenstuff work.
The other i gave a power dagger with his staff an the archeotech pistol.

I also converted one cataphractii into a medicae consul for the command squad of 4. Gave him a powersword and the normal combibolter normally upgraded, which you also should have access to as SoH.

It really depends on what you want of your praetor, a paragon blade one may well be a duelist/ terminator hunter. A medicae is mostly there to prevent deaths and occaisionally stab something.
It also depends upon your entourage, a TH in a squad armed variably is a good idea, if only to clap a dread or two.

You should think of the praetor and command squad/ Other equivunits that can be entourage as a single choice unit imo and then kit him out to either A boost the job they are intended upon doing or B pad out the weaknesses the squad may have.

[deleted]

sorry can't read...

Unpopular opinion: HQ slots are too valuable to burn on Praetors

If you really really want the melee beatstick then you might as well go all out. If you're mostly in it to unlock the Rites of War and/or Command Squads, then a Centurion Delegatus is cheaper and is actually a better force multiplier with his extra rally power.

 lord_blackfang wrote:
Unpopular opinion: HQ slots are too valuable to burn on Praetors

If you really really want the melee beatstick then you might as well go all out. If you're mostly in it to unlock the Rites of War and/or Command Squads, then a Centurion Delegatus is cheaper and is actually a better force multiplier with his extra rally power.

This is a fact.
There are too many good consuls imo

That said. The command squad itself is awesome, especially because line terminators with better stats are awesome and having a melee beatstick in the current meta is advisable if only to deal with either contemptors or other terminators.

I tend to kit my praetor out depending on the rest of my army. If he's in terminator armour I'd generally go with a chainfist or a thunder hammer with a Combi melta, if I'm running a lot of speedy stuff I'll put him on a jetbike with a paragon blade, if he's power armoured on foot and I'm expecting him to be doing a lot of fighting then I'll go thunder hammer and paragon blade.

That being said, I don't take a praetor at all more often than not. If I'm not taking a rite of war then I normally prefer a legion champion for a melee character

Not Online!!! wrote:
Hmm. Have you considered to mimicking this one:
https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-EU/sons-of-horus-cataphractii-praetor-2021

The OG cataphractii praetor? for the SoH

Because Powermaul and by extention thunder hammer may well look quite fancy on him and powermauls are something you can find in the CSM terminator kit often left over. (btw powermauls aren't half bad in HH)

Yes, I looked long and hard at the FW SoH Praetor, as it’s one of their best Legion-specific characters. But I am stuck with the pose of the plastic one. I’ll look further at the power maul and thunder hammer options.

 Snord wrote:

Not Online!!! wrote:
Hmm. Have you considered to mimicking this one:
https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/en-EU/sons-of-horus-cataphractii-praetor-2021

The OG cataphractii praetor? for the SoH

Because Powermaul and by extention thunder hammer may well look quite fancy on him and powermauls are something you can find in the CSM terminator kit often left over. (btw powermauls aren't half bad in HH)

Yes, I looked long and hard at the FW SoH Praetor, as it’s one of their best Legion-specific characters. But I am stuck with the pose of the plastic one. I’ll look further at the power maul and thunder hammer options.

just to get this right you mean this one right:
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-WW/legiones-astartes-praetor-and-chaplain-consul-2022

Well, there is for one, a power axe in the CSM terminator kit that is for the left arm. That one would be an obvious option, and a comparative easy conversion if you don't mind the overly baroque CSM style, he would from a shiloutte standpoint however look really good.
For two, you can keep him as is, nothing wrong with an AT praetor, but he doesn't really fit SoH.
For three, you can give him a power claw from the cataphractii terminator set, or a powerfist and give him a combi bolter, maybee even upgrade to a banestrike?
For four: this is heavily dependant upon how comfortable you feel converting, you could get a wolfguard terminator set, because there's a nice powersword in there for the left hand. Alternatively you cut the axe from the hand in that set, and use the left handed powersword hand for holding that axe and position it in such a way, that he has the axe shouldered and shoots with the combi-melta.

I'd go with option 4 personally but that again depends upon how comfortable you are cutting weapons from hands and regluing them aswell as money or if you can trade the bits.

Also, just because it is an axe or power axe, doesn't mean that it can't be a paragon blade btw as the blurb describing them states that it is in general just really fancy special melee weapons.

Yes, that one. Since you’ve taken the trouble to post so many suggestions, here is what I have done so far:

This is the combo I’m leaning towards (although the thunder hammer head would need remodelling):

hmm, can you still take the claw hand out?

Because if so, i'd have gone with the hammer on his left on his shoulder pad and the volkite on his right hand.
Also Ruleswise you can't have a energy claw and a thunder hammer.
Only 1 claw and one ranged weapon on a cata praetor or 2 claws, which btw would look good i think aswell, nvm

Alternativly afaik if you can't take the claw off then you are right now stuck with the volkite, combi-bolter, combi weapon or banestrike.

Edit: Atleast not with the german rulebook, since HH has certain translation issues on weapons stats take this with a grain of salt.

The English version says he may “exchange either his bolt pistol and/or chain sword for one of the following…”, which I read as being able to take 1 melee weapon for each i.e. up to 2.

It’s hard to explain why, but the left arm is difficult to replace. This has limited my options.

Not Online is correct. You swap the Fist for the Claw OR Hammer, there's no way to take both of a Cataphractii Praetor.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Snord wrote:
The English version says he may “exchange either his bolt pistol and/or chain sword for one of the following…”, which I read as being able to take 1 melee weapon for each i.e. up to 2.

It’s hard to explain why, but the left arm is difficult to replace. This has limited my options.

That's a regular Praetor, look at the Cataphractii Praetor entry.

Oh yes - I see. Should have checked the difference before I started! Okay, that actually makes it easier. Looks like a power fist and volkite charger then. It’s a bit boring though.

 Snord wrote:
Oh yes - I see. Should have checked the difference before I started! Okay, that actually makes it easier. Looks like a power fist and volkite charger then. It’s a bit boring though.

not front left hammer and volkite?

@OP:
Don´t overthink it. My HH characters so far are the two old plastic models (Praetor & Chaplain) and they have the loadout which comes with the box. Should you ever reach the point of having multiple versions of the same type you can go nuts on variations.

Well I play 3rd legion so anything with unwieldy is out of the question. Usually a pheonix weapon of one variety or another. If they can't take a pistol it'll be a spear and I'll shell out for a nice gun otherwise they get a boltpistol.

But yeah as other people have said each legion will have different loadouts, I get surgical augments as an example, sonic shriekers can really help the praetor get the edge in a duel while also giving a durability buff to the unit he's with.

Sadly the 3rd legion warlord traits are a little meh. Though shattered mirror gives surrounding units 1+ WS when they pass a morale test once per game. Hey look hold your ground needs a morale test! Boom your opponent is hitting on 6s in a lotta scenarios.

 Strg Alt wrote:
@OP:
Don´t overthink it. My HH characters so far are the two old plastic models (Praetor & Chaplain) and they have the loadout which comes with the box. Should you ever reach the point of having multiple versions of the same type you can go nuts on variations.

I'm definitely overthinking it! That's what I do once I start converting. I've removed the lightning claw hand, and found the SW power axe that was suggested. So I'll post another photo and see if that goes down better.

 Snord wrote:

 Strg Alt wrote:
@OP:
Don´t overthink it. My HH characters so far are the two old plastic models (Praetor & Chaplain) and they have the loadout which comes with the box. Should you ever reach the point of having multiple versions of the same type you can go nuts on variations.

I'm definitely overthinking it! That's what I do once I start converting. I've removed the lightning claw hand, and found the SW power axe that was suggested. So I'll post another photo and see if that goes down better.

Why should it go down better on a thread of HH on DakkaDakka, the only measure should be how you like it and how the people like it playing with you no?
(Beyond rules legality if you intend to be playing)


Granted axe is a better option because you can run it as : Paragon blade, Power axe, or the special axes SoH get.

cody.d. wrote:
Well I play 3rd legion so anything with unwieldy is out of the question.

You know your Unwieldy hits at Initiative 2, right? EC with thunder hammers will cream anyone else with thunder hammers 100% of the time.

Not Online!!! wrote:

Why should it go down better on a thread of HH on DakkaDakka, the only measure should be how you like it and how the people like it playing with you no?
(Beyond rules legality if you intend to be playing)

Because the feedback here made me realise what I was doing was (1) rather lame and (2) potentially wrong, so it’s been valuable

 lord_blackfang wrote:

cody.d. wrote:
Well I play 3rd legion so anything with unwieldy is out of the question.

You know your Unwieldy hits at Initiative 2, right? EC with thunder hammers will cream anyone else with thunder hammers 100% of the time.

Why would that be the case?

 JNAProductions wrote:

 lord_blackfang wrote:

cody.d. wrote:
Well I play 3rd legion so anything with unwieldy is out of the question.

You know your Unwieldy hits at Initiative 2, right? EC with thunder hammers will cream anyone else with thunder hammers 100% of the time.

Why would that be the case?

On a turn in which they make a successful, even if Disordered, Charge, Emperor's Children units make their attacks in assault at one Initiative step higher than normal after accounting for modifiers and special rules.

So only on the charge do they swing faster.

Hrm. I coulda sworn that didn't work with Unwieldy.
If it does, that's bonkers good.

It says "after accounting for modifiers and special rules" right there

Bonkers it is, I've heard people say it places EC in S tier without even looking at any of their other stuff.

Note to self... Thunder Hammer wielding III Legion units get priority for removal.

So here is the revised Praetor model, with a thunder hammer and volkite charger. I also found the the icon from the Chaos Legionaries is almost perfect for a SoH leader. So he got that too. Now I just need a suitable head…

I tried the Wolf Guard power axe, as suggested, but the thunder hammer looked better. However, the axe (with the SW runes removed) will go on the Cataphractii Sergeant: