40K Tactics: Space Marine Heroes – Darnath Lysander
Hey guys, Learn2Eel here from Imperator Guides and today we’re going to be taking a look at one of the most venerated and ancient Space Marines among any Chapter devoted to the Emperor, Captain Darnath Lysander. I hope you enjoy this article!
Darnath Lysander, Captain of the First Company
Overview – One of the most cost effective melee monsters in the game in 5th Edition, many will be happy to see that Lysander has changed little, save for an expected points increase. Given how he compares to a regular Terminator-armoured Captain, this is a justified increase that only serves to highlight how under-costed he was in the 5th Edition codex. Even now, he is still a far better alternative to any Captain build you could conceivably make at a similar cost, with Lysander’s unique abilities and extra wound really tipping the scales in his favour. First off, he is a Captain and all that entails, but with the unique distinction of four wounds – but not four attacks, like a Chapter Master – that give him quite a bit of extra survivability. Paired up with Eternal Warrior, Terminator Armour and a Storm Shield, and you have one of the hardest nuts to crack in the codex, period. The only character that even compares to Lysander in this way is a Chapter Master with the Shield Eternal, and only really on a Bike does he edge the Captain out. The crazy survivability of four wounds, a 2+ armour save, a 3+ invulnerable and Eternal Warrior makes Lysander both the perfect tank against hard-hitting enemies like Wraithknights in combat, but also a wound sponge for your expensive Marines. Sticking him in front of Sternguard Veterans, Devatator Marines or Tacticals, either in Drop Pods or on foot, is a good way to give many opponents a break out of hives; those poor, poor Heldrakes will hate you with a passion!
Survivability aside, Lysander also brings the pain in the form of a special thunder hammer that strikes at a whopping Strength 10 and AP 1. Even with only three attacks base, this allows Lysander to absolutely tear through almost any unit or character in combat that you can imagine; even Hive Tyrants with Iron Arm will be scared to death of him! He is also one of the few models in the codex that can reliably smash through almost any vehicle that gets thrown at them, alleviating the need to take chainfists in your Terminator squads or meltabombs on your power-armoured Marines. The AP1 on the thunder hammer gives Lysander a 50% chance to outright destroy any vehicle that he inflicts a penetrating hit on, and this comes in real handy against those AV14 vehicles such as Land Raiders and Monoliths were those few damage results you get are really important. Besides, having S10 means that Lysander will inflict instant death on any model with Toughness 5 or lower, meaning most characters – from Daemon Princes to Khorne Lords on Juggernaughts – will simply evaporate when he appears. Between Weapon Skill 6 and his crazy hitting power, Lysander is one of the hardest hitting characters Space Marines have access to, and certainly of any in his price range or with the billing of a ‘Captain’. What really makes him such an amazing character hunter on top of his thunder hammer is his Warlord Trait, giving him an extra D3 victory points if he slays the enemy Warlord in a challenge. With how hard he is kill and how hard he hits, 99% of Warlords in the game will do their best to hide from him; use this to impose yourself on the game! Be aggressive with Lysander by putting him with a drop-podding Sternguard unit or with Assault Terminators in a Land Raider Crusader, and watch with glee as your opponent is forced to deal with one of the toughest nuts to crack in the game.
With Bolter Drill becoming an army-wide trait for Imperial Fists, it was always a curiosity of mine to see whether Lysander would retain a special ability that made him unique outside of combat. Thankfully, Robin Cruddace did not disappoint, as Lysander is such an inspirational hero to the Imperial Fists that any unit with their Chapter Tactics within 12″ of him can re-roll their failed Morale and Pinning checks. Much like Marneus Calgars’ God of War ability, this may not seem like the best ability for an army that consists exclusively of units with And They Shall Know No Fear, but being able to keep your scoring units and other important squads in position is often key to victory in a game. Being shot off an objective by failing a Morale check, or being forced to snap-fire by failing a Pinning test are some of the worst results imaginable, especially for a low-model count army like Space Marines where you really can’t afford any of your units to be rendered ineffective for a turn. This is also key to staying in a combat that you want to remain in; this is generally best used to tie up nasty enemy assault units for a player turn longer so that they destroy your unit on their turn, giving you a free turn to shoot at them rather than letting them charge again immediately.
What few downsides Lysander has tie more into his high cost more than anything else, as at his level you can start to invest in a similarly equipped Chapter Master with his own advantages and disadvantages. Generally though, if you want the hardest hitting character possible while not compromising on durability, Lysander is probably your best bet as at his price point no generic character can really match the package he brings to the table. A Strength 10 thunder hammer simply murders almost any character you can find and even some monstrous creatures, as well as laughing at those annoying Wraithknights. Those extra few points of Strength can make all the difference against characters like Typhus or Heralds of Khorne on Juggernaughts, characters who can give your other melee monsters a bit of pause – the latter mostly if they have the Grimoire activated on them. Added to his Icon of Obstinancy special rule and giving Imperial Fists the best equivalent to the “eternal monster” Iron Hands Chapter Master they can find, and I think Lysander is one of the stronger HQ choices for a Space Marine army. He gives you devastating melee prowess and a hilarious Warlord trait considering his abilities, incredible survivability that is only bettered by a specific Chapter Master build, a bubble for re-rolling key Leadership-based tests, and one of the hardest Slay the Warlord victory points to concede. For his points, you will find few better than Lysander in an Imperial Fists army.
Maximising their Abilities – I feel that Lysander is best used as the army Warlord rather than a supporting character, first up. He is insanely hard to kill, he mauls characters like few others, and his Warlord Trait is perfect for hunting enemy leaders. What’s not to like? Given that Imperial Fists work well through a combined static gunline and mobile bolter force, Lysander is probably best off being used as a wound tank to a valuable unit – such as Sternguard with combi-meltas – in a drop pod. This gets him close to the enemy, allows him to detach and hunt units in melee at his leisure, and gives the expensive but deadly Sternguard a very capable and apt bodyguard to soak up wounds for them. This is one of the scariest units the Imperial Fists can employ, as it forces the opponent to divert far more attention to them than normally due to Lysander’s presence; no one can ignore a Strength 10 thunder hammer in their back-line! Otherwise, the most common and popular use for Lysander involves sticking him with a nasty melee unit in a Land Raider Crusader – or Redeemer, though I prefer the former – to deliver a crazy death star right into the midfield at full speed. I’m not a huge fan of this setup as though it does make the most of Lysander and a melee bodyguard – preferably Honour Guard if you run a Chapter Master as well, or Assault Terminators with thunder hammers and storm shields – it is insanely expensive and outside of a teleport homer it really requires a Land Raider variant. I personally prefer using Lysander in a Sternguard unit as I feel that using him as a wound tank for a valuable unit, safeguarding them from potential early assaults and subsequently being able to charge units at his leisure allows him to perform to the fullest of his capabilities. He is hardy and damaging, and I feel this setup makes the most of these traits; he can quite capably solo most enemies, units or no, in combat with little to no support whatsoever, after all.
Thanks for reading everybody and by all means chime in down in the comments. How have you been employing the First Captain of the Imperial Fists?
