40K: Deep Thought – Is A Warlord Titan Worth It?
The Warlord Titan is an amazing kit – but is it worth taking to the table?
Hey BoLS Readers – I was chatting with another BoLS alum the other day and we had an interesting discussion about the Warlord Titan. First off, I just want to say that it’s an amazing kit – I’d love to own one (I don’t know where I’d store it because it’s the size of a small child but…I wouldn’t turn one away). Forge World has done a bang-up job with all the parts and the casting, I’ve got no complaints about the model. It’s also one of the most expensive models they produce. But you guys know that – and I’m not here to harp on the price, it is what it is. No, my question is simply: Is the Warlord Titan worth fielding?
We went about it a few different angles. We talked about load outs and how many templates it could throw out and potential damagi and such…we even talked about the new Arioch Power Claw and if that would even be worth taking. You can build this thing in a few different ways and it can pricey at 2750 points + weapons. Now, It can do a lot of damage and it has a ton of Hull Points to go with some of the thickest armor in the game. I’m not questioning it’s intimating battlefield presence either. It’s down right menacing! But all that makes me wonder if it’s worth the 3K points you have to spend to field it…
In every game I’ve played with smaller Titans, the same thing happens: a Drop Pod of Sternguard comes in and kills the Titan. Sometimes it’s more than one Pod…but it’s still dead. Looking at it points wise it just doesn’t seem super efficient. Now, those Drop Pod heroes go out in a blaze of glory. Every time. So it’s a trade off for sure. But it doesn’t ever seem like the Titan has earned it’s points back.
I know a lot of folks probably read that and thought, “well quit playing with those units/players/games” – and yes, that is a solution. I also know that measuring the effectiveness of a Warlord Titan vs points cost isn’t going to win any fluff-bunny awards, either. But I think that’s just being dismissive and sweeping the issue under the rug. Besides, those moments can be very thematic – but that’s not the point either. It’s a thought experiment – it lets us play around with the idea of a Warlord Titan without actually having to own one.
Some of the more competitive crowd may have read that paragraph and thought, “well the Titan players weren’t bubble wrapping effectively.” That’s another issue with the Warlord Titan. Not only do you need to spend the 3k on it, you also need another 500-1000 points in stuff to “protect” it from the deepstrike threats. But, if you do manage to nuke the Titan, and it goes BOOM then there is a high likely hood all your bubble wrap will pop, too. I like the Apocalyptic Blast chart as much as the any player! It’s always awesome to watch one go catastrophic, even when it was on my side. It’s messed-up, but I internally cheer for those damage results to be 6s, but you know what, when Titans go *BOOM* everyone should be watching.
Now, I wouldn’t suggest using the Warlord Titan for every game. And honestly I’m not even sure at what points level it becomes manageable. 4k? 5k? 10k? 40k? It’s all relative to the type of game you want to play – I’m, personally, never going to take one to a “competitive” 40K event even if they are allowed. But I would be totally fine playing one in a more relaxed format like a “narrative” event or a campaign that involves one. Heck, maybe you’ve got that crazy friend who just wants to try and take it out! Those are all valid reasons to bust out the Warlord Titan. But… I just can’t get over this weird feeling that maybe it’s not worth the hassle. Then again, what if it is…
For me there is nothing like fielding a Big Titan. I’ve gotten to play with & against the Warhound and the Reaver and hopefully I’ll get a game in against a Warlord some day. I know that it’s probably going to die within the first 3 turns. And I know it’s probably not going to get it’s points back. But does that mean it’s not worth taking? That’s the question I pose to you, BoLS Reader: If you could field a Warlord Titan, would you want to? And while we’re at it what size game would you want to play with one if you could?
Back in my day, we just called them Mega-Battles – now you just call it 7th.
So what do you think – Is fielding a Warlord Titan worth it? And hey, if you’ve got any epic war-stories about killing a Titan let us know in the comments below!
