FW: Astraeus vs Fellblade
How does the Astraeus compare the Fellblade? Let’s dive in and take a look!
The Astraeus is being touted as the FIRST new Primaris Super-heavy Tank. It’s got the “Mobility of a Repulsor, The Firepower of a Fellblade and The Durability of a Titan.” So naturally, we had to ask “well does it?”
via Forge World
The Astraeus Super-heavy Tank
The Relic Fellblade Super-Heavy Tank
The Stats
Looking at these two, they look pretty close! The Astraeus has the win when it comes to speed. They have the same WS (which, hah – tank) and both have the same BS on a degrading scale (more on that below). The Fellblade gets the check mark for Toughness – however the difference between Toughness 8 and 9 might not be that much of a winner. The Fellblade also has 2 more wounds. Each has a relatively close Attack stat (which, hah tank again), although the Fellblade DOES have an extra attack and doesn’t drop below 3. The Leadership is tied and so is the Armor Save. Now, the Astraeus does have the unique Void Shield vs the Fellblade…So points for the Astraeus.
The Main Weapon
So, for the sake of brevity, we’re only looking at the main” weapon for both. The Twin Macro-accelerator Cannon has a shorter range of 72″ vs 100″ so the Fellblade wins in that regard. Now, the TMC does come stock with 12 heavy shots which is pretty impressive AND it doesn’t take any dice rolls for random numbers of shots. Alternatively, the Fellblade has AE shells…so points for both. The HE shells are very similar with the same strength and the Damage and AP inverted. The TMC does have points for being able to target flyers, but the Fellblade can get more shots if targeting a unit with 5 or more models.
But let’s look at the total potential damage really quick – the TMC gets 12 shots at 3 damage each, the Fellblade maxes out at either 12 shots at 2 damage or 2 shots that each do 6 damage. From a pure damage perspective, the TWM has the higher damage potential.
The Abilities
Both have the Power of the Machine Spirit and Steel Behemoth. However the Fellblade has Smoke Launchers which can be pretty handy. However, the Astraeus has Void Shields (which we’ve seen above), the Hover Tank rule (which is just for measuring), but the Enhanced Repulsor Fields are super interesting. However, there is one thing that I think the Astraeus has that takes the cake:
The Keywords
The Astraeus has the FLY keyword! The reason this is important is that it allows a Super-heavy to not get bogged down. Terrain, other units, and other random obstacles aren’t going to be a problem for the Astraeus and that’s kind of a big deal!
The Verdict
The Astraeus does have a lot of things going for it mechanically. When it comes to the Tagline – “Mobility of a Repulsor, The Firepower of a Fellblade and The Durability of a Titan.” – it actually does fit those qualities. But the Fellblade does pack a mean punch – and it might just hit hardest where it counts the most:
Legion Fellblade £180
Astraeus Super-heavy Tank £220
So what do you think? Would you rather run the Astraeus Super-heavy Tank or the Classic Fellblade? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
