Warhammer 40K: The Case For Chaplains
Chaplains are back with a vengeance thanks to their new Litanies of Battle – come see a few tricks that are easy to include in any Space Marine list!
Now that the Space Marine Codex is out and in stores, we wanted to take a minute to talk about the new Chaplains and what makes them tick. We talked about their new Litanies of Battle already but here is a quick refresher:
These new Litanties open up a few fun possibilities that should encourage non-Blood Angel players to bust out their Chaplains and get them on the tabletop. Sure, you still have the default option to just get re-rolls in melee, but here are a few quick other builds we like.
The Leadership Triumvirate: Chaplain + Captain + LT
This is probably the one we’re most excited about. Why? Because the Chaplain’s new Litanies actually STACK now with the Captains and Lieutenants running around. Remember, that modifiers are applied AFTER re-rolls. So, you can use the respective re-rolls from your Officers for hitting/wounding and then apply the respective +1 to hit or wound from the Chaplain to really boost your unit’s shooting.
Note: This one really only applies to ranged firepower and some folks think their Chaplains should be charging headlong into battle. That’s okay – just think of this one as a strong counter-punch option. But speaking of ranged firepower…
Send You To Hell(blasters): Chaplain + Hellblasters
This one seems like a no-brainer, too. Only it’s deceptively even MORE amazing than you might think at first glance. Everyone remembers the Hellblaster’s overcharge rule, right? Well here’s the new one which had some minor wording changes:
Notice that it doesn’t say “unmodified” hit rolls of 1. That means that when you combine it with the Recitation of Focus, they literally CAN’T kill themselves. At least that’s how we’re interpreting it… and that’s also how the FAQ says it works:
That’s basically a 3+ roll that means your Hellblasters can’t blow themselves up. I’ll take those odds. And if you really wanted to be mean, take a Captain alongside the Chaplain for the double whammy of insurance.
Mighty Mantra Chaplain: Chaplain + Librarian
Enough of this “shooting” stuff – let’s talk about cracking heads! The Chaplain comes with a Crozius which is +1 Strength, -1 AP and 2 Damage. Not too bad with their base attacks. However, you could take a Primaris Chaplain with the 4 attacks base and then use Mantra of Strength that adds another Attack, Strength, and Damage to your attacks. Now just for kicks, toss on a Might of Heroes from a Librarian. That’s another +1 Attack, Strength and Toughness on the model.
That means you’re now swinging with 6 attacks at strength 7, AP -1, and 3 Damage a pop. Not too shabby! If you really want to make it silly this on a White Scars Chaplain and get the +1 damage. Oh and one last thing, don’t forget about Shock Assault for yet another attack. That’s a potential 28 damage from those 7 attacks. Go ahead, eat a light tank or vehicle. You might not be a Smash Captain, but you’re pretty darn mean! Too bad they can’t get a Thunderhammer…yet.
What other nasty combos are you looking to run with your Chaplains? Let us know in the comments!
