Warhammer 40K: Assault Intercessors vs Reivers
There is a new unit coming to town for the Primaris Space Marines and they are looking to go to work – but are they worth taking over Reivers?
The Primaris are getting a second unit of close combat specialists with the new Assault Intercessors and with their new rules they are a clear challenger to the Reivers as they both appear to fill the same role. So which unit is going to win out in the close-combat war? Let’s take a look!
The Challenger: Primaris Assault Intercessors
As Primaris Marines they have that very solid stat line. 2 attacks base or 3 for the Sergeant is not a bad starting point. They have Heavy Bolt Pistols for the extra pistol attack and they have the new and improved Astartes Chainswords. Not only does this add an extra attack, it also has -1 AP which is looking very nice. They also have the standard grenade options as well as access to a Plasma Pistol option. They also come stock with all the Space Marine rules (aka Angels of Death).
The Incumbent: Primaris Reivers
The Reivers have the same core stat line as they are also Primaris. They do have the option for Bolt Carbines, but since we’re focusing on close combat, let’s just ignore that for now. They also have Heavy Bolt Pistols. What makes them different is that they have Shock Grenades which can help out in the Fight Phase and also prevents Overwatch (which is less important now). Additionally, they have the Terror Troops ability which, in theory, could also help those new style Morale Tests.
Reivers even have some tricksy options for Deployment and movement with the Grav-chutes and Grapnel Launchers. Both useful for moving around and getting where you need them to get. Unfortunately, when comparing the Combat Knife to the new Astartes Chainsword, there is a clear winner between the two. While both offer that extra attack, the -1 AP makes the Astartes Chainsword the clear winner here.
The Rundown
Stat Line: Tied – they are both Primaris Units…duh.
Weapons: Assault Intercessors – that -1 AP on the Chainswords is just too good to pass up. The Shock Grenades also lost a lot of utility with the change to Overwatch.
Wargear & Abilities: Reivers – they still have the superior mobility and options for getting around the board… you can’t argue with that. The Plasma option for the Assault Intercessors is nice, but it’s not better than all the extras the Reivers have.
Points Cost: Reivers – We don’t know the final points of the Assault Intercessors but, based on Power Level, the Reivers are technically cheaper.
The Verdict
With the Reivers leading in 2 of the 4 categories, we gotta go with them, right? Nope. Sorry Reivers. All your fancy kit options don’t make up for that -1 AP on the chainswords! If I were a in Reiver Squad, I’d demand to get access to those weapons as they would make a WORLD of difference for that unit. All that mobility to get into combat but they don’t have the killing power to finish the job. Don’t get me wrong, against the right unit, they could punch through them from sheer weight of attacks. It’s just that the Assault Intercessors can do the same thing and on a tougher unit. The Winner is the new Assault Intercessors thanks to that -1 AP!
Do you agree with our assessment? Which unit would you opt for in the new edition?
