Goatboy’s Warhammer 40K Hot Mess – Culexus Assassin
It’s been a long time but the old Culexus Assassin Boogie man really just doesn’t seem nearly as interesting as they should be. – Let’s figure out a way to make them better.
Man I remember the days of seeing Eldar Wraithknights protected by a Culexus Assassin. Specifically, pink ones piloted by the nice Alex Fennell.
The Culexus Assassin was meant to be the perfect Psyker killing machine. A soulless monster who stalks those that dabble in the warp with its blank soul and unnerving darkness that surrounds them. The sheer fear of seeing them on the tabletop would bring a Daemon Prince to its knees as well as the sweet caress of death its baleful eye would bring to you. So how do we make this Assassin better? How do we make it worth some kind of detachment slot in your army? How do we make it scary again?
Let’s Tweak Culexus Assassin Rules
First, since this guy should never be near anyone we should just make a rule that if you are not within 12″ of this thing he cannot be targeted. At the same time we do this, we should also make it so that this model can never hold an objective. After all, their only plan is to murder its target, and couldn’t care less about a strategically placed barrel with random bits on it. Or a mousepad for that matter. On top of that if you can target it you again only hit on 6’s as your army sprays and prays this takes out this anti-psychic monster.
This would allow the assassin to move up within buildings and get close to its target. Heck, I think this type of can’t target rule should be for all the Assassins – with the add-on they can’t ever control an objective as well. It just lets them truly get close but don’t break the rules a bit by creating a unit that can sit on a back objective all game. Let the assassin be… well assassins, not babysitters.
Let It’s Aura Be Scary
This thing needs to get worse for the enemy as it stays on the tabletop an gets closer. Its anti Psychic Aura needs to start off small and start to expand as its influence on the warp and the area around it gets messed with. Let it start at 6″ and continue to grow as he moves around and gets scarier. Do something like have the -2 to Psychic tests continue. Then add some other options like needing to pass a regular Leadership test to even get a higher chance to miscast as the Culexus’ presence scares the psychic doodoo out of you. The leadership drain should hit everyone as no one likes to be around this monster as it gets closer.
Fix Culexus Weapons
If this is supposed to be an anti-psychic option let’s rework all its damage profiles. First just make its close combat attacks damage 2 to let it just be scary enough in close combat. Then make it where no saves can be taken against it, and it ignores all damage caps and other damage reduction options. It is attacking your mind. Let it only do that versus non-vehicle units as again – it should be going after things with a brain of some sort. If it is attacking a psychic unit, then you give the model double attacks to make it truly scary!
Onto its shooting attack, the Animus Speculum should be a whole different beast with its shots being Assault 6 normally and if they target a psyker it doubles its shooting. I can of course target any psychic character and ignoring Look Out Sir with the added rule of if any of the “bullets” hit the psyker it causes an automatic Perils of the Warp. This way the Culexus has a good chance to murder a small Psychic Character and some of the bigger ones are very scared to get close.
Let the Culexus Deploy Oddly
Let this model forward deploy or deep strike in some way. Yes, we can do free Strategic reserve but these Assassins need to be able to show up everywhere and disrupt things. This way it can do its Aura as hitting everyone, but you can set up where it doesn’t bother your army too much.
I just want this weird model to be cool again, and a few small tweaks in how it interacts and becoming more deadly for its intended targets should be the way to go. This should be the same for all the Assassins as they are a unique part of this game and have a very cool set of models. Especially if we continue to get some uniquely designed ones or other options based on the FW updated Horus Heresy ones.
For the Emperor!
