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Flame aggressors definitely have issues, until primaris get a cheap transport. Even with the Salamander stratagem to make their flames or or gauntlets +1S it's situational.

A friend did point out that makes Aggressors punch a Leman Russ on 4s instead of 5s (or is it a 3?).

On defense however, flamethrower are amazing. Mixing these guys into a unit you expect to have charged is nasty.

8 Hellblasters with an Ancient and a Captain is probably optimal.

They pop out of the Repulsor and double tap. You're re-rolling 1's to hit, and any that do die due to overcharging get to shoot again (twice) on a 4+ before dying.

If you're ultramarines, bring a Lt instead for +1 to wound and use 1 CP for the strategem that lets them re-roll 1's to hit.

Managed to order myself the store birthday primaris captain this weekend - though I won't receive him till September when he's released.

This gives me the option of using the crimson fist... fist. It seems really good. I actually painted a couple of primaris guys as crimson fists and liked the result, so that might be what I go with.

The only fear is that he has special rules meaning his weapon counts as some other relic of some kind!

Mandragola wrote:
Managed to order myself the store birthday primaris captain this weekend - though I won't receive him till September when he's released.

This gives me the option of using the crimson fist... fist. It seems really good. I actually painted a couple of primaris guys as crimson fists and liked the result, so that might be what I go with.

The only fear is that he has special rules meaning his weapon counts as some other relic of some kind!

I didn't even know the birthday captain was a thing. Good to know there will be rules for plasma pistol caps next month.

But what I think I might do in that case is a fluffy IF captain with one of those absolver bolt pistols to count as the Spartean. Run him with some Aggressors in a Repulsor and hit a flank super hard, sniping at an enemy character from within the inevitable melee.

Lemondish wrote:

Mandragola wrote:
Managed to order myself the store birthday primaris captain this weekend - though I won't receive him till September when he's released.

This gives me the option of using the crimson fist... fist. It seems really good. I actually painted a couple of primaris guys as crimson fists and liked the result, so that might be what I go with.

The only fear is that he has special rules meaning his weapon counts as some other relic of some kind!

I didn't even know the birthday captain was a thing. Good to know there will be rules for plasma pistol caps next month.

But what I think I might do in that case is a fluffy IF captain with one of those absolver bolt pistols to count as the Spartean. Run him with some Aggressors in a Repulsor and hit a flank super hard, sniping at an enemy character from within the inevitable melee.

CC reivers are not worth it. I tried running them with chaplain for full reroll hits. Vs marines, they do hardly any wounds. Best as pointed above is hellblasters in repulsor for double tap over charge.

str00dles1 wrote:

Lemondish wrote:

Mandragola wrote:
Managed to order myself the store birthday primaris captain this weekend - though I won't receive him till September when he's released.

This gives me the option of using the crimson fist... fist. It seems really good. I actually painted a couple of primaris guys as crimson fists and liked the result, so that might be what I go with.

The only fear is that he has special rules meaning his weapon counts as some other relic of some kind!

I didn't even know the birthday captain was a thing. Good to know there will be rules for plasma pistol caps next month.

But what I think I might do in that case is a fluffy IF captain with one of those absolver bolt pistols to count as the Spartean. Run him with some Aggressors in a Repulsor and hit a flank super hard, sniping at an enemy character from within the inevitable melee.

CC reivers are not worth it. I tried running them with chaplain for full reroll hits. Vs marines, they do hardly any wounds. Best as pointed above is hellblasters in repulsor for double tap over charge.

Okay, good to know. Was planning on putting Aggressors in there, though, not Reivers.

Reivers I've found are super good at distraction, though. For gits and shiggles, I convinced a friend to give them both the grav chute and grapnel launchers and plopped them on top of a building in the opponent's deployment zone. They did really well plinking things from on high with carbines and were pretty well protected from charges because of their location. They took some shooting the following turn, but that didn't end them fully.

One thing I love about 8th so far is how cinematic things seem to be when they happen on the field. The Reivers then rappelled down the side of the building, advanced into a squad of devastators (blasting all along the away), and threw a nade at the closest tac squad to blind them for the inevitable charge from a deep strike Inceptors unit, who tied it up in combat (after blasting a ton of them) before falling back and blasting the rest off the table. The Reivers were later caught in an exploding land raider which was absolutely hilarious for other reasons, but still - CINEMATIC. Soooo badass.

Good to know CC Reivers aren't all that great. They always seemed to me to be more of a support squad that is super mobile, can kite, and is just as durable as all the other Primaris options.

Reivers are the cheapest wound/point that marines have access to. On that score they are pretty durable really. You could argue that it's odd auto-bolter intercessors cost 3 points more than reivers, who are identical apart from being a bit scary and having blind grenades. No obsec, I guess.

I think maybe my captain should just foot slog. He could buff some dakka aggressors, or maybe some hellblasters, and beat up things that came close.

This depends on your opponent.

A full squad of hellblasters is wasted if the only targets your transport can get to are squishies and hordes. You're also losing out on hellblaster long range fire while they're in the transport.

Admittedly, keeping the hellblasters inside the transport on turn 1 does mean you can keep them safe, drop then before moving so they can shoot.

 Vertrucio wrote:
This depends on your opponent.

A full squad of hellblasters is wasted if the only targets your transport can get to are squishies and hordes. You're also losing out on hellblaster long range fire while they're in the transport.

Admittedly, keeping the hellblasters inside the transport on turn 1 does mean you can keep them safe, drop then before moving so they can shoot.

That seems to be an awful lot of points for turn 1 protection, unless you're also thinking you'd then embark something in the transport before it moves again. I suppose could see hellblasters starting in a repulsor, if only to be protected for 1 turn, then disembark next turn while some aggressors or reivers jump in.

People need to stop thinking of the repulsor just as protection. I guarantee you don't realise how many guns there are on that thing. It's ridiculous.

That said, I do struggle to see what goes inside it. Hellblasters are ok, but if you're putting them in a repulsor you may as well just have inceptors. Of course the trouble with inceptors is that they blow themselves up, because it's difficult to have a captain nearby (especially for pure primaris) and at that point you may as well have scions.

I wonder if the assault version of hellblasters, running on the ground, might turn out to be the best option. They aren't all that expensive so you could have at least a couple of units. They probably wouldn't overcharge all that often, but they could seriously hurt MEQs either way, at good range. The lost strength does hurt their AT, though they are kind of never worse than the heavy guys - if in range.

Shame about the heavies. They should probably be heavy 2 and a bit more expensive, or a lot less expensive. Right now there's no way they are even worth considering.

Is the Primaris Ancient really that good? I have used him or an Apothecary yet.

Stuff dies pretty quickly in this edition, cover is easily mitigated. So yeah, more useful than you'd think, especially if he's near a hard hitting unit that will get focused.

And no one here is thinking of the Repulsor as just protection, everyone sees the large number of guns on it. However, if you don't consider its use as protection temporarily you miss out on that great function.

I'd be taking assault hellblasters against Necrons for sure. Probably a Primaris captain with power sword and plasma pistol to back them up.

Mandragola wrote:
People need to stop thinking of the repulsor just as protection. I guarantee you don't realise how many guns there are on that thing. It's ridiculous.

That said, I do struggle to see what goes inside it. Hellblasters are ok, but if you're putting them in a repulsor you may as well just have inceptors. Of course the trouble with inceptors is that they blow themselves up, because it's difficult to have a captain nearby (especially for pure primaris) and at that point you may as well have scions.

I wonder if the assault version of hellblasters, running on the ground, might turn out to be the best option. They aren't all that expensive so you could have at least a couple of units. They probably wouldn't overcharge all that often, but they could seriously hurt MEQs either way, at good range. The lost strength does hurt their AT, though they are kind of never worse than the heavy guys - if in range.

Shame about the heavies. They should probably be heavy 2 and a bit more expensive, or a lot less expensive. Right now there's no way they are even worth considering.

Well, you want the repulsor transporting something, even if it's difficult to see why. Hellblasters starting in it early gain the benefit of protection, sure, but you'll want to use that gun boat to drop something eventually, right? Especially since you'll need to get close for those weapons to have much of an effect. I don't meant to imply its only a transport, but it's part of why it's costed as it is, so I can't see why it wouldn't be used that way.

I agree on the assault hellblasters being great MEQ, which means the repulsor would benefit from having the rapid fire version in there and use the Repulsor to get them into double tap range for some tank hunting. Not sure if 8-9 is enough to get the job done, though that lovely birthday captain with plasma pistol would help. Poor LT (if you include him) will just have to stand around firing his silly autobolter at something else entirely. Add the las talon for 4 points more on the Repulsor and it might be a great set of AT mixed with some pretty solid dakka from the rest of the Repulsor's armament.

 Da-Rock wrote:
Is the Primaris Ancient really that good? I have used him or an Apothecary yet.

Well the other Ancients are nice too

one for the CC weapon

the other for combi list.

primarus ends up being the cheapest if not going stock.

great fun near plasma units that get to in a fit of rage over charge all the things.

much weaker in CC though which kinda sucks (because only 1 swing with all of the negatives)

I've had good luck parking a 10 man hellblaster squad with a gravis captain, lieutenant (power sword), and ancient in cover and letting them overcharge and wreck. Captain and Lieutenant help deal with any CC unit that makes it through wall of fire. Added an apothecary this weekend and most players just sigh and try to figure out to dislodge the unit. Its a good gunline cover for my repulsor with a full intercessor squad to move up and grab objectives.

At 1k points, I did a 5 man hellblaster squad backed by the characters inside the repulsor to minimize drops and park the combined unit wherever is convenient. Disembark the squad and keep the repulsor nearby for all the re-rolls. I fill out the points with an intercessor squad. Was quite effective in the games I played.

I think the rapid fire hell blasters are best. 30 inch range is excellent and just shooting at single wound meq across the table they usually do some nice damage. I start them in a repulsor ofc but you really don't need that - You really are doing it to minimize your drops. The heavies I really don't consider because to put them in the repulsor means a turn of weakend shooting and the assault ones are quite a bit more expensive and gain nothing over a rapid fire plasma incinerator once they are in 15 inch range.

In yesterdays game I ran 10 hell blasters with rapid fire guns.

Turn 1 they killed a breacher destroyer on standard mode without overcharge. Turn 2 they did 4 wounds to a tech preist dominius and turn 3 they rapid fired into an IK doing 18 wounds to it (I had guiliman bufs for that round and his knoight had a 4+ save cause it was a special knight) I lost 2 of them but I would have had a chance to save one of them with an apoth next turn. they did about 600 points of damage and weren't even targeted. These things are TRUELY underrated.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 portugus wrote:
Hellblasters are mandatory if you're playing Primaris. Get them a reroll 1s and they will destroy. I did some ebaying and got 3 squads of 5 hellblasters and 4 squads of 5 riflemen.

For my real anti-vehicle I plan on getting 2 repulsor tanks with the lascannon loadouts. Also 1 redemptor with the onslaught gatling guns.

For the repulsor I think the twin las cannon is mandatory but after that take the cheapest options across the board. I go twin las with 3 stubbers 4 frag launchers and the heavy onslaught cannon.

 Xenomancers wrote:

For the repulsor I think the twin las cannon is mandatory but after that take the cheapest options across the board. I go twin las with 3 stubbers 4 frag launchers and the heavy onslaught cannon.

Wouldn't the las talon be a bit better since you need to get up close for all the secondary weapons anyway? It's also only 4 points more than the heavy onslaught cannon.

Replacing something with some AT firepower is a good idea in general, but certainly not the only option.

With how easy it is to alpha something and focus it down in this edition, I'm thinking spreading out the AT firepower at least a little is a good idea, even if we don't have dedicated AT anywhere else.

I really want to make a Primaris army, but it just feels like there is a distinct lack of variety right now. Hopefully, they will continue to fill out their options.

 SideshowLucifer wrote:
I really want to make a Primaris army, but it just feels like there is a distinct lack of variety right now. Hopefully, they will continue to fill out their options.

They will at some point. Next is splash releases for AoS, then Deathguard.

Primaris = Stormcast Eternals. Not a lot in the beginning, but enough to play. Very role defined. It might be a little while til new stuff, but they will circle back as its 40k, their cash cow, and its space marines, the poser boys.

str00dles1 wrote:

 SideshowLucifer wrote:
I really want to make a Primaris army, but it just feels like there is a distinct lack of variety right now. Hopefully, they will continue to fill out their options.

They will at some point. Next is splash releases for AoS, then Deathguard.

Primaris = Stormcast Eternals. Not a lot in the beginning, but enough to play. Very role defined. It might be a little while til new stuff, but they will circle back as its 40k, their cash cow, and its space marines, the poster boys.

Yep. The benefit here is that Primaris are not a separate force and they can provide benefits to other Imperial armies prior to those armies receiving their Codex. I imagine any new codex would try and limit the Imperial soup, but for now, they don't.

Lemondish wrote:

 Xenomancers wrote:

For the repulsor I think the twin las cannon is mandatory but after that take the cheapest options across the board. I go twin las with 3 stubbers 4 frag launchers and the heavy onslaught cannon.

Wouldn't the las talon be a bit better since you need to get up close for all the secondary weapons anyway? It's also only 4 points more than the heavy onslaught cannon.

I like both but pinching pennies for efficiency here.

As the only source of D6 damage in the entire force, I can't justify anything but las/las Repulsors.

Having played a few games now with my Primaris stuff. The units I have found most effective are: Intercessors, Inceptors and Hellblasters.

Intercessors and fanatastic objective holders. The only downside is the lack of a cheap transport option.

Inceptors with the bolters are great at clearing out back units, playing mind games with your opponent. The points drop was needed though.

Hellblasters overcharging Plasma have been the standout unit for me. I only have 5 models and they have always done good work with a lieutenant. Multi wound infantry and light vehicles are all great targets.

Aggressors have been average. The flame fists just don't synergise very well with the shooting twice mechanic. And the Bolters just double up what the Primaris army is already good at. It's not that they are not good value it's just that I want Intercessors for the troops to get command points and I don't really want more Bolters in my elite spot. If you take a repulsor then there is even less reason to have Aggressors.

Reivers, while cost effective do nothing for me.

Building a bunch of my Primaris that I bought from the new releases. Is there anything particularly easy to magnetize that I should?

I'm trying to decide what to glue on weapon wise for my Redemptor, Repulsor, and Reivers.

1. Do I want the grenade launchers or the stormbolters on the Redemptor? Flamer or smaller Gatling? Plasma or Heavy Gatling?

2. I'm very tempted to go all Las on my Repulsor. Although I do have 10 Hellblasters with the incinerators. Will that be enough to just build Repulsor with dakka?

3. Reivers, combat knives and heavy bolt pistol or the smg looking guns (sorry brain fart)

Noctem wrote:
Building a bunch of my Primaris that I bought from the new releases. Is there anything particularly easy to magnetize that I should?

I'm trying to decide what to glue on weapon wise for my Redemptor, Repulsor, and Reivers.

1. Do I want the grenade launchers or the stormbolters on the Redemptor? Flamer or smaller Gatling? Plasma or Heavy Gatling?

2. I'm very tempted to go all Las on my Repulsor. Although I do have 10 Hellblasters with the incinerators. Will that be enough to just build Repulsor with dakka?

3. Reivers, combat knives and heavy bolt pistol or the smg looking guns (sorry brain fart)

1. Since he doesn't move often storm bolters for the range. Small Gatling, flamer is useless. Heavy Gatling.
2. Las on the repulsor isn't worth it. Vastly over coasted. I left mine switchable in case in the future it's cheaper. You want max dakka
3. Best thing for reivers is to get your money back. They are useless in any configuration. Double tap with Grenade launcher is vastly better then these buckets of poop

Noctem wrote:
Building a bunch of my Primaris that I bought from the new releases. Is there anything particularly easy to magnetize that I should?

I'm trying to decide what to glue on weapon wise for my Redemptor, Repulsor, and Reivers.

1. Do I want the grenade launchers or the stormbolters on the Redemptor? Flamer or smaller Gatling? Plasma or Heavy Gatling?

2. I'm very tempted to go all Las on my Repulsor. Although I do have 10 Hellblasters with the incinerators. Will that be enough to just build Repulsor with dakka?

3. Reivers, combat knives and heavy bolt pistol or the smg looking guns (sorry brain fart)

I don't have my Repuslor yet and I agree it is a real conundrum (been using a LR as a proxy). However, with all the expensive stuff it pays to Magnetize all the big guns. My Reivers are going on ebay haha, they have been the most useless unit I have played with in awhile. I have to admit though they looked good on paper!

I'm going to try my best to magnetize the big stuff, how easy is it to switch out the Repulsors main weapons?

For the Reivers, I may just build and paint them and use them just for fun, and eBay if I need the funds for a unit down the road!

 Da-Rock wrote:
Is the Primaris Ancient really that good? I have used him or an Apothecary yet.

An Apothecary and Ancient are solid when parked in cover with a Dev squad.

Something dies, it shoots its lascannon (ancient). Next turn it gets ressurected (apothecary). For just over a 100 points thats a great buff for a backfield shooty unit. With my Salamander tactics, that shot is made with a re-roll to hit and wound as well.

Makes for a good porcipine unit. Works the same on Centurion Devestators as well. They die and the fire their hurricane bolters (12 shots at 12") on the way down.

By RAW it looks like the Apothecary can ressurect the Armorium Cherub also which is rather hillarious.

With Primaris only they work best with Hellbasters over charging and double tapping. Roll a bucket of dice, and for every 1 you roll, one HB dies (and snaps off 2 more shots on the way down). Pair with an apothecary to bring them back to life.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Gibs55 wrote:
Aggressors have been average. The flame fists just don't synergise very well with the shooting twice mechanic.

I play Salamanders so these guys were a must have.

You really dont want to be charging a unit of 5 Agressors with flamestorm gauntlets. 20d6 auto hits at Strength 4. Parking Vulcan behind them for the lols (re-roll wounds) and using the Salamader flamecraft strategem is scary. Thats an average of 70 hits and works out to around 50 wounds vs T4 (and around 40 wounds v T 5-7) that need to be saved (v AP 0 mind you).

You'll find your opponents will never position himself closer than 8" when charging (meaning he always needs a 9+ on 2d6 to make the charge).

You get to move 5" and advance +1d6 freely, torching stuff.

Wth a Repulsor you can move them 10" then get out turn 2 with a +3", move +5" and advance +1d6" to set something on fire within 8".

Im considering assembling a Primaris only detachment for my Sallies.

And the Bolters just double up what the Primaris army is already good at. It's not that they are not good value it's just that I want Intercessors for the troops to get command points and I don't really want more Bolters in my elite spot. If you take a repulsor then there is even less reason to have Aggressors.

Raven Guard Agressors can deploy 9" away from the enemy (for the cost of 1 CP) and do not count as moving when doing so. Do the math what 6 of them can do to a unit (62 Bolter shots and a bucket load of d6 from the auto launchers). They'll delete most units from the board (make sure you deep strike Shrike near them on turn 1 for rerolls to hit)

If you dont get the first turn, they do the same number of shots for overwatch if you get charged.

IF/ CF Agressors are quite good options for Bolter drill. So are 6 deepstriking Inceptors with Assault Bolters (36 heavy bolter shots, with each 6 generating an extra shot).

I dropped 3 down on an Eldar army recently and wiped a large blob of Dire avengers off the board with some lucky rolls and 2 x bolter drill (I used one when they tried to charge me and I got obverwatch and rolled a lot of 6's).

Inceptors are really good distraction units when dropped, and can generally at least screw up a unit or two before getting got in return.

I feel Agressors could be equally nasty when played to their strengths.

Malifice wrote:

 Da-Rock wrote:
Is the Primaris Ancient really that good? I have used him or an Apothecary yet.

An Apothecary and Ancient are solid when parked in cover with a Dev squad.

Something dies, it shoots its lascannon (ancient). Next turn it gets ressurected (apothecary). For just over a 100 points thats a great buff for a backfield shooty unit. With my Salamander tactics, that shot is made with a re-roll to hit and wound as well.

Makes for a good porcipine unit. Works the same on Centurion Devestators as well. They die and the fire their hurricane bolters (12 shots at 12") on the way down.

By RAW it looks like the Apothecary can ressurect the Armorium Cherub also which is rather hillarious.

With Primaris only they work best with Hellbasters over charging and double tapping. Roll a bucket of dice, and for every 1 you roll, one HB dies (and snaps off 2 more shots on the way down). Pair with an apothecary to bring them back to life.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Gibs55 wrote:
Aggressors have been average. The flame fists just don't synergise very well with the shooting twice mechanic.

I play Salamanders so these guys were a must have.

You really dont want to be charging a unit of 5 Agressors with flamestorm gauntlets. 20d6 auto hits at Strength 4. Parking Vulcan behind them for the lols (re-roll wounds) and using the Salamader flamecraft strategem is scary. Thats an average of 70 hits and works out to around 50 wounds vs T4 (and around 40 wounds v T 5-7) that need to be saved (v AP 0 mind you).

You'll find your opponents will never position himself closer than 8" when charging (meaning he always needs a 9+ on 2d6 to make the charge).

You get to move 5" and advance +1d6 freely, torching stuff.

Wth a Repulsor you can move them 10" then get out turn 2 with a +3", move +5" and advance +1d6" to set something on fire within 8".

Im considering assembling a Primaris only detachment for my Sallies.

And the Bolters just double up what the Primaris army is already good at. It's not that they are not good value it's just that I want Intercessors for the troops to get command points and I don't really want more Bolters in my elite spot. If you take a repulsor then there is even less reason to have Aggressors.

Raven Guard Agressors can deploy 9" away from the enemy (for the cost of 1 CP) and do not count as moving when doing so. Do the math what 6 of them can do to a unit (62 Bolter shots and a bucket load of d6 from the auto launchers). They'll delete most units from the board (make sure you deep strike Shrike near them on turn 1 for rerolls to hit)

If you dont get the first turn, they do the same number of shots for overwatch if you get charged.

IF/ CF Agressors are quite good options for Bolter drill. So are 6 deepstriking Inceptors with Assault Bolters (36 heavy bolter shots, with each 6 generating an extra shot).

I dropped 3 down on an Eldar army recently and wiped a large blob of Dire avengers off the board with some lucky rolls and 2 x bolter drill (I used one when they tried to charge me and I got obverwatch and rolled a lot of 6's).

Inceptors are really good distraction units when dropped, and can generally at least screw up a unit or two before getting got in return.

I feel Agressors could be equally nasty when played to their strengths.

Whoops - you can't Bolter Drill for overwatch. That's at least the only clear part of the rule since it needs to be declared before an infantry unit shoots in the shooting phase.

I used some Reivers the other day and boy were they enjoyable. After convincing a friend to take both grav and grapnel, I did it too. They dropped with carbines on the roof of a building and blasted at the enemy's backfield. Second turn advanced into another squad (vertical movement saved them from being charged), nades out, then had the inceptors charge something to tie it up. Kept doing this as both units moved around on the flank. Inceptors fell back and blasted the rest of the unit off there board. Reivers and Inceptors, man. Worked super all together.