Melee Weapons

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

Assuming you're not planning to use the Djin Blade, what's your preferred melee weapon for the Archon and why?

Also, does anyone ever use a Power Sword (on any model, not just the Archon)?

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Sun Jun 17 2018, 22:27

I'm seriously considering taking them on Cursed Blade Wyches, beyond that I think they are a wasted on units that could do better with less or different options.

Can we make this a generalized melee weapon loadout thread?

WRT Archons Venomblades mainly but I also don't use them very often.

Succubi I run with shardnets, hydra gauntlets and the bloodglaive.

Incubi Posts : 1505 Join date : 2017-09-12

Venom Blades for me. Cheap, reliable at wounding, great for dealing with hordes. Fine since I don't throw them into close combat much anyway.

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

amorrowlyday wrote:: Can we make this a generalized melee weapon loadout thread?

Sure.

Slave Posts : 17 Join date : 2018-05-27

Im not a fan of our HQs, so pretty much the cheapest stuff possible. Except for when I run a flayed skull archon.. Who gets all the toys (+ hatred eternal) . There's just something about having him go and chop off the enemy warlords head off, which I find very appealing.

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

ph4ntron wrote:: Im not a fan of our HQs, so pretty much the cheapest stuff possible.

I can relate to that, though since the Archon's most expensive melee weapon is just 4pts more than the least expensive one, the choice of melee weapon barely affects his overall cost.

Slave Posts : 17 Join date : 2018-05-27

Yea I suppose, but instead of taking an agoniser on him, I'd rather spend that 4pts towards a PGL or the electro whip for the haemonculus. Those guys are surprisingly decent in combat

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

ph4ntron wrote:: Yea I suppose, but instead of taking an agoniser on him, I'd rather spend that 4pts towards a PGL or the electro whip for the haemonculus. Those guys are surprisingly decent in combat

That's fair. I just meant it's a bit different to, say, 5th edition - where the Huskblade was 25pts more than the Venom Blade. Razz

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Tue Jun 19 2018, 10:32

I use my HQs as elite CC unit to kill enemy HQs and the like. Therefore my Archons get a huskblade because of the -2AP and D3 dmg.

EDIT: Always use Electrocorrosive Whip on Haemi. I think it's probably one of our best melee weapons.

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Tue Jun 19 2018, 11:25

Usually, as they come out from then Codex. I'm deploying them anyway, and I hate having dead points on my list so let them use their weapons with a pourpose!

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Tue Jun 19 2018, 17:07

If my Archon isn't being used as a beatstick (a la Flayed Skull) then it often depends on available points.

I used to tend towards equipping them pretty expensively but now I'm ready, willing and able to just drop them on the table with a 2pt weapon if their job isn't specifically to go out and kill things.

Archon with Huskblade & Blast Pistol (for close up murder)
Archon with Blaster, PGL, & Agoniser or Venom Blade (general cruising and light bruising)
Archon with Venom Blade (Ravager bubble friend)

Those are the three variations I run my Archons in.

Wych Posts : 744 Join date : 2017-06-03

I'm curious why Flayed Skull is the consensus best Warlord trait. Isn't the generic Hatred Eternal just better? Re-rolling wounds with everything in all phases is far more reliable than extra strength and attack in the first round of combat only (or when people keep lemming-charging a unit at a time for some reason).

I don't even play with index stuff, but Hatred Eternal is awesome for even a blast pistol. For people that prefer index loadouts, there's no question with a blaster. Heck, even a PGL might toss out a wound every now and then.

As for melee weapons, I generally prefer husk blade just because close combat upgrades are so cheap. But I do have a conversion with Venom blades, so I usually plan on 1 and 1 if running a kabalttalion Wink

Hekatrix Posts : 1041 Join date : 2017-01-26

The differences are minimal in most cases.
The eternal hatred gives a consistant +36% damage in both melee and shooting
The flayed skull gives 20 GEQ-60 MEQ-80 CHAR% more damage and melee with a huskblade usually deals more damage than the blast pistol.
Thus it depends a lot on how long combat last and if you are in shooting range with the 6 inch pistol.
Against characters it makes no difference (10.3FS vs 10.2EH) (shooting and 2 combat rounds 1 charge)
Against MEQ the FS is slightly worse (6.1FS vs 6.6EH)

I find that I rarely buy the blast pistol on my archon since he rarely get's to shoot more than once with it.

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Wed Jun 20 2018, 11:25

I use Power swords on wych squad leader if I field cursed blade, so with str 4 or 5 it is in most cases very decent.

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

sekac wrote:: I'm curious why Flayed Skull is the consensus best Warlord trait. Isn't the generic Hatred Eternal just better? Re-rolling wounds with everything in all phases is far more reliable than extra strength and attack in the first round of combat only (or when people keep lemming-charging a unit at a time for some reason).

Yeah, I'd definitely opt for Hatred Eternal over the FS one.

Personally, I prefer Soulthirst to either of them, but then I'm a sucker for vampiric abilities. Razz

Kabalite Warrior Posts : 225 Join date : 2016-12-18

I leave my Archons with Huskblades. My lists generally have other ways to deal with hordes so the 2+ wounding isn't a big deal for me. I'd rather have the deterrent against smashfucker characters, or go frak up those Obliterators when they drop in Turn 2.

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Wed Jun 20 2018, 16:27

Hatred Eternal is definitely better...haven't even been thinking of its use with a ranged weapon for added value...I've been distracted by Strength 5 ! Razz

Subject: Re: Melee Weapons Wed Jun 20 2018, 19:29

I also opt for Hatred Eternal, but mostly because re-rolling units makes him such a reliable character.
Doing the math, Famed Savagery is more efficient on T5 or higher (with exception of T8) but I consider reliability more important than statistical averages.

I'm surprised nobody mentioned Soul Thirst. It's the obvious combo with the Djin Blade. With 8 attacks you can lay waste to a whole squad and you virtually negate the drawbacks of the Djin Blade. Not to mention that you gain back a wounds for each model you kill.

Edit: I also agree with Power Sword on Cursed Blade/S4 Wyches.

Incubi Posts : 1921 Join date : 2018-04-02

The Strange Dark One wrote:: I'm surprised nobody mentioned Soul Thirst. It's the obvious combo with the Djin Blade. With 8 attacks you can lay waste to a whole squad and you virtually negate the drawbacks of the Djin Blade. Not to mention that you gain back a wounds for each model you kill.

I mentioned it. I like Soul Thirst as a nice all-rounder trait.

Wych Posts : 925 Join date : 2017-01-03

I tend to run Venomblades on my Poison tongue archon simply to make it next to impossible to not wound because of the rerolls to wound of 1 on melee weapons ... Other than that I tend to just stay with the huskblade

» Close Combat Weapons and Taking Upgrades from the Melee Weapons
» New Melee weapons
» Melee weapons / additional attacks
» Out of range melee
» Kabalite Warriors - The New Melee Unit