Ok, time for another part of my Mont'ka review. This time we'll look at the new relics Cadians have access to.
To start with, in order to gain access to these you must be part of a 'Cadian Detachment' which means you're not technically an 'Astra Militarum Detachment' which raises some problems with enginseers, psykers, priests, and commissars that I'll go into later. Honestly though, it shouldn't be a big deal. The only other limitation is that your character cannot double down on these and Heirlooms of Conquest from C:AM at the same time on the same character. Which is fine because we were not going to over equip our characters anyway. What do we look like? Marines?
Celeritas -
Rules: A master-crafted chainsword with an added bonus that only works in challenges. You gain a +4 invulnerable while in challenges AND every successful save means that you opponent takes an auto-hit with rending.
Review: Its a dueling chainsword for all of those fights were I want to be in...a challenge? Ok, so it isn't that great and I probably with take it exactly never. However, it is kinda fluffy and a nice way to balance things out if you could somehow be sure that you get #6 on the Cadian Warlord Traits table (which you can't.) Taken mostly for flavor.
Kabe's Herald -
Rules: Tank Commanders specifically may take this. Whenever the Tank Commander issues an order, tanks squadrons within 12" may also benefit from it.
Review: Comms gear for the tank commander helps him to boss people around. Kinda a cool concept but I've never been that big a fan of tank orders for the officer himself, let alone other squadrons. Split Fire only matters if you have more than one models, which I avoid. Turbo-boosting is something Leman Russ will do rarely, since they should be shooting 99/100. That leaves an order that will benefit you once per game, shock launchers AND shooting at the same time. A great order, really, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay points for it when points go so far for IG.
Standard of the Lost 13th -
Rules: Its a regimental standard with a bonus rule where you can chose to plant the flag at the beginning of the movement phase. That is important because it means that you cannot adjust it at all before planting it. After you plant it, the CCS can no longer move, run, or charge for the rest of the game and the standard projects a 18" bubble of Fearless.
Review: A very infantry centric relic that I'm, again, not a fan of. While I like infantry based lists a lot, I don't see the advantage of this. First of all, few armies lack the firepower to blast five guardsmen off of the table if they need to. Second, since the whole unit cannot move (why not just the standard bearer?) then you cannot position people to be ablative wounds after you've planted the flag. Lastly, how does this interact with a chimera? Can it even be used? Does the chimera become stationary? While I can see the benefit, it really makes the CCS into a target and that isn't a good thing.
The Iron Left -
Rules: A power sword with +2 strength.
Review: I dig the fluff. Its actually that bionic arm power sword that the CCS box comes with! However, it reveals something that I've always suspected about GW; they have no idea how IG plays. We did not need a better power sword. At all. Even with it, a company commander still only kills 1.33 marines on average. Wow, what martial ability! Plus, it fills the same roll that Marcharius' sword already filled in C:AM, and nobody takes that thing either.
Couldn't we have gotten a bolter?
 |
| Lets hope at least one of them are thermals |
To start with, in order to gain access to these you must be part of a 'Cadian Detachment' which means you're not technically an 'Astra Militarum Detachment' which raises some problems with enginseers, psykers, priests, and commissars that I'll go into later. Honestly though, it shouldn't be a big deal. The only other limitation is that your character cannot double down on these and Heirlooms of Conquest from C:AM at the same time on the same character. Which is fine because we were not going to over equip our characters anyway. What do we look like? Marines?
Rules: A master-crafted chainsword with an added bonus that only works in challenges. You gain a +4 invulnerable while in challenges AND every successful save means that you opponent takes an auto-hit with rending.
Review: Its a dueling chainsword for all of those fights were I want to be in...a challenge? Ok, so it isn't that great and I probably with take it exactly never. However, it is kinda fluffy and a nice way to balance things out if you could somehow be sure that you get #6 on the Cadian Warlord Traits table (which you can't.) Taken mostly for flavor.
Kabe's Herald -
Rules: Tank Commanders specifically may take this. Whenever the Tank Commander issues an order, tanks squadrons within 12" may also benefit from it.
Review: Comms gear for the tank commander helps him to boss people around. Kinda a cool concept but I've never been that big a fan of tank orders for the officer himself, let alone other squadrons. Split Fire only matters if you have more than one models, which I avoid. Turbo-boosting is something Leman Russ will do rarely, since they should be shooting 99/100. That leaves an order that will benefit you once per game, shock launchers AND shooting at the same time. A great order, really, but I'm not sure if I'm willing to pay points for it when points go so far for IG.
Rules: Its a regimental standard with a bonus rule where you can chose to plant the flag at the beginning of the movement phase. That is important because it means that you cannot adjust it at all before planting it. After you plant it, the CCS can no longer move, run, or charge for the rest of the game and the standard projects a 18" bubble of Fearless.
Review: A very infantry centric relic that I'm, again, not a fan of. While I like infantry based lists a lot, I don't see the advantage of this. First of all, few armies lack the firepower to blast five guardsmen off of the table if they need to. Second, since the whole unit cannot move (why not just the standard bearer?) then you cannot position people to be ablative wounds after you've planted the flag. Lastly, how does this interact with a chimera? Can it even be used? Does the chimera become stationary? While I can see the benefit, it really makes the CCS into a target and that isn't a good thing.
The Iron Left -
Rules: A power sword with +2 strength.
Review: I dig the fluff. Its actually that bionic arm power sword that the CCS box comes with! However, it reveals something that I've always suspected about GW; they have no idea how IG plays. We did not need a better power sword. At all. Even with it, a company commander still only kills 1.33 marines on average. Wow, what martial ability! Plus, it fills the same roll that Marcharius' sword already filled in C:AM, and nobody takes that thing either.
Couldn't we have gotten a bolter?
Volkov's Cane -
Rules: A power maul without the strength bonus. However, you're not taking this for the melee potential. You're taking it for the fact that if the officer is issuing the order within 6" it passes on anything but a double 6!
Review: Now we're talking. I can actually see the benefit to this item, particularly in some of the new formations (the artillery one comes to mind.) This all but guarantees the success of orders and eliminates the need for vox casters. In theory, it should work on the CCS as well.
Plus, its a swagger stick. Heck, yeah.
Cadia's Wrath -
Rules: Its a laspistol with a single, awesome, bonus rule. It always wounds on a +4 and it limits armor saves to, at best, a +4. Sweet.
Review: Few games are ever going to be won or lost based on one pistol shot. However, that being said, for a mere meltabomb, this pistol kinda rocks. I really want to take it and shoot up a wraithknight for fun. Take it for the fluff and the cheap costs, be glad when it does something.
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