Primaris Psyker

[plainoldandrew]

so this may have been done to death but what are peoples thoughts on the primaris psyker as a primary hq for small level (say <750 pts) games. maybe in the back of a valk with a squad of stormtroopers.

[Control NZ]

At 750 points a primaris is a cheap option, though I wouldn't put him with stormtroopers. When I use him I just put him in a blob to help with shooting. In saying that, you could just go with a cheap CCS for more (and better) orders, I've found that they are a more reliable unit.

[Corvidae]

Personally, I think the Primaris Psyker is a great HQ for small games. Nice to have around to bolster small squads ability, and comes in really handy when you can also have him break away and take something out with his Lightning arc ability. I personally played a 1,000pt game where I seperated him from a squad of veterans and he was able to get a killing shot on a Blood Angels Librarian Dreadnought and destroy it! Then my squad could worry about something else!

They are also a good HQ choice for fluffy lists like a traitor guard army, come on a rouge psyker, how cool is that!

[BS FADE]

I find myself always surprised that guy doesn't come with a hood. But he definitely brings some things to make a more unique guard list.

[CrimsonTurkey]

a rouge psyker

Everytime I see this typo this is all I can think of:
http://download.lardlad.com/framegrabs/2F31/111.jpg

[St. Murphy]

I take a Primaris in every game. Especially under 1000 pts. Lightning arc is clutch! I usually put him in a chimera w/ a squad of veterans for the taking of objectives.

[Bean]

Lightning arc is actually quite good, and it makes the Primaris a pretty reasonable budget HQ choice.

First off, though, don't play storm troopers. Secondly, even if you do, don't put the Primaris in a Valkyrie with them. (Third off, play a vendetta instead of a valkyrie.)

The Primaris is all about putting out shots at range. He fits in perfectly with a unit firing out of the top of a Chimaera, and that's really where he should go.


Remember, though, that a company command squad with four meltas is only 20 more points, so he's not that budget. The CCS needs a transport, but if you've got a Valk or Vendetta to put them in so they don't have to buy a chimaera, they're probably worth that extra 20 points.

In fact, you'd almost certainly be better served by dropping those storm troopers, taking the CCS with meltas instead of the Primaris and putting them in the Vendetta, and spending the rest of those points on something better--like another Vendetta.

[Grenadier]

What's so bad about Stormtroopers? I rely on them. I love their better armor save, BS, and the hotshot las at AP3. That comes in handy if you fight a lot of Marines as I do.

[Bean]

What's so bad about Stormtroopers? I rely on them. I love their better armor save, BS, and the hotshot las at AP3. That comes in handy if you fight a lot of Marines as I do.

Don't compare them to line squads--compare them to Vets. Once you do, the BS and the better armor fall out of the picture.

Then, the comparison is ap:3 lasguns to scoring, a third special weapon, and the ability to Demolitions (which is actually quite good)--and the Vets are cheaper.

If there were no Veterans and Stormtroopers were a troop choice, then I would agree--there are times I would take them over regular infantry squads.

However, they stack up very poorly against Veterans.

[miweq]

I always attach Primaris Psyker to CCS. Together with Commander armed with power weapon they can make pretty nice damage when charging :)

[Bean]

I always attach Primaris Psyker to CCS. Together with Commander armed with power weapon they can make pretty nice damage when charging :)

I really disagree. For one thing, even this unit is basically terrible in combat. For another, the single best use (unarguably, really) of a Company Command Squad is for spamming meltas guns--and the Primaris doesn't really fit into that squad well. If you were going to play plasma, instead, then I might consider the Primaris with the CCS, but bringing a primaris to buik up a close combat CCS is just...a mistake. Plain and simple.

[miweq]

I always use my CCS with plasmaguns. By using CCS with PW and Primaris Psyker I don't want them to be a unit to win a game by killing everything in close combat. It's rater a last chance action when close combat can't be avoided and I need to get rid of small MEQ squad.

[Dialogus]

This is probably not the most efficient way to use them, but I like to attach Primaris to a big infantry blob and use their concealment psychic power as the blob advances, then the lightning when the squad is in firing range. The concealing power isn't all that great on paper, but people get so worried about their shooting being useless that they are often deterred from shooting the blob at all. It also saved me from flame attacks a couple times. Generally though I prefer CCS.

[Garradh]

There's just no comparing a Primaris to a CCS. Orders and a few special weapons with seven wounds, or a bit o' shooting and a force weapon? As characterful as they are, I cannot see them ever being more efficient than a regular CCS.

[Garradh]

I really disagree. For one thing, even this unit is basically terrible in combat. For another, the single best use (unarguably, really) of a Company Command Squad is for spamming meltas guns--and the Primaris doesn't really fit into that squad well. If you were going to play plasma, instead, then I might consider the Primaris with the CCS, but bringing a primaris to buik up a close combat CCS is just...a mistake. Plain and simple.

At the end of the day, he's an I3 S3 power weapon. Even with Furious Charge he's I4 S4 - not a lot of multiwound things you can charge and hope his force weapon makes a difference.

[LordJefferson]

Well, looking at it from my perspective, for the 70 points you pay for a Primaris Psyker, you could get a lord Commisar, which makes your shooty blobs even better than those joined by a Primaris. Firstly, he makes the unit he joins stubborn, and his LD 10 bubble means that the Blob is unlikely to fall back as well as being able to execute someone for a re-roll. I suppose the Priamaris is more of a prevention mechanism, stopping you from losing models in the first place, whereas the LC, simply keeps the damaged unit in combat, so in smaller games, or if you're running a list with lots of vets and not many blobs of basic Guardsmen a Primaris will keep them alive, a Lord Commissar will keep them fighting, which is rendundant if you don't take casulties in the first place. Also what I haven't taken into account is lightning arc, which could do a fair whack of damage...

[Bean]

There's just no comparing a Primaris to a CCS. Orders and a few special weapons with seven wounds, or a bit o' shooting and a force weapon? As characterful as they are, I cannot see them ever being more efficient than a regular CCS.

I generally agree. Of course, CCS kinda needs a chimaera, which puts them at about twice the cost of a Primaris. Totally worth it, of course, but I can imagine a situation arising where you just don't want to spend that much on a CCS, and putting a 70 point Primaris in a chimaera with one of your line squads is a better option.