Special Characters

[Nightspawn]

I've played 40 since 3rd ed and it seems that along the way that special characters have been making more of an appearance than before. Is it because they are better now? They just look cool? They rock?

So the question I have is, what's your favorite special character to use for an army and what makes them worth taking for you?

[SotonShades]

Once upon a yesteryear, special characters were more than a little powerful, if very characterful. Back in 3rd Ed. you needed your opponant's permission to use them, so people said no out of instinct.

Now they are more balanced and trends to change the flavour of the army rather than simply being awesome in their own right. Not needing permissipn to field them also makes them more popular.

[o0HoldFast0o]

Draigo! Because, I usually play Tau and need some revenge every now and then. :D

[Ironwolf]

Bjorn the fellhanded Is my favorite followed by Arjac rockfist for space wolves.

Vindicare Assassin and Crowe (even with his lack of IC rule) for Grey knights.

grimaldus for black templar.

Commander Farsight for tau, Maugan ra for eldar, icubi guy from DE, Nork dedog for IG.

Just a few :D

[Nick Soapdish]

I love playing with Eldrad. Who doesn't love getting to redeploy units before the game and all the psychic powers the Eldar have?

[Bean]

The only special character I've used significantly is Draigo, because I've been playing Draigo-wing.

This, really, is one of the main reasons that you're seeing more special characters, now: for one thing, GW has officially removed the "opponent's permission only" albatross from around their necks, and for another they've started tying army-wide special rules to them. Want to play Ravenwing? You have to bring Sammael. Deathwing? You have to bring Belial. Want something distinctly Salamanders in your Salamanders army? Vulkan is pretty much your only option.

Some of the special characters are really good (Draigo is pretty good, even for his exorbitant price--Mephiston, Cassius, Njal, Eldrad--to name a few) and some are really bad (Lucius, Tigurius, Ahriman, The DA Phoenix Lord) and some are reasonable but hardly overpowered.

What it comes down to, though, is that GW's attitude towards special characters have changed--they're writing more of them and generally making them more integral to their associated armies. This has led to a similar change in the attitudes of the player base--greater acceptance and more people playing special characters as a result.

[Deadestdai]

Typhus cos his fluff is so cool. Shame his rules don't match up to his points cost. (Roll on new Dex w/Eternal Warrior for all IC's!)

[DaveLL]

As a couple of people have said, army-changing rules are useful. I've seen a few things saying essentially that GW doesn't really expect that every time a special character is played, it's actually that character - you could, for instance, have another IG commander who happens to be particularly brutal with his conscripts, and use the rules and cost for the IG special character with "bring in the next wave."
(Oh, and I haven't yet taken a special character, but only because I still haven't played an army where it would make sense and I liked the special characters.)

[Kaiserdean]

Personally, I don't like them.

It seems weird to me when someone plays Marneus Calgar in a 1,000 point game. I guess it feels like they should be saved for 10,000+ point games and the little skirmishes that have less than 200 "troopers" doesn't seem like a big enough deal for a special character to be in... Except for Gaunt.

[Tzeentch_Guard]

Yarrick! I love that guy!

[ElectricPaladin]

Personally, I don't like them.

It seems weird to me when someone plays Marneus Calgar in a 1,000 point game. I guess it feels like they should be saved for 10,000+ point games and the little skirmishes that have less than 200 "troopers" doesn't seem like a big enough deal for a special character to be in... Except for Gaunt.

Don't a bunch of the older special characters have rules like that? All the Tau special characters are limited to games of 1.5k or larger.

That said, I don't really agree with you. Sure, Marneus Calgar probably only sets out to fight in big 10k battles, but there are lots of reasons he could end up in a smaller engagement. Marneus and his (extensive, one thousand point) bodyguard could end up being ambushed on their way somewhere, or the battle you're playing could be just a small part of a larger conflict.

[DaveLL]

Don't a bunch of the older special characters have rules like that? All the Tau special characters are limited to games of 1.5k or larger.

That said, I don't really agree with you. Sure, Marneus Calgar probably only sets out to fight in big 10k battles, but there are lots of reasons he could end up in a smaller engagement. Marneus and his (extensive, one thousand point) bodyguard could end up being ambushed on their way somewhere, or the battle you're playing could be just a small part of a larger conflict.

To a point, I used to agree with kaiserdean. That is to say, I thought that people who brought a special character to every game they played seemed to be cheapening that character - why, after all, is Fateweaver somehow directly in charge of absolutely every battle that any daemon army ever fights?

That's why I'm a fan of the idea that a special character can be closer to a template than an individual.

[thefremen]

I LOVE Draigo as a character although Crowe is technically better since the unit he makes troops are far more efficient.

Draigo's backstory is fun though, it's nice to have a Space Chuck Norris who isn't a Space Wolf.

[Admiral Kenaris]

Straken. Ah, the joy of winning close combats as a Guard player...

[mysterex]

Until very recently in this part of the world army composition was a factor in event results (typically 25% of the score). As most special characters were seen as over the top they pretty much guaranteed a low comp score and so virtually no one used them competitively.

Historically they were often also seen as a points sink and so not worth it, although this has changed with recent codicii. More often they are opening up new army builds or have abilities the whole army can leverage off.

That has started to change in the last 6 months and I'm attending my first no comp event in June. I suspect that will open the flood gate for all sorts of crazy web lists rather than the more balanced lists I'm used to seeing.

Outside of events the only special characters I've used are Abaddon, simply because I'd made a conversion purely as a modelling exercise and Belial because he opens up the deathwing as troops option.

[Levitas]

Duke Sliscus. Captain Jack Sparrow for the 41st millenium and everyones favorite drug dealer.

They have been pretty popular in 5th, as they are changing armies instead of just being super powerful.

[ElectricPaladin]

Oh, ok, so if we're talking about making judgements...

I don't have a problem with special character when they're well-written, well-made, have cool models, and are fun to play with and against. I don't think you should be penalized for using the cool rules that are in the book you paid for. While I think that sportsmanship is an important factor in tournaments, comp is kind of a cop-out. It's GW's responsibility to make a game that's balanced, clear, and fun to play, whether you're winning or losing, and it's our responsibility to play it with grace, fun, and sportsmanship. The idea that GW is going to make stuff that isn't balanced or fun to use, and then it's the community's responsibility to penalize people for using that stuff is... frankly, kind of dumb.

TL;DR version: I think that everyone should use all the special characters we like, but they should be written to be balanced and fun.

[commissar camenzuli]

got to be yarrick. who doesnt love iron will???

[Zuul]

The only special character I like is Pedro Kantor, and even then, I use a counts-as model built from a MKVIII body with the original left arm& back pack with the old right handed PF from the RTB01 box on the other side and gussied up with some extra bits and GS. Truth be told, I miss the dirt cheap generic commanders from 3rd ed.

[DarkLink]

Driago is awesome. Anyone who disagrees needs to take a step back and reevaluate why they're playing a game full of genetically engineered psychic super-soldiers that wear armor that makes them literal walking tanks and carries a fully automatic rocket launcher and a chainsaw sword as their most basic weapons.


I LOVE Draigo as a character although Crowe is technically better since the unit he makes troops are far more efficient.

People tend to overestimate Purifier spam. They're good, but not that good. They're roughly on par with Paladins.

The difference between the two lists is that Driago is worth his points, while Crowe is not. Purifiers are good enough to almost make up for Crowe's weakness, but even Purifiers aren't so amazing that they can make up a 150pt deficit required to make the list.

Purifiers are slightly better than Paladins, by virtue of the concept of MSU and their impressive flexibility, but only slightly so. Driago is significantly better than Crowe, but since HQs themselves are only a small part of the list it all kinda balances out.

[Brakkart]

My favourite is Pedro Kantor, as I play Imperial Fists so I use him as my Chapter Master Vladimir Pugh. Fielded him in every battle I've fought so far and he's always been well worth the points he costs, heck he was the last man standing in my army in my last battle when I got massacred. I have a Lysander but have yet to finish painting him up, not a model I'm fond of and so he's been languishing at the back of my painting desk for over a year now.

[Tayne]

My personal favourite is Belial. He doesn't do much himself, but is dirt cheap and everything you need him for is done before the game begins, no amount of my bad dice rolling can stop that from working at least!

[Yriel_The_Angelic]

Hands down Typhus. Every Death Guard list i write auto includes Typhus and his "Retinue" of 20 Plague Marines.
Point Sink: Check
Awesome: Check
Tough as nails: Check

[TheCoolGuy12]

Old Zogwart

This guy has won me more games than I can count. Sure he is a bit expensive for a 6+ save but he is well worth the gamble in my opinion.

First off, he is a warhead. This gives him 6 random powers including a deep strike move and a st10 ap1 auto hitting melta. It is so nice to steal a win by a last turn deep strike or a first turn removal of a land raider. But these powers any warphead can do. Zoggy's real power is in his curse. There is no monkey wrench in the opponent's plan like turning a key IC into a funny little ball with teeth.

[Xyon]

Belial, this low points guy lets me field my favorite army, deathwing. Whats not to like :D

[Bean]

Belial, this low points guy lets me field my favorite army, deathwing. Whats not to like :D

Yeah, you just can't complain about Belial. He's pretty much exactly what he should be (though Eternal Warrior would be nice).

[albertsevil]

Abadon or Pedro Kantor for me.

Abadon is just a bada$$ who frightens other players and can cut through anything (regularly beats Mephistion).

Pedro gives +1A which is brilliant for foot heavy armies, orbital bombardment, and makes Sternguard scoring. What's not to like?

Ryan

[Belial69]

Gotta be Skarbrand. He's so angry he attacked Khorne himself. Also he's not that bothered by dark excommunication since he's pretty solid anyway. I prefer to make my own model for most special characters, unless the proper mini is cool enough.

[Bean]

Gotta be Skarbrand. He's so angry he attacked Khorne himself. Also he's not that bothered by dark excommunication since he's pretty solid anyway. I prefer to make my own model for most special characters, unless the proper mini is cool enough.

Yeah, I made my own Abbadon stand-in out of a Chaos Terminator Lord, and a Draigo out of a Grey Knight Terminator and a storm-shield from an Assault terminator. I hate metal models.

[Wolfshade]

I love Mephiston. He is the closest marine to a monstrous creature. Back in 2nd ed, it was amusing as he had the same stats as a vampire lord iirc. His 6" movement raised eyebrows at a time when most marines were moving at 4"

[bfmusashi]

I use Straken out of utility, Coteaz because he's Space Destro, and Yarrick because a man with a crab claw means business. Oh, and Bastonne as he's the Killer of Baneblades.

[Tokolosh]

I really like Dante, deepstriking with melta honour guard ;-)

[Loshkins]

Special characters bring a unique play style to the army. Before they just seemed like tacked on additions that were 'powerful or useless' dudes at best. Now they seem to represent more of a shift in list building. As in, you build the list around them, not build the list and then just throw them in.

[Ravenger]

Just with fluff in mind i like to field Ragnar Blackmane, he has a nice set of utility granting furious charge and after you have his warrior born (chainsaw effect) people tend to run away if that fist cant get the job done in time.

[Ork E Nuff]

Hands down: Mad Dok Grotsnik. Powerklaw, cybork body, 4+ invul save...what's not to like? Also, he confers the option of cybork bodies on units that don't normally have that option. Imagine the expression on your opponents face when he realizes that the 30 grots in front of him all have a 5+ invul save. Suddenly your grot shield now has a bit more grit than usual. Also, he's a complete nut; any unit he joins becomes fearless and must move with all due expediency towards the nearest enemy. Granted he can put a damper on your style of play, but he's great for your basic "Smash, Smash, and possibly Grad" game.

[Colonel Bindoff]

Marbo. The elite army of one with a penchant for demo charging himself in the face.

I think special characters have a place, but hate seeing them all the time. The Calgar example above: yes, he could be involved in a 1000 point battle as he's ambushed, or leads an elite strike team which desperately needs his dual fist awesomeness, but every time? No, doesn't do it for me. Creed, master of all Cadia and commander of the eighth. Yes, he'll sometimes be on the front line, but more usually in a Leviathan co-ordinating his vast armies. So fight some games with him, but normally leave Captain Jim Dacker of 3 company to run things.

That said, I see marine characters cropping up far more often than other races. Chapters are only 1000 or so strong, with maybe 20 officers to pick from. The Ultramarines have what, 4 current special characters so it seems less unreasonable to find one on the battlefield than always facing Commissar Yarrick, one of untold billions of generic guard.

[pathwinder14]

Special Characters were Army Killing Power Houses in 2nd edition. I would basically run Abbadon around the table killing everything and the rest of my army was just decoration. 3rd edition nerfed them because of the Uber power they had in 2nd. Now they are more balanced and useful for more than close combat or psychic powers.

I prefer Dante because he adds so much utility to the BA.

[Samules]

Asurmen may not be the most points efficient man but he is a hell of a lot of fun. To date only Draigo and his palladins have brought him down in CC. Though he and his three dire avengers killed off three of the kitted out pallys between bladestorm and CC. That particular game was a 2v1 2000pt game with me and a Tau vs a GK. At the end Draigo and a Terminator were left against half of our army left. (he still managed to contest both objectives though) That was an epic game.

[MatthewTiger56]

For me it has to be Varguard Oby and Nemesor Z. In the 'cron codex they're only taking up 1 HQ slot if you take them together and there are some amusing abilities for both characters.
Nemesor:"All your USR are belong to us!"