Kitting Out a Terminator Captain

[ElectricPaladin]

I accidentally bought an extra Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield terminator. After seeing how effective Lysander can be, I'm thinking of using this model to make my own terminator captain. However, I have never fielded a terminator captain before, so I'm hoping for some advice on what's good.

Additionally, I have some specific questions:
• In addition to the wargear that's generally good, what wargear will help this model play nice with both assault and tactical terminators? I'm especially interested in wargear that needs WYSIWYGing.
• Can a terminator captain take meltabombs, digital weapons, hellfire rounds, and an auxiliary grenade launcher? I'm particularly interested in the possibility of taking an auxiliary grenade launcher, as it would let me field an aggressive melee captain without totally wasting his high BS.
• Given that terminator captains still have iron halos (4++) is it worth it to take a storm shield (3++)? Or should I consider a more aggressive build, like dual wielding thunder hammers?

As I wrote, I'm also looking for general advice on good builds for versatile terminator captains.

Thanks in advance.

[Clinto]

In my opinion, you should never take an HQ with a thunder hammer, powerfist, poweraxe. etc unless you have a storm shield. Too many things can go wrong before you get to attack. Lysander is a beast because of eternal warrior. Without that he's not much. So there isn't a way to make a termie captain as awesome and useful as him.
Capatin could be fun with a relic blade and stormbolter or combiweapon. Cheap and versatile.
Captains aren't really effective unless you give him a command squad to go with it. If you want a CC character for some punishment then go with a Chaplain in termie armor with a power fist as well. Maybe not the most effective use of points but its fun to choose between a maul and a fist in combat.

[DarkLink]

HQs very rarely have access to any guns worth using their high BS for in the first place, and the SM captain is no exception. You can take a combi-plasma, which is a great option except that it precludes taking a Storm Shield. You need a Storm Shield to protect your Captian, and you need a potent CCW, and you can only get two weapon options so you don't have room for a third, ranged weapon. That pretty much leaves you with a choice between lightning claws and a hammer, depending on if you want AP2 or I5.

You can still take hellfire rounds, melta bombs, digital weapons and an auxiliary grenade launcher, as they don't require you to replace wargear. But since you don't have a bolter to use the hellfire rounds, and both the grenade launcher and digital weapons are overpriced, meltabombs are your only real choice. And if you take a Thunderhammer, you'll pretty much never use the meltabombs so why bother?

And, yes, the Storm Shield is a must, mainly due to challenges. Challenges make a high invulnerable save vital on combat characters. You also don't want to get punk'd by a random power klaw, and you can use your Captain to soak up a few plasma shots or the like as well.


So, yeah, basically one of these:

Captain, Terminator Armor, Thunderhammer, Storm Shield...170

or

Captain, Terminator Armor, Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, Meltabombs...165

[Wolfshade]

Exactly what Dark Link says.
One thing I would say though is if you are running a BA army, IIRC you are running vanilla marines (Blood Ravens) so it isn't such an issue, then Librarians are better choices.
My own view is that Librarians are better as they can do everything the Terminator Captain but with the added bonus of psychic powers

[ElectricPaladin]

Exactly what Dark Link says.
One thing I would say though is if you are running a BA army, IIRC you are running vanilla marines (Blood Ravens) so it isn't such an issue, then Librarians are better choices.
My own view is that Librarians are better as they can do everything the Terminator Captain but with the added bonus of psychic powers

Exorcists, these days.

But basically the same thing.

I know libbies are better, but I've already got a terminator librarian. I've got this spare model coming thanks to my slippery finger, and I'm trying to figure out something to do with it that might be at least a little bit tasty.

[Aegwymourn]

You could always just run it as a "counts as Lysander" terminator. As posted above what makes Lysander really stand out are his special rules (Eternal Warior, Bolster, Bolter Drill). If you take the rest of it away he is just kinda "meh". IMO codex space marine characters don't have enough attacks to be horribly good at melee. What Lysander does is bring a rock hard character that can shrug off just about anything, dish a bit back (3 Attacks at S10 are nothing to sneer at), and has some utility just in case.

[Nabterayl]

You could always just run it as a "counts as Lysander" terminator. As posted above what makes Lysander really stand out are his special rules (Eternal Warior, Bolster, Bolter Drill). If you take the rest of it away he is just kinda "meh". IMO codex space marine characters don't have enough attacks to be horribly good at melee. What Lysander does is bring a rock hard character that can shrug off just about anything, dish a bit back (3 Attacks at S10 are nothing to sneer at), and has some utility just in case.

This would be my suggestion, especially if you intend to run at a points level where you also have your Exorcist SC, since that will let you avoid Lysander making everybody Stubborn.

[Tynskel]

I am not sure what you guys are saying. the 4++ invul and 2+ armor are amazing now. Almost anything that could squish your captain would have a difficult time doing so.


Recommended Choices:

Marneus Calgar w/Terminator Armor. He's just very good. (although, I mostly prefer him in power armor)
Lysander. He's just very good, too.

Captain Awesome
–Terminator Armor, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Lightning Claw, Powerfist
He shoots, he chops, he squishes.
If you want more oomf, then upgrade the Powerfist to a Chainfist.
This guy gets 5 attacks on the charge with either the Lightning Claw or Powerfist.

Lord Kitchen Sink
–Bike, Hellfire Rounds, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Lightning Claw, Powerfist, Artificer Armor
This guys serious firepower, and can dish out the pain. Give him a command squad bike squad with storm shields if you want to protect him.

[ElectricPaladin]

Captain Awesome
–Terminator Armor, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher, Lightning Claw, Powerfist
He shoots, he chops, he squishes.
If you want more oomf, then upgrade the Powerfist to a Chainfist.
This guy gets 5 attacks on the charge with either the Lightning Claw or Powerfist.


I'm tempted to go with this, in part because what I want to do now is model the lightning claw so it's more like that "Imperium-style power claw" you always see the Emperor with in concept art. That would be awesome.

Also, isn't it true that lightning claws now have shred intrinsically, rather than only getting that special rule when dual-wielded?

[DarkLink]

They've always had rerolls to hit even singularly. They just don't get a bonus attack with a pistol.

[phoenix01]

Terminator armor on a captain is a bit of a waste. Terminator armor is 2+ armor save with an 5++ invulnerable save. The captain comes with an Iron Halo for free, granting a 4++ invulnerable save, which is better than the Terminator armor invulnerable save. Give the captain Artificer armor instead, which will provide the same standard armor save of 2+ as the Terminator armor, while saving you 25 points for use elsewhere. Plus, you get to keep your grenades.

If you really want to put an HQ in Terminator armor, pick a Librarian, which has access to neither the Iron Halo nor Artificer Armor, and can be better served with the Terminator armor. For the same points as a captain in Terminator armor with Power sword and Storm Bolter, you get a Librarian in Terminator armor with Storm Shield and Force weapon, which is a better value for the points.

[Nabterayl]

What is new is that lightning claws can give a bonus attack to a power fist or thunder hammer, and vice versa. You used to need literal pairs; now, "A model fighting with this weapon does not receive +1 Attack for fighting with two weapons unless both weapons have the Specialist Weapon rule" - but as long as they're both Specialist Weapons, they don't need to be a matched set.

[Tynskel]

I find a Terminator Captain quite useful. Never underestimate Teleport. 'Always teleport', which has major functionality in 6th edition with the 'new' reserve rules.

[Anggul]

Yeah, the only reason for taking Terminator Armour on a Captain is if you want to Deep Strike him with a Terminator squad. Otherwise Artificer is better in every way.

Great for Librarians though!

[ElectricPaladin]

Incidentally, I've already made an Emperor-style lightning claw and fitted it to a terminator arm. It looks really cool.

Since artificer armor/claw/fist is a probably "better" combination, I may have to at some point make a second claw fist and attach it to a second captain. Still, I've got this spare terminator coming, and at least now I have a way to make the model look good... Maybe something is coming in the new codex that will make captains in general - or terminator captains in particular - better?

Either way, I'm happy with the modeling opportunity this has afforded, and I'll try it in play and see what I think.

[Clinto]

I am not sure what you guys are saying. the 4++ invul and 2+ armor are amazing now. Almost anything that could squish your captain would have a difficult time doing so.



50/50 shot at 1 powerfist wound killing your warlord..........

[Nabterayl]

50/50 shot at 1 powerfist wound killing your warlord..........
I think the question is what you intend your captain to do. If you want him to go head to head with other combat characters or carve his way through terminators, sure, a storm shield is probably wise. But if you just want him to kick regular guys, no big deal. A captain with a lightning claw - especially if he has a second lightning claw or a power fist to get an extra attack - has nothing to fear from a power fist sergeant. Even 3 LC attacks should carve up a sergeant, whereas the odds of the sergeant's 2 PF attacks killing the captain are less than 25%, even if he survives to attack.

[Tynskel]

My point exactly. The storm shield is nice, but not necessary. If you want tons of attack and the ability to kill anything, then Terminator Armor is the way to go: Lightning Claw, Chainfist, Auxiliary Grenade Launcher.

If you are interested in speed: drop terminator armor and chainfist for a powerfist, and add a Bike with Hellfire Rounds and artificer armor.

[ElectricPaladin]

Just 'cause:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_med2xhjUI11rgb5qno1_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_med2xhjUI11rgb5qno2_1280.jpg

Don't pay attention to the mold lines. Just check out that sweet, sweet lightning claw. :D

[Aspire to Glory]

Just 'cause:

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_med2xhjUI11rgb5qno1_1280.jpg

http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_med2xhjUI11rgb5qno2_1280.jpg

Don't pay attention to the mold lines. Just check out that sweet, sweet lightning claw. :D

"See this fist? You're getting it next!"

[thelion]

for a term cpt i like the thunderhammer stormsheild comb hits hard and 3+ I save is just what you need to pull it off as for the term cpt above this it is cool looking but very freddy kruger-ish dont you think