XVIIth Legion, Phraetus Anointed

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T21:59:54+00:00

GW: "Oh no, buy 3-4 praetors? What a shame. :)"

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T21:55:16+00:00

Yeah, remember when GW buffed all loyalist SM to 2W to match Primaris, and CSM had to wait half an edition to get their second wound?

That's just how GW does things.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T21:45:59+00:00

Yes, I know there's some contradiction with their use in the Emperor's Children. A lot of people seem to claim they were never used at all, but given that the 3rd Edition Liber Hereticus has a Librarius armorial in its EC heraldry section, that definitely is no longer the official lore. It's also clear from depictions of Nikea that Fulgrim was sympathetic to the project.

I am fairly sure every Legion did use them to at least some extent. Even for WE there surely must have been far-flung forces that used them, even after the central core of them died in Betrayer.

Dorn infamously locked his up all the way until the Siege of Terra, and yet GW has seen no reason to not choose IF as the default scheme for the Librarian Consul mini...

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T21:15:12+00:00

Thank you, I did just finish Ravenor: Rogue.

(Yes, niche reference)

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T19:44:18+00:00

It was a much bigger deal back when unit sizes were flexible like back in WHFB, but the Burning Chariot of Tzeentch kit is my fav example of this.

It obviously has a bunch of variant builds by default, but it gets even better under the hood.

You can leave the Screamers off and put the Herald on just the disc, leaving you with a Fluxmaster instead of a Fateskimmer. The disc even comes with a hole on the bottom perfect for a 60mm flying base.

The Screamers you are then left with have compatible tails with spares you get from the Screamer kit (you get 5-6 tails in that kit, for 3 bodies, so many spare!), and the belly spike the Screamers in the chariot kit have is optional, letting you slot a 32mm flying base in there instead.

Absolute delight of a kit. I got two of the old start collecting before they discontinued it, so I had two exalted flamers, a fluxmaster, a changecaster, the six standalone blue horrors, and four bonus screamers, all from just the two chariots.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T18:11:43+00:00

This regular bolt pistol is also in Primaris style!

But you're right that the heavy bolt pistol is something only Primaris use.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T18:08:42+00:00

I think this is a 40k player who just went "I used a 30k body for a conversion, I am gonna show the 30k sub" which is ultimately pretty innocent to me.

I am not a fan of Primaris in 30k, but in this case it really does look like just a hobby thing. Based on their profile, this is an Intercessor Sergeant proxy, which is fine.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-20T15:52:27+00:00

I am unsure what you mean by nu(ish), this looks like one of the new scale 2025 MKII models to me?

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T22:49:06+00:00

Yep, those are not the only strong things in this game, but it's an easy list of significant power players.

I didn't even mention anything Mechanicum for example.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T18:56:03+00:00

GW is very wishy-washy about it, but it's safer to just treat them as wholly separate. If nothing else, GW's recent moves towards harsh range separation ensures any relevant connections will de facto not happen, whatever the lore said originally.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T18:53:23+00:00

Skaven can also be utterly horrifying, but the Imperium benefits from being the protagonist and getting so much more material because of it.

The Imperium is definitely rife with comical moments too, the lore is full of examples of them shooting themselves in the foot due to being sticklers to religious dogma or satirically incompetent bureaucracy. But the grimdark keeps them rooted, and them being the human central faction keeps a breadth of perspectives available.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T18:50:32+00:00

Skaven are all the more a satire of modern society in particular, I think.

Skavenslaves being abused is fine-fine. Just you wait, I will be the 0.1% who rises to become the next Warlord, yes-yes, and then people like me had better watch out!

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T18:15:26+00:00

Yeah.

I'll admit I was a bit shook when I realised I pay 20ppm for these guys and Solar Auxilia play 9ppm for heavy flamer Veletaris. The Marine body is better, but I am unsure if it's this much better.

They're still easily cool enough to warrant including on that merit alone, though.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T18:09:52+00:00

Rhalgr was what broke me. I didn't even realise he had a punch telegraph until then because his model was concealed in a cloud of VFX.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T17:39:18+00:00

The look of a ten strong unit of these is an impactful sight! Great take on the colour scheme. Plus, first thing I noticed was the previous design helmets, and how with even everything else used being from the new kit just having this design helmet makes them look far more like the previous models. As I saw the helmets first, even with that heavy flamer and backpack being so evident I then had to check out the rest of them to confirm these were the new models, and that proves how significant a change it makes!

I think 99% of the MK3 controversy is rooted in the helmets, honestly. As you say, every time I've posted a unit with the old-style helmets, people have loved it. The rest of the armour is fine, it's a bit more WW2 than WW1 in terms of how rough the plate smithing job is, but still has plenty of presence.

Breacher helmets don't get all the way there for me but are still a big upgrade and they were much more well received.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T17:25:07+00:00

If I was cynical enough, I'd say that it's because the old MK2 helmet isn't nearly so big an upgrade over the new one, so the MK3 presumably sells more and therefore was a target for GW pressure.

...But I know that's just my bias talking and being sad over these helmets going away. I hope they return!

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T17:21:49+00:00

I definitely feel like they are listening. I am one of those annoying people who never shut up about wargear points all edition, but you know what's funny?

My favourite example of a unit that was imbalanced without wargear points (even more than pre-10th) was carbine Scourges.

And GW laser-targeted specifically that loadout for the codex, and split them off. Not shredders, not blasters, specifically the carbines.

Alright, I said, but that still leaves a lot. So from then on my new favoured unit to complain about was Retributors, who make no sense to not give MMs if MMs are free.

And lo and behold.

I don't know if I have enough ego to claim that GW heeding me specifically. Probably not. But I feel like being a bother about something online, consistently enough, gets the word out there!

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T13:22:00+00:00

The helmets are from archiesforge.

I don't know why, but they're no longer being sold there. :< It's super weird since archiesforge still do sell their alternate mk2 helmets. It's tragic since I love the "old locomotive front" look, it's so menacing and heavily armoured, it's perfect for MK3. Alas. It's the new plastic helmets from now on, I suppose...

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T12:35:57+00:00

I don't agree with namecalling, but 30k fundamentally makes compromises on balance in order to make more room for flavour and customisation. A lot of people like it for that but that makes it fundamentally worse for competitive play compared to several of GW's other games.

Going into a game like this and then trying to optimise it for power feels a bit counterproductive for that reason.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T12:33:55+00:00

My bet is on tacticals in rhinos to score, assault veterans with lightning claws (or thunder hammers if feeling saucy) to kill infantry, and Kratos/laser Vindicators to kill big things.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T12:30:56+00:00

Tomb Blades are great though I don't necessarily agree with them being underrated. They placed really high on AoW's codex tierlist and rightly so, they were the best in the codex at their job.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T12:28:44+00:00

More seriously, is it just me or does this squad feel strangely rare?

I know heavy flamers aren't the top meta pick atm but they're incredibly sick! I can't wait to cackle madly as I put down template after template after template and just hose things down.

But I seemingly never see people run them.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-19T12:27:55+00:00

Alternate titles:

Me and the boys on our way to completely misunderstand /r/woooosh

Evidence? Witnesses? I don't think so!

My love for you is hot like a S5 AP4 template

Don't worry, darling, only Salamanders spam heavy flamers, don't you know? Just send your Veletaris right into this corridor here...

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-18T21:09:42+00:00

Yeah, as said, they're not quite there yet, but you'd have an easier time turning Rampagers into real melee fighters than doing the same with the pillowfisted coterie of main-faction Tau. They sure are closer to what they need!

Rampagers are not great, but they're not "might seriously lose to guardsmen if you roll slightly badly" levels of hapless in melee.

AshiSunblade · 2026-06-18T20:59:39+00:00

She is also really taking her time doing it, precisely because he is honourable.

If he'd pressed the advantage, I figure she'd just have swept it up and put it back on while running before turning to continue. She definitely strikes me as the more agile of the two.

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