Salamanders HQ Characters
Good morning!
Today we’re looking at Salamanders HQ Characters, which in my personal opinion are pretty good.
Kicking off we have Lord Chaplin Nomus Rhy’tan. This guy is pretty awesome. He’s a Master of the Legion Chaplin with Artificer Armour, WS6, 3 Attacks and Ld10. Downside? BS4.
He’s not cheap, though. Coming in at just over 200 points he’s one of the most expensive characters around. That's not to say he’s not worth it, quite far from it.
Coming fully equipped with Artificer Armour, Iron Halo, Combi-Flamer and with the Zealot rule (chaplains a chaplain after all). Zealot is awesome. Re-rolls for Firedrakes in combat? Yes, please! If Zealot isn’t good enough Rhy’tan confers his amazing Ld10 to all friendly units within 12” (yes this does mean allies; Solar Auxilla, Allied Space Marines (of which Sallies have lots of) and Militia (who have terrible LD normally)).
As the regent of Nocturne during the Isstavan “incident” Rhy’tan is the keeper of the keys to the legion’s dreadnoughts. This allows you to take a non-compulsory Dreadnought Talon as an HQ slot. This is any type so you could have 3 Leviathans as your non-compulsory HQ choice. Now these guys can’t be warlord but who cares, you can have Leviathans as HQ. This does help for the 2nd Mission Onslaught, where deployment is staggered and HQ is the second to last section.
As if this guy wasn’t awesome enough, he comes with an awesome relic for his melee weapon; Darkstar Falling. This is an awesome weapon. Somewhere in between a Thunderhammers, a power maul and a Chainfist. That's right, all 3! Darkstar Falling is a +2 str, ap2 Armourbane, Concussive hammer of death. Yeah, it’s awesome. Now it is two-handed so no +1 attacks for having a bolt pistol.
Consider that he benefits from his own Zealot, this guy makes for an amazing combat character. You can actually be sending him against the likes of Praetors as Rhy’tan has a Mantle of the Elder Drake. With concussive Rhy’tan can possibly duel with a Primarch for a turn or two. Eternal warrior on this guy is insane! You’d still be better served by accepting a challenge with the Firedrake-master and then smashing the Primarch with the rest of the squad and Rhy’tan for the first turn. This way you keep your Zealot conferring model alive for as long as possible.
In terms of unit combos, I’d be running Nomus with Stormshield/Thunderhammer wielding Firedrakes together in an assault transport and I’d be hunting down threat units like HQ, Monsters, Tanks and Primarchs.
Now, considering his high points cost and the expensive combo unit I’d recommend bringing this guy in higher point games where his use as a point hunter is more justified and there will be more targets to go after.
Overall; a great choice, possibly one for higher point games but a very competitive choice for buffs, survivability and combat power.
Cassian Dracos
Previous first commander of the Salamanders interned into a Dreadnought Sarcophagus. This an even more expensive HQ choice, who great news; can’t be attached to a squad. Good news, he doesn’t give up points for Warlord kill, and is not a character! While he looks like normal box-nought with 14/12/10 armour this guy is actually a hard nut to crack. Cassian Dracos is immune to Lance, Armourbane, Melta, Sunder, any rule that reduces or permanently degrades his armour values AND anything that gets to roll an extra D6 for armour penetration (so Primary weapon and ordnance?). This is awesome, if only he wasn’t a Walker. As per walker rules, Cassian can only move 6” + charge distances a turn/Run moves. This sucks. Cassian can’t join squads and can’t really be transported by anything under a super heavy class/LOW.
Not only is he almost impossible to damage, Cassian Dracos has IT WILL NOT (F**KING) DIE. This guy is ridiculously survivable. Not only that, he has Venerable as well, so your penetrating hit, that's a glance now.
Will he may not be great for small games, in games where you can bring the new Mastodon tank he could actually be great. Pack that thing with Cassian (make him your only HQ choice so he can be warlord) and Firedrake Terminators with Stormshields. T4 2+/3++ with a 5+++ FNP save for being within 3” of Cassian (his warlord trait). This is one bubble of deathy awesomeness.
Cassian comes with 2 heavy flamers (Str6 because salamanders) which as a gimmick, can be fired as a melta gun if both weapons are on line. This is pretty neat as Cassian can go horde clearing for your Firedrakes. Not only that, but Cassian can opt to deal one Str6 Ap4 hit on every model in base contact at I1. RIP Solar Auxilia.
With 4(5) attacks with Dreadnought Close Combat weapons and the sunder rule, Cassian can quite happily take on that tank that’s carrying the unit you want to charge with your Firedrakes.
All in all Cassian Dracos is another good HQ choice for larger games. He is not viable without a transport, but with one, and a retinue he can be a formidable force to fight against.
Salamanders HQ choices are very solid, maybe best for high point games but very dangerous.
That's it for this time, more to come for Salamanders HQ once I’ve done some digging into the new book.
Thanks for reading and Happy Wargaming
