Background.
Much can be said about Ahriman in both his 30k and 40k incarnations. One fact that people often overlook was that he was not a native of Prospero, but was Terran born instead. He therefore fought in the great crusade for neigh on two centuries before the Heresy.
In the background, Ahriman is painted as one of the best pupils of the Thousand Sons ever. As a result, he is in charge of the Corvidae (the divination cult) and serves as the Chief Librarian to the legion -- the first and the last person to hold that role within the legion.
Strengths.
Fundamentally, he is a level 4 psyker who generates his powers from divination. As a result, he is very talented, but also very focussed (some might say limited in comparison to what he will become in 40k!). Naturally, he is also automatically part of the Corvidae Cult.
He comes with some master crafted equipment (force weapon and bolt pistol) as well as what might be expected of any praetor level character in terms of armour. And yes -- he is a master of the legion, should that ever be in doubt.
I like the fact he has precision strikes as it is very fluffy. And like other 30k characters that appear in 40k, he has the Marked by Dark Fates rules in case you are playing narratively and need to roll for character injuries, or deaths, between games.
Weaknesses.
He is not quite the go to HQ choice that he would otherwise become in 40k. To be honest, I see him in more of a classic support role for the Thousand Sons army. That is not to say that he cannot function as a warlord -- he most certainly can. But his warlord trait of giving scouts to a few units is nothing amazing overall. His ability to take a Corvidae command squad is interesting, but also nothing truly amazing -- just fluffy.
Overall.
I would actually favour Ahriman NOT being the warlord for an army. He can do terrifically well alongside someone else who is kitted out for the army, or perhaps Magnus himself. Placed inside a command squad, or a terminator squad, and given a transport option, Ahriman will do very well on the battlefield (especially with some of the divination powers under his belt) and can wipe away a lot of problems that the army might face on his own or with company. I just don't simply see him as the optimal choice for a warlord, that's all. I think there are better HQs.
Much can be said about Ahriman in both his 30k and 40k incarnations. One fact that people often overlook was that he was not a native of Prospero, but was Terran born instead. He therefore fought in the great crusade for neigh on two centuries before the Heresy.
In the background, Ahriman is painted as one of the best pupils of the Thousand Sons ever. As a result, he is in charge of the Corvidae (the divination cult) and serves as the Chief Librarian to the legion -- the first and the last person to hold that role within the legion.
Strengths.
Fundamentally, he is a level 4 psyker who generates his powers from divination. As a result, he is very talented, but also very focussed (some might say limited in comparison to what he will become in 40k!). Naturally, he is also automatically part of the Corvidae Cult.
He comes with some master crafted equipment (force weapon and bolt pistol) as well as what might be expected of any praetor level character in terms of armour. And yes -- he is a master of the legion, should that ever be in doubt.
I like the fact he has precision strikes as it is very fluffy. And like other 30k characters that appear in 40k, he has the Marked by Dark Fates rules in case you are playing narratively and need to roll for character injuries, or deaths, between games.
Weaknesses.
He is not quite the go to HQ choice that he would otherwise become in 40k. To be honest, I see him in more of a classic support role for the Thousand Sons army. That is not to say that he cannot function as a warlord -- he most certainly can. But his warlord trait of giving scouts to a few units is nothing amazing overall. His ability to take a Corvidae command squad is interesting, but also nothing truly amazing -- just fluffy.
Overall.
I would actually favour Ahriman NOT being the warlord for an army. He can do terrifically well alongside someone else who is kitted out for the army, or perhaps Magnus himself. Placed inside a command squad, or a terminator squad, and given a transport option, Ahriman will do very well on the battlefield (especially with some of the divination powers under his belt) and can wipe away a lot of problems that the army might face on his own or with company. I just don't simply see him as the optimal choice for a warlord, that's all. I think there are better HQs.
I think Ahriman can make a good warlord if you have things that take advantage of scout. Getting your corvidae asphyx veterans up the field to rapid fire into whatever you can pop out of transports is very effective.
ReplyDeleteFair point. If playing multiple units that infiltrate, for example, having them also scout can be a great boon. That said, I think I'd sooner have Amon as warlord perhaps.
ReplyDeleteConvincing me more and more that a small Thousand Sons force for the Heresy is a good idea.... love Ahirman, have done since I first read about him many many moons ago.
ReplyDelete