Warpstone Flux Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
4.5/5 stars. (Rounded Down - only just). For the points cost, this is very good option indeed.
Background.
Sabotage. Assassination. Hunting. Intelligence gathering. And more. The Vindicator has all of this covered in their background. For me personally, I regard this unit as a dedicated pinning character and it should and can be played accordingly.
Strengths.
The controlling player can pick one of Scout or Infiltrate. My guidance for this is to pick Infiltrate. If you are tempted to pick Scout instead, don't and pick Infiltrate. If confused, refer to my above guidance. Its like cricket: you should bat first if given the option. Sorry for the sporting reference. Okay, but why? Infiltrate is great in the current edition since even the Alpha Legion cannot gain it by default any longer. I would recommend to place your vigilator in cover somewhere that has a commanding view of the battlefield and sit him there to ping the enemy all game long. If there's an opportunity to set up closer to the enemy, this is worthy of consideration as the vigilator is cheap enough to use as a distraction carnifex and the free melta bombs can come in exceptionally handy in certain situations.
Beyond this, they gain Marked for Death which is always nice, alongside a free master crafted nemesis bolter and melta bombs. Better, the rending and shell shock that they give to any sniper weapon they are using is just awesome. This is the rule that will keep select enemy units pinned. Hence set up, and pin those assault squads where possible. Or, you know, just take those precision shots against squad leaders and pin the rest of the surviving squad.
Weaknesses.
I see the character as a bit of a loner. Sure, they could get into a squad of other infiltrators, the most obvious being a seeker squad, but they can do well enough on their own and force an enemy to make critical split fire decisions. Hence this character is going to either be killed near turn 1, or survive most of the game (usually - if played at range). Of course, the character can also be played up close and personal too, and that's what the melta bombs are for. Some would regard this as a bit of a waste. Perhaps it is. But it is also a viable threat.
Difference to First Edition.
Neutral. The rules ARE different. We've lost that "nasty surprise" up our sleeves in this edition. But here, we have some new rules as well which make up for it and there are different ways to benefit from this character now.
Builds.
Vigilator with master crafted nemesis bolter and melta bombs (95 points).
Naked. Totally viable. Infiltrate and set up as described above. Pin your favoured enemy unit and take out their squad sergeant if the opponent can't be bothered to deal with your unit. Honestly, this is a strong build and should be considered by most players who don't mind playing sneaky (Alpha Legion, Raven Guard, etc.). The nemesis bolter is the unsung hero of second edition and this character is who it belongs to. If you're playing the game regularly, I will wager you will see a few of these.
Vigilator with Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield (125 points).
Slightly hilarious as it probably won't ever work solo (but here on Warpstone Flux that has never bothered us when thinking about builds either!), but might do well if you can early turns use those melta bombs on a transport vehicle and engage with a thunder hammer! Alternatively, place with an infiltrating squad.
Vigilator with combi-Melta, power fist (130 points).
Bit more of a classic set up to go with other infiltrating squads. Use the melta gun to shoot up vehicles and move closer to use the melta bombs. This build and the previous one sort of waste the nemesis bolter though unless they survive the first few turns.
No comments:
Post a Comment