Purifiers and falchions ?

Hi brothers.

I will glue my marines next week, and as I would use 5 of them as purifiers (at the beginning, will add 5 more later), I hesitate with equipying them with halberds, to have 3 attacks I6, or with falchions, to have 4 at I4 (on charge)

What would be your opinion ?

The consensus since 5th edition is they're overcosted for +1 attack. My suggestion is to invest in magnetizing the weaponry. For the extra time and money invested, you gain versatility with for any situation you wish to play.

A purificator, equiped with halberd, is 24 + 2 = 26 pts.
An incursion marine, equiped with halberd, is 20 + 5 = 25 pts.
An interceptor marine, equiped with halberd, is 26 + 5 = 31 pts

If you want to have halberd marine, you are better to take purificators, no ?

So the next question is, is it a good idea to keep the Force sword fot the marines ? halberds are two handed weapons, so you lost your 2nd CC attack from your Storm bolter, no ?

Stormbolters don't grant extra CC attacks so it's not an issue. (Technically, the nemesis force swords are modelled as two handed weapons also :p )

Also, yeah, in terms of value for points, purifiers wielding halberds are the best marine-halberd combo as they get an additional attack for 1 point more compared to a normal strike squad marine. However, don't rule out using halberds on justicars, I6 in a challenge isn't something to be sniffed at.

Yep, my mistake for the extra attack

Anyway, you can play "basic marines" in four ways : purifiers, purgation, interception and incursion. As I can read, purgation squads are not really played, interception are really costy, so many peoples seem to play purifiers / incursions squads with a mix of hammers, psycannon and halberds.

Well interceptors can just be represented with magnetised backpacks and maybe some Incins, the rest are relatively interchangeable.
When I built some plastics I gave some greatswords, with a falchion over their shoulder, that way they could be used as either.
The same with halberds, I shortened the pole and put a falchion on the shoulder. So they could be used as either.
Magnetising is better but I couldn't be bothered

not a half bad idea

Purifier with halberd is 26 points, has 3 attacks on the charge and is I6 (which is faster than most opponents and HQ) and anything not in terminator armour is dead.

Purifier with daemon hammer has 3 attacks on the charge, is 29 points but striking at I1 ( so hope his armour save is good or he's surrounded by lots of other Purifiers to act as ablative armour) but he can strike at Str 10 and AP2, so nothing is safe from him unless it's an Eternal Warrior.

Purifer with Falchions gets 4 attacks on the charge, but is 29 points, doesn't get an initiative bonus, his weapons are AP3 so not going to kill terminators or monstrous creatures.

Points comparison for a 5 man squad: All halberds: 130 I6 AP3 15 attacks on charge
All Daemon hammers 145 I1 AP2 15 attacks
All Falchions 145 I4 AP3 20 attacks

So you're spending 15 points for 5 more attacks than halberds, that won't hit first, have no more AP power than halberds......

Corennus wrote:Purifier with halberd is 26 points, has 3 attacks on the charge and is I6 (which is faster than most opponents and HQ) and anything not in terminator armour is dead.

Purifier with daemon hammer has 3 attacks on the charge, is 29 points but striking at I1 ( so hope his armour save is good or he's surrounded by lots of other Purifiers to act as ablative armour) but he can strike at Str 10 and AP2, so nothing is safe from him unless it's an Eternal Warrior.

Purifer with Falchions gets 4 attacks on the charge, but is 29 points, doesn't get an initiative bonus, his weapons are AP3 so not going to kill terminators or monstrous creatures.

Points comparison for a 5 man squad: All halberds: 130  I6 AP3 15 attacks on charge
                                                  All Daemon hammers 145 I1 AP2 15 attacks
                                                  All Falchions 145 I4 AP3 20 attacks

So you're spending 15 points for 5 more attacks than halberds, that won't hit first, have no more AP power than halberds......

In short take a page from the High Elf Fantasy army. Strike Hard, Strike Ruthlessly, Strike FIRST.

I think I will try to have two types of Purifiers squads :

The anti-unit squad (5-10 guys), with only halberds. Their AP3 should be able to kill every troops with 15-30 attacks on the charge.
The anti-termi / tanks squad, with 3 hammers / 2 psycannons.

Anybody had allready tried this ?

Cant say i have.

I have.

Honestly the best use of Purifiers in 5 man squad pointswise and versatility wise is:

Justicar w/ Halberd. (means in Challenges he strikes at I6 which is good cause most unit leaders, incl eldar, are I5 normally)

2 Purifiers w/ psycannons (Str 7 AP4 Rending 8 shot goodness in heavy mode..)

1 vanilla purifier w/ sword.

1 Purifier w/ Daemon Hammer (Vehicle crushing, HQ destroying, AP2 goodness)

Points: 147


10 man squads should be more geared towards CC, since there their numbers count for more. Tempting as it is to have 4 psycannons I urge you not to. Incinerators come into their own with 10 man squads, as do Halberds.

Makeup of a 10 man squad;

Halberd on Justicar (as before)
x 3 Halberds
x 2 Daemon Hammers
x 2 Incinerators
x 2 Psycannons
278 points

Still have Psycannon ability (and 6 storm bolters), but in CC you have 4 purifiers striking at I6, and 2 with AP2 ability. Oh and don't forget if charged you have 2 free incinerators providing wall of flaming death overwatch...