One year later, is it time to finally update terminators to represent their elite status and weapons in 8th? Or are will the be surpassed by Primaris?
We’re taking a look at Terminators in 8th Edition and how they feel on the Tabletop. Should they be changed from their current stat-lines to fit them in their fluff?
One Year Later: Time To Update Terminators in 8th?
Terminators are the hard-headed and harder to kill version of regular space marines. They’re usually called in to punch through areas of certain death. Their suits of armor take over 100 years to make, even though the Imperium has designated forge PLANETS.
Terminators in the Fluff
A Space Marine gets his suit of Terminator armor after exemplary service to the chapter. Being that it’s extremely bulky, they can withstand more of a beating. Terminators are usually deployed into Space Hulks because it’s the only suit that prevents that level of radiation. Not to mention the angry Genestealers with rending claws.
Las cannons and Plasma guns can still eat through the armor, but then again everything with armor has a hard time against those two. Being considered relics of chapters, the wearer SHOULD and usually is pretty hard to kill… lore-wise.
Terminators in 8th Edition
Terminators in 8th are the over costed bloat of the Imperium. I hate to say it but it’s true. The models are beautiful and I still end up cramming them into lists but dang..
The stat line for a Terminator is unfortunate. With only 1 more wound and +1 save from a tactical marine, the Terminator is just the slower punching bag of the army that can’t take a punch. A bare bones 5-man tactical squad costs 65 points while a bare bones 5-man terminator squad costs 200. You can take a squad of 10 tactical marines to get about the same amount of shots for 80 points less! Granted the Tacticals don’t have a power fist or storm bolters, but Terminators are so slow, they usually get shot off the board or killed outright in combat before they can do any real damage.
Why don’t you put them in a Land Raider or Deepstrike?
Well, we thought about that. Since you can’t deepstrike anywhere decent until turn 2 makes Terminators even less worthwhile. If you sink 360 points on a Land Raider just to transport your Terminators, there’s a problem.
Once the mention of Chapter approved started circulating and all these FAQs started dropping at the beginning of 8th Edition, I got excited thinking Games Workshop would make them tougher with a better stat line. Something like T5, 3W, and roll 2 dice when making a save and pick 1 like previous editions. But nope, no hope came.
They got a little bit of a points decrease but it’s still nothing worth noting. They just became a little less unplayable. The way armor saves an AP work in this edition, even a Heavy Bolter can shred some Termies. Don’t even get me started on Autocannon shenanigans.
Don’t Give Up Hope
Even though it’s salt-inducing when your most favorite unit in the entire game is nearly impossible to play effectively, there is a bright side. Terminators with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields usually stick around.
You should be able to at least get your points worth out of them as long as you position them right. 3++ invulnerable saves are pretty good and that squad is expensive, but you can potentially do 20+ wounds at strength 8 -3AP if you roll right. Hopefully, as time goes on, Games Workshop will update their rules and make them match to their fluff on the tabletop.
What do you think about Terminators in 8th Edition? Have your squads felt the unholy wrath of an autocannon-heavy army? What stats do you think the Terminator should have? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook hobby group.
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
