The Callidus Assassin and her tricks are nothing new, but taking one now is starting to make a lot of sense. Check this out!
Assassins have been a popular selection in all kinds of Imperial lists ever since they got a Stratagem that allowed them to be thrown into the army for only 85 pts and (now) 2CP. This allows players to see what they’re going up against and cherry-pick whatever Assassin they’ll need to counter the enemy.
Looking at the Callidus, she’s turning out to be a massive hiccup for CP-hungry armies.
The Callidus Can Bully The CP Battery Meta
She’s an Assassin that can take out any kind of low-point character in melee from her sword that negates invulns. However, the key rule we’re talking about here is the Reign of Confusion rule. In the first Battle round, you can roll a D6 EACH TIME your opponent spend a CP. On a 4+. they have to spend +1CP to make whatever they’re doing resolve. Otherwise, the stratagem is negated and the CP spent are lost.
Next, looking at the 2CP Supreme Deception strat, this increases the rule we just covered to battle round 2. You can force a GSC list (which is a faction that makes the most of turn 1-3 on Stratagem shenanigans) blow through nearly all of their CP bank to keep their speed. When the late game come around they will have lost their steam, or have hardly done anything by turn 4 and have most of their CP still.
Slow Down Or Cripple Popular Lists
If you’re facing a Castellan, you could force your opponent to drop a whopping 4 CP to Rotate Ion Shields for just +1 to the unit’s invuln save. They’ll either spend the CP and not have as much fuel to keep the Knight going in the later rounds. Or, you’ll have the best shot you’ll get all game to knock it down in the first turn.
However, if you’re going against an elite list like an all-Custodes force, you could bully them out of even attempting to pop Stratagems entirely. They may start the game with something like 5CP and need to make every point count. Some Meta Eldar lists are also notoriously low CPs as well
While the Callidus doesn’t guarantee a victory, she’s able to throw a kink into a portion of the game that no other unit has access to. All of that for just 85 pts and a handful of CP; which hopefully your list is built to spend.
With the Callidus proving herself more and more in the current CP-heavy meta, what’s your favorite Assassin? What’s been your experience using the Callidus? Have you tried taking one of each Assassin in a single game?
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About the Author: Rob Baer
Rob Baer
Job Title: Managing Editor
Founded Spikey Bits in 2009
Socials: Rob Baer on Facebook and @catdaddymbg on X
About Rob Baer: Founder, Publisher, & Managing Editor of Spikey Bits, the leading tabletop gaming news website focused on the hobby side of wargaming and miniatures.
Rob also co-founded and currently hosts the Long War Podcast, which has over 350 episodes and focuses on tabletop miniatures gaming, specializing in Warhammer 40k. and spent six years writing for Bell of Lost Souls.
Every year, along with his co-hosts, he helps host the Long War 40k Doubles Tournament at Adepticon and the Long War 40k Doubles at Las Vegas Open, which attracts over 350 players from around the world.
Rob has won many Warhammer 40k Tournaments over the years, including multiple first-place finishes in Warhammer 40k Grand Tournaments over the years and even winning 1st place at the Adepticon 40k Team Tournament.
With over 30 years of experience in retail and distribution, Rob knows all the products and exactly which ones are the best. As a member of GAMA (Game Manufacturers Association), he advocates for gaming stores and manufacturers in these difficult times, always looking for the next big thing to feature for the miniatures hobby, helping everyone to provide the value consumers want.
While he’s played every edition of Warhammer 40k and Warhammer Fantasy (since 5th Edition) and has been hobbying on miniatures since the 1980s, Titans of all sizes will always be his favorite! It’s even rumored that his hobby vault rivals the Solemnance Galleries, containing rulebooks filled with lore from editions long past, ancient packs of black-bordered Magic Cards, and models made of both pewter and resin.
