With Uriel Ventris well on the way this week GW put out some of his new rules for Warhammer 40k- Let’s check them out!
We’ve known for a while about this fan-favorite character coming to tabletop, however, this will be the first set of rules we’ve seen for him. Let’s go over the model and then dissect the rules.
Back in December GW showed off the Uriel Ventris model in an online preview. Let’s quickly refresh that, and then check out the model coming next week!
The miniature depicts Ventris in all his Primaris glory, clad in Mark X armour and bearing all the accoutrements of his office, including the white rose of Pavonis that he earned all the way back in Nightbringer.
Ventris is a character who has a lot more presence and back story than even some of the arguably more important characters. He has had books on him for nearly 20 years! There are even callbacks and evidence on his model. That rose on his shoulder? He earned that in the 2002 novel Nightbringer. Easily a fan-favorite character, this model will be a slam dunk.
In usual fashion, there’s tons of great detail on the model to make it a great painting challenge when the time comes and that time might just be next week.
This majestic model comes with rules for using Ventris and his unorthodox strategies in your games of Warhammer 40,000. Watch out for an article later in the week exploring what he’ll add to your Ultramarines army.
Rules for extra characters are pretty hit or miss, hopefully, he is a serious option to consider when playing instead of just a model you can “technically” play.
New Uriel Ventris Rules Preview
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Now thanks to a Warhammer Community Preview, we are one step closer to realizing his viability on the tabletop.
You can add Captain Uriel Ventris to any army with the Ultramarines faction keyword for 110 points or 6 Power. For this cost, he brings everything you’d expect from a Primaris Captain to the table and a fair bit more.
First up, his stat line, which is pretty in line with a captain, is pretty decent. Especially at 110 points, but his weapons make a huge difference.
He may only have Rapid Fire 1, but the 30″ range makes up for it. -2 AP 2 Damage is also very nice, although S4 means you might only really shoot at Marines with it. High Toughness will prove to be a challenge with such low shots and strength. He also gets access to Bolter Discipline which helps out here if he is stationary, giving you 2 shots at the full 30″ range.
With his sword, he’ll get 5 S5 Attacks hitting on 2s, with -3 AP and 3 Damage. That’s not too shabby. It’s not quite as good as a relic blade but still is pretty good when targeting other small characters and infantry.
He also gets the standard Captain Core re-roll aura for 1s to hit within 6″. Which is always nice to have if he is grouping with your frontlines.
As far as Warlord Traits go, he gets Paragon of war, making his own wound rolls of 6 inflict a mortal wound, which is pretty lackluster. You probably won’t want to run him as a warlord.
If you’ve read any of the novels, you’ll know that Ventris is famed for his unconventional solutions to battlefield problems, which is reflected in his Unorthodox Strategist ability.
This ability seems pretty decent on the field too. Anything that reduces CP costs is usually a good choice in games. Especially if it’s a good stratagem or might get used multiple times in a game.
The final rule we got a sneak peek at his Crusade ability. This is great to have access to, giving you the option to use a stratagem twice and at a 60% discount, each time seems pretty good.
Crusade is a cool way to play, and is definitely a more casual, fluffy approach, so more rules for it are nice if they don’t take away from the core experience.
What do you think about these rules? Do you think he is better than a standard captain? Are the trade-offs worth it?
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About the Author: Andrew Schrank
Andrew Schrank
Job Title: Miniatures & Warhammer Hobby Staff Writer
Socials: Facebook
About Andrew Schrank: Over the past 15 years, Andrew has played all the games, including tabletop and video games, and immersed himself in the associated lore. Andrew joined the Spikey Bits team in 2018 and covers the Warhammer hobby and tournament scene, along with the latest in tabletop miniatures, each week.
Aspiring diplomat, Lord of Fluff, and Master of Ice Hammer, He loves Star Wars, Chaos Undivided, and Gundam. During his free time, he hunts Platinum trophies on PS5 and reads international news. On weekends, Andrew plays commander and cEDH games, often with unique strategies that push the limits.
He believes each day presents a new opportunity to grow and be challenged.
