Space Marine players have tons of HQs to choose from. From Captains to Chaplains, and Chapter masters we will be breaking down which Space Marine HQ is right for you.
Ever start a new list and wonder what HQ would help your army the most? We’ve got some ideas to throw out there that may help you out.
Space Marine Captains
Not all Chapters have Chapter Masters. The next best thing is a Captain. A Captain is a solid unit that has a decent amount of wounds and attacks but most importantly, he is a force multiplier. Allowing everything around him to re-roll hit rolls of 1 in shooting or combat, he’s pretty valuable. You can argue that re-rolling ALL failed hit rolls that a Chapter Master gives is objectively better. But the truth is you want a Captain to stick around plasma guns. With a Chapter Master, re-rolling all failed hits for plasma (i.e 1s and 2s) can convert those 2s into 1s after the re-roll. That’s where the Captain shines.
On top of this, you can always pay 3 command points to make him a Chapter Master and let everything around him reroll all failed hits. Of Course, that’s only recommended if you have the command points to spare in bigger games. Now that the Batallion detachment gives +5 command points, it won’t be that big of a hit either.
Space Marine Chaplains
Chaplains being the glorious spiritual leaders that they are, tell your men to fight harder or they’ll get mollywopped by a Crozius Arcanum. They are the combat-half of a Chapter Master letting them re-roll ALL failed hits in the combat phase. This may be something you definitely want to take if you’re a Blood Angels player because of all the ripping and tearing you do. You’d probably choose a Captain for something like Dark Angels because you can’t get enough o’ dat plasma.
Even with the Dark Angels Chapter Tactic, Captains still have a place for the Army. It’s important to note some Chaplains are different than others. Occasionally letting you re-roll failed charges, getting a 6+ feel no pain, or letting other units use the Chaplains leadership. They are a solid choice. The fantastic thing about taking non-named characters is that you can give them certain war gear, relics and a warlord trait that’s tailor-fitted to the list you’re bringing. They’re also usually cheaper than named characters.
Space Marine Chapter Masters
Every stock Chapter Master is a named character. This means they can’t take a relic and MUST take a specific warlord trait. This can hurt or benefit you. Most of the time, it’s no big issue that your Chapter Master can’t take a relic because he usually gets some crazy good weapon. Along with named Chapter Masters, there’s usually one or two special rules that set them apart.
The downside to Chapter Masters is that you can’t take more than one and it makes sense that you can’t. They are the MASTER of the Chapter. So sprinkling the field with a few Captains and Chaplains is a good idea. Your named beat-stick can’t be everywhere at once.
Which do you usually pick of the 3 HQs? Do you usually take more than 1? Which one has been most useful to you? Let us know over on our Facebook Hobby Group
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About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials:@RealmbrushPainting
Bio: Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4.
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