With the release of that cool Catachan Colonel and another exclusive on the way, here’s why you may want to play Catachans now in 40k.
What’s the appeal to Catachans? Well, for that, we’ll be going over both their rules and cosmetics. Check out why you should play Catachans on the tabletop.
Here’s Why You May Want To Play Catachans in 40k!
Before we jump in, it’s important to know that we won’t be looking specifically at the generic Guard support out of supplements like Vigilus. We all know that the Emperor’s Fist/Emperor’s Wrath, etc. are very good and used in almost every list already.
Also, we know 9th edition 40k is coming so some of the finer rules points are bound to change, however, GW did say combat would be getting better…
Regiment Rules & Synergies
For their Regiment bonus, Brutal Strength, their basic dudes all get +1 Strength (making them S4). When you think about it, that puts these normal dudes on the same level as a genetic superhuman in power armor. That should give you an idea of just how strong these guys are. What that means on the tabletop is that they already have the clear upper hand in melee against any other Guard Regiment.
We know that players love to bring Guard as screen, but taking Catachans gives your screen a free melee bonus that, in a pinch, you could use to kill off their screen! You also get +1 leadership if they’re near an Officer, but that really only comes in clutch for a few niche circumstances.
The second half of Brutal Strength lets VEHICLES with random shot characteristic re-roll a single dice when they shoot. that means you get some free shot manipulation… But guess what units the Guard has with random shot output? Leman Russes, Basilisks, Wyverns, Manticores, literally everything.
If you take a well-balanced Catachan list, you’ll have an entire armor column re-rolling their shots while the screening units will be sitting at S4. That means that you’ll be getting more value out of your tanks than most other players while your basic Guardsmen will be able to give a charging unit a bloody nose if nothing else.
An honorable mention here to one of their bonus orders is Burn them out! This is only good if you equip your list for it, but your units with flamers can re-roll all of their shots, and enemy units don’t get cover. You’d probably only want to use this with a Chimera rush strat (which is definitely viable). You’ll just have to get in close and have an HQ nearby to issue that order.
However, since you’re close enough to use a flamer, you’ll also be in charge range which means that a chunky S4 charge can follow right after you torch the enemy.
Their Characters
Of all the Guard Regiments out there, the Catachans have characters that aren’t afraid to get up close to the enemy. Seriously, just about every named character in the army is mega-value that can handle an enemy squad by himself. They might still not be on the same spectrum as a Smash Captain. But for the points, these dudes are great.
You can check out a deeper look at all their stats for yourself, but the big draw to each character is:
- Colonel Iron Hand Straken: T4 body with 4 S7 attacks at 2-damage a pop and comes with an invuln save. Gives +1 attack to friendly units within 6″. He Also gives a re-roll wound buff against Monsters in the fight phase.
- Sly Marbo: Has weapons that always wound on a 2+ against INFANTRY. Can deepstrike with added bonuses of (+2 attacks, shoot upon deployment, or the potential to deal mortal wounds with booby trap). On top of that, he can disappear and deepstrike again for free once per game.
- Sergeant Harker (elite): He’s got a super assault 3 -2 AP heavy bolter and lets friendly Catachan units within 6″ re-roll 1s in the shooting phase. Bubble him up around as many units as you can for absurd value.
Most Catachan Stratagems Create Mega Value
With re-rolling shots in mind and the potential re-roll 1’s from Sergeant Harker if he’s standing closeby, you’ll get added value on your Manticores and Wyverns by giving them +1 to hit. Now, you’ll be re-rolling the shot number, hitting on a 3+, and re-rolling your 1’s.
If you’re making the most of your +1 Strength Guardsmen, you can make it easier for them to get into melee. Once they disembark from a Chimera, 1CP will buy them +2″ to charge. But if you really want to do some damage, pop this Strat on Colonel Straken and almost guarantee 5 S7 primaris one-shotting swings on the charge!
If your tanks are getting hated on, you can pop 1CP and have them use their top wound bracket. Again, this is just value combined with the free re-roll shot number. Your tanks will essentially be able to do as much damage as possible no matter how badly they’re damaged. Your opponent will be forced to focus-fire your armor.
You’ll probably want to use this stratagem on the Basilisk more than the Wyvern. But being able to re-roll all your hits after you have the option of re-rolling your shot output just helps you squeeze out as much potential damage from a unit as possible.
Finally, we’ve got Vicious Traps. This might not be too worth it if you’re using it on a big squad of Boys… Who cares if you take out D3 Slugga/Choppa boyz in the grand scheme of things. However, if someone’s stupid enough to send a character in on a unit in cover, you can potentially knock them down to half health before they even get to swing. That would be brutal against something like a Smash Captain/Solitaire/etc.
There are still plenty of Stratagems out there that make your Catachans dope. However, from what we’ve covered above, those CP you stock up help you squeeze every last bit of damage out of your units while they’re on the table. That seems to pretty much be the theme across all the Catachan rules.
Best Option For Catachan Tank Aces
Out of the new Psychic Awakening: Greater Good support, Tank Aces became a thing. This lets you turn a normal vehicle into a beat stick for 1CP. With the Regiment bonus and stratagem support in mind, the best options for your Tank Ace (which can be a Leman Russ or Basilisk as some solid options) are:
For a Leman Russ, Armored Rush will let you keep up with an aggressive Catachan rush strategy. A T8 gun platform is brutal when you combine it with a fast-moving S4 meatgrinder list. On the other hand, you’ve also got Weapon Expert to give an additional AP. If you’re wanting to obliterate screens, throw this on a Russ with punisher cannons (although you’ll forego your re-roll shot number from Brutal Strength ). You can also just turn your plasma Russ into a “take your invuln or die” unit.
For Non-Russ Aces
For a Basilisk, which is a solid option for its random shot number, high strength, and no LOS-needed cannon profile, you may want to use Full Payload. It doesn’t matter if you hit your target but don’t do any damage, right? It always feels bad when you pelt a tank with shots but roll extremely below average on the damage. Well, this nifty bonus rule lets you hit like a thunder hammer.
The best part about this is that you already get to manipulate your shot output, but now you’ll also be able to do max damage all while staying completely out of sight. This unit alone can cause A LOT of problems for lists that don’t have any anti-armor LOS shots themselves.
GW Has Been Showing Consistent Love to the Army
If choosing an army is dependent on how often GW supports them, Catachans have recently gotten two new models previewed. Sergeant Ripper Jackson was announced as a Store Exclusive. Right now, there’s no clear date or info on how we get her just yet. But this new Colonel model is already at independent retailers.
We’ll be sending our independent stockists a supply of a very special edition Catachan Colonel free of charge, so they can keep every penny they make!
If you’ve been holding off dipping your toe into Catachans, hopefully, this has all been eye-opening for you. In general, their rules don’t have too many sneaky tricks that catch your opponent off guard (aside from the vicious traps Stratagem). Rather, they are all about maximum efficiency in the shooting and melee phase.
The only safe Catachan to be around may just be a dead one!
What do you think about their rules in 8th edition? Are they best used as a supplement force? Or do you like to play them as an entire 2k army?
Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and make sure you enter the latest monthly giveaway for FREE today!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. 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. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
