Force Commander Wargear Idea

[Magus Magi]

I had an idea a little while ago. It was inspired by the Siege Assault Vanguard (SAV) list from Imperial Armour 10.

The Chaos Lord has a ranged combat option derived from his combi-flamer, the warboss has his custom shoota, the hive tyrant has his venom cannon (sorta...). Well, I was thinking about the storm shield and chainsword option for the force commander, and of converting the kit slightly to give him a ranged weapon option.

I was thinking, instead of a chainsword, wouldn't it be cool if the force commander used a bolter and a storm shield? It's a similar idea to the boarding shield concept from the SAV list. The riot shield of the 41st millennium.

http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Warhammer-4 ... E_SET.html

I'm hoping that it would be an easy conversion to give him a bolter while leaving the shield on his arm, and it would give him a ranged damage option. The ability would stay the same and it would make it easier to keep him from running off when you are trying to keep him with your ranged army.

I think it would look cool, synergize with the rest of the army, synergize with the defend ability, and give the force commander another option. I don't think the bolter would need to do much damage.

What do you guys think?

[crazyman64335]

it would probably synergize alittle too well with Battle Cry. I feel that is severely underestimated already, and giving him a ranged buff might give the SM army some strange uber ranged DPS with the FC. just my thoughts.

[Magus Magi]

I see where you are coming from.

I was thinking that the bolter would do low dmg. Also, as a ranged weapon, the force commander would lose his special attacks. So Battlecry would no longer produce a series of stacking inspiration buffs.

I figure that the storm shield would still essentially function as it does now (I think the storm shield is often used with Space Marine ranged units because of the movement speed decrease it causes), except it would make positioning the force commander easier while giving him some kind of ranged weapon option (without replacing existing wargear/abilities). Sort of a two birds, one stone kind of thing.

And I think it would look baller. I'll admit that factored in my formulation of the idea.

[Black Relic]

Would probably have to change battle cry. Like maybe keep it initial buff but give it a passive modifier for the extra 10 or so seconds. Since the FC wont be able to stack the battle cry anymore with special attacks.

But like crazyman, I am not sure. Would you really want to face an FC that has a dedicated ranged prowess? That seems a little scary to me early game.

[Magus Magi]

Again, I'd stick with low damage. Lower than the chainsword he uses with the Storm Shield now.

I just think it would broaden his uses slightly and make that wargear choice more distinct from the others.

Again, I don't think the substantive gameplay would change that much. If any of you have ever tried to stick your force commander, with the storm shield, with some scouts and your tac squad (maybe a dev team) early in the game, then I'm sure you can see the concept.

Just add one bolter's worth of ranged dps to that ranged force at the cost of special melee attacks and scaling buffs from battlecry.

Also, consider the chaos lord, or the warboss. I think it would be neat to give the Force Commander one ranged weapon to use. It just gives the player an additional choice of how to play. That's always good. Right now he's dedicated melee unless you make him a ranged terminator late in tier 3...which I don't think most people do...

[Magus Magi]

I wanted to add an additional clarification on where this idea comes from.

I think giving the force commander a low damage ranged option that works with the defend ability would create a new type of force commander play. One focused around the force commander as a supporting hero instead of a frontline beat-face hero.

I just really like that idea. As he exists now, the defend ability is useful, but he still ends up charging an enemy blob with battlecry to tie people up and send models flying.

I like that the wargear I'm proposing would require a different playstyle and offer a different set of advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, I like that the force commander would then have one ranged option (much love for options).

Of all of the abilities that the force commander has, defend fits best with that ranged idea. It would be the perfect ability for a ranged weapon choice. And the bolter damage I'm proposing would be LOW. And it would look awesome.

C'mon Caeltos...give us a play test...that's all I'm asking...

[sk4zi]

Although i usually like new wargears and i like the FC i cant imagine that the Great Force Commander of Space Marines would use a Range wheapon like a coward.

He Leads the line, hes the first in the fight, he needs a sword! (or hammer or fist)

His Ranged Option is the term Armor.

but there is one thing i agree with: the Bolter and Storm Shield Wargear is lagging a ranged attack.

[Kvek]

I think giving the force commander a low damage ranged option that works with the defend ability would create a new type of force commander play. One focused around the force commander as a supporting hero instead of a frontline beat-face hero.

The Force Commander is a SUPPORT hero, mainly cus of Battle Cry which is pretty much the ultimate SM support ability :p

[Dark Riku]

Although i usually like new wargears and i like the FC i cant imagine that the Great Force Commander of Space Marines would use a Range wheapon like a coward.

How is that fighting like a coward? Standard space marine equipment includes a boltgun, boltpistol, chainsword, frag&krak grenades, etc. They have brains which they use to develop strategy and a plan of attack. They aren't always charging head first into the fight like brainless Orks, especially "force commanders".

[sk4zi]

just a fluff Statement
dont take it too seriuosly

[Orkfaeller]

Ya, it doesnt exactly strike me like a Commander Loadout.

Just looks to specialised to me.

Maybe for something like a Techmarine, as they are siege experts and work alot with more exotic weaponry -

- but for the Force Commander, to be honest, I'm not convinced.

[Dark Riku]

just a fluff Statement
dont take it too seriuosly

And I'm responding form a fluff point of view.
"Force commanders" like captains and chapter masters utilize more things than just melee weapons. Would be stupid of them not to use their standard issued bolter.
Or in their case more likely a master crafted combi boltgun.

[sk4zi]

ok you´re right

[Magus Magi]

It was just a little idea I was kicking around. Figured I'd share it.

I essentially use a relic storm shield and relic boltgun on my tabletop guy right now, and it occurred to me that there was no ranged weapon option for the Force Commander in DoW. I thought it might be interesting to broaden his existing wargear options to include a ranged choice, and I've often wished I could put the Force Commander in ranged stance while using "defend" with a ranged blob of SM.

Just a concept.

I play I-Fists btw...may help explain it.
http://images.wikia.com/warhammer40k/im ... achery.jpg

[Orkfaeller]

To be honest, if the idea is

Shield + Ranged Weapon I'd reather go with something like this






Its not as powerful as a Stormshield, it hasnt quite the firepower of a Bolter.

Jack of all traits, master of none.

[Magus Magi]

That looks awesome. I want...Magus want...so pretty...

I think that would be an awesome idea. Then at least you'd have the ability to put him on ranged stance.

That said, I still like the idea of giving the FC a ranged weapon option. He does already have a bolt pistol/plasma pistol option, and part of the appeal of the idea for me was creating a completely different playstyle for players using the FC. Think Sanguine Chainsword Apothecary vs. Bolter Apothecary. I like the idea of fostering a FC playstyle that's distinct, in the same way that getting a thunder hammer changes what his role in the SM army is as compared to a power fist.

That said...your idea looks really cool. And I do love that shield...

[ThongSong]

give him a super automatic stormbolter like the Crimson Fist's Chapter Master, the 'Fist of Dorn' :3

[Magus Magi]

So, I just wanted to post this warseer thread here:

http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthrea ... rial-Fists

I'm sure some of you have seen this before, but it is my absolute favorite Space Marine army paint/conversion job. I think the guy who modeled and painted these I-Fists did a fantastic job of the whole thing. In an imaginary world where I had limitless funds to throw around, I'd buy that army off him no matter what it cost.

When I see the SM FC with the shield, I always imagine this image:

http://img15.imagefra.me/i52f/rustymago ... _uc43b.jpg

If nothing else, I would LOVE to see the shield from Last Stand (the one Orkfaeller demonstrated with the screen shot) replace the storm shield for the purposes of the FC early wargear option.

...it's just so rad...

[sk4zi]

very skilled painting