Friday, November 11, 2011

Triarch Stalker

The Triarch Stalker is interesting.  It is actually more expensive than other Dreadnoughts in general.  You would expect to pay 135 for the Grey Knight Rifleman dreadnought configuration for example, whereas the Triarch Stalker is 150 pts.  So it has to be pretty awesome for that many points invested in just one model if you are just making comparisons per se.

First, the math:

Psifleman Dreadnought
vs. AV13 yields  .59 Glances and .59 Penetrating hits.
Vs. Av11 yields .58 Glances and 1.75 Penetrating hits

Triarch Stalker:
Vs. Av13 yields .22 glances and .22 Penetrating hits or 1.33 Penetrating if within 12 inches
Vs. Av11 yields .22 Glances and .67 Penetrating hits or 1.33 Penetrating if within 12 inches.

So already the Triarch isn't as good.  It's range is also poor, at 24 inches compared to the 48" boasted by the Rifleman. 
It has Quantum Shielding which makes it AV13 until it takes a penetrating hit.  So the durability difference is a plus, except that it's open topped meaning that the first penetrating hit may be its last, but its worth noting.

So really, why would you buy one?  The army HAS other options for antitank and its a conversion project if you even wanted to. For the same points, you can take a unit that has 4 harbingers of Destruction that come with Str 8 Ap 2 Lances that fire 36 inches and cannot be knocked out with a single shot! 

Well I think the biggest advantage to one is its targetting ability.  All it needs do is hit its target and every other unit in the army is now twin linked when firing at the target!  For 5 points you can equip it with a Str7 AP 4 Large Blast, which changes it's role and makes it far easier for it to hit and "paint" it's targets.  Plus it can still pop tanks!

So you're paying for the synergy of the unit.  It gives your army a ton of "free" shots via rerolls to finish a unit that might otherwise not have existed if not for the Stalker.  In the early rounds especially, there will always be targets that are just a "must kill" and a Triarch can make that Lance unit look like genius against an important vehicle or villain.

The Triarch stalkers will likely be a last include in a lot of armies but if you do take it, use it's Particle Shredder option so it can fulfill its main role. It definitely should not be your primary plan for antitank but its far from a terrilbe backup plan.

2 comments:

  1. You ignore the AP 1, something that the Crons don't have a lot of. Even at 24" the AP 1 makes a significant difference in killing power, and actually makes the Triarch close to the Psyfleman in expected kills (Yes the Psyfleman is still better, but also doesn't hang out in an army that can reduce armor values of the enemy).

    Also, as in your Stealth Cloud post, you are giving incorrect numbers for melta-gun pens. You can't just assume that every hit pens and expect to get anything meaningful out of your numbers. I put the correct numbers in your other post.

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  2. I "ignored" nothing, but your point is fair on one level which I think we should look at.

    AP only affects the resulting damage.

    To carry it out, the Triarch gets .22/6*4 = .146 destroyed results on an undamaged AV 13 vehicle.

    Rifleman: 1.75/6*2 = .583 destroyed results on an undamaged AV 13 vehicle.

    They are nowhere near each other at range so it is fair minded to say it isn't preferable by a long shot against most tanks and probably most targets.

    But wait!

    Triarch within 12": 1.33pens/6*3 = .665 Destroyed (or better) results.

    So I would concede that point, when at 12". Is .082 more destroyed results worth it? Will its open topped (albeit shielded) shell last long enough to get that close and to exercise that muscle? Maybe use it to ward off Land Raider rushes perhaps?

    In an army rich with anti-tank answers, I am not convinced that the most fragile anti-tank is the best one. Scarabs, Monstrous creatures, Heavy Gauss Cannons, Tachyon Arrows, Harbingers, Command Barge WarScythe attacks and the unholy synergies these units can create for one another really makes me question (strongly) why you'd use the Stalker for THIS duty.

    I am not speaking against the unit, just its use as your primary answer for antitank.

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