The new combat patrol format of entry level products for Warhammer 40,000 has given us some interesting choices so far in how to construct an army for new players. The Dark Angels, the 1st legion and one of the most storied armies in Warhammer have a brand new Combat Patrol to bring new players into this edition. Let’s examine what’s in the box.
(Photo Courtesy of Warhammer-Community.com)
So, in this Combat Patrol box (which retails for $140 US/£85 UK) comes with 10 minis. This makes it the least model count heavy of the combat patrols so far, which has its pros and cons. First up, let’s do a breakdown of what comes in the boxed set, the price breakdowns for the individuals, and then see where you can expand your collection. Buckle up, safety first.
What’s in the box?
Five Intercessors- This is a standard sprue of the Primaris marines with the standard weapon options available to them. Currently, these are usually only available in boxes of ten, but you can purchase a box of five as a “Death Company” Primaris Intercessors for $45/£27.50. A standard sized box of ten is $60/£35 (Note: The Death company Intercessors come with a Blood Angels upgrade sprue in the box, which this combat patrol should also include).
Three Primaris Inceptors- This is the standard Inceptor Squad that has been available since the kick off of 8th edition. They retail for $50 US/£30 UK and come with all the standard options available in the kit.
One Redemptor Dreadnought- This is the standard Redemptor dreadnought kit that has been around since the Primaris releases kicked off 8th edition. They retail for around $65 US/£40.00 UK. This model comes with all available options.
One Primaris Chaplain- This is one of many Primaris characters available to the Space Marines.. He retails for $35 US/£22.50 UK.
Looking at the price points, we’re at a projected individual cost of $195/£120 UK. Those are marginal savings (if the projected price points line up). At the time of publication, both Redemptors and Inceptors are out of stock online, so this box may be the easiest way of picking up these models if you’re looking at adding them to your force.
Presumably, this box also comes with a Dark Angels upgrade sprue for the chapter specific shoulder pads for both the Inceptors and the Intercessors. However, these are the only things that indicate the Dark Angels. With a paint swap and using the stock shoulder pads, these could just as easily be any other chapter of space marines. This is a recurring criticism of all the Combat Patrols, but this one is exacerbated by the distinct lack of models in the box.
This army has a total of 10 models in it. Only five of them have objective secured, and while that can help you square off against similarly sized armies of marines, you are probably outnumbered by every other player you’ll face. The Inceptors give you a lot of maneuverability, but you are still putting up small units with limited wound counts into areas that they can be shot down in. You are counting on the Redemptor to carry the day in a lot of ways, and that is a risky gamble to make. One good turn of shooting and your Redemptor can be a smoking hulk.
A 25 PL army is the suggested starting point for 9th edition, and this starter puts a lot of weight into the Redemptor dreadnought for carrying that point weight. It’s also a hard box to expand out from, because currently Games Workshop doesn’t sell Intercessors in five-man boxes (aside from the Death Company Intercessors mentioned above). The HQ in this box is also very hard to convert into another HQ choice, meaning that if you picked up two of these boxes (which you could), you are running a pair of Chaplains for your army leaders.
Army Expansion
So, what should get with your first combat patrol? (This assumes you have your codex and your datacards and dice and all the other cool shiny kit that goes with them) Well, you have a couple of directions to lean into. If you plan on fielding this as a part of a Dark Angels army but want to keep closer to the Primaris aesthetic, a full box of intercessors and a box of hellblasters will put you ahead. If you want to lean into the other aspects of the Dark Angels, you can push into the Deathwing and the Ravenwing as you like.
Serious recommendations though are probably:
More Intercessors- Seriously, you’re going to need more of these. I would pick up at least 5 more, and 10 more would not be a bad idea. I would also suggest grabbing the Upgrade sprues so that they can match the ones from the combat patrol.
Gladiator Tank- The Gladiator is a rock solid heavy support choice built off of the Impulsor frame. By judicious use of your glue, you can assemble the Gladiator with the ability to swap out its weapon options and you can even field it as an Impulsor. The Gladiator is only ten more dollars than the Impulsor and gives you a much wider range of options.
Hellblasters- Plasma toting Hellblasters are a hard counter to most Marine equivalent armies (the combination of high strength, high AP, and access to multiple damage profiles gets work done). They allow you to diversify your threats and take some pressure off of you using your Redemptor for all of your heavy lifting.
Honorable Mention: As unlikely as it sounds, the Hammerfall Bunker is not the worst viable choice. It gives you some scenery you can hide your precious few intercessors behind and contribute fire to the battle. You have to deploy it, and plan your game around it, but it could be workable for the Dark Angels playing a very defensive game. I prefer stuff I can move around and shoot at my opponent’s models with. Your Mileage May Vary.
That’s our breakdown, and if it turns out you want to get one, I would be sure to check out our good friend www.ministomp.com if you don’t have a local shop of your own to support in these trying times. That’s us out for the day, have fun, stay out of trouble, and engage the hobby your way.
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