The Astra Militarum are getting a few new vehicles and a one mean Commissar added to their arsenal for Warhammer 40,000!
We got to see these new units showcased at the AdeptiCon previews for Warhammer 40,000. Today, we’re getting close look at the rules for each of these new units. Kicking things off we’ve got the indomitable Commissar Graves who’s got her own ride as well as an infantry version, too!
Commissar Graves Leading The Charge
We’ll kick things off with the most impressive and ostentatious one of the lot – the fearsome Commissar Graves, who rides into battle on her extensively modified Centaur known as Vigilance. More than just a body kit and a few spicy guns, Vigilance is a monster of a vehicle that can take a hit, punch back, and act as mobile Order support all in one sleek package.
Considering Commissar Graves has an Infantry version we’ll start here first. For the most part she’s like a typical Commissar but with a unique melee attack.
Packing both a Power Sword and a Power Fist named Manus Mortis, she’s got 5 attacks base with a WS 2+ at Strength 6. It’s quite a few AP -2 attacks that each do 2 damage. This should at least make any Power Armor foes a little nervous if she gets the charge. She’s still an officer and has access to Orders. Plus, being a Commissar, she can uh “discipline” a unit that’s Battle-shocked to get back into the fight. And speaking of discipline, she’s also got Icon of Discipline which allows her unit to shoot and Charge even on a turn when they Fell Back.
But I think her real sauce is with her custom ride!
Obviously, you can’t run both of these units together as Commissar Graves can’t disembark from the Centaur. But that’s okay because she can still lead the Mechanised Spearhead from the comfort of this ride! Franky, she’s a lot scarier in the vehicle. I’m not quite sure how her Power Sword and Manus Mortis still work from the center of the vehicle. But you can insert your own “drive me close so I can hit them with my power sword” memes here.
Anyhow, from the vehicle she’s still got Brutal Disciplinarian as well as all the gunned-up elements of having a vehicle to begin with! The extra damage output is respectable and this certainly feels like a good unit to run with these other vehicle squadrons.
Astra Militarum New Vehicles
Move over Chimera, the Centaur RSV is coming for your job! Not only does this vehicle come with a firing deck of 12, it can still be a very effective objective grabber with the squad still inside!
You can see the stats of the vehicle above and while it’s not the toughest tracked vehicle out there, it’s still a lot safer for a Guardsmen to ride inside than to be on foot. But I think where this vehicle really shines is with it’s Rapid Strike Vehicle rule. This allows the squad inside to contribute to the overall OC score of the Centaur. For every 3 models (rounding down) you get to add 1 to the Centaur’s OC stat. That means a squad of 12 is giving it an other 4 OC which puts it at the magic number of 6. That’s going to push it ahead of those smaller squads of 5 that tend to sit on backfield objectives and wrack up points for your opponents.
The other new vehicle coming to the motor pool is the Hippogriff AFV. This is a curious one to me because of the role it’s looking to fill on the battlefield.
It’s a little tougher than the Centaur but it’s role is to provide some extra fire support for your faster moving vehicle squadrons. What I really like about this one is the various weapon options you can bring. You’ve got access to four heavy weapons that each have a role to play. You could load this one up with good anti-tank options or good anti-Infantry options. It’s really up to you. Personally, I think I’d tend to go for the anti-tank options to help crack armor or take out monster targets. I’d leave the anti-infantry to the Centaurs loaded with squads to shoot out of.
One more thing to remember about the Hippogriff is that you can run them in squads of two. I really like the idea of them working in pairs to pop armor and then use the Convoy Escort Vehicle rule to retreat out of the way/line of fire. They could really be annoying to deal with!
What do you think of the new Astra Militarum Vehicles?
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Writer, Editor, Texas Native, and now Tex-Pat, Adam covers all things Tabletop Gaming. Which includes Warhammer 40,000, Age of Sigmar, D&D, Board Games and everything else that involves dice, boards, cards and a table.
A hobbyist, player, and collector of miniatures and games, Adam’s current obsession are his Death and Chaos Armies for Age of Sigmar, his Blood Angels and Tyranids for 40k, an expanding collection of Marvel: Crisis Protocol minis, and his ever growing Arkham Horror: The Card Game Collection.
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