It’s that time of the week again - Top Ten time! Last week we ranked the Top Ten units in 40K. This week we’re looking at the Top Ten Special Characters in 40K. This is not a one-on-one arena deathmatch. We can argue for hours about who will kick whose ass. This is a list ranking the characters in order of power in the game itself, not against each other. Also, I am still not including any of the new Dark Eldar Special Characters until I see them on the table. So, onto the rankings.
Honorable Mentions: Guardsman Marbo, Nightbringer, Marneus Calgar, Deathleaper, Doom of Malan’tai, Darnath Lysander, Ursarkar Creed.
Mephiston is a strange character to play. You see his toughness six and six wounds with a 2+ armor save and no independent character and think he’s indestructible. However, he has no invulnerable save and can’t join a unit for protection. Granted, he kicks some serious ass in close combat with his WS seven and initiative seven along with his psychic abilities. However, he’s a little too fragile to be any higher on the list.
9. Commander Dante (Blood Angels)
Dante is one of those characters that is very versatile. He can hold his own in close combat and take out a Land Raider with his infernus pistol. He debuffs an opponents independent character of your choosing and doesn’t scatter at all when deep striking (great for that initial shot with the infernus pistol). He’s got great mobility with his jump pack and decent durability with his 2+/4++ save and four wounds.
8. Kairos Fateweaver (Chaos Demons)
Fateweaver is more of a buffer and shooter than close combat, however he does these things well. He can fire three weapons at three different targets, and he allows friendly units within 6 inches to re-roll armor, cover and invulnerable saves. I’m sure everyone’s run into a Fatecrusher list at one point or another. On top of all this, he can deal out instant death in close combat and has five toughness and three wounds with a 3++ save. Throw in wings for mobility and Eternal warrior and you have yourself a brute. He’d be higher if not for his Oracle of Eternity downside of leadership tests on failed saves. One failed leadership test and he flies away.
7. Njal Stormcaller (Space Wolves)
I’m not going to get into a discussion of how the Space Wolves are against psykers altogether yet sport one of the best psykers in the game. Njal is a monster knowing all the Space Wolf psychic abilities, carrying a staff that nullifies opponents’ psychic abilities within 24″ on a 3+ and wounds Demons on a 2+, the ability to wear Terminator Armor, and his Chooser of the Slain, Nightwing. On top of all this he has his Lord of Tempest rule which just brings the awesomeness every turn.
6. The Swarmlord (Tyranids)
Arguably, he’s the best close combat character in the game. He sports a WS of nine, making marines hit him on fives. He’s toughness six with five wounds. He has a 3+ armor save and 4++ save in close combat. Oh yeah, he inflicts instant death and makes the opponent reroll successful invulnerable saves, me likey. He passes along either Preferred Enemy, Furious Charge, or Acute Senses to a friendly unit within 18 inches each turn. You add +1 to reserve rolls and can reroll your outflank die to see from what table edge the unit will arrive. And finally, he can cast two psychic abilities a turn seriously gimping his target with Paroxysm or healing himself with Leech Essence.
5. Logan Grimnar (Space Wolves)
There are many different “Logan Bombs” running around in 40K right now. With his The High King rule, he can bestow Relentless, Preferred Enemy, Fearless, or Tank Hunters on his squad to create some real nastiness out of Drop Pods. Once per game he gives every friendly model within 18 inches +1 attack. The real powerhouse item, though, is his Axe Morkai. This allows him to strike at initiative with a frost blade or hit with a powerfist dividing his attacks between the two as he sees fit. Throw in Terminator Armor and Eternal Warrior and you have a true close combat tank.
4. Eldrad Ulthran (Eldar)
Eldrad is hands down the best buffer/debuffer in the game. Three psychic abilities a turn and Runes of Warding make a tough game for any opponent. His Divination allows you to redeploy units creating advantages for yourself. Plus, he rolls three dice for psychic tests and picks the two lowest and has a Ghosthelm just in case he fails it. Add in a 3++ save and you will almost never take a wound from Perils. Dooming a unit then guiding a Dire Avenger unit right before they Bladestorm never gets old.
3. Abaddon the Despoiler (Chaos Space Marines)
There are few units in the game I fear more than one with Abaddon attached to it. Abaddon sports every mark in the Chaos codex raising his toughness to five, initiative to six, attacks to four, and invulnerable save to 4++. On top of that his Demon Sword Drachnyen and Talon of Horus combine to give him strength eight at normal initiative and +D6 attacks while re-rolling to wound. I got rolled by him once when he hit with 11 attacks at initiative five and strength eight. Ouch.
2. Ghazghkull Thraka (Orks)
Ghazghkull is one of the toughest characters in the game to get rid of. Toughness five, four wounds, Eternal Warrior, 2+/5++ saves and his super Waaagh making his 2+ save a 2++ save for a turn making him tougher than a Land Raider. Also, don’t forget he’s pounding you with his strength ten Power Klaw and seven attacks on the charge while you try to figure out how to kill him. WAAAAAAAGH!!!!!!!!!!
1. Vulkan He’stan (Space Marines)
Not many characters in the history of 40K have evolved the meta game as much as Vulkan. Granted, he’s a beast in close combat with the his relic blade and 2+/3++ saves along with his heavy flamer. It’s his Chapter Tactics that make Vulkan so great. With mech being the flavor of fifth edition, Vulkan’s army wide twin-linked meltas, multi-meltas, flamers, and heavy flamers are phenomenal. Throw in master-crafted thunder hammers, and you have an army ready for anything. He does all this for a measly 30 points more than a similarly equipped Captain. Sheesh.
As always thanks for visiting the site! You can help us out by viewing any of the adverts on the side of the page! Cheers! from the SciFiWargamers team.