Now we know that the Ultramarines have a few too many characters, including a tank commander, and many of them haven't really been used in a while. Sergeant Chronos saw a little bit of love because people wanted BS 2+ (or 5 if you remember the old days of three years ago) Land Raiders and Annihilators. Chief Tigurius saw love because people loved that double-tapping psychic powers with rerolls and the knowledge of every power ever to grace the galaxy. Marneus Calgar even saw a little bit of love once his power fists no longer struck last and he became the monster in close combat that he was supposed to be. But the other characters, like my beloved Captain Sicarius, never got the respect they deserved. But none of the characters were as forgotten as the old Chaplain Cassius. In fact, he's gotten so little love that GW even had to release a boxed game with a throw-back version of the dude just to remind people that he exists! Admittedly, that plastic model was absolutely awesome, especially when compared to the newest metal/resin version from 5th edition (the original one wasn't as bad, but was definitely old). So why did he get no love despite the overwhelming number of Ultramarine players around the world?
Before this edition, characters used to be able to join units. Chaplains were especially prevalent because the buffs they offered to the units they joined were undeniably awesome. But the majority-toughness rules that were meant to balance the game instead hamstrung Cassius' only advantage outside fighting Tyranids- his toughness 5. While that is a representation of his unkillable nature and bitterness that overwhelms even mortal wounds, he never got to use it until his entourage was killed. And by that time, he was probably nearly dead as well. The reason I'm on this subject right now is because, as we dug through the bitz, my son asked me why I never used him. I explained the big problem with the character and he understood, but he still has that kid-like enthusiasm for very model in my collection (and I have a lot). He even pulled all the bitz together and grabbed the superglue for me get to work before I chased him and his handful away. It was cute, if pointless. That is, until I started thinking about it.
One of the problems that I have with Chaplains in the game now is that they have to 'pray' to get their buffs off. My dice-rolling is terrible enough without having to worry about losing out on special abilities that I pay for simply because that always-unwelcome '1' pops up on the die. But this did give the opportunity to add some powers to the Chaplain that weren't there before. If you remember the special edition Chaplain model for the Dark Angels from the Dark Vengeance set, that was a character with special rules that more benefited shooters than chargers. And now all Chaplains have that ability with a couple of their litanies.With the creation of the litanies geared towards shooting, Chaplains suddenly became a little more multi-purpose. Catechism of Fire and Recitation of Focus adds one to wound and hit, respectively, for shooting attacks of nearby units. And I don't know if you know this, but Ultramarines are a bit geared to shooting as well. So a Chaplain buffing Ultramarine units? Oooh...
Unfortunately, Chaplains can only pray for one litany a turn, meaning that it would take two of the characters to take full advantage of that buff. Here's where we get back to old man Cassius- he can pray for two litanies a turn! That means that the Chaplain tax can be reduced by not having to pay for a second one, and the old man can lounge around with Devastators rather than put himself in those situations that led to his bionic mess. And if the enemy gets close, or the Devastators decide to take advantage of the move-and-fire benefit, there's a mean old Chaplain to protect them!Chaplain Cassius didn't get any love for the years that he existed, but maybe this edition will change that. His ability to double-buff units and still be a beat-stick with a more survivable toughness stat means that he's no longer the slouch that he's been. Chaplain Cassius finally has a purpose!
Have you found any other gems in the codex? Are there any other units that are good enough to be used when they weren't before? Let me know in the comments below. And if you just happen to be a follower of the Cassius, definitely toss a shout-out below.
In the meantime, Happy Gaming!
