# Use of Librarians



## Underground Heretic (Aug 9, 2008)

I've been considering building marines for a long time and though it's still a far off project I'm considering how to use a Librarian in an army. It seems to me that there are three general uses, support shooting and assault, making the librarian a well rounded hq choice.

Support
The librarian is the only space marine way of countering psychers directly because of their psychic hood. This is always present, but librarians can also support their brothers by affecting invulnerable saves. The primary powers for this are force dome and null zone. Null zone can devastate units like harlequins and most of the demon codex that only have an invulnerable, but could also swing a fight between assault terminators against the enemy. Force dome gives the squad with the librarian a 5+ invulnerable save, protecting them from AP 3 or better and power weapons. If riding with a terminator squad when their land raider is destroyed, Gate of Infinity can help them advance to assault range, if with some risk.

Shooting
Shooting with a librarian is an aspect I have underestimated, but could be very handy. Four psychic shooting powers are available to librarians: smite, the avenger, vortex of doom and machine curse. I have heard of smite being used to provide a shot to kill a few models before assaulting or if you find you are just out of charge range. The avenger is essentially a doom siren and should be used in the same way as, but not in combination with smite (only one shooting attack per phase). Vortex of doom seems to be the most risky power, but it has the power of a rail gun so it should be worth the risk, especially against hardened targets like MCs or vehicles. If you don't want to risk friendly fire with the vortex consider machine curse to glance a vehicle on a 3+.

Assault
This is where I think the librarian shines and where I intend to use him. The quickening and might of the ancients both only affect assaults. The quickening gives initiative ten unless you decided to run in the shooting phase, in which case you can also assault because you now have fleet. Might of the ancients makes your librarian strike like a strength six monstrous creature.

Admittedly, this is only the way I am hoping to run a librarian and only in larger battles, but I think the best CC librarian is an Epistolary with terminator armor and storm shield using gate of infinity and might of the ancients. He will be riding in a redeemer with a terminator assault squad. If/when the redeemer is killed the librarian would be able to get them in position to assault something. Might of the ancients and the Epistolary upgrade are intended to give him strength six and the ability to then use his force weapon to instant kill a target.

I may be completely off base as I have not purchased or played marines before. Librarian users, how would you suggest heretics use these witches in service to the Emperor?


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## MJayC50 (Oct 30, 2007)

dont forget null zone for you libby! in a unit of th/ss termy's this is awesome! just go straight for the hardest unit ur oppenant has and kick his arse. works everytime! (and playing against demons with this power on is just not even funny...


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## Katie Drake (Nov 28, 2007)

I'm a fan of the Librarian you mentioned wanting to use - the close combat monster one. Forget Null Zone! Who needs it when you get to beat the crap out of somebody with a bunch of S6 I10 attacks?


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## Lash Machine (Nov 28, 2008)

I like a basic Librarian with the avenger and Null Zone. He either rides with my TH/SS terminators in a crusader or he goes with either half of a combat squad, either objective holding or razorback riding.

These two powers compliment various situations very well. At 1500 points I feel that spending alot of points on an HQ with marines limits the effectiveness of the rest of the army. The librarian is a good choice for tournaments as he covers many bases compared with other choices but I would not want to sink 190 points into one at that size game.


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## Calamari (Feb 13, 2009)

I haven't used a Librarian under the new codex but I have had one used against me. It was paired with a 5 man Sterngaurd squad with flamers and combi-flamers. GOI next to a squad of Gaurdians and 5 templates later there were no more Eldar...

Could have gona wrong though because the Eldar were in cover, AFAIK GOI can still mishap right?


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## godzy (Jun 5, 2008)

I had a little fun with a bike-avenger libby


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

It's my opinion that the BEST way to use Gate of Infinity is:

Get Scout Bikers with a Locator Beacon.
Use the Bikers' scout move to charge up 24", remember you can't get within 12" of the enemy using this move.
Teleport the Librarian and his squad (usually either Sternguard or Terminators) up the battlefield, roughly 6" away from the enemy, without scatter or any risk more than the Psychic test.

So, you've got a monster unit right near the enemy, screwing them up with guns on the first turn.
Against some armies this works magnificently, against others not so much.
The safest bet is to group him with Assault Terminators, their 3+ invulnerable save will make them next to immortal against the enemy guns; this in mind, his best bet is to keep more than 12" away from you.

The disruption alone is enough to validate the tactic, the units worrying about the Terminators next door will not be shooting at your rapidly advancing convoy of Rhino full of Tactical squads.


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

I don't rate gate with the assault termies since they can't assault after deep strike. You may as well spend the points on a chaplain for the reroll, or just buy more termies instead. Gate seems good for sternguard or possibly. Shooty termies - or just objective grabbing late in the game. I've seen a termie epistolary with gate and vortex but thought he was silly really.

Lash machine's avenger and null zone is a nice cheap set up for an all-around army and I get where he's coming from on the price of HQs as well. That's a bit more of a support role that works well in tandem with termies, rather than actually in their unit. 

A cc librarian does struggle to be a better option than the chaplain, in my opinion. This counts double against the kinds of things assault termies often fight, many of which will easily splat the librarian.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Someguy said:


> I don't rate gate with the assault termies since they can't assault after deep strike.


I meant with the shields.
If you Deep Strike them, they're not going to be in cover because that would cause losses.
So with just a 5+ invulnerable save to save them from the big smashy AP2 guns, you want a little better.
Yes, being able to shoot would be more valuable, but you have to think about their survival too.


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## Lash Machine (Nov 28, 2008)

Winterous said:


> I meant with the shields.
> If you Deep Strike them, they're not going to be in cover because that would cause losses.
> So with just a 5+ invulnerable save to save them from the big smashy AP2 guns, you want a little better.
> Yes, being able to shoot would be more valuable, but you have to think about their survival too.


Does'nt really matter. You end up sticking your best CC unit right in the enemys face and rapid fire range. They will sit there and get shot to ribbons regardless of the 3+ inv save. Anything left will probably get assualted and mullered.

Also the range of the power is only 24" which may not get you where you really want to be.

True it may divert some incoming fire from your advancing transports, but against TH/SS terminators I would not waste las cannon shots on them if there where soft transports to pop. Massed small arms fire will whittle them down.

The safest way to travel is Via the good old Crusader.

I feel that Gate of Infinity is probably best used with sternguard but the 24" range is a bit limiting.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Lash Machine said:


> Does'nt really matter. You end up sticking your best CC unit right in the enemys face and rapid fire range. They will sit there and get shot to ribbons regardless of the 3+ inv save. Anything left will probably get assualted and mullered.
> 
> Also the range of the power is only 24" which may not get you where you really want to be.
> 
> ...


24" range on it is PLENTY.
Frankly I think it'd be a damn good use to stick him with Sternguard, sniping at people, and then jump away as soon as someone gets near enough to assault.
That is quite an effective use, it can allow you to dodge an expensive melee unit, leaving them out in the open possible, and allows you to get a good rapid-fire in on some poor unsuspecting squad.

Can you use it in Close Combat?
I think you can, but it's not addressed in the FAQ.


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## Lash Machine (Nov 28, 2008)

I was even wondering if you could use it inside a vehicle. If your sternguard and Librarian start the turn in a rhino could they deep strike somewhere else before the rhino moves, without previously having disembarked?

Another alternative would be to drop pod down with some stern guard, then in the following turn use Gate of Infinity to move elsewhere.

Personally I would never use it as I like my combo, but it has got some potential.


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## Winterous (Mar 30, 2009)

Lash Machine said:


> I was even wondering if you could use it inside a vehicle. If your sternguard and Librarian start the turn in a rhino could they deep strike somewhere else before the rhino moves, without previously having disembarked?


That's a very interesting question...
People, we need some discussion!


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## Someguy (Nov 19, 2007)

No we don't. Go to the rules forum if you want to discuss rules.


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## sooch (Nov 25, 2008)

Librarians are best suited for a support/shooty role. Now, that's not to say that Librarians can't support from inside a combat (as others have noted, null zone is dirty with TH/SS terminators), but with only 2A and S4 he's not really a CC monster, no matter how you kit him out.


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