# Using Independent Characters?



## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Hey everyone.

I'm Chaos Space Marine player and in our codex we have a unit that's called a Daemon Prince (hey what's that?). Now this unit is like a big thingamajig that blinds people to using any other HQ options, and rightly so. 

For the same amount of points (and somtimes even less) as an Indepenent Charcter we can get a 12" moving Strength 6, Toughness 5, Eternal Warrior that can re-roll hits and wounds (warptime).

Basically what this means is that even thinking about using an Independent Character is kinda stupid from a points and competitive perspective. However here is my question :

*How do you actually use Independent Characters when they can get instant killed in CC by a hidden powerfist and they can be individually targeted and can't return their attacks onto that hidden fist?
*
Due to the fact we have this awesome Daemon Prince, myself (and I'm sure others) have never had to bother with the whole Indepenent Character rules and such. So how are you supposed to stop your Lords, Sorcerers etc meeting a very sad and messy end to things like powerfists, force weapons, or anything that causes instant death?

Example :

If I wanted to use a Chaos Lord, Terminator Armour, Combi-Weapon and Chainfist to deepstrike along with a 4 man Terminator squad, how am I supposed to protect him from getting targeted so he is instant killed or swamped with attacks, as he needs to get to CC to be useful. 

Obviously most other codices have to deal with this problem, it's just us CSM players lead a sheltered existence here in the warp, whereby we can just take the big scary Eternal Warrior that is a mini-unit in his own right and can't get instant killed by anything. 

That's why I would like any and all advice on how you all use your Independent Characters (and who you use) so they don't meet an inglorious end and get fisted (eeewwww) by a Space Marine Sergeant, or targeted with so many attacfks they perish etc.

Thanks.


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## Midge913 (Oct 21, 2010)

First of all if your IC is attached to a unit he can't be individually targeted by ranged attacks. He is part of the squad and as such he would only have to take one of the wounds caused by shooting in the even that there are enough wounds to go around for the whole squad. If this is the case, you can always choose to allocate the ID wounds to a regular guy instead of the IC. 

In CC, There is not much you can do about it except try and make sure that the PF Sgt. is not in base to base contact with the IC. No base to base with the IC the PF's attacks can't go against him and must go against the squad. It is really the only protection you have in CC against the hidden fisting.....ewww that sounded wrong.


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## Stephen_Newman (Jul 14, 2009)

Yeah. I have personally understood why people moan about hidden fists killing off IC's. If you position one of the regulars in a squad to move into contact with the fist and the IC himself into as many other regular members as possible then he cannot be killed by said fist. Better yet if the dude with fist kills one or 2 of your guys you can take casualties from other regulars dotted elsewhere and not the guy in contact with the fist. 

It is simple really.


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## Igni Ferroque (Dec 7, 2010)

D-A-C said:


> Example :
> 
> If I wanted to use a Chaos Lord, Terminator Armour, Combi-Weapon and Chainfist to deepstrike along with a 4 man Terminator squad, how am I supposed to protect him from getting targeted so he is instant killed or swamped with attacks, as he needs to get to CC to be useful.
> 
> ...


Best advice I can give is; always be the charger!

You want the enemy to be on the back foot all the time to protect your IC's. Hidden powerfists are a pain in the backside. As a CSM player, you can use your weight in attacks to overwhelm the enemy with the charge. The harder you can hit them... the closer you will get to killing that pesky fist, who be killing your wabbits... I mean IC's!

Deep striking will cause a lot of sticky situations with IC's close to combat. The best advice I would give is to be extremely cautious with when you place your deep striking unit. Just keep them out of charging range of the enemy, but close enough so you can charge them in the next turn and whittle them down with two turns of firing upon them.


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## D-A-C (Sep 21, 2010)

Thanks for the help so far guys, any other opinions?

Also I was kinda hoping to hear about what Independant Character HQ's everyone uses and how.

Im thinking of trying a CSM Lord, with Combi-Melta and Chainfist, Deepstriking with 4 friends, x3 Combi-Plasma's, a Heavy Flamer, x1 Powerfist (with HF) and IOCG.

For my Space Marines, I'm thinking Captain with a Relic Blade, but other than that have no ideas about who to run him with that is cheap at 1000pts.


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## daemonprinceofchaos (Aug 4, 2008)

I wanted to use a Chaos Lord, Terminator Armour, Combi-Weapon and Chainfist to deepstrike along with a 4 man Terminator squad, how am I supposed to protect him from getting targeted so he is instant killed or swamped with attacks, as he needs to get to CC to be useful. 

my advice run him alone against IG tank squads deep strike behind them, melta them, then A) assault next turn or B) move on to the next tank


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## Vrykolas2k (Jun 10, 2008)

I just take a regular Khorne Lord with some Berzerkers, give hime a Bloodfeeder.
There's never a hidden fist left.


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## oblivion8 (Jun 17, 2009)

well....
for my sisters of battle, my cannoness counts as being in a retinue....
and for my nids and daemons, my Hq's are either MC's or eternal warrior, or both....
I don't see what your problem is.... :laugh:

but honestly, the best way to keep em alive is just what stephen and igny said, just make sure to tactically keep him out of the way. Even if YOU get charged, the power fist or whatever still needs to move into base to base with the closest model, that means that you keep you lord to the side and back, then when you counter charge you just ram em into the enemies basic troops, and NOM NOM!


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## viciousjokekiller (Dec 29, 2009)

Midge913 said:


> In CC, There is not much you can do about it except try and make sure that the PF Sgt. is not in base to base contact with the IC. No base to base with the IC the PF's attacks can't go against him and must go against the squad. It is really the only protection you have in CC against the hidden fisting.....ewww that sounded wrong.


 This seems to be reccuring misconception I thought I'd clear up and elaborate on what "Stephen_Newman" said, that is... 

You do not have to be in base contact with an indepentant character to attack him.

The basic rules here are;
1. Independant characters count as separate units in combat
2. Each model MUST direct all their attacks against the unit they are in base contact with. (If in base contact with multiple units you can choose)
3. If within 2 inches of a friendly model in combat, you can direct your attacks against the unit they are in contact with. 

Therefore, only models in base contact with the character, or those within 2 inches of a friendly model in base contact with him (and not in base contact with another enemy unit) may attack the character.

So if you want your character to be safe from the proverbial powerfist sergeant, make sure that the character is not in base contact with the sergeant AND that the sergeant is in base contact with a member of the squad accompanying the commander.


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## Cheesybox (Dec 16, 2010)

Theres no real way to completely protect an IC in CC other than keep him at the back of a squad so when you assault he's not targetable. Course by doing this the IC can't attack so it's pointless to have him in there. Otherwise all you can do is just give him a good invul and hope for the best


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