Today I want to look at the new “White Scars” rules with a new detachment – the Spearpoint Task Force and brand-new HQ choice Suboden Khan!
It’s a new day and another new Space Marine update has hit the Warhammer 40k landscape. Today I want to look at the new “White Scars” rules with a new detachment and brand-new HQ choice. I love that we finally got a “bike” character for the White Scars and this one seems pretty good. I wish it had a few more things on his datasheet to make him a cooler Bike Captain but it’s awesome to have one finally. The White Scars Detachment – Spearpoint Task Point – is also interesting as well. It isn’t as good as the best “marine” options, but it still is a unique tool for those wanting to run a White Scars army.
As usual will do a Good, Bad, and Ugly review on this release. Will do a little dive into the Detachment and the new Character that comes along with this option.
Spearpoint Task Force – The Good
First, I think the new character, Suboden Khan, is pretty cool. He is a rather impressive kit that is big, has some cool details, and should be a nice edition to the pile of Space Marine characters we have access too. His rules are also impressive with the ability to give the unit he is with Advance/Fallback and Charge. If you already get these rules with your detachment or ability the unit now gets a +1 to Advances and charges which is also great. He also gives the unit he is with the ability to move horizontally through terrain features which as well means he and his Outrider buddies can Koolaid man thru a “ruin” to wreck someone’s day. I love all the movement abilities but wish he gave Outriders a bit more oomph in combat with either cool +1 damage on charges or something else as unique as that.
The Spearpoint Task Force is an updated Stormlance task Force that grants the entire army Advance/Fallback and charge as well as an amplified rule if you have Suboden Khan in the army. The extra rule of the Khan is the ability to do a normal move of up to 6″ if at the end of the fight phase if his unit destroyed an enemy unit. It is a neat ability but with only Outriders doing the whole bike thing it’s hard to get a ton of usage out of it. They are not reinventing the White Scars Detachment rules just tweaking things to shift them up a bit.
The new Enhancement that seems powerful is the Hunter’s Eye. This item gives the unit the Sustained Hits 1 and Ignores cover keywords on their ranged attacks. It feels like something that will push some of the more shooty options you can take – like Centurion Devastators which doesn’t feel too “White Scars” like. You could also see a unit utilizing this with Desolation Marines to create an expensive little murder option that can hide and throw out a pile of damage into the enemy.
On the Stratagem front – Spear Thrust and Sabre Wing is a 1CP option that gives a unit either Lance of Lethal hits in the fight phase. If the unit is a mounted option both rules activate. This gets Outriders to get even more damage if you feel like playing more of these bigger bikers. Evasive Manoeuvres is a 1CP strat for your Mounted or Fly Vehicles to get a -1 to hit and -1 to wound in the shooting phase. This feels like a powerful ability to have in your back pocket. The Withdraw and regroup stratagem is a 1CP option to remove a Mounted or Fly Vehicle from the table and place it back into Strategic Reserves. It is always nice when you can utilize a redeploy during a game.
Spearpoint Task Force – The Bad
I really wish we had a generic Space Marine bike captain as it would give a fun little option to add to your Outriders. Heck I would even make another Lieutenant that is a bike Character to add to units. It feels like they are just needing a few more and we would have a true White Scars army to play on the tabletop. I also would have thought a nice little “updated” datasheet for Outriders with a close combat option that you could take some of the White Scars bits and create something truly unique.
Spearpoint Task Force – The Ugly
Why didn’t they let this Detachment get Outriders as Battleline? Why couldn’t they give us more bikes to use? This just doesn’t make a ton of sense for a true White Scars army.
RIDE – For the Khan!
Thomas Reidy, aka Goatboy, the ever-evil member of BoLS. I do arts, play 40k, and even paint a lot of stuff. I have been playing Warhammer 40K since the 1990s, and have won multiple national events including Adepticon and GW GTs. I’ve been writing for BoLS for 15 years. Look at my Instagram to see what I am working on – or working on for someone. I am always doing something hobby related.