Datasheet Review Archives

Bullgryns are essentially the only reliable close combat option when it comes to the armies of the Astra Militarum. These units come as groups of three, but you can and probably should pay for more. You have the option to have units of up to nine of these bad boys running round.

With simple equipment options of either a maul or gauntlet in one hand and a slab shield or brute shield in the other.

The gauntlet isn’t anything to write home about, with an average of three shots per bullgryn, only half of which is likely to hit the target due to their ballistic skill. Plus with strength four in a new world where there are some armies with toughness 5 it means you could be wounding on 5’s against creatures such as Orks. Far better to be taking the maul in my opinion and leave the shooting to your regular infantry.

Use these guys as intended and counter punch. Each Bullgryn with a maul will have three attacks (four in any turns in which they charge due to Avalanche of Muscle) hitting at strength 7. Okay the AP isn’t great but these guys are good for taking out infantry units and light armour. You could also run them with a cheap 40pt priest nearby to give them another +1 attack through their War Hymns.

The slab shield and brute shield both have their uses with the former giving the model a 2+ save and the latter a 4+ invulnerable save. If you do choose a larger unit if these then choose to have an almost 50/50 split between brute and slab shields, as one will allow you to save against high ap weaponry while the other will be good for small arms fire. This makes this unit very survivable and able to trudge up the field under heavy fire to smash face.

As well as this, if you use the Stratagem Take Cover! You can add a further +1 to their saving throw, which if already in cover can mean you’re almost always saving on 2+.

Their drawback is the inability to use transports, but they more than make up for this with their survivability. With three wounds each and toughness 5 most enemy players will need 5’s to wound you most of the time, and with your choice of either 2+ saves if they choose small arms or 4+ invulnerable if they choose something heavier you have an answer for most things.

I’d even be tempted to run two units of nine, but that can be expensive with a single model running at 35pts.

9x Bullgryns – 315 points
– 4x Bullgryns with Slab Shield and Maul
– 4x Bullgryns with Brute Shield and Maul
– Bullgryn Bone ‘ead with Brute Shield and Maul

In my summary post of 2021 I promised that we would be posting more tactica and army lists in the coming year. What better way to start that than with a kit I received for Christmas?

So the first question is what should you build? As with all tank kits I personally feel they’re way to expensive to build as a single kit with set loadout so like with all my other kits I will be magnetising the kit to make both the Manticore and the Deathstrike – I’ll post a how to once I’ve figured it out myself! 🙂

Manticore

Courtesy of the GW 40k app and Warhammer+

The Manticore is almost a standard go to unit for competition Militarum lists, with board wide range not needing line of sight and 2D6 shots hitting at S10. You only have four rockets per game, but on average a single rocket can deliver 3 hits and will wound T5 targets on 2+. But you’re probably not going to want to expend your ammo on troops, but the enemies much loved tanks however are a different kettle of fish. This will wound most tanks on 3+ meaning out of your seven shots, two to three will wound on average, with one or two of those likely to get through the targets armour after the -2 AP. With D3 damage per hit which can be improved to a flat 3 damage if you give Tank Aces: Full Payload, this will mean you’re taking on average between two to three wounds off your target in the turn (or 6 with Full Payload).

Target Toughness/Save	Av Shots	Hits	Wounds	Unsaved
T6+ with 3+ Save	7	3.5	2.3	1.5
Up to T5 with 3+ Save	7	3.5	2.9	1.9

Now that doesn’t sound ground-breaking, but remember that’s average, if you’re rolling well and you have Full Payload equipped the tank will do a further three wounds for each unsaved hit, that’s some serious punch.

The drawback is the Militarum ballistic skill, with 4+ only half your shots may hit your targets. You can improve this, firstly with an additional five points you can purchase an Augur array which will allow you to re-roll a single failed hit roll per battle for that Manticore, well worth the points if successful.

For one CP you can also use the Direct Onslaught stratagem from Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good. This allows the Manticore to add 1 to its hit roll if it can see it’s target.

I would take two Manticores in any list where I’m looking to include them. Keep them out of sight and just use them to bombard enemy high toughness targets. You’re taking two for redundancy options as your opponent will soon destroy them once he realises what they can do.

Make sure you include the 5pt Hunter-Killer missile for the single S10 shot that’s AP-2 and can do D6 damage (or flat 6 if you have Full Payload equipped). Worth the points! I then choose the Heavy Flamer and Stubber for defensive purposes in case anyone decides to charge it.

Manticore (160 points)
– Augur array
– Heavy Flamer
– Heavy Stubber
– Hunter-Killer missile