Looking at Vanilla CA at the moment and trying to work out how people justify the Charontid vs Anathematic argument. Anathematic is around 10-15pts more expensive and lacks some of the options (MSV/HD+) but I'm struggling to convince myself that these things provide sufficient counter to the TO -6 and Marker state. Especially looking at tourney play and having 0 clue who I will be facing - so I wouldn't be targeting a player/faction with MSV3.
well, for one... you're unlikely to take one without it being the LT. So if you focus on just the LT profiles... Anath is Plasma/Nano with the option of a HD, Charon is Plasma/Nano or HMG with MSV3, or Plasma/Sepsitor, or Plasma/HD+ It kinda comes down to what the rest of your list is doing, really. having said that, the new charontid model is fantastic, and while the old anathematic model is utterly gorgeous and one of the best CA models ever made, its also a pain to assemble.
It's very difficult to play charotide other profile but with HMG.... Everythin else - coming close means addtional threats from e\m, CC, hacking. Anathematics has stealth and camo to keep himself safe (OK, theoreticaly charontide can make cybermask - but, that is not the same). Very hard to master charontide play vs expirienced player.... ;(
I've had great success with a Plasma Rifle Charontid over the years. It needs some long range support certainly but it's definitely a mid-field bruiser. Great for clearing out those pesky camo infiltrators. In answer to the question, it depends what the mission is and what you want it to do. A HD Lt Anathematic can do some serious heavy lifting in objective missions. The MSV3 HMG Charontid offers excellent long range fire support. For the occasional 'Nobody expects the Spanish Inquisition' moment the sepsitor Anathematic is hilarious. Nobody expects you to forgoe the Mnemonica benefits so when you emerge out of TO with a large template weapon and steal a pair of Ninjas, hilarity ensues .
Yeah I'm a big fan of Plasma Rifle Charontid, it bags a lot of bodies on the more dense areas of the table when I need it to advance. I do like the Anathematic a lot, I take them both sometimes, but he does feel a bit weaker(?) than the Charontid for the points you pay. Not so much vs each other, but I feel like I get less for the Anathematics points than for other options. He's still really good though.
I like both but I love running the sepsitor Anathematic. Last night it got me Achilles and I had him fight to the death with Ajax. Plus the 40mm camo marker scares people real bad for some reason.
This here. Charontid is the 'killy' one for when you just want to murder people and make sure they stay dead. Anathematic is for button pushing missions where you can push some buttons, then murder the crap out of everyone too. They're just too different one from the other to make it seem like you can just take one instead of the other. For example: if you take an anathematic you can forgo smoke throwers altogether, while taking a charontid MSV3 kinda makes you want some daturazi and maybe a speculo for smoke tricks.
If you need a great mission button pushers profile, carry with Anatema+some camo support markers. HackerIE profile with WIP16 and the best way for using a TO re-caomuflage spending 1 full order, better than Charontid H+ when he need's to roll on 16WIP dice on a full order to using cybermask and go to fail to get on marker state. Supress fire on plasma rifle+cover+TO and the big tip, expansive ammo from plasma in a TO marker, like Noctifer with ML applying that -6PHY on dodge roll on surprise+template mode. He are a very dangerous unit and i see him the best complete aspect for that. If you need a good firefigther take Charontid with MSV3, easy smoke combo with 2+ or more smoke on speculo/anyat and some daturazis on the table and better BS than Anatema. But in terms of mission pusher, he lacks a lot form an marker state, only as a H+ on cybermask and he have the problem when he fails an entire order for that, but at same time, he have White Nosie and the same Fairy Dust program on himself like the Anatema, on an Hacker type unit as a HI with repeaters units, works very very dangerous, and the same 16WIP. He are best profile than an Aquila Guard, but lacks a lot form their S5 its very huge, but... always works fine on entire orders on: discover+shoot actions, he had a free discover against camo/TO markers and that action order are the better choice to do on him on an a full action.
Playing around with shasvastii + EI construct lists because those are the parts of combined army I like has me more often than not picking the Charontid for an answer to other people's camo models and a more than solid looking HMG LT. The Anathematic also looks like a big winner of a unit, but I've got enough camo and TO camo that I felt I needed to have something that didn't fall over if an Intruder sees it rather than an even bigger TO guy.