Hi everyone, Michael here with a review of Macragge’s premier tank commander, Sergeant Chronus. For more reviews, analyses and battle reports, check out the Tactics Corner.
Overview:
Sergeant Chronus essentially acts as an upgrade for one selected vehicle in the Space Marine army, providing that vehicle with a number of useful buffs. He cost only 50 pts (plus the cost of the vehicle) and makes several vehicles much more effective and useful choices in an Ultramarines army.
Wargear:
- Bolt Pistol
- Frag Grenades
- Krak Grenades
- Servo-arm
Special Rules:
- ATSKNF
- Chapter Tactics (Ultramarines)
- Independent Character
- Ultramarines Tank Commander- You must take a single Rhino, Razorback, Predator, Whirlwind, Hunter, Stalker, Land Raider, Land Raider Crusader or Land Raider Redeemer that is added to the cost of Sergeant Cronus. The vehicle becomes a character and gains BS5, It Will Not Die and ignores the effects of Crew Stunned and Crew Shaken results. If the vehicle is wrecked or explodes, Chronus is treated as a passenger and may disembark and can acts on his own as an Independent Character (assuming he survives the explosion).
Tactics:
As can be seen above, Sergeant Chronus provides some serious bonuses to one tank in the Space Marine army.
I would be inclined to take him in a Predator or Vindicator to get maximum effect for his bonuses. A Predator with 3 Lascannons will be firing three shots hitting on 2’s (one twin-linked) and will be able to fire every turn (thanks to ignoring Crew Stunned and Crew Shaken effects) until the tank is destroyed or the weapons are destroyed. The Vindicator will also benefit from Chronus, being able to move and shoot each turn and maximising its firepower during the game.
Both tanks provide Sergeant Chronus with a pretty durable frame at front armour 13, and he provides It Will Not Die to hopefully keep the tank going for longer.
Unlike other tank character style upgrades (such as Pask), Sergeant Chronus is able to survive on the battlefield if his tank is destroyed. He comes armed with a Techmarine stats (except with a 3+ armour save) and a Servo-arm. Once his tank is destroyed, it is probably best to hide him in cover or with another unit to prevent giving up the kill point or victory points for the vehicle. I think this is how it works, but it is not too clear. The rules state that Sergeant Chronus’ cost is added to the cost of the vehicle and the vehicle becomes an HQ choice. If you destroy the vehicle, but Sergeant Chronus survives, I assume the vehicle does not give up a kill point until Chronus is dead.
He could also be a valuable upgrade for a Land Raider, making an already tough vehicle even harder to kill. In addition, ignoring the effects of Crew Stunned and Crew Shaken will ensure that if you are using the Land Raider as an assault unit carrying vehicle, only immobilising it will stop it from getting its payload to target.
Formations
Sergeant Chronus’ vehicle actually makes a good choice for Warlord in an Anvil Strike Force. This allows his tank to gain the warlord trait allowing him to choose a vehicle in the detachment to shoot twice. If you take him with a Lascannon Predator, you get to fire 6 Lascannon shots at BS5 at two separate targets. Not too bad for a 190 pts tank.
Overall, Sergeant Chronus is a decent upgrade choice for a tank in an Ultramarines army. The only downside is the general downside of the current game, in that many vehicles are too easily destroyed by a variety of weapons and are generally seen as an inefficient use of points in many armies.
And as always, Frontline Gaming sells Games Workshop product at up to 25% off of retail, every day!
You can also pick up some cheap models in our Second Hand Shop. Some of these gems are quite rare, sometimes they’re fully painted!
