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Grand Cathay · 230–270 points · Monster
Best Cathayan Sentinel: which variant should you take?
The best Cathayan Sentinel for value is the Terracotta: it won 57 of 80 combats at 230 points, only two fewer than the Jade Sentinel at 250. Granite is the one I would pick to fight other big hitters.
Quick answer: the best Cathayan Sentinel depends on the job
- Best value
- Terracotta: 57 of 80 won at 230 points, the cheapest variant
- Most wins
- Jade: 59 of 80, though it pays for magic my test ignores
- Against big hitters
- Granite: better armour and immune to Multiple Wounds
- Weakest when charged
- Warpstone: 18 of 40 won when receiving
Two variants pay for magical abilities that a pure melee test never uses, so I picked on value and on the job rather than on wins alone.
How many simulations I ran
I ran 400 complete combats with Cathayan Sentinels, 80 per variant: 40 charging and 40 receiving against four heavyweight opponents of about 235–254 points. These were the results.
Jade and Obsidian Sentinels pay for magical abilities that a pure melee duel never uses, so my numbers understate both. Each Sentinel faced its heavyweight opponents 10 times per matchup, an exploratory sample.
All five Sentinel variants
Cathayan Sentinels against heavyweight opponents. n = 40 combats per direction ±15 points
| Variant | Pts | Charging | Receiving | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Terracotta | 230 | 29/40 | 28/40 | 57/80 |
| Jade | 250 | 31/40 | 28/40 | 59/80 |
| Obsidian | 255 | 24/40 | 26/40 | 50/80 |
| Granite | 265 | 28/40 | 28/40 | 56/80 |
| Warpstone | 270 | 28/40 | 18/40 | 46/80 |
Sentinels fought a tougher bracket than my usual ~140-point units: 15 Ironbreakers (about 246 points), 7 Khorne Chaos Knights (about 235), 5 Rat Ogres with handlers (about 240) and 18 Bestigors (about 254).
What each variant is for
- Terracotta looked excellent for pure melee value, because Regeneration 6+ always matters and it is the cheapest variant.
- Granite is the defensive specialist: better armour and immunity to Multiple Wounds are exactly what you want against other big hitters.
- Jade and Obsidian pay for magical utility that my hand-to-hand test deliberately ignores.
- Warpstone shines when −1 Toughness crosses a wound breakpoint, but S6 already wounds many T4 targets on 2+, so the benefit was often wasted here.
See how the Sentinels fit alongside the rest of the army on my Grand Cathay units page.
My conclusion
Based on these results, I would use a Terracotta Sentinel as the general-purpose fighter and a Granite Sentinel to face other monsters and big hitters, and not take a Warpstone Sentinel expecting it to hold when charged.
FAQs
Which Cathayan Sentinel is best against monsters?
Granite. Its better armour and immunity to Multiple Wounds are exactly what matters against other big hitters, and it won 56 of 80 in my heavyweight bracket.
Is the Warpstone Sentinel good?
It is the most expensive variant and the weakest when charged in my tests (18 of 40). Its −1 Toughness aura often did nothing, because S6 already wounds T4 targets on 2+.
Can you take a Sentinel in Battle March?
Often not easily. At 230–270 points a Sentinel can exceed the single-unit points caps of smaller Battle March armies, so check the cap for its slot at your army size.