Editing Lion El'Jonson (section)

=Tabletop=
[[File:LionElJohnson-30k.jpg|thumb|right|400px|How can the [[Night Lords]] scare someone, who Knows no Fear?]]

===Heresy 1.0===
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{| class=wikitable
! scope= col | || Pts || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || Ld || Sv
|-
! scope=row | Lion El'Jonson 
| 460 || 8 || 5 || 7 || 6 || 6 || 7 || 5(7) || 10 || 2+/4++
|}

The Lion is only a slightly better then average beat-stick, with no notable strengths or weaknesses. He does have the ability to counter some other primarchs' strengths so he's barely inconvenienced by hit debuff effects like blindness or invisibility. He is also able to throw out several debuffs in the first round of combat on his own and has quite possibly the best overwatch of any Primarch in the game. Not necessarily enough for him to turn the tides on his top tier bros (Horus, Sanguinius etc) but certainly enough to put the scare on any other kind of unit that thinks they can take him on.

In keeping with the Dark Angels being sneaky bastards, the Lion has some very deceptively sneaky tricks up his sleeve that make him much better then he first appears.

He has access to:

*'''The Lion Sword:''' an AP1 two-handed Master-crafted sword, with Fleshbane and Lance.

*'''The Wolf Blade:''' an AP2, +3Str two-handed chainsword, with Shred and a rule called ''Fearsome Ruin'', which forces enemies who take morale checks from losing combat against him to roll 3d6 and drop the lowest, due to the horror of all the body parts getting thrown about.

*'''The Leonine Panoply:''' giving him a 2+ armour save and a 4+ inv save, that can be re-rolled once per turn. The re-roll is nice but comes up a bit short when compared to the armour available to his brothers. It's a bit bizarre that even in the description the Lion Helm is stated to be the crowning jewel of the armour, even going so far as describing its force field projecting abilities; almost like the 6in INV bubble was originally intended, but later removed (most likely for balance reasons).

*'''The Fusil Actinaeus:''' a special twin-linked range 18, ST 7, AP 2 Salvo 2/4 plasma gun that can render the enemy blind until the end of <u>their next</u> turn. However he [[Derp|cannot charge after shooting his target.]], although it doesn't have the Gets Hot rule either, so that's something; he kind of want's his opponent to charge him to get the most out of his Salvo 2/4. It's actually very in character for the Lion to stand still, daring his opponent to attack him; being able to fire off 4 ST 7, AP 2 shots at his foe, and then getting to fire again during overwatch sounds pretty nasty.
**Multiple rerollable shots of Blinding have reasonable odds of scoring a hit on overwatch, and subjecting an incoming charger to another Blind test.
**Against elite, high initiative opponents the odd of this are ordinarily quite low, but with the amount of Stasis that 30k Dark Angels can throw out means that many opponents may already be debuffed before they face him.
*Oh look, he has Stasis Grenades! These drop the Initiative of his opponents to 1 until the end of the '''game turn''' if the Lion charges or is charged, basically guaranteeing him the first attack on the first round of any combat no matter who he fights, and also possibly the next round of combat depending on play sequence. .
**If the Dark Angel player goes first and he charged, or goes second and is charged, then his opponent will be I1 for two rounds.
**They also stack with the Fusil Actinaeus on overwatch, since Blind tests are taken at the end of a phase, meaning there are good odds (depending on how many shots the Lion makes) that his opponent is also dropped to WS1 for up to three rounds of combat. ''(The initial charge, the Lions following turn, then until the end of the next turn.)''
**It also means that Hit and Run opponents may need to wait a while before attempting to escape from the Lion.

Regardless of which sword is chosen, he is always wounding any other Primarch on a 2+, as he either has Fleshbane or Str10. So that is 5 attacks at Int 7, at WS8 (hitting on no worse than 4+) and wounding on 2+; so although he is throwing out less attacks then some of his brothers (only 1 less really, unless Angron has had time to juice himself up; this is of course not counting the extra attacks the Lion gets when taking wounds), he is very likely going to make more effective use of them.

Rules-wise we have:

*He can be accompanied by a squad of Deathwing Companions as part of his Lords of War choice. He cannot leave this unit. If the Cytheron pattern Aegis is in use by the Deathwing Companions with the Lion, then any opponent suffers a -1 Initiative penalty; that Int 7 is looking a bit more impressive now; even after the effects of the Stasis Grenades have finished, the shields will still provide the Lion with a higher initiative then most of his brothers. The companions automatically pass Look Out Sir rolls and prevent their charge from being picked out by Precision Shots. This unit, at bare bones, is actually fairly cheep, so having a few of these guys hanging around will definitely keep the Lion in play a bit longer. For the price of one Garviel Loken you get a five man 2+ save unit all armed with Melta bombs, and with 2 +2st instant death attacks a piece; plus they essentially double the Lion's wound, which can be used to automatically tank troublesome wounds, like those caused by weapons like the Talon of Horus.
**If you wanted to, you can also give each of them a power fist (if you take them instead of the Melta Bombs, it works out at the same cost). If the unit is attached to the Lion then any unit that they charge (or are charged by) are going to have their Initiative dropped to 1 until the end of the turn, essentially allowing them to strike first on the turn they charge. That's at bare minimum, ten ST8, AP2 attacks, hitting at what would essentially be their normal Initiative. Then add the Lions own five ST10 (Wolf Blade) AP2 attacks into the mix, and watch anything that they are pointed at simply disappear. At full strength that would be a grand total of twenty ST8, AP2 attacks; even when used against a high WS opponent like a Primarch, a good number of these attacks are going to get through.
*'''The Lion's Choler:''' when reduced to 4 wounds he gains 1+ attack, and when reduced to 2 wounds this increases to 2+ attacks. With his other rules reducing some negative effects on his combat effectiveness, he only gets better the longer the fight goes on. The rule as written only requires the Lion to be reduced to 4 wounds to gain the extra attack not that he needs to remain on four wounds to keep it. If he is reduced to 4 wounds he will gain an attack, then if he passes a 'It will not die' test he will regain a wound, and as the rule is written keep the extra attack, as he has already met the requirement of being reduced to 4 wounds. This may not have been how it was supposed to work but the way the rule is written means that he can repeat this process every time he is reduced to the required number of wounds. Interesting, going by the way the rule is written any extra attacks he gains at 4 wounds become +2 instead of +1 upon being reduced to 2 wounds; if you can manage to pull off being reduced to 4 wounds twice, those two extra attacks become four extra attacks; although if he then regains more then the two wound requirement they would again become +1 instead of +2. This may not be how it is intended but it does make the rule slightly better without it being game breaking.
*'''An Absolute Focus:''' Never needs to roll more then 4+ to hit any enemy. While this rule and its description sound cool, there are not many instances where this rule will triger in close combat and these will be fight you'll usually want to avoid regardless. Aside from fighting a Warlord Titan: at WS8, your opponent will need the combination of equal/higher WS + a modifier to hit (Read Leman Russ), or to drastically drop the WS of the Lion (Horus or Blinding effects) for the rule to actually be of use. Note that there is nothing in this rule preventing you from using it during overwatch!
*'''Sire of the Dark Angels:''' 3d6 and drop highest morale army wide, and +1 combat resolution in a 12 inch bubble.
**While this looks like a boring buff, it is still a very useful feature. 3d6 drop highest gives an average result of around '5'. This effectively gives a +2Ld bonus to the whole army that is not capped at 10 like [[Roboute Guilliman|several]] [[Vulkan|other]] Primarchs' "Sire of..." do, so don't expect Dark Angels to run away any time soon. The +1 to combat resolution is a nice added bonus even [[Rogal Dorn|though]] [[Fulgrim|other]] Primarch often offer more. Only Lorgar does Morale better, since Word Bearers do all the same things that the Lion provides but he ''also'' lets the army use his Ld10 as well as other benefits.
*'''The Point of the Blade:''' the Lion and any unit may automatically charge 8 inches, ignoring terrain instead of rolling. Makes catching that troublesome Curze pretty reliable.

He is fast, hits hard, and can take a hit and keep on swinging, so although he isn't going to be steamrolling other Primarchs (He will still lose to both Horus and Russ, who remain the top dogs), he will still be an opponent that they will be wary of taking on head to head, as regardless of who they are it's going to hurt. Except when facing Horus, a Warlord Titan and T9/10 models, the Wolf Blade is probably the better option. Against any T8 and below enemies, The Wolf-Blade will statistically deal slightly more DMG than the Lion's Sword whenever the Lion will throw 6 attacks or more with the Added benefit of having ID attacks against T5 and below enemies (therefore 1-shoting custodes and marines). against anything that <u>isn't</u> ''Fearless'', then he's probably going to be taking out entire squads in one turn singlehandedly: while he might not have the attacks to kill everyone, his bonus to combat resolution, plus the morale penalty for losing, means they are likely going to be running away every single time, and with the penalty difference from I7 to I1 thanks to Stasis effects means he is going to catch them ''every. single. time''.


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====30k The Lion vs Other 30K Primarchs: Heresy 1.0====
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Based on current Rules; updated when full rules are released.
Primarch fighting, while fun to see, isn't a very competitive thing to do as it'll usually tie up both Primarchs for the entire game without either of them dying. With that in mind this section is all about how The Lion fares against other Primarchs mathhammer wise. Please note that all the various melee abilities are taken into account. (The Blinding rule on overwatch is situational dependent on who charges and actually scoring a hit, which is seldom factored in to these duels) and the match-ups assume the Primarchs are the only ones involved in the fighting, so various abilities like Angron's "The Butcher's Nails" and Rampage do not provide any bonuses.
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*NOTE: The math is finicky here. Sometimes the numbers rack up to e.g. 4.028-4.2 wounds left, and can be debated if it should trigger the Lion's Choler. This affects only one round before the Lion solidly crosses the threshold, and adding the extra attacks doesn't seem to change the outcome of the matches so far.
*Hit and Run hasn't been factored in, because the Lion has the potential to drop his opponent to I1 for two phases of combat depending on who started the game, making multiple escapes unlikely.
**The Lion's overwatch is actually pretty decent and has a fair chance (depending on number of shots) of dropping opponent to WS1 for up to three combat phases, which is huge. Ending up wrecking the maths.

* The Lion VS Horus
**Horus hits 3 times (Talon), wounds 2.667 times, 1.083 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.75 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Horus (1 Strike): hits 4 times, wounds 3.556 times, 1.528 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.194 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 0.81/0.833 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.477/0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.667/2.917 times, 0.972 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.639 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.134/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that to 0.801/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Horus wins.
**This doesn't factor in Disabling Strike dropping Wolf Blade to S7 after 3 strikes, or Sire of the SoH giving Horus d3 attacks after 4 strikes; even when the Lion starts getting his full 7 attack's, Horus is throwing out 7- 9 attack's, there really isn't anything the Lion can do here.
**That 3+ INV save really makes all the difference. Even after gaining attacks, not enough damage is getting through to allow the Lion to catch up.
**Horus simply outclasses the Lion both in offensive output and defensive capabilities. The Lion's abilities really count for nothing here, Horus simply needs to wound him four times with the talon, to get the D3 extra attacks, and then pummel him with his mace.
**Horus has a 3+ save against anything that affects his profile, so he is unlikely to be affected by Stasis, and therefore even less likely to fail a blind test if he's hit by Overwatch.

* The Lion VS Angron
**Angron (Round 1): hits 5.333 times, wounds 4.444 times, 1.972 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.639 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Angron (Round 2): hits 4 times, wounds 3.333 times, 1.417 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.083 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 0.81/0.833 after saves and FNP, and IWND will take that down to 0.477/0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.667/2.917 times, 0.972 after saves and FNP, and IWND will take that down to 0.639 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.134/1.111 after saves and FNP, and IWND will take that to 0.801/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Angron wins.
**Nothing really complicated here, Angron simply throws out a lot more damage then the Lion.
**Even blinded, Angron with Hatred can pump out more damage on the charge than some other brothers do with clear vision! ''(1.37 unsaved wounds based on 7 rerollable attacks)'' Though it does hurt him in the subsequent rounds while he recovers. However the Lion struggles to claim a lead due to Angron's FNP, resulting in a mutual kill by the fifth round of combat.

* The Lion VS Fulgrim
**Fulgrim (Initiative 1 for up to two rounds) hits 3 times (Fireblade), wounds 2.333 times (Child of Terra), 0.916 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.583 at the start of the next turn.
**Fulgrim (round 2/3 onward) hits 3.5 times (Fireblade), wounds 2.722 times (Child of Terra), 1.111 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 0.81/0.833 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.477/0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 0.972 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.639 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.134/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that to 0.801/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Fulgrim wins
**The combination of that 3+ Inv save, higher initiative and number of attacks gives Fulgrim the advantage so long as he keeps it. Under Stasis, Fulgrim puts out marginally more than the Lion, but not a whole lot. However there are about two rounds of combat where Fulgrim will always do better no matter what happens and set himself up for the win before the Lion builds up his own steam. The best the Lion can hope for is to be charged and have a fair chance of blinding Fulgrim for that first bout and getting a good lead before he recovers.

* The Lion VS Mortarion
**Mortarion hits 2.5 times, wounds 1.667 times, 0.583 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.25 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 times (Wolf Blade), wounds 3.241 times, 1.62 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.065 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4 times, wounds 3.889 times, 1.944 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.389 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667 times, wounds 4.537 times, 2.269 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.713 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.
**Mortarion makes the Lion Sword only wound on 6s. Even if Strength can be used, Mortarion will win against the Lion Sword.

* The Lion VS Ferrus
**Ferrus hits 2.5 times, wounds 2.083 times, 0.792 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.458 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.08/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.747/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/4.667 times, wounds 3.889 times, 1.297 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.962 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/5.333 times, wounds 4.537/4.444 times, 1.512/1.481 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.179/1.148 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Konrad Curze
**Curze hits 3 times, wounds 2.25 times, 0.875 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.542 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 1.215/1.25 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.882/0.917 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 1.458 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.125 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.701/1.667 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.368/1.333 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Vulkan
**Vulkan hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times, 0.583 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.25 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.08/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.525/0.556 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/4.667 times, wounds 3.889 times, 1.297 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.741 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/5.333 times, wounds 4.537/4.444 times, 1.512/1.481 after saves and IWND will take that to 0.957/0.926 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Lorgar 
**Lorgar hits 3 times, wounds 2.5 times, 1 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (Round 1): hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.08/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.747/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.62/1.667 times after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.287/1.333 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/4.667 times, wounds 3.889 times, 1.944 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.611 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/5.333 times, wounds 4.537/4.444 times, 2.269/2.222 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.935/1.889 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.
**As usual, psychic powers not included.

* The Lion VS Perturabo
**Perturabo hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times (Forgebreaker), 0.483 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.25 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Perturabo (Lion Blinded): hits 2.667 times, wounds 2.222 times, 0.861 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.528 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 0.81/0.833 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.477/0.5 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 0.972 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.639 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.134/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that to 0.801/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Alpharius
**Alpharius hits 2.917 times, wounds 1.701 times, 0.6 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.267 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/2 times (Alpharius is immune to Fleshbane), 1.62/1 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.287/0.677 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/4.667 times, wounds 3.889/2.333 times, 1.944/1.167 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.611/0.833 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/5.333 times, wounds 4.537/2.667 times, 2.269/1.333 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.935/1 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Rogal Dorn
**Dorn hits 2 times, wounds 1.5 times, 0.5 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.167 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.222/2 times (Auric Armour supercedes Fleshbane), 1.111/1 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.778/0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.667/2.333 times, 1.333/1.167 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1/0.833 wound at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.111/2.667 times, 1.555/1.333 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.222/1 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Corvus Corax
**Only showing the Wolf Blade, because as you can see the difference is marginal.
**Corax hits 4 (Scourge)/3 (Shadow-walk) times, wounds 3/2.25 times, 1.25/0.875 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.917/0.542 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Scourge)/2.5 times (Shadow-walk), wounds 3.241/2.431 times, 2.16/1.62 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.827/1.287 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/3 times, wounds 3.889/2.917 times, 2.593/1.944 after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.259/1.611 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/3.5 times, wounds 4.537/3.402 times, 3.025/2.269 after saves and IWND will take that to 2.691/1.935 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins, especially if Corax H&Rs, since it exposes Corax to more stasis and blinding overwatch.

* The Lion vs. Leman Russ
**Russ hits 4.667 times (Axe), wounds 3.889 times, 1.694 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.361 at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 1.215/1.25 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.882/0.917 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 1.458 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.125 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.701/1.667 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.368/1.333 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Russ wins.  But normally Russ beats his brothers bloody with their own torn off arms; the Lion makes him work for it.
**The Armour of Elavagar means the Lion hits on 4+ even if Russ is blinded. However it will drop Russ' combat output by around half (hitting 2.333 times/2.666 on the charge). If Russ gets blinded on overwatch (not counting the actual S7 AP2 hit itself) the Lion will have the Wolf King beaten on the fifth round of combat after his first attack upgrade but before Russ' IWND applies at the end of his own turn. Any other situation results in a win for Russ.

* The Lion VS Jaghatai Khan
**Khan hits 4 times, wounds 2 times, 0.75 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.417 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade) / 4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.08/1.111 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.747/0.778 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 4/4.667 times, wounds 3.889 times, 1.297 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.962 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 4.667/5.333 times, wounds 4.537/4.444 times, 1.512/1.481 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.179/1.148 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

* The Lion VS Roboute Guilliman
**Guilliman (Round 1): hits 2.5 times, wounds 2.222 (Gladius)/2.083 (Hand) times, 0.861/0.792 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.528/0.458 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Guilliman (Round 3+): hits 3.33 times, wounds 2.963/2.778 times, 1.231/1.139 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.898/0.806 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (Round 1): hits 3.333 (Wolf Blade)/4 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.241/3.333 times, 1.37/1.417 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.037/1.083 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (Round 2): hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.431/2.5 times, 0.965/1 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.632/0.667 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 1.208 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.875 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.451/1.417 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.118/1.083 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.

*The Lion VS Sanguinius
**A little preface for this one, it's actually better for Sanguinius to be charged by the Lion than to charge him because it makes it extremely unlikely for him to become Blind.
**Sanguinius (Round 1 without charging): hits 4.666 times (Blade), wounds 4.148 times, 1.824 times after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.491 wounds at the start of the next turn.
***Sanguinius on the charge (if he passed his blind check) hits 5.333 times, wounds 5.574 times (including HoW), 2.638 wounds after saves and IWND will take that down to 2.204 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Sanguinius (Round 2 onwards): hits 4 times (Blade), wounds 3.555 times, 1.528 times after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.195 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (5-6 Wounds) hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/2.75 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.291 times, 1.215/1.145 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.882/0.812 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (3-4 Wounds, also round 1) hits 3 (Wolf Blade)/3.25 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.916/2.708 times, 1.458/1.354 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.125/1.021 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (1-2 Wounds) hits 3.5 (Wolf Blade)/3.75 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 3.402/3.125 times, 1.701/1.562 after saves and IWND will take that down to 1.368/1.229 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Sanguinius wins. If he gets charged by the Lion he still wins. Though the reality is that Sanguinius only has one-shot ranged weapons. So the Lion can just stand and shoot his brother until Sanguinius is forced to charge and risk being blinded until the end of his next turn (three phases) and losing.

* The Lion VS Magnus
**Magnus hits 2 times, wounds 1.667 times (Forgebreaker), 0.483 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.25 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion hits 2.5 (Wolf Blade)/3 (Lion Sword) times, wounds 2.43/2.5 times, 1.215/1.25 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.882/0.917 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (4 wounds): hits 3/3.5 times, wounds 2.917 times, 1.458 after saves and IWND will take that down to 0.125 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion (2 wounds): hits 3.5/4 times, wounds 3.403/3.333 times, 1.701/1.667 after saves and IWND will take that to 1.368/1.333 wounds at the start of the next turn.
**Lion wins.
**Psychic shenanigans: The Lion fights well against Iron Arm/Warp Speed Magnus, as he wounds on 2+/rerollable 3+ on a decent number of attacks. IA/WS Magnus should win because of higher initiative, but the Lion has a chance of winning one turn earlier (5.778 wounds). However, Magnus with Warp Speed and Endurance beats the Lion, due to the Lion's current lack of Instant Death.

At this point the Lion looks fairly solid, although he still can't compete against Horus, or Sanguinius, who are still sitting pretty at the top; and Fulgrim or Russ only if he resorts to overwatch trickery. Even with his rules seemingly tailored to counter their combat boosting abilities, he just can't manage to pull it off mano-e-mano; shame. His average number of attacks and defence really keep him from challenging the big boys, but he will still put up a decent performance against the less combat focused Primarchs.

Ultimately the Lion's melee rules don't actually make him a better combatant, They are more about limiting any negative effects to his combat effectiveness, so anyone who has a similar base status to the Lion, but also abilities that boost them are going to really give him a hard time of it. The combo of more attack and a better INV save is almost always going to provide a win against the Lion.

The Fusil Actinaeus is a bit of a wildcard: If he can blind his opponent it will seriously drop the output of his opponent and even boost the Lion's own for several turns. He only gets one attempt at a overwatch and gambling a whole combat on it is risky, but ultimately it is better for the Lion to be charged by anything he can't kill in one turn, and reserve his own charge for targets he knows he can kill without resorting to tricks.

When it comes down to simple combat the Lion is a very solid option overall, his Sire of the Legion rule is pretty average, and he doesn't do anything interesting with the army selection like several other Primarchs do. He ends up being very costly for what he brings to the table; if you want something to just run in and hit things you might be better off taking a Deathstar squad.

In that note: If you can field him in an army with Marduk Sedras, then he can be put in a unit with Preferred Enemy ''(he is unable to claim the rule personally, but can benefit from an attached squad with it)'' and effectively be made unable to fail hit or wound rolls.


</div></div>

===Heresy 2.0===

Much has changed in this newest edition of the Horus Heresy.

Primarchs have a set of shared rules:
*Independent Character, Eternal warrior, Fearless, It Will Not Die (5+), Bulky (4) and Relentless. Unit type character 
*They are not effected by negative modifiers to their statlines (other then wounds).
*Resolve snap shots at their normal BS.
*All hits from either shooting or close combat are allocated by the Primarchs controlling player. These hits are kept in a separate wound pool.


The Lion in this edition has seen some interesting changes:

{| class=wikitable
! || Pts || M || WS || BS || S || T || W || I || A || LD || SV
|-
| Lion:|| 460 || 8 || 8 || 6 || 7 || 6 || 6 || 7 || 7 || 10 || 2+(4++)
|}

He has an above average state line for a Primarchs; the exact same as Russ.

* Legiones Astartes (Dark Angels): just like the rest of the legion the Lion can choose a wing sub-type, however he can switch around which one he uses each turn. The effect carries over to his squad too, but only one subtype can apply each turn so they can't stack. Some are clearly more useful then the others but at least there is some flexibility here.
** '''Stormwing:''' +1 to hit when shooting. This normally only applies to Bolt Pistols, Boltguns, or Combi-bolters. But the Fusil Actineaus gets a specific exemption. However there is almost no reason to ever use this since he already hits on a rerollable 2+. Only use it in the bizarre circumstance that he's attached to a Boltguns using squad, and out of charge range of the enemy.
** '''Deathwing:''' +1 to hit when in combat. Against most targets, this is unnecessary, as with WS8 he already hits on a 2+ with a master crafted reroll; but against bigger opponents like Primarchs, this will be a default option.
** '''Dreadwing:''' -1 to the strength of flame, plasma, volkite and phosphex weapons. For poison increase the roll needed to wound by 1.
** '''Ironwing:''' re-roll hit rolls of 1 against vehicle unit type. The Lion is accurate and gets enough rerolls that he might never need this. Use when attached to a squad armed with combi-meltas or something similar, and then they become more accurate when they need to be.
** '''Firewing:''' +1 to wound against units with at least one independent character. With or without the ability to reroll, most times the Lion already wounds on a 2+, and this '''doesn't''' affect his ability to activate Breaching or Rending on his weapons.
*** It's also worth pointing out using the Firewing subtype and the Serpents Bane Rite of War gives him +1 to hit, +1 to Wound, AND +1 attack against his priority targets. Giving him the benefit of the Stormwing, Deathwing, Firewing and more all at once and should be his preferred mode when going Primarch hunting.
** '''Ravenwing:''' +1 to the distance moved when the unit Runs. Best case scenario, he's out of range of something he wants to kill.
* '''Master of the Legion:''' the Lion is also eligible for ALL of the Dark Angel Rites of War.
* '''Adamantium Will (3+)'''
* '''The Lions Choler:''' +1 attack when reduced to 4 wounds. This increases to +2 attacks when reduced to 2 wounds. Same wording as before so if you pass a ''It Will Not Die (5+)'' test and go back up to 5 wounds you should still be able to keep the extra attack. 
* '''The Point of the Blade:''' automatic 8 when making a charge roll for the Lion and any unit he has joined. Ignores the effects of difficult and dangerous terrain.
* '''[[Meme|LOYALIST]]'''
* '''Warlord: Sire of the Dark Angels:''' All models gain the ''Crusader'' special rule (as the rule is written the Lion also gets the rule, as it’s all models with the Legiones Astartes (Dark Angels) rule- vehicles as well). All models that can see the Lion gain +1 to their leadership. One extra reaction in the shooting phase.

The Lion can exchange the Lion sword for the Wolf blade for free.

* frag grenades
* '''The Leonine Panoply:''' 2+ save and a 4++. First failed invulnerable save of each player turn can be re-rolled (both players turns not just the controlling players turn). Ok but still no Lion Helm?
* '''The Fusil Actinaeus:''' 18", S7, AP3, Assault 2, Twin-Linked, Blind, Rending(3+). A pretty good gun, that rending on a 3+ will come in handy considering he can snipe characters. Just bear in mind that it is still AP3 against vehicles ''(Rending only adds to Penetration against vehicles)''
* '''The Lion Sword: ''' S-user, AP1, melee, Armourbane, Fleshbane, Master-crafted, Instant Death, Two-Handed. A good blade but the loss that +1 str looks weird when you consider that Guillimans one handed blade gives him a +1 to his strength but this massive two handed Sword does not. Armourbane means that he averages 14 penetration against vehicles most strikes, and doing +2 on the damage chart thanks to AP1.
* '''The Wolf blade: ''' S+2, AP3, melee, Two-handed, shred, breaching(4+), reaping blow(2), Master crafted, Fearsome Ruin. The only Primarch melee weapon that is AP3? And it went from +3 str to just 2+, Why? There are plenty other Primarch weapons that deal far more damage then this sword does and still got to keep their ap2. With the breaching(4+) rule , even with ''Shred'' and the ability to reroll, you are only going to get through 2+ Armour 58% of the time; roughly half your to-wound rolls will be at AP2 and the other half at AP3, meaning that half your successful wounds are going to just bounce of 2+ armour, and the rest will be halved again by just a 4++.
**Because of Shredding, the odds of wounding most targets are increased from 83% using the Lion Sword, to 97%. Six hits that wound using Breaching (4+) on average are likely to generate 3.5 AP2 wounds and 2.3 AP3 wounds, compared to the Lion Sword's 5.0 AP2 wounds. In real terms, when used against hard targets with Invulnerable saves better than 4++ ''(like Horus)'' the total number of unsaved wounds becomes so close that Wolf Blade actually turns out to be the better weapon because of the additional attacks that can be granted by the ''Reaping Blow'' rule.
*Stasis grenades= (why?) are now a once per battle item. When the Lion charges he can use these grenades to target an enemy unit, and if the target fails an initiative test(its not even an automatic effect, the target can still just straight up ignore the effects on a successful role) they suffer -1 to their initiative for the assault phase. Not going to beat about the bush here, they are terrible. The Lion already has an int of 7, so the only target he could really use them on is another Primarch, too bad Primarchs ignore negative modifiers to their state line… when exactly are these things ever going to be useful in game?

The Lions new rules are fine but compared to the massive boost many other Primarchs have had, he now looks very dull in comparison. The Wing sub-types really do add a lot to the overall potential and flexibility of the Lion, sometimes the combination of different Wing rules and war gear can greatly increase his combat effectiveness; you really need to pick the right one for whatever situation you are in- don’t just charge in, think first.

The Lion is good at Range, Melee combat- against both individuals and squads, and he is also good against vehicles. Although there are a few brothers he will struggle against in combat (one day we be able to re-enact the dual between the Lion and the Wolf) he does also provide some army wide bonuses, and can also help boost any unit he joins; Overall not bad.

====General Primarch Tactics: Lion El'Jonson====

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">

The Lion is nothing short of absolutely terrifying in this edition of Horus Heresy. He's got an incredibly powerful statline and wargear fit for a king, but he takes substantial skill to use to his full potential.

<div class="mw-collapsible-content">

One thing to consider is which weapon to use. The Lion has two weapons, The Lion Sword and the Wolf Blade, both of which are suited to different situations. For dreadnoughts, vehicles, and other Primarchs, you're going to want the Lion Sword, and for massed infantry, you'll want to be using the Wolf Blade. I've done some math below:

*Tactical Marines (WS4, T4, 1W, 3+)
**'''The Lion Sword:''' 5.97 hits, 4.98 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+1 Attack): 6.81 hits, 5.78 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+2 Attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 unsaved ID wounds
**'''The Wolf Blade:''' 7.64 hits, 7.43 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+1 Attack): 8.47 hits, 8.23 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+2 Attacks): 9.31 hits, 9.05 unsaved ID wounds
:The Wolf Blade is superior here, dealing almost 1.5x the damage of the Lion Sword without factoring Lion's Choler.

*Cataphractii Terminators (WS4, T4, 2W, 2+/4++)
**'''The Lion Sword:''' 5.97 hits, 4.98 wounds, 2.49 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+1 Attack): 6.81 hits, 5.78 wounds, 2.89 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+2 Attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, 3.19 unsaved ID wounds
**'''The Wolf Blade:''' 7.64 hits, 7.43 wounds, 2.68 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+1 Attack): 8.47 hits, 8.23 wounds, 2.97 unsaved ID wounds
***Lion's Choler (+2 Attacks): 9.31 hits, 9.05 wounds, 3.27 unsaved ID wounds
:In this case, the Wolf Blade is slightly better due to Reaping Blow (2), but not by a ton.

*Contemptor Dreadnought (WS5, T7, 6W, 2+/5++)
**'''The Lion Sword:''' 5.97 hits, 4.98 wounds, 3.32 unsaved ID wounds (6.64 wounds)
**'''The Wolf Blade:''' 5.97 hits, 5.80 wounds, 2.09 unsaved wounds
:Against a dreadnought, the Lion Sword is the superior option, due to having Armourbane and Instant Death, dealing D3 wounds per successful unsaved wound. The Wolf Blade isn't great, due to having AP3, and its inability to use Reaping Blow (2) against a dreadnought, since it's a single target.

*Land Raider Spartan (AV14, 6HP)
**'''The Lion Sword:''' 5.97 hits, 0.66 glancing hits, 4.34 penetrating hits, '''1.45 explodes results.''' Holy fuck, that spartan is gone.
**'''The Wolf Blade:''' 5.97 hits, ~1 glancing hit, ~1 penetrating hit.
:The Lion Sword is the FAR superior option, due to having Armourbane, Lance, and AP1.
:The Wolf Blade doesn't have anything to make it particularly great against vehicles.

Generally, the bigger the thing you're killing, the better the Lion Sword is-- especially Primarchs ([[Rogal Dorn|with a single exception]]).

The Lion isn't particularly durable, but his single invulnerable save re-roll can make him dangerous, especially against enemies that deal low amounts of wounds. However, the Lion isn't particularly difficult to overwhelm.

How many guns do you need to kill the Lion, on average, in one turn?
*Lascannons: 22
*Multi-Meltas: 17
*Plasma guns: 17 (34 shots)
*Disintegrators: 28 (52 shots)
*Autocannons: 28 (52 shots)
*Heavy Bolters: 41 (184 shots)
*Bolters: 163 (326 shots)

The Lion isn't very tanky against shooting attacks, but that's why you have a retinue. Speaking of which...

The Dark Angels have the two of the best retinue choices in the entire game:
*Deathwing Companions: These guys are amazing. 275 points buys you 10 veterans (WS5, BS4, 2W, SV 2+) with bolters and Calibanite Warblades, which are fine, but you're taking these fine gents with a Primarch, so you should pimp them out as much as you can.
**For melee weapons, you've got two additional options: power fists and Terranic greatswords. Generally you'll want to take the greatswords-- they're swords, so you get +1 to hit with the Deathwing sub-type, and on a 5+ to wound, you get AP2 ID, which means you're still inflicting ID on models with Battle-Hardened or any strength modifiers (e.g. Fafnir Rann). Additionally, consider giving one Companion a Cytheron-pattern Aegis, and keep it deployed. You only need one because of their ''Death-Sworn Companions'' rule, meaning that the whole unit ''including the character that joins it'' is immune to Precision Strikes, Precision Shots, and Sniper, so you don't have to worry about your shield man being sniped. With that, you've got 10 men that can do heavy damage to any target while taking plenty of damage in return. The cherry on top? that Cytheron-pattern Aegis gives enemies -1 Initiative when deployed, so the Lion gets a fantastic defensive boost!
*Inner Circle Knights Cenobium: Enough playing around, the boys are back in town. These dudes are ridiculous. Like, Matt Ward level stupid. 525 points gets you 10 Cataphractii terminators with WS5, Terranic Greatswords (which they can replace with thunder hammers FOR FREE), flamers with AP4 and Breaching (6+), and an ability called Orders of the Hekatonsystika, which gives them a whole slew of options:
**<u>Augurs of Weakness</u>: +1 Strength when making an Armour Penetration roll against a vehicle's facing if it is AV11 or more.
**<u>Icons of Resolve</u>: +1 Leadership when Charged or Charging? Pass.
**<u>Slayers of Kings</u>: Re-roll 1s to-hit when in close combat with enemy models that have WS5 or higher, or completely re-roll failed hits in Challenges against WS5 or higher.
**<u>Hunters of Beasts</u>: Re-roll 1s to-wound when in close combat against models of T5, or completely re-roll failed wounds in close combat against Toughness 6 or higher.
**<u>Reapers of Hosts</u>: Gain +1 Attack when in base contact with more than one model.
**<u>Breakers of Witches</u>: Re-roll to-hit and to-wound rolls against units containing Daemons, Psykers, or ''Corrupted'' units.
:Even as a squad drawn from individuals from a particular Hekatonystika, this unit can still choose a Hexagrammation sub-type; Deathwing applies to Terranic Greatswords, so it is possible to hit WS4 on a 2+.
:Obviously, Reapers of Hosts is still the best option against everything your opponent has, as +1 attack for every model in base contact with Terranic Greatswords or Thunder Hammers is way too good to pass up. The other Hekatonystika options are too situational if players don't know what they're facing beforehand. Against single models, Plasma Burners will drown them in templates for a crap-ton of hits, so anything Cenobites engage in melee will already be hurting by the time they get into range regardless; for tanks and Automata, you have the Hammers.

</div></div>

====30k The Lion Vs other Primarchs: Heresy 2.0====

<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">
Primarch fighting has significantly changed in the new edition. The sweeping changes to the Weapon Skill system really put those with lower scores at a huge disadvantage. While the changes to universal special rules mean that characters can often bring more attacks (like with Rage and Rampage) or newer tricks (Brutal) to the table that they never could before.

This means that Primarch vs Primarch fighting is more likely to actually resolve itself within the duration of the game, rather than taking turns whittling off small numbers from each other.

Also, because Overwatch Reactions are now done at full ballistic skill, shooting will likely play a more significant role. However, for the sake of brevity, there should be no need to include them unless they make a meaningful difference to the outcome.

Although it will not be used to calculate the outcomes below, if you want to go Primarch hunting take the Firewing Rite of War as it gives you a straight +1 to hit in both combat and at range (against units containing a priority target), and +1 attacks in melee.

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'''Horus vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Wolf Blade ''(hits on MC 4+)'': 3.75 hits, 2.18 AP2 wounds + 1.62 AP3 wounds, '''0.99 unsaved wounds''' ''(0.73 against 3++, 0.27 against 2+)'', which is reduced to 0.66 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Horus with Worldbreaker ''(hits on MC 4+)'': 3.75 hits, 3.125 rounds, '''2.875 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.54 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Horus wins- Horus wipes the floor with the Lion, having a 3++ and not being able to be hit on anything better then a 4+(In melee). He has more wounds and being able to swap between his str10 Brutal(2) maul and his talon, the Lion doesn’t stand a chance.
::The Deathwing subtype does not work against Horus' ability to only be hit on a flat 4+.
:::If anyone is interested: the Lion Sword causes '''1.04 unsaved wounds''' which is better on its own without the benefit of any extra attacks resulting from Reaping Blow. This means the Wolf Blade is actually the more practical choice as his attack value aught to increase when Horus has his retinue squad.
:The Lion beats Horus at range, yes you are still trying to get through that 3++ but Horus has no access to AP2 ranged attacks, so will have to get through the Lions 2+ save; stay at range for as long as possible to try and soften him up a bit before charging, as the Lion does want to be the one charging Horus.


'''Fulgrim vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC3+)'': 4.88 hits, 4.07 wounds, '''1.35 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.02 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
::Lions Choler +1 attack ''(hits on MC3+)'': 5.55 hits, 4.62 wounds, '''1.54 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.21 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler +2 attacks ''(hits on MC3+)'': 6.22 hits, 5.18 wounds, '''1.72 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.39 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Fulgrim with the Laer Blade (Initiative 9, +2 attacks). 4.75 hits, 3.98 wounds, '''1.73 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.4 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Fulgrim, charging with the Laer Blade (Initiative 10, +3 attacks). 5.25 hits, 4.375 wounds, '''1.93 unsaved wounds''' which is reduced to 1.60 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Fulgrim wins- Both brothers have a Master-crafted, Fleshbane sword, and wound each other the same way. The Lion is more accurate, but because of his higher initiative Fulgrim has more attacks, even though they hit less often. This fight boils down to the fact that Fulgrim has a better save in melee.
::A few assumptions have been made here. The Emperor's Children Legiones Astartes trait allows their models to fight at one initiative step higher, this is NOT the same as +1 to their initiative characteristic (the same way that Unwieldy weapons do not lower Initiative either, they just fight at Initiative step one). However Fulgrim does get a +1 Initiative bonus in challenges from ''Duelist Edge'' and from charging with ''Sudden Strike''.
::Fulgrim is slightly easier to shoot at though. He only has a 4++ invulnerable save outside of melee, and Primarch reactions cannot be denied by his ''Tactical Excellence'' rule.
:::If Fulgrim takes the Fireblade, he loses ''Duelist Edge'', and therefore one bonus attack, and only wounds on a 3+. Resulting in '''1.00 unsaved wounds''' per phase, and will lose.
:::If the Lion uses the Wolf Blade, and can trigger Reaping Blow for extra attacks, his damage potential increases to '''1.55 unsaved wounds''', increased to '''1.72''' and '''1.89''' when triggering Lion's Choler. This still works out as a loss because Fulgrim strikes before the Lion.

'''Russ vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''hits on MC3+)'': 4.88 hits, 4.07 wounds, '''2.03 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.70 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
:Russ with the Sword of Balenight: 4.25 hits, 3.54 wounds ''(doubled before saves)'', '''3.29 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.95 at the end of the next turn thanks to IWND.
::Russ charging with the Sword of Balenight (+1 WS due to Legion trait): 6.22 hits, 5.18 wounds ''(doubled before saves)'', '''4.93 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 4.60 at the end of the next turn thanks to IWND.
::Russ using Counter-Attack the Sword of Balenight: 5.25 hits, 4.375 wounds ''(doubled before saves)'', '''4.125 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 3.8 at the end of the next turn thanks to IWND.

:Russ wins: they have the same statline but Russ gets the extra attack for having two weapons, and although he hits less often than Angron his sword has Brutal(2), so every wound has to be saved twice.
::Because Primarchs do not have the infantry unit type, instead of being able to Run, Snapfire and Charge, Russ gains +1 Weapon Skill on any turn he charges, thanks to the Space Wolves Legion Astartes trait. This means he charges at WS9 and hits WS8 on 3+. Also, with that additional -1 to hit means that the Lion will only strike him on a 6+ unless he starts with the Deathwing subtype active. Things only revert to normal in the following turn, but by then the Lion is nearly dead.
::It's not much better charging against Russ due to his Counter-Attack, but at least Russ doesn't get the the crazy modifiers in that case.
::Also, while it might be tempting to just sit 18" away and snipe with the Fusil Actineaus, Russ's Armour gets boosted against plasma to 3++, so it only causes about 0.43 unsaved wounds when fully resolved and leaves the Lion dangerously vulnerable to a charge in the following turn.

'''Alpharius vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 3.98 wounds ''(S7 rather than Fleshbane)'' '''1.99 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.69 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Alpharius ''(hits on 5+)'': 1.99 hits, 1.66 wounds, '''0.58 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.25 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins. Although Alpharius ignores Fleshbane, weapons are only strength 1 if they did NOT have a strength characteristic before. ''(This is NOT the same as Mortarion's rule)'' Meaning the Lion still hits at MC WS8 S7. Alpharius still has his own Fleshbane, but he hits on 5+ thanks to the difference in WS. He hits too few times and the Lion's reroll on saves really helps him.
:Alpharius can give himself ''Preferred Enemy'' once per battle to increase his output, it doesn't really change the outcome.

'''Corax vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds '''2.48 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.15 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
:Corax ''(hits on 5+)'': 2.33 hits, 1.74 wounds, '''0.62 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.29 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
::Corax ''(charging +1 attack, with Rage [4], 12 attacks total)'': 3.99 hits, 2.99 wounds, '''1.24 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.92 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- same initiative and number of attacks. Corax can hit and run to gain a LOT more attacks but the difference in WS really hurts Corax here.

:Primarchs cannot be negatively affected by characteristic penalties from Blind, so it doesn't come into play. Whether from Corax's melee or Lion's shooting/overwatch.

'''Vulkan vs Lion:'''
:Lion wins- the Lion does manage to out damage Vulkan.

'''Lorgar vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+, Feel No Pain is negated)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds '''2.48 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.98 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Lorgar ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds ''(doubled before saves)'', '''1.60 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.27 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- Lorgar has the lowest WS and base attacks of any Primarch, but thanks to his Brutal (2) weapon and improved IWND (4+) he is able to put up a surprisingly respectable challenge. 
::Psychic powers don't really help Lorgar here. Because of Adamantium Will (3+), Lorgar needs to do it with buffs, rather than psychic attacks and none of the standard disciplines do anything to really adjust how much they wound each other eithe, as the Lion Blade really doesn't care about Lorgar's Toughness.
:::The Diabolism and Anethema discipline does not really help Lorgar. The strength and toughness bonuses granted by the ''Dark and Terrible'' power do not affect their abilities to wound each other. While Hammer of Wrath (3) is still negligible.

'''Magnus vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds '''2.48 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.15 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
:Magnus ''(hits on 5+, the Lion's save is increased to 3++ against Force Weapons)'': 2 hits, 1.66 wounds ''(activating Force for S12)'', '''0.333 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND

:Lion wins- if Magnus just uses his basic gear he will straight up lose. Magnus does have his choice of every psychic powers to try and turn things to his favour, but that is not likely this edition, the Lion's Adamantium Will (3+) gives him an effective defense against any psychic wounds Magnus throws at him. The standard disciplines don't provide any powers that influence the fight here.

'''Mortarion vs Lion:''' (Wolf Blade as Mortarion can only be effected by Fleshbane on a 6)
:Lion with the Wolf Blade & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 3.48 AP2 wounds + 1.99 AP3 wounds, '''2.07 unsaved wounds''' ''(1.74 against 4++, 0.33 against 2+)'' which is reduced to 1.57 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Mortarion: 2 hits, 1.67 wounds, '''0.58 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.25 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins. Despite detractors claiming that the Wolf Blade is a pathetic weapon, it does really well here <u>though it does get complicated.</u> It causes AP2 wounds on a 3+ while rerolling 1s, and creates a separate pool of AP3 wounds on a result of 2. These get saved separately and added together to create the final figure.
:Mortarion's lower WS and fewer attacks means.he does nowhere near the Lion's output in damage.

'''Guilliman vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds, '''2.23 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.90 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 6.81 hits, 5.67 wounds, '''2.58 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.25 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, '''2.93 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.60 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Guilliman (Sword) ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.56 hits, 2.27 wounds, '''0.89 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.55 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Guilliman (Sword, round 2 and beyond) ''(hits on MC 5+, rerolling 1s)'': 2.94 hits, 2.62 wounds, '''1.05 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.72 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Guilliman (Fist) ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.56 hits, 2.12 wounds, '''1.88 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.54 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
::Guilliman (Fist, round 2 and beyond) ''(hits on MC 5+, rerolling 1s)'': 2.94 hits, 2.43 wounds, '''2.20 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.87 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND

:Lion wins- Guilliman has a slightly lower WS so he hits on master-crafted 5+ but can also re-roll all to hit rolls of 1 after the first round of combat. ''Shred'' on the Sword allows for more wounds than the Fist, but ''Brutal (2)'' creates more saves for the Lion to deal with.
:Ultimately even with all those rerolls, Guilliman struggles to land a solid blow on his brother ''(rerolling 1s on a 5+ is still only 0.05 of a hit)'' while the Lion only gets angrier when he takes more wounds.

'''Angron vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword ''(hits on MC 2+, FnP is negated)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds, '''2.48 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.15 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 6.81 hits, 5.67 wounds, '''2.83 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.5 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, '''3.18 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.84 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Angron: 3.5 hits, 3.41 wounds, '''1.45 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.11 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.
::Angron (+1 Attack): 4 hits, 3.8 wounds, '''1.69 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.36 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.
::Angron (+2 Attacks): 4.5 hits, 4.375 wounds, '''1.93 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.60 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.
::Angron (+3 Attacks): 5 hits, 4.86 wounds, '''2.18 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.84 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.
::Angron (+4 Attack): 5.5 hits, 5.34 wounds, '''2.42 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.09 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.
:::Angron charging (with base attack allowance): 6.75 hits, 6.56 wounds, '''3.03 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.69 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins '''under normal circumstances'''. Angron hits like a truck in the first round, and it really starts eating into the Lion's wounds giving him extra attacks, even though Angron picks up attacks as the game continues too. But due to a higher Initiative, much better accuracy, and the save reroll mean that the Lion should be able to claim the win in the third round.
::If Angron charges later in the game, after having built up some attacks then he could potentially wipe the Lion in a single turn. But otherwise the Lion will always be the better combatant.
:The Lion doesn't have to bother with any Hexagrammaton subtype here, as Angron's Butchers Nails count him as WS3 for attacks rolled against him. Meaning the Lion both hits AND wounds on 2+ when using the Lion Sword.


'''Ferrus vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds, '''1.65 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.32 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 6.81 hits, 5.67 wounds, '''1.89 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.56 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, '''2.12 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.79 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Ferrus Manus ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, '''2.52 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 2.19 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Ferrus wins- not even close, not at any point. With a 3++ save and Brutal(3) hammer, even with the disadvantage of lower WS, those hits that do land will multiply into so many saves that the Lion can't do much about it.
::The Lion Sword negates Feel No Pain, so it hasn't been included.
::If the Lion uses the Wolf Blade and can trigger ''Reaping Blow'', his potential does actually outstrip the Lion Sword, starting out at '''1.91 unsaved wounds''' for 9 attacks, then increased to '''2.12''' and '''2.32''' for Lions Choler. While his damage output is still lower than Ferrus, he can actually win the fight because he has higher initiative, and can total enough damage to kill the Primarch of the Iron Hands before Forgebreaker hits him in the third round. 

'''Sanguinius vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC3+)'': 4.88 hits, 4.07 wounds, '''2.03 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.70 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
::Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype, Sanguinius charged from Deep Strike ''(hits on MC 4+, Sanguinius rerolls failed saves)'': 3.75 hits, 3.125 wounds, '''0.78 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.45 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
: Sanguinius with Blade Encarmine ''(Hits on MC 4+)'': 3.25 hits, 2.88 wounds, '''0.94 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.61 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
:: Sanguinius charging from Deep Strike with Blade Encarmine ''(9 attacks on MC3+)'': 6.22 hits, 5.53 wounds, '''2.26 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.931 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- though a few assumptions have to be made here.
::Despite being S7, the shredding Blade Encarmine is more likely to wound against T6 (88%) than the S10 Spear of Telesto (83%) and is even more likely to wound when gaining the +1 to-Wound from his Legion trait. Also Sanguinius only gets his +1WS when charging from Deep Strike, as his wings do not count as a Legion Warhark Jump Pack. So if he charges normally, he should only hit at WS8 (4+).
:Sanguinius hits hard in the first round and due to being able to re-roll all failed INV saves will take little damage in return. After the first round however the Lion starts hitting back faster, with more attacks, and with greater accuracy.

'''Curze vs Lion''':
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC3+)'': 4.88 hits, 4.07 wounds, '''2.03 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.70 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND
::Lions Choler +1 attack ''(hits on MC3+)'': 5.55 hits, 4.62 wounds, '''2.31 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.98 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Curze ''(hits on 4+)'': 4 hits, 3 wounds, '''1.25 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.92 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:::Curze charging with Bloody Murder ''(10 attacks, hits on 4+)'': 5 hits, 3.75 wounds, '''1.63 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.29 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Curze using Glimpse of Death ''(+1 attack, hits on 4+)'': 4.5 hits, 3.37 wounds, '''1.43 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.10 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- even though they have the same WS and Initiative, and Curze has an extra attack for two close combat weapons; without any rerolls to hit, half of them are missed, and only wounding on rerollable 4+. By contrast the Lion remains more likely to hit and wound.
::Curze does get better charge bonuses, but still never really overtakes the Lion at any point. If he Hit and Runs each turn, he's only getting shot in the face each turn too.
::If Curze uses the Glimpse of Death, his output does increase, but not by much. Feel No Pain doesn't work against the Lion Sword either. Risking about 41% chance Perils of the Warp for an extra 0.21 wounds hardly seems worth it.
:::If Curze can outnumber the Lion's unit to gain a +1 to-Wound, it increases his <u>base</u> output by 0.27 wounds per turn, without factoring extra attacks.

'''Rogal Dorn vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Wolf Blade & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 3+)'': 4.88 hits, 3.66 wounds, '''1.83 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.5 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 5.55 hits, 4.16 wounds, '''2.08 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.74 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 6.22 hits, 4.66 wounds, '''2.33 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.99 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Rogal Dorn: 3 hits, 2.91 wounds, '''1.21 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.87 at the end of next turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- Dorn has the same WS and Dorn can’t be hurt on anything better the a 4+, while he is damaging the Lion on 2+. So this is one fight where using the Wolf Blade is actually the better option, since all eligible wounds will be AP2 and he has the benefit of ''Shred''.
:The Lion's extra attacks, better accuracy and save reroll all help him win here.

'''Khan vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds, '''1.65 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.32 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 6.81 hits, 5.67 wounds, '''1.89 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.56 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, '''2.12 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.79 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Jaghatai Khan ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.22 hits, 1.46 wounds, '''0.49 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.15 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Jaghatai Khan Charging ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.55 hits, 2.12 wounds, '''0.82 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 0.49 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- even though the Khan has Hit and Run, the charge bonuses he receive cannot overcome his lower WS and the Lion's invulnerable saves. 
::If the Khan takes his Jetbike, it gives him the Hammer of Wrath (2) rule, which only adds 0.166 unsaved wounds to his charging total (0.98 for the whole charge)

'''Perturabo vs Lion:'''
:Lion with the Lion Sword & Deathwing subtype ''(hits on MC 2+)'': 5.97 hits, 4.97 wounds, '''1.65 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.32 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+1 attack): 6.81 hits, 5.67 wounds, '''1.89 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.56 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
::Lions Choler (+2 attacks): 7.64 hits, 6.37 wounds, '''2.12 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.79 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.
:Perturabo with Forgebreaker Desecrated ''(hits on MC 5+)'': 2.22 hits, 1.85 wounds, '''1.60 unsaved wounds''', which is reduced to 1.27 at the end of the turn thanks to IWND.

:Lion wins- the reduction of the Forgebreaker to Brutal (2) allows the Lion to keep ahead of the saves. Unlike the fight with Horus and the Worldbreaker, the Lion is able to pull out the win thanks to Perturabo's lower WS and fewer attacks which means those hits are rarer.

The Lion is a good all rounder Primarch. He only really loses in places where we expect him to lose, against Horus, Russ, Fulgrim, who are generally agreed to be the best Primarchs in close combat anyway, and against Ferrus Manus with that insane hammer! 

The Lion is able to pull comfortable wins against pretty much everyone else thanks to his higher accuracy and the ability to tailor his Legion trait and weapon to the particular situation.

Beyond straight up Primarch fights, his ability to grant army wide ''Crusader'' is pretty good for a melee force that wants to guarantee sweeping advances, and the extra +1 Leadership is useful too.

The best part is that he now synergises with his Rites of War, which he couldn't do in the last edition. Meaning that he can actually benefit from the various bonuses, such as:
*'''Unbroken Vow''' ''(+1 attack within 12" of objectives when using the Deathwing subtype)'' - this one is quite easy to use and will always benefit him.
*'''Serpents Bane''' ''(+1 to hit and +1 attack against priority targets when using the Firewing subtype)'' effectively gives him the Deathwing bonus against his priority targets while still getting the Firewing benefit.
*'''Eskaton Imperative''' ''(automatically passing dangerous terrain checks, and gaining +1 to wound against anything in Area or Dangerous terrain when using the Dreadwing subtype)'' - the Lion already wounds nearly everything on 2+.

</div></div>

===9th Edition 40K===

{| class=wikitable
! scope=col | || Pts || M || WS || BS || S || T || W || A || Ld || Sv
|-
! scope=row | Lion El'Jonson
| 320 || 8 || 2+ || 2+ || 6 || 6 || 9 || 10 || 11 || 2+/4++
|}

Revealed as the big final surprise of the now-finished 9th Edition, the Lion is revealed as the second returning Loyalist Primarch. While his statline is pretty similar to Roboute's, his focus is less on leadership and more on dueling. Though it should be noted that Roboute is still as good as him in dueling while also being flat out better as a leader, partially because Emperor's Shield sucks and is flat-out worse than Roboute's armour. Hopefully, this issue will be fixed in the 10th edition, because as it stands, Lion is not really worth his points.
*'''Warlord Trait - ''No Escaping the Watchers'':''' Of course, as a Primarch, he has to be the warlord if he's fielded. His particular trait lets him give one Dark Angels unit within 9" the ability to heroically intervene anywhere within 6".
*'''Primarch of the First Legion:''' Friendly {{W40kKeyword|Dark Angels Core}} and {{W40kKeyword|Dark Angels Character}} units within 6" get to re-roll any 1s to hit and to wound. Pretty much the only rule both primarchs share.
*'''Forestwalk:''' Allows the Lion to deep-strike. Unfortunately as he can not deep-strike as part of a larger unit, and will be very close to an enemy unit, he will unlikely be able to be shielded from enemy attacks or charges if he fails his initial charge, which he usually will. The Lion is a very squishy model currently and will likely be caught out in the open and killed before he can do anything.
*'''Martial Exemplar:''' He always fights first in any fights. Again, honed warrior. The opponent will be able to fight first if they are the ones who charge the Lion, as per normal, as this supersedes any ‘fight first rules’. If he is charged he will only be able to fight first in the next turn, by which time he is unfortunately likely already dead- most enemy models you want him to fight, are more than capable of crushing his less than stellar defenses; three terminator’s can do the job, whilst costing less the Half the points.
*'''Watchers in the Dark:''' Has two of them on his base. Like other Dark Angels, these give him a once-per-game ability to block psychic powers with the bonus of re-rolling those denies if he's denying a {{W40kKeyword|Chaos Psyker}}.
*Wargear
**'''Arma Luminis:''' Essentially a combi-plasma bolt pistol. Both profiles are 12", with the bolt end being a Pistol 2 bolt pistol while the plasma pistol is a Pistol 1 S8 AP-4 D2 gun that can't overheat.
**'''Fealty:''' The Lion's magical new sword with two profiles. The sweep is AP-3 D2 with the ability to roll double the number of attacks to cleave crowds. The strike is S+4 AP-5 D4 so he can kill monsters and tanks.
**'''The Emperor's Shield:''' Apparently He had one and Lion dug it out of his dream-realm. Aside from the 4+ Invulnerable save (the same as a bog-standard Iron Halo), he also has the ability to roll a natural 6 on a saving throw in melee to deal a mortal wound to the enemy who hit him. Max 3 wounds per phase; against most opponents you will unlikely be able to course more than 1 mortal wound per melee phase - ultimately its just as underwhelming as the rest of the shield, and nothing that you should be relying on.

The Current ‘free’ rules for the Lion seem to have been hastily thrown together as they will no longer be playable within a few months time. The idea seems to have been to make him a melee focused model, but in reality he is more of a simple horde-killer, as any other model in his weight category will easily remove him from the game. For example both the Lion and Guilliman only need three successful wounds to go through to kill each other, but Guilliman has much better defenses. Even if the Lion charges and kills Guilliman he has a 50% chance of coming right back, and as he will be placed out of engagement range, in the opponents next charge phase Guilliman will charge the Lion, and due to how the rules for charging work, will fight first, with a very high chance of killing the Lion outright. If the Lion charges he has a chance to win if Guilliman fails his 4+ to return, but if Guilliman charges the Lion then the Lion loses heavily.

Outside of combat he really doesn’t offer anything to the army overall, and he only offers a bonus to DA marines within 6 of him; as he costs 20pts more than Guilliman, who provides the same benefits, but can extend this bonus to 12 for all marine types, on top of him being a better beat stick (both at range and melee), there really isn’t any reason to play the Lion on the table top instead of his brother- narrative play in friendly games would be the exception of course (home-brew the rules a bit if all parties are ok with it)… on the plus side, fantastic model (shame he will be spending most of his time on the shelf- but at least he’ll look great doing so.


===10th Edition 40K===

Well that didn’t take long.

{| class=wikitable
! scope=col | || M || T || W || OC || Ld || Sv
|-
! scope=row | Lion El'Jonson
| 8 || 9 || 10 || 4 || 5+ || 2+/3++
|}

The Lion discards his less then stellar temporary rule set, and gets an up to date version for 10th; like most things in this edition he has lost some things, but is arguably better overall.

*Core rules.
**Deep Strike- he has retained the ability to deep strike but lost the ability to improve his charge roll, thankfully this is less an issue as his ability to survive has gotten a lot better.
**Fight First- this should be better now that the rules has changed, allowing the Lion to still strike first even if he was the one charged. Should give him a bit of a leg up on his opponent.

*Key words: Monster, Character, Epic Hero, Imperium, Primarch, Lion El’Jonson

*Faction Key: Adeptus Astartes, Dark Angels 

*Faction Rules
**Oath of moment- he and the army get to re-roll hit and wound rolls against a chosen unit each Battle Round.
**Detachment: Grim Resolve- OC when Battle Shocked is 1 instead of 0; kind of underwhelming, but could prove useful.

*Primarch of the First legion: in the Command phase select one ability until your next Command phase.
**All secrets Revealed- Once per turn when your opponent uses a stratagem within 12 of the Lion you gain 1CP, and that unit must take a Battle Shock test, if that test is failed then the Stratagem does not work but it is still counted as being used; the CP used on the Stratagem are lost as the Stratagem is still counted as being used. This is pretty interesting as although it’s not as reliable as Guilliman’s Once per Turn free Stratagem use, it can really muck up your opponents plans, as it can shut down a use of a valuable Stratagem (that will also eat into their CP resources) whilst providing an additional CP that you can use. 
**Martial Exemplar- (Aura 6) Friendly Adeptus Astartes units gain 1+ to hit in Melee. Fairly straight forward and works pretty well for both the Lion and any units nearby.
**No Hiding from the Watchers- (Aura 6) provides Friendly Astartes with a 4+ Feel no Pain against Mortal wounds. Nice little survivability boost, given how many weapons have access to Devastating Wounds. Will work on vehicles, so might be able to keep your tanks from being taken out by dedicated attacks.

*Emperor’s shield- finally does more then being just a bit of decoration. Subtract 1 from the wound roll against all attacks, both in melee and at range. Against melee attacks each save of 6 deals a mortal wound to the opponent. Funnily enough this make the Emperor’s Sword nearly useless against the Lion, as Guilliman will be hitting the Lion on 2+ (Hits of 6 will trigger mortal wounds that the Lion can get a 4+ FNP against; on average this should halve the damage getting through), but will only be wounding the Lion on a 6, and will still need to get through that 3++ (the larger number of attacks also increases the chance of a save of 6, which will deal a mortal wound to Guilliman, which he has no defense against.

*Dark Angels Bodyguard- gains Lone Operative when within 3 of a friendly unit.

Arma Luminis: Pistol with two different choices. A 4A ST4 AP-1 D2 bolt weapon, and a A2 S8 AP-3 D2 plasma weapon. You can no longer fire both in the same turn.

Fealty: has a Strike and Sweep attack, a A8 ST12 AP-4 D4 with lethal hits, and a A16 ST6 AP-3 D2 with Sustained Hits 1. More attacks but slightly lower ST then Guilliman, but then again he has the Emperor’s sword, and his strongest hit is caused by a massive power Fist, whilst the Lion is only using a sword one handed.

Although not listed on this part of his rules, he should still have the ability to be accompanied by a Watcher in the Dark.

Overall the Lion may have lost some of his lethality (which is pretty much a thing across the board) but his ability to shrug off most attacks has greatly improved. He also does more for the army compared to his 9th edition rule set.