Chainfist

In previous articles and forum posts, I've referred to the Eversor as the Officio Assassinorum's Sword. It is an apt metaphor; he is a weapon of brutal and ruthless destruction. The Eversor is deployed when heresy and corruption takes control of an entire regime and the eradication of a single leader would be useless. He is a cruel and perfectly efficient killing machine and he specializes in leaving havoc and terror in his wake to deliver the message of Imperial retribution.

EVERSOR 101
For the points, the Eversor is just about the most effective close combat model an Imperial player can buy. He combines Infiltrate, an 18" assault range and up to 10 Power Weapon attacks for a first turn charge that has a reasonable chance of bringing down any model in the game.

The Temple Eversor Assassin is armed with an Executioner Pistol, a Neuro Gauntlet, Power Weapon, Meltabombs and enough Combat Drugs to kill a Carnifex.

The Executioner Pistol is a great weapon that is often forgotten in the rush to assault. Fast Shot used to allow the Eversor to shoot the pistol twice and charge, but the changes to the pistol rules makes this a wasted power. Although it's not as effective as it used to be, it's worth using especially against high-Toughness targets.

Note: The Eversor is armed with a close combat weapon and a pistol, affording him the +1 Attack bonus for two one-handed weapons. So on the charge he makes D6+4 attacks!

In close combat the Eversor may choose between a Neuro-Gauntlet (a Power Weapon that wounds on a 4+, regardless of Toughness) and a Power Weapon. Which weapon he uses depends on the Toughness of the model. This means the Eversor can never wound on worse than a 4+. This is very handy against T5+ models and he's a Wraithlord's worst nightmare. The Power Weapon is used on models with T3 or worse which prevents the Eversor's S4 from going to waste.

Combat Drugs allow the Eversor to make a 12" Assault move and give him D6 extra Attacks when he charges (instead of the normal +1). Combined with the Infiltrate ability, the Eversor is capable of making first turn assaults reliably (putting his 5 to 10 Power Weapon attacks to good use).

Dirty Trick #1: The Eversor has Meltabombs! When used with Combat Drugs and the first turn, the Eversor is able assault a high AV vehicle and hit with Meltabombs automatically. This is very effective against opponents that use expensive transports (loaded with more expensive units). Nothing is more demoralizing for an opponent than to have his Landraider destroyed before his first turn.

The Eversor has another neat little ability called Bio-Meltdown! The Officio Assassinorum has little to worry about disloyalty from a Temple Eversor Assassin -- if he fails in his mission, he explodes. If killed, place a small blast marker over the center of the Eversor and resolve an automatic S5 hit against any model touched. With some luck, you'll be able to force a Morale test on the unit that killed your Eversor.

WHEN TO USE AN EVERSOR
Unlike the other Imperial Assassins, the Eversor should never work alone. In most games he can take on any squad for one turn, but can easily be brought down by large numbers and hidden Power Fists. To keep him in play, you must support him with another unit as quickly as possible. A unit that can make a second turn charge is ideal. The sooner you can get another unit in close combat the better the chance your Eversor survives.

The best time to use an Eversor is when you need your opponent focusing on his deployment zone. I like combining him with gunline armies. This forces my opponent to choose to focus his assault element on moving forward to eliminate my gun line or to take care of my Assassin in his deployment zone. Used properly and the Eversor can give you one or two more rounds of shooting against a fast-moving assault army.

HOW TO USE AN EVERSOR
One of the awesome changes in 5th Edition is that you pretty much know if you are going first or second when you deploy your army. Since the strength of the Eversor is the first turn assault, this rules change was a good thing.

If you are going second, then you want to deploy your Eversor in Reserve to Outflank. When he comes in, he can assault any unit within 18". Not too shabby.

If you are going first, then you want to deploy your Eversor using the Infiltration rules. Since he's a single model, you can usually deploy him just out of 12" from a unit you want to assault. In general, you want your Eversor to assault dudes (preferably a unit without a S8+ close combat attack). From time to time I will use him against a vehicle, but only if the trade is worth it (e.g., a Landraider is usually worth the trade). But to survive, he needs the protection of close combat; an Eversor caught standing next to the smoldering ruins of a destroyed vehicle is a dead Eversor.

While an Eversor can be devastating in close combat, he can't take on a ton of guys by himself. On average it takes only 16 attacks from Space Marines to kill an Eversor. This is why the Eversor needs support as quickly as possible.

Note: Here's another interesting number: An Eversor assaulting a Wraithlord (or a Carnifex) causes a surprising average of 2.5 wounds. I've played games where my Eversor took out two Wraithlords before falling to Eldar small arms fire.


In general, it's usually worth having the first turn when you take an Eversor. So Daemonhunter's players should consider an Emperor's Tarot in an army with an Eversor.

CONCLUSION
Although, like a good parent, I try to love all of my operatives equally. But the Eversor has a special place in my heart. He's just too cheap and too reliable. I love first turn assaults in a shooty army and I love how reliably he devastates anything I point him at. I know that with a little patience and a lot of practice, he'll be your favorite too.

Comments are welcome and feel free to email me your lists or questions. Just send them to me at mkerr@chainfist.com. And, as always, your mileage may vary.