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Games Workshop has released its new Boarding Patrol boxes as part of their Arks of Omen campaign. These are kinda similar to Combat Patrols, but smaller, and with the absence of vehicles. Because these are linked to Arks of Omen, Games Workshop has said that these boxes are not going to be permanent boxes, but that they’ll disappear when they run out. But despite the fact that other Games Workshop releases have sold out in minutes (Soulshackle) the first Boarding Patrol, Space Marines, has not. So we’ll see how long they last.
I think that the whole concept of Boarding Patrols is weird, and I think it goes along with my feelings of the current Kill Team campaign: it seems like it wants to be Space Hulk for all the factions, but they have never gone full Space Hulk (Terminators vs Genestealers.) I suppose if you bought two of these Boarding Patrols, you could come up with Terminators vs Genestealers Space Hulk battle, but only on a limited scale. Anyway, it seems weird.
But what are the best value Boarding Patrols for the money? You can actually save quite a bit of money with some of these (assuming that these models are the models you want). I wasn’t too enthusiastic about the Space Marine Boarding Action because it basically seemed like you were buying Heavy Intercessors and Assault Intercessors, and got an HQ unit free. Good if you like it, but kinda bland. But the other boxes, which have been announced but are not yet available for sale, look like really great values.
What are the Best Value Boarding Patrols?
Note: for this comparison, because we know that Games Workshop’s prices will be going up and I want to work in ratios not in 3rd-party specific, I’m using the prices on Games Workshop’s website.
Space Marine Boarding Patrol $110
Captain in Gravis Army $38
5 Heavy Intercessors $65
10 Assault Intercessors $60
Total: $163
Value for Price 148%
Necrons Boarding Action $110
3 Ophydian Destroyers $60
10 Necron Warriors $50
10 Lychguard/Triarch $110
Total: $220
Value for Price: 200%
Grey Knights $110
10 Strike Squad $65
5 Terminators $55
Castellan Crowe $45
Total: $165
Value for Price 150%
Tyranids Boarding Patrol $110
Broodlord $42
8 Genestealers $35
6 Tyranid Warriors $120
Total: $197
Value for Price 179%
Adeptus Mechanicus Boarding Patrol $110
10 Skitarii $50
3 Kataphrons $60
3 Sicarans $55
Tech Priest Dominus $38
Total: $203
Value for Price: 185%
Chaos Daemons Boarding Patrol $110
10 Bloodletters $38
10 Fleshhounds $110
Karanak $38
Total: $186
Value for Price: 169%
Genestealer Cults Boarding Patrol $110
Kelermorph $32
10 Acolytes $84
Abominant $32
5 Aberrants $42
Total: $190
Value for Price: 173%
Death Guard Boarding Patrol $110
Lord of Virulence $38
3 Deathshroud Terminators $60
7 Plague Marines $55
Total: $153
Value for Price: 139%
Aeldari Boarding Patrol $110
20 Corsairs $120
Jain Sar $42
5 Howling Banshees $60
Total: $222
Value for Price: 202%
Drukhari Boarding Patrol
20 Wyches $76
5 Incubi $60
Succubi $27
Total: $163
Value for Price: 148%
Chaos Space Marines Boarding Patrol
Abaddon $65
Chaos Legionnaires: $65
20 Cultists: $90
Total: $220
Value for Price: 200%
T’au Empire Boarding Patrol (with Farsight)
Farsight (new model) $60
3 Crisis Battlesuits $80
10 Fire Warriors $42
Total: $182
Value for Price: 165%
Ork Boarding Patrol (with Snikrot)
Snikrot (new model) $38
5 Flash Gitz $60
10 Beast Snagga Boyz $55
10 Kommandos $60
Total: $213
Value for Price: 194%
Sisters of Battle Boarding Patrol
Canoness $40
10 Battle Sisters $60
10 Sisters Repentia $60
5 Celestian Sacresancts $60
Total: $220
Value for Price: 200%
Adeptus Custodes Boarding Patrol
Captain-General Trajann Valoris $45
3 Allarus Custodians $60
5 Custodian Guard $60
Total: $165
Value for Price: 150%
Thousand Sons Boarding Patrol
20 Rubric Marines $120
2 Chaos Spawn $55
Total; $175
Value for Price: 159%
So the big takeaways are that:
1) The value of these Boarding Patrol boxes are generally much better than the value that you get from Combat Patrols. It is astonishingly rare where Games Workshop will see a product package that has a 200% value.
2) With the caveat that to actually save money with these boxes, you have to need every model in the box (which I think will hurt the Grey Knights because of Castellan Crowe–if you want him, you probably already have him.), all of these Boarding Patrol boxes are very good value.
3) The Death Guard box is interesting, because it’s a really low relative value, but it actually has some good stuff in it. Normally Death Guard boxes are filled with Poxwalkers, and though I do like Poxwalkers, this is better. But it’s low value.
4) The Adeptus Mechanicus box is a surprisingly high value despite the fact that it’s filled with nothing interesting.
5) This, combined with the Combat Patrols, are making Genestealer Cults an actually good value army to get into, which is a shocker.
6) The Aeldari, a latecomer, is currently ranking as the best at 202%. Sad it was released the same day as the 148% Drukhari.
It’s a shame that these boxes are limited run, but that’s all the more reason to jump on them quickly. Especially that Necrons box–the best value Boarding Patrol box.
See our article here about the best value Combat Patrols.
