Redeeming the Lord Exorcist...?

[Dogmantra]

So there have been some leaks recently. Combined with a few recent releases, it seems that more and more factions are getting a lot of access to returning slain models. Obviously everyone has access to Rally, but some ability to rally on a 4+ seems to be a somewhat common theme in newer books. Then you have the Nighthaunt book coming soon which means they're going to go up in popularity, and they have a bajillion ways to return slain models. Add that to the other slain-model-returning abilities that seem to be growing in number, and I am now in a position where I'm reconsidering the Lord Exorcist.

On the book's release, I think it's fair to say that we all scoffed at 170 points for the Lord Exorcist. The warscroll is a little uninspiring. 170 points for a standard Lord profile, a generic Wizard with an adequate warscroll spell, and then the Redemptor Casket. Which honestly in a meta in which most armies have returning models seems pretty bonkers. You just can't bring models back to units that are within 9". No rolls, not "you can't rally", no catches, literally just no models come back while this model is near them. As far as I'm aware, no other faction has access to a comparable ability, any similar ones all have catches like only applying to the rally command.

In the next GHB I personally expect a small points drop for the Lord Exorcist because he still seems a bit overcosted, and has he seen any play since the book came out? Nothing huge, just going down by ~10 points. I'd also expect a small points rise for the Knight Incantor being pretty much the best wizard in faction and inexplicably also the cheapest.

The Lord combat stats, and being a wizard make up a chunk of the points cost for sure, and those are nice to have, but realistically if you want just want a wizard for Mystic Shield or Celestial Blades, you're bringing a cheap wizard (let's be real, you're bringing a Knight Incantor). If you specifically want AoE MWs, there are also better options, although the Exorcist's warscroll spell isn't terrible like it was in the previous tome, or like some other wizards in faction (looking at you Knight Arcanum)

In short, I feel like the Redemptor Casket is gaining in power slowly because of the following changes:

• Everyone has access to Rally, and as people get more comfortable with the new edition, people are likely to use it more often and more effectively.
• More factions are gaining additional return-slain-models abilities, which the Lord Exorcist shuts off completely
• Nighthaunt in particular are coming very soon with lots of returning models
• The new GHB will be focused more on battleline -- the potential is there that scoring will favour larger blobs, for whom rallying is more likely
• (Prediction) Some SCE wizards will receive a small points drop because currently there is very little incentive to take anything other than a Knight Incantor or slap an Arcane Tome on your favourite hero

 

So yeah that was a lot of talk and a fair bit speculative. But my question for discussion then really is: how much will the meta need to shift to returning models before the Lord Exorcist really becomes worth it to play without knowledge of your opponent's army? To clarify, I'm not so much asking if the Lord Exorcist will be the new Lord Relictor and seen in every list under the sun, more like if you all feel there will come a point where you'd be okay including one in a list and being confident that on average it will be worth the points.

[Mattrulesok]

He has definitely gained some use but I'd want him at least 20 points cheaper. The ability to stop models coming back is huge but 9" range makes it very hard to get enemy units in the bubble. I feel like this has more play in theory then practice but I'm still interested to try him on the table

[zilberfrid]

Oh I hope he replaces the lord Relictor in popularity.

The Excorcist is a decent model Excorcist looks stoic, but able to move and his box on a stick has a function.

Relictor might be the worst model of the last decade. Unwieldy skeleton on a stick, shoulderpads that would crush his head if he lifts his arms, spikes on those shoulders catching the spikes in his neck, goofy skullface and, last but not least, spikes on the inside of the knee. You'd constantly trip while moving, either by catching the other knee or the dickflap.