Grapple or Locator?

[Brother_Dan'l]

Here's the issue. Am I better served by having a Magna Grapple on my Librarian or a Locator Beacon on my Stormraven?

 

I've got 4 DS capable units in the army, but I know the Grapple is probably more fun. What do I do?

 

Help!

[Puddle]

It depends on how critical those deepstrilers are to your battle plans. If they usually start on the field take the grapple. If they DS for some fun, use the Beacon

[JamesI]

Hard to say without more info. If your list is posted, give us a link here. If not, post the list then give us a link!

[Morticon]

What James said!! Get us the list

!

[Brother_Dan'l]

Oh, sorry.

Blood Angels 1750 point army

for general gaming / all comers

HQ

Commander Dante - with Sanguinary Guard

 

Elites

Furioso Dreadnought Librarian w/Extra Armor - in Stormraven

Brother Corbulo (Sanguinary High Priest) - with Razorback RAS

Brother Constantine (Sanguinary Priest) w/Jump Pack & Powersword - with Sanguinary Guard

 

Troops

Sanguinary Guard w/Infernus Pistol, Power Fist & Chapter Banner

10 RAS w/Thunder Hammer & 2 Melta Guns

5 RAS w/Power Sword, Infernus Pistol, Melta Gun and Razorback w/twin Heavy Flamers & Hunter-Killer Missile

 

Fast Attack

6 VAS w/Jump Packs, Thunder Hammer & paired Lightning Claws

 

Heavy Support

Stormraven w/Typhoon Missile Pods

 

 

The 15 missing points will either go for the Locator or the Grapple.

[Droofus]

I'd go with the beacon unless you're planning on running the VAS in the Stormraven. This will allow your VAS to heroically intervene safely, hopefully on turn 2.

[Dingareth]

Drop the Missiles on the Raven, too. They're too expensive, and a Multi-Melta is a much better choice to fill that slot.

[Brother_Dan'l]

You've got to be kidding? Give up the Typhoon MLS? Never. You've obviously never experienced the joys of unloading an Assault Cannon and 2 Frag Missiles into a target after moving Flat Out. Or of firing 6 S8 shots into the rear of a Leman Russ squadron while murdering a Command Squad with the Assault Cannons. No no. On this Stormraven the Typhoon stays. The 2nd one for larger games has the Multi-meltas. :devil:

 

But on topic, it's the consensus that the Locator Beacon is more useful than the Grapple in this list? I'll try it out on Thursday night.

 

Thanks guys.

[Jaarl Stormfang]

Don't think you can shoot defensive weapons after moving flat out?

[JamesI]

I'd lean very slightly to the locator beacon, basically for the Vanguard.

[Leonaides]

15 pts for an ability that can be used once. and only if the situation is appropriate (your enemy may just run away from the drop-pod leaving your VV stranded if they use the locator beacon, or just you want them elsewhere to deal with something else... I'd go for the grapple - an extra S8 weapon to the rear armour of a Russ squadron for example, gives you a much better chance of doing nasty things, and you can use it more than the once!

[Brother_Dan'l]

Ye gods man! Who said anything about a Drop Pod? The only time I'll ever spend the points on a VAS is when they have Jump Packs.

 

I've got 3-5 units in any 1750 list that can benefit from the Locator Beacon. Will I use it that often? Probably not. But if it gets the VAS that Heroic Intervention charge into an enemy unit I need to kill or don't want to be able to shoot it's worth way more than 1 S8 shot.

 

I know the Grapple is more fun. But I think I'll keep it on regular and DC Furioso with Blood Fists. So when I go up to 2K points in goes the Furioso with Frag Cannon and Magna Grapple.

 

@Jaarl: Hmmm, it seems you are right. I had always thought the Defensive Weapons rule allowed you to fire any and all if you could legally fire a regular weapon. But that's not how the rule reads. Somewhat weakens the Stormraven, but not so much that I'd consider losing the TML. After all the turn of Deep Strike is Cruising speed and that let's me shoot the way I want.