Heavy support

[kajser27]

Hi, I'm new to the W40K world (a fantasy player) and have just started playing with BA. Got about 1000 pts so far but without any good anti-armor support so that's my next investment. I'm thinking about adding a Vidicator 'cause it seems to me they can cause quite a lot of damage or maybe adding a regular Predator (autocannon/lascannon sponsons) which could be magnitized to take the form of a Baal in case it's more appropriate. I would appreciate your thoughts and advices!

 

here's the list so far:

Mephiston

Chaplain w JP

Sanguinary priest w JP

11xAssault Marines (melta, Seargant w PF)

8x DC marines w JP

5x Tacticals (paint practice)

Baal Predator

Dreadnought(soon to be Furioso)

 

we mostly play 750-1000 pts battles (a rather new group)

[Brother Biskit]

Fast Vindis are probably now our best tank in terms of speed and damage output, but it’s going to take all your opponents heavy weapons and all they need is one weapon destroyed result to turn it into a brick. They work very well when paired with a Baal. Predators that can move and shoot are still very nice but I find they aren’t very flexible, if you take a las predator against an opponent with no tanks its little better than a brick and a dakka pred struggles with any decent armour.

[Isryion]

In this case, I'd go with a Vindicator over a regular pred, but I'd also consider a Baal Pred at some point. I think the regular predators are best when the rest of your list is armor (lost of baal preds and razorbacks).

[Leonaides]

Anti-armour - an autocannon/lascannons pred is probably slightly better than a vindi (given better chance to hit, and better at taking on light vehicle squadrons due to multiple shots), though a vindi if it hits has a better chance of doing damage as S10 and 2 dice to penetrate armour.

 

Vindi's shien a bit more when used in multiples, or with supporting preds. I forget the exact maths, but apparently a vindi is only very slightly lower percentage chance of a hit when on a vehicle over normal BS-based shooting, but always remember once your assault marines start gettign close to your target, shooting gets much more risky.

[lorider2]

S10 and 2 dice to penetrate armour.

 

I rarely use my vindis so quick question - don't you use 2 dice only when you are firing indirect (so maximum scatter)?

[JamesI]

S10 and 2 dice to penetrate armour.

 

I rarely use my vindis so quick question - don't you use 2 dice only when you are firing indirect (so maximum scatter)?

Any ordnance weapon gets 2 dice and pick the highest for armor pen.

[Ultramarcos]

I have 2 Vindies in my list, keep moving them 12" and searching good targets as Ork mobs or something that is crawded and it works well. If you aim agains 1 single vehicle, the preds are better option.

Be aware though that Vindies are the first target of any player with a minimum good sense. Also, I always give them extra armour...adds just a bit more of survivability.

[Red Fury]

Get another baal...they are always better in pairs. and magnatize it to swap loadouts to a combi pred dakka pred bbq baal etc.

 

those tl assconnons can take out anything including land raiders (better than a lascannon actually) and with 2 using scout movment, you will get shots off in the first turn. lascannons and combi preds are better against light armor though.

[SamaNagol]

Whatever you pick, take 2 of them. Never one.

[Tangamarine]

Agreed, it has been tried and tested with my codex marine list. The only problem with vindicators is that if your opponents spart he will always be incover or placed in such a way that you can't hit many at a time.

[SamaNagol]

The beauty of 2 fast Vindicators is that it is nigh on impossible to position your models so that they deny both of my Ordnance shell dropping beauties clear LOS

[Andrew_Beck]

add(buy) more assault marines.

[ProteanSun]

Personally I prefer to use infantry to go tank hunting and use tanks to hunt infantry.

 

I use 2 naked flamestorm cannon baals to hide a jump packing librarians and his half of an assault squad.

 

I use the other half of the assault squad (2 meltaguns) to deep strike and take out tanks.

[Zeller]

I've got to ask you...why do you want to use heavy support to hunt tanks and not the fast units that can catch said tanks such as attack bikes and speeders?

[kajser27]

as I said, I'm new to W40K and the Heavy sounded like a good choice to take down armor.

[Zeller]

You could proxy a few predator annihilators with HB sponsons. Though the mixed role of the tank may not be everybody's cup of tea I think if you ran 2-3 of them they could roll about supporting each other cracking tanks and then supporting the infantry with the HB's. The big issue with this is that your opponent simply has to remove one weapon to make the tank ineffective against armor.

 

Another option is to run a few predator destructors with LC sponsons. Dual role for light-heavy anti-tank but as some have mentioned the sponsons will typically have terrible line of sight compared to a turret mounted weapon. However, with 2 las cannons you get some redundancy and with an autocannon turret you can get a couple of extra shots in against light to medium armor and monstrous creatures.

 

Food for thought.

[SamaNagol]

Synergy is the most important thing in the BA army. You have PLENTY of fast moving units that can kill armour up close. Melta RAS, MEphiston with St10 Psy-Power....

 

I would go for either another Assault Cannon Baal or an Autocannon/Lascannon Sponson Predator for light Armour.

[Ultramarcos]

I run a 3 MeltaGun Attack Bike unity as tank hunters...works well I must say.