ML or HB in a sniper squad

[The Unknown Father]

Well the title is quite clear: what do you think is better in a scouts snipers squad a missile launcher or a heavy bolter (with hellfire ammo).

 

I normally use the heavy bolter, but i realized that in many cases it is almost useless, my snipers normally shots small units (such as koptas, necron destructors, attack bikes...) and sometimes monstrous creatures, against all this stuff the hellfire template is really bad and I thougth that the missile launcher could be better for that use and i can even shoot against vehicles with light armour.

 

what´s your oppinion? what do you normally use?

[ShinyRhino]

Depends on what's in the rest of your army, honestly.

Got plenty of anti-tank? Take the heavy bolter.

Got plenty of anti-intantry? Take the missile launcher.

Nothing you take really overlaps with the sniper rifles, so the heavy weapon is more of a weapon of opportunity when you don't have anything else to fire the snipers at.

[DerekLee688]

I thought HB and Sniper rifles have the same range. I'd rather go with the HB if i had to run a sniper squad. Infantry are the most dangerous thing to them besides a whirlwind. If the ML shoots at a target the rest of the squad is wasted, blah blah blah...

[Fatuous]

Both have their merits (I guess there in lies the problem).

 

Over all, while I would prefer to like the heavy bolter, I'd take a ML.

 

Why, well tbh it just has more of a threat rating IMO, and more versatility. There is something to be said about the over lapping nature of the HB with snipers, both having good ability agasint MC, but a krak missile isn't too shoddy and you still have the option frag if you want a template.

 

ML can take on vehicles, and the snipers add (all be it a little) to that with the ability to rend. ML makes it a unit that the enemy can't really ignore so much, as it's potential to krak a rhino, chimera, etc.. a turn is there. Ok, I'll admit that that potential is more useful than the actual ability, but people will at least think twice about advancing in front of a krak missile. And while not as accurate as a Tac marine, a ML scout will hit ever other target (statistically of course).

 

Both have their merits (I guess there in lies the problem).

 

Over all, while I would prefer to like the heavy bolter, I'd take a ML.

 

Why, well tbh it just has more of a threat rating IMO, and more versatility. There is something to be said about the over lapping nature of the HB with snipers, both having good ability agasint MC, but a krak missile isn't too shoddy and you still have the option frag if you want a template.

 

ML can take on vehicles, and the snipers add (all be it a little) to that with the ability to rend. ML makes it a unit that the enemy can't really ignore so much, as it's potential to krak a rhino, chimera, etc.. a turn is there. Ok, I'll admit that that potential is more useful than the actual ability, but people will at least think twice about advancing in front of a krak missile. And while not as accurate as a Tac marine, a ML scout will hit ever other target (statistically of course).

[greatcrusade08]

I think its a case of preference tbh.

 

I always take a NL, even moreso when i include Telion.. want to knock a tank out first turn, VoE and a ML should do the trick

[Ming]

In a "standby list" you carry around to play anybody, take the HB with the snipers. The HB hellfire template is great - as it has a chance to wound anything a little better, and the more dice you can make your opponent throw, the more likely he'll fail a save. I keep the armor killing to the big guys....

[Ming]

Remember the scene in Saving Private Ryan where the sniper and spotter are up in the church tower...he keeps sniping armored vehicle crews exposed in "open topped vehicles" until a closed tank approaches and levels the tower. Had he kept being a sniper and stayed hidden, he'd have kept on plinking away.

[DarkGuard]

If you're taking Telion take the missile launcher, a BS6 missile launcher is nothing to be laughed at. If not I'd go for the heavy bolter. It also depends on how you use them. I designed my sniper scouts to hold an objective, so gave them a heavy bolter so they could target infantry which would attempt to overwhelm them. A poisoned template is nice, and adds in with the nature and range of the sniper rifles. Also it is handy against MCs. You might not ignore their armour but if even the edge of the template touches its base you wound it on a 2+, so not too bad for stacking wounds.

[DerekLee688]

Not to nit pick but telion+cloaks+ML isn't the same as deciding ML vs. HB. Thatmuch point discrepency can be an army altering choice.

 

The question I answer "Is a BS:3 ML better than a BS:3 HB+Helfire rounds?" I don't believe the full squad of 10+ML will serve as adiquate anti vehicle element compared to the infantry killing potental a heavy bolter adds to the primary purpose of a sniper scout, which is to fight 4+ armor save troops. The heavy bolter can be three extra AP:4 shots where the ML is only one.

 

If this is a 1000pt.+ or up game, then my autocannons and Typhoons are on more relyable/manuverable platforms to deliver the anti-AV12 shots. I much rather the scouts to be used to shoot whatever transport was cracked at the greatest range a scoring troop choice can.

[Xeonic]

I prefer the heavy bolter, as the hellfire template can be nice vs most of the target profiles you'll be firing the snipers at. The Missile launcher has it's merits for sure though, and can be taken to allow the squad to potential engage almost any target.

Still, if I'm taking sniper scouts, I take the heavy bolter if just because it's something unique they can take. The missile launcher is ultimately to me, just another missile launcher, which I generally already have several of in my lists. Anyways, the hellfire HB drastically increases the squad's chances to cause some wounds for an all time low price. The missile launcher just doesn't bring as much to the table for the points IMO.

[The Unknown Father]

as i said at the begining i don´t consider snipers a great unit against orde (even thougth that with the heavy bolter they are a little better).

 

I think that they are really usefull in small squads shooting against great T and if possible with low armour, that´s the way i use them and i think that in this way the ML is better than the HB

 

PD: some of you tell me that it depends of your list, so if you like to coment in any way (the list or my use of the snipers) this is the list i use to go with:

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/index.p...howtopic=204736

[Giga]

The HB is better, IMHO, because it's offers a small blast that wounds on 2+. This is great because it goes hand in hand with the anti-infantry capability of snipes, while at the same time mitigating their crappy BS. Hence, with some lucky heavy bolter shots, you can easily get tons of wounds on infantry. The heavy bolter can also penetrate AV10 and glance AV11, giving it a (small) chance to harm vehicles.

 

The missile launcher, on the other hand, will be missing half of the time, and most of the time you'll be shooting those snipers at infantry anyway.

[Possessed Marine]

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