Deciding on a Speeder loadout

[Sonic Para]

I've recently fallen in love with Speeders and have added three to my 1500 list. I have two in a squadron as Typhoons but I can't decide what to do with my third one. Here is my list:

 

(Outflanking as one unit)

Shrike

10 man Assault Squad with Thunderhammer Sergeant

 

Gunline

 

2x 10 man Tactical Squad (Meltagun/Lascannon) with TL Lascannon Razorback

2x Whirlwind

Rifleman Dread (2x TL Autocannon)

2x Land Speeder Typhoon (HB/ML) in squadron

Land Speeder (either HB/ML or HB/AsltC)

 

 

Now most of this list is set in stone with the Rifleman Dread and this lone speeder possibly being swapped for a Telion sniper squad and a Thunderfire but that decision depends on who I'm playing. If I keep the lone speeder, which loadout would be best? Having it be another Typhoon would give me those 2 more missiles but with such a static gunline, it leaves the task of pressuring the enemy up to Shrike and his outflanking Assault Squad. If the speeder is a Tornado (HB/AsltC) then I would boost it up a flank to pressure the enemy and, if it survives, support Shrike's unit.

 

What do you guys think?

[DAwarrior43]

I'm not a big fan of the ass cannon on a speeder but too each his own. I feel like the speeder will be too close to the enemy with it and will most likely get downed relatively quickly. The typhoon is more versatile and just better overall for the points if you ask me.

[BladeEncarmine]

Looking at your list, I knid of want to vote for a simple Multimelta Speeder instead. While you do have some serious dakka, I see only 4 weapons that can kill a Land Raider at range (the lascannons), and all of them are on relatively soft platforms when it comes to being shot at. If you're facing a Land Raider (or two... I have faced two Land Raiders filled with termies in 1500 before), by the time your Tac Squads can bring their meltaguns into play, it's far too late. With a Multimelta speeder, you can seriously threaten heavy vehicles even by Turn 1, plus it'll most likely be the prime target of most players when it agressively charges a flank to fry some vehicles, thus taking the heat (no pun intended) off your gunline.

 

Having said that, I do think that Shrike's squad shouldn't actually be used as outflankers. Your gunline is extremely soft against a determined assault. I'd probably use Shrike's squad as a counterpunch unit, rather than a band of isolated raiders who would be prone to being overwhelmed by concentrated fire.

[Chengar Qordath]

Looking at your list, I knid of want to vote for a simple Multimelta Speeder instead.

Seconded; a MM/HF speeder is a good addition to any list.

[Zynk Kaladin]

Be warned, though. I find my MM/HF dies easily because it needs to get really close to the enemy to be effective. It is a very effective, inexpensive, and flexible heavy weapon firebase, though.

[Chengar Qordath]

Be warned, though. I find my MM/HF dies easily because it needs to get really close to the enemy to be effective. It is a very effective, inexpensive, and flexible heavy weapon firebase, though.

True; MM/HF speeders are almost always suicide units. Of course, they make up for it by doing a lot of damage before going down.

[templargdt]

+1 For the MM/HF Speeder. Flexible, hard hitting. I love using them in pairs. Sure they are very fragile but you can usually arrange a cover save for them.

[Sonic Para]

MM/HF though? Seems like either way you are paying points for a weapon you aren't using. I know it means it is versatile but it still means the speeder is only utilizing half of its fire power. Then again it does free you of the decision on whether to move 12" or not.

 

I think for now, I'm gonna go with another Typhoon. While they seem overcosted, I've read a lot of praise for the Tornado variant, I'll have to try it out sometime.

[BladeEncarmine]

While a MM/HF speeder does "waste" half its available firepower when it picks a target, there is only one thing in the game (pre-Apocalypse of course) it cannot kill and one thing it has problems hurting: the Eldar Avatar of Khaine and the Necron Monolith, respectively. A MM/HF Speeder means that you have a fast weapons platform which can threaten both heavy vehicles (Land Raiders, Leman Russes, Battle Wagons) and fast vehicles (Ork Trukks, Eldar Grav-Tanks, Mech BA). You also have a weapons platform which can swoop onto an infantry unit and light them on fire with no cover saves and it denies amrour for anything lighter than PA. Even against PA-models, a well-positioned HF shot can force 4 to 5 saves, meaning they'll probably fail at least one.

 

The reason I suggested the MM Speeder as opposed to another Typhoon or the "classic" Tornado (or even the MM/HF) is that you already have lots of long-range dakka for light infantry. You are in no way lacking in anti-infantry firepower, it's your heavy transport-cracking abilities which give me pause. Against other Marines, Land Raiders (at least in my gaming group) are a rather common threat. Your army has no easy way to crack a Land Raider before it can unload a squad of assault specialists in your face, as melta guns on tac squads are much too short-ranged, krak missiles glance on 6s and lascannons only pen on 6s as well. A plain MM Speeder (no HF, you have plenty of anti-infantry dakka) will allow you to engage those heavy targets without letting them either pound your lines from afar (Leman Russes) or letting your dakka fall off them like rain (Land Raiders).

 

The Typhoon and the classic Tornado, while both excellent at what they do, are once again adding more redundany units to your army's strengths as opposed to addressing its weaknesses. While redundancy is a good thing, you already have lots of redundancy for krak missiles and anti-infantry dakka. The MM Speeder will help cover your bases if you do happen to run into a Lysander-wing list or something of the sort.

 

Hopoefully I've given you something to chew over. In any case, have fun and go with your own instincts.

[BearersOfSalvation]

MM/HF though? Seems like either way you are paying points for a weapon you aren't using. I know it means it is versatile but it still means the speeder is only utilizing half of its fire power. Then again it does free you of the decision on whether to move 12" or not.

 

Obsessing over pointless technicalities means you completely miss the big picture. You're paying a whopping 10 points more to have a unit that is scary to every possible opponent unit (other than two exceptions) over what you'd pay for a unit that's scary to just armor. The point of any of your units is to take (or deny) objectives, and/or to block or kill the other guy's units, not to take fewer weapons so that if you track it you fire a higher percentage of the guns on units.

 

10 points to go from 'heavy armor only, too bad if you end up facing lots of guys' to 'anything except an avatar or monolith' is one of the best bargains in the game.

[Chengar Qordath]

MM/HF though? Seems like either way you are paying points for a weapon you aren't using. I know it means it is versatile but it still means the speeder is only utilizing half of its fire power. Then again it does free you of the decision on whether to move 12" or not.

Considering the nature of melta and flame weapons (both want to be in very close range), you pretty much have to move 12" on the turn you fire in order to use them effectively in any case. Being able to get optimal flamer or melta placement with just 6" of movement is an incredibly rare thing.