Alternate Land Raider Variants? FW Units?

[Black13]

So I know we are all pretty unhappy with the single variant of Land Raider we are given in the current codex (Chaos just can't seem to figure out how to swap out weapons).  I've never looked into the FW books and was just curious what other options (if any) we have out there?  I love the land raider model and would really like to use it but can't justify it with the lascannon loadout.  So my question to the experts is:  Are there other viable loadouts from the FW books available to chaos?  Or any other good vehicles that would warrant me picking up an Imperial Armor book?  

[Sception]

We can only take a couple of the fw variants, and they tend to be the less good ones, plus saddled with the loss of machine spirit for little to no discount, along with worse options. An arguable exception is the spartan - still has the machine spirit issue, but keeps frag launcher and ceramite armor options, unlike other fw models, and is actually a pretty decent tank. The downside is that its very costly. Not overpriced for what you get, but its going to eat up a large part of your force, especially if you take advantage of its expanded transpotr capacity.

 

Its also arguably not a land raider variant, since it has a physically larger body? Its a complete model rather than some conversion bits slapped on a regular plastic land raider, so you might not be able to convert or counts as with your current model.

[GodEmperorOfMankind]

Spartan is the only option really. It's a beast though!

 

I'd say get a chaos storm eagle though

[Sception]

Chaos storm eagle is decent, yeah, and cheaper than a spartan, pointswise. There's a chapterhouse add on kit for the storm raven that makes a good conversion starting point if you don't want to deal with the cost or hassle of the fw model.

[the jeske]

Chaos FW stuff is bad as others said . Even the stormeagle is a bit meh [no PotMS] and as others said the spartan is more or less the only semi good option . But it costs an arm and a leg in points.

[zyl-]

Chaos FW stuff is bad as others said . Even the stormeagle is a bit meh [no PotMS] and as others said the spartan is more or less the only semi good option . But it costs an arm and a leg in points.

and cash

[Disciple of Fulgrim]

If you only, or mostly, play against SM (as I do - the only other 40K player in my current meta plays SW) then you might want to take a look at the LR Proteus - the rules for it are freely available from FW's website.  The lower transport cap and lack of an assault ramp is offset by some useful special rules (i.e. Scout, the ability to influence reserve rolls, and access to ceramite armour and a multi-melta as upgrades.)  I've been loading mine up with five or six NM with a DS, and my Lord in TDA with a BBoS and pointing them straight at my opponent's Long Fangs.  Sure my "pink blitzkrieg" is sometimes derailed by a lucky lascannon shot, but it's a lot of fun no matter how it turns out.  Being able to influence reserve rolls can also be quite useful, especially when my opponent decides to play a drop pod list.  Oddly enough the Proteus is an Elites choice, so it also won't eat into your ability to buy Oblits or whatever you roll with for Heavy Support. 

 

As far as cost goes, I was able to pick up an old RT-era LR on ebay for $85.  The one I got had been converted into a stock LR, but removing the heavy bolter (the Proteus doesn't get one for free) and adding the Proteus' "Explorator Augury Web" was fairly easy.  The one I found had also been done up in Khornate colors, which served as a nice base for a new pink paint job (and a nice bit of fluff for my little warband - my Proteus was "obviously" captured from followers of the Blood God, somewhere in the Eye of Terror, and is an ancient relic from the days of the Legions.)