How effective is long range armor?

[Kilofix]

Hi! Am new to IG and was wondering about Tanks and Ordnance with really long range like the Vanquisher, Basilisk, and Colossus.

 

In a larger game like 1500 to 2000 pts; Does trying to outrange an entrenched shooty opponent (like Tau) with a large number of the above (along with some sort of foward skirmish line) a potential strategy?

 

I'm assuming that if it is, then you should max out 2-3 Heavy Support slots with full squads of 3 of the above?

 

Thanks for the opinions.

[Argun]

Well, short answer (Especially coming from me, as the local IG Artillery 'guru'):

Yes. 9x yes. Colossi make marines weep (seeing as it ignores cover, AP 3 ) But the problem is protecting those tanks. Sure, artillery are great long-range, but they are very vulnerable when guys get close.

[Flint13]

The thing in this case is creating what is called a "parking lot" for your long range armor. It's normally not a great idea to throw them all together (which having a squadron of 3 forces you to do) as anything with high strength blasts, tank-killing melee or moderately high strength shots can cause big problems.

 

Keeping your original idea intact, it would be a better idea to fill your 3 heavy support slots with several manticore launchers or medusas. You can keep them spaced out without creating a parking lot and they aren't obligated to all fire at the same target (as a squadron is). Firing three medusas or manticores at the same target is generally hella overkill, so this gives you a little more leeway in targetting without clumping them all up in one easy to kill group.

[Argun]

Another thing you can do, if a parking lot is unavoidable: make sure things like artillery are protected behind cover (some that is higher than the tank itself).

IG artillery has this wonderful thing balled barrage. Couple that with no-cover (for colossi) or high-strength (basilisks, for hitting tops of tanks) and all you have to worry about is infantry getting close to you!

[hendrik]

another, sometimes overlooked option is the double force org chart! if you're planning on 2000 pts games, make use of it! 6 heavy support slots = one sad opponent!

[Interrogator-Chaplain Ezra]

Just watch out for things like Wave Serpents. I've encountered some Eldar players who use them as gun wagons rather than transports. They are very good at taking down SPA that isn't entirely hidden. Even a fraction of visible SPA and boom.

[WarriorFish]

Good points here, the parking lot should be avoided like the plague! There's only one thing an artillery regiment needs aside from the artillery: infantry. You don't even need to spend lots of points on them as the big guns will do most the lifting. You can outfit them with special weapons to welcome/deter the enemy or some heavy weapons if you wanted a more more focused/non-blast fire.

Keep them milling about your artillery to protect them but don't be afraid to send them to intercept the enemy. They'd also be a way to get Chimeras in that could provide more fire power as mentioned and more importantly additional AV12 saturation and as mobile cover if required. A lot of your resilience will come from numbers so get plenty of models on the board, which conveniently also increases your damage output. Artillery pieces don't need many upgrades so make the most of it!

Oh, and don't forget Griffons! They will obliterate infantry in short order and are dirt cheap We're just waiting for GW to give us a new model for them... hopefully for the update next year?

[Kilofix]

Thanks for all the info!

 

I apologize for the slight digression in this next reply but (seeing as how cool Artillery is turning out to be) I've decided to accelerate my IG build and my next question is:

 

In a larger game (say 1900 pts); if I were to put a large Lord of War as a screen in front of the artillery (and potentially as a  'Distraction Carnifex'), which one would be ideal?

 

I was thinking possibly the Hellhammer as the Artillery will be doing most of the long range heavy lifting and I'd only need something mid-range as a screen.

 

But then again, the standard Baneblade is attractive too.

 

No Shadowsword though as D weapons are out where I'm at.

[hendrik]

with around 500 pts already spend on the lord of war, and then a lot of artillery you won't have much points left for the needed goodies such as troops etc! remember the game isn't about killing your opponent his entire army, but about scoring victory points, a lot of them by controling objectives. so you will need to spend points on units that will sit on your objective, but also on units that march forward into the fray to contest/grab those objectives closer to your opponent. unless you are only talking about a couple of artillery pieces, in which case the manticore is golden
as for superheavies the baneblade is in general regarded as the best superheavy  all purpose tank

[Oz of the North]

I use the baneblade and I quite enjoy it, though remember people may not like you if you use a lord of war and like hendrik said the artillery and the baneblade will be a lot of points that could be used for objective holders.

[WarriorFish]

I agree, those points would be better spent on more of the same. You could get a lot more guns for that, or if you wanted screens you'd probably get a lot more mileage from the same points in Guardsmen and Chimera.

 

If you wanted a Lord of War slot though the Baneblade would be my choice. It's not going to break anything with D weaponry as it's basically a super-scaled Russ, but that's still pretty cool in itself.

[cypherthefallenangel]

Don't overlook the stormlord. It can transport 30 troops and put out tons of shots.

[Kilofix]

Thanks again for all the advice.

 

Instead of a LoW, I'm now thinking maybe a Fortress of Redemption as a screen. It's in the core book, it is cheaper, it will block some LOS to the Artillery, it can house Guardsmen and it has a both a Skyfire and Barrage itself.

[Argun]

The only thing I see as a potential doom-scenario for that, is enemies who can get to that fortress quickly (IE: drop pods, fliers, terminators, jump-infantry, ect...)

I'd suggest putting an entire platoon in the fortress (if possible, and with heavy weapons teams (lascannons/autocannons/heavy bolters work great)) and then work your way around it. Especially if you plan on dropping your artillery right behind it, making the fortress the focal point of your list.

After doing that, I'd suggest more infantry, maybe some more infantry, and then some tanks/sentinels to round out things.

[WarriorFish]

I'd festoon the fortification with Guardsmen. I wouldn't even care if it was the best use of them, a fortification is nothing if it's not teeming with Guardsmen :P