How to equip a predator squad

[Grizwald23]

So I am making a 3 tank predator squad for my Sons of Horus army. I'm equipping 2 with flamestorm cannons and one with a magna- melta cannon. The plan is to advance them with my infantry up one of the flanks and keep them in front to use them as cover saves. The problem is I can't figure out how to equip their side sponson wise and extras. For side sponsons do I go with heavy bolters so I have some range or heavy flamers for more template weapons since HH armies have big infantry squads in general. As far as extras I'm thinking Extra Armor and Auxiliary drives seem like good ideas to keep them moving. Are their any other upgrades that r worth taking and is it worth it to upgrade one to a command tank.

 

The rest of my Sons of Horus army looks something like 2 20 man tac squads or 3 15 man squads depending on points, a Sicaran, and a whirlwind scorpions, 1 reaver squad, large termie squad with Praetor, 3 Javelin speeders, a recon squad, 3 man Contemptor squad.

[Russ Brother 92]

Personally I would go for flamers on the flamestorm toting predators and heavy bolters on the magna-melta one - this gives you more concentrated fire for the flamers and allows your magna-melta to bust open tanks of all varieties.

[Kais Klip]

You'll be driving those flame storms right up their arses so you won't have time to fire the heavy bolters. One essential thing you must take is a pintle mounted ranged weapon of some kind to extend your lethality zone, or you won't be able to cause more casualties than the number who are under the templates. I don't have my books with me but if you can't take any top-side weapon, then go with heavy bolters since one flamer sponson will be blocked by the hull and the other one with the topside Flamestorm will most likely be sharing targets and thus casualties.

 

Can't give you any solid advice on your other options since I haven't looked over the tank armoury for a while.

[MordentHex]

My predator squad has the plasma destroyers. they don't get hot and can do a crap load of damage at ap 2. side heavy bolters for the win.

[Hyaenidae]

My predator squad has the plasma destroyers. they don't get hot and can do a crap load of damage at ap 2. side heavy bolters for the win.

 

I'm using the Armoured Spearhead rite of war, so my Predator Squadron is acting as Light Scouts, amusingly, using the same set-up.

[DuskRaider]

Predators to me are a support tank. Look at the rest of your army and figure out what you need or what it can take advantage of. Some Legions have bonuses to certain weapons, which makes them a natural fit in the force. The fact that you can bring three to a squadron and they're cheap also helps immensely.

[MordentHex]

Predators to me are a support tank. Look at the rest of your army and figure out what you need or what it can take advantage of. Some Legions have bonuses to certain weapons, which makes them a natural fit in the force. The fact that you can bring three to a squadron and they're cheap also helps immensely.

usually this is the case, but when running 3 per heavy support choice and the points involved in at least 1 full squadron, they go from support to main battle line. tying that much points in to something that is only for support isn't worth it. You got to really ram those big guns down the enemies throat to get your points back.

[DuskRaider]

True, I guess. I honestly look at something like an all flame tank squadron as more support, but perhaps Plasma Cannon Predators would be mainline. I think they would require Lascannons, though. I do have a deep desire to field tri-flamer Predators with my Death Guard, especially how they make flame templates much stronger. On another note, am I the only one bothered by the fact that you can only take one Vindicator per Heavy Slot?

[Moonstalker]

Do not bother going Flamestorm + Heavy Flamer.  Template weapons cannot be fired as snap shots, and these weapons are so short range that you HAVE to move.  IMO, Flamestorm and Magna-melta are only worth it if you're going to pay for Machine Spirit on the tanks so that they can move 12 inches and fire their main gun.  Without that movement, these tanks are too short ranged (and limited by firing templates/lack of snap shots) that they will have trouble putting their firepower down.  Mixing these tanks in the same squadron is also questionable.  If you ever want to engage vehicles with your magna-melta, then your flamestorm predators are almost useless for that round of shooting (unless you can put the templates down in such a way that they touch the vehicle you're shooting and then can get on a nearby infantry squad).

 

My preferred variants are plasma executioner with heavy bolter sponsons and predator cannon with either heavy bolters or lascannons.  The former brings a lot of plasma pew, but lately I have felt that the scatter on the main gun is too unreliable.  Two of them is still a force to be reckoned with, and doesn't break the bank points-wise.  The latter can be some very cheap and effective anti-infantry/transport/skimmer dakka, or a dedicated anti-vehicle choice.  Executioner cannon + lasacnnon sponsons is too expensive, IMO.  The dakka predator doesn't really need much else to be effective, it's cheap AV13 with a lot of bullets, but the one with lascannon sponsons can benefit from the Machine Spirit upgrade.  It will allow you to move 6 inches and fire both lascannons at heavy armor, or the predator cannon and one lascannon at light armor.  The upgrade is not wholly necessary in that situation.

 

Magnamelta, machine spirit, and combi-bolter (this is just cheap protection against a weapon destroyed result automatically taking this tank out of the fight - it gives you a 50/50 shot of losing your main gun or the combi-bolter) can be a good combination, but I'd probably only take it as an addition to a squadron to round it out.  Outside of 9 inches, a Vindicator is probably the better choice for the points.