Non-Heavy FOC Long Range shooting options

[minigun762]

I know that the default loadout for a Talon is Skyhammer but I'm starting to see the value of keeping the cheap HB.

 

Against many targets, the best option is to utilize the TLAC turret to get side or rear armor shots. In these cases, the upgraded weapon is wasted. Conversely, trying to stay at stand off range to engage targets with your 48"+ weapons wastes your TLAC.

 

So my not minimize the waste and save the points by using the TLHB.

[SyNidus]

I'd personally never leave home without the sky hammers. For the price of a plasma pistol you upgrade those shots to s7 so that it can threaten a variety of targets. I never keep my Stormtalons at range.

[tdemayo]

Unless taken in enormous numbers, I think Heavy Bolters are a weak choice on just about anything.

[UltraTacSgt]

How significant has the mobility of the Typhoons been compared to something like a Tactical combat squad hiding in cover that is also shooting?

 

 Mobility is one of the Typhoons biggest strengths. It can keep them out of harms way by out-ranging many threats and helping you use LoS to hide from threats and get better cover saves. Offensively, the mobility gives you a 48" bubble of influence. When you hover just behind your line with the Speeders you can move them 12" and unload everything at 36" so you figure that you can effectively put a big hit on almost anything on the table every single turn.

 

 Another great benefit of mobility is putting your Speeders in range of 2-3 targets and then shooting every other unit in your army first so that you can have the option to unload on a target of your choice based on the tactical expediency of the moment. There have been many times where the dice made it make more sense to shoot at a unit that was not the primary target of my Typhoons during the movement phase. Rifle Dreads also have this benefit.

 

 Long story short, the mobility of the Typhoons gives them tactical flexibility above and beyond what a five or ten man Tactical squad can bring to the table.

[Azash]

Long story short, the mobility of the Typhoons gives them tactical flexibility above and beyond what a five or ten man Tactical squad can bring to the table.

1d6+1 str 7 ignores cover and 60" range on a platform that can move 12 and fire full on so 72" range. Versatility and flexibility are great but I only listed one of the myriad of fast moving/long ranged units that ignore cover.

 

To many ignores cover units in 6th for a 2 HP armor 10 vehicle to survive. It has high str and a good rate of fire and its easily wiped off the table...GW couldn't have designed better first blood bait if they had deliberately tried.

 

Those 5 tacticals with a missile launcher have a level of survivability that is leaps and bounds better and they are 10pts cheaper. 5 wounds with 3+ armor saves vs 2 hps and armor 10 that depends on jink to survive so it will attract ignores cover fire.

 

Playing a long game 5 tacticals in cover are going to give you a good 4 to 5 shots w/ a 48" kill radius. A speeder will usually die in a puff of glancing hits on round one so 2 shots if you got first turn.

 

The best of both worlds I suppose would be shooty termites with a cyclone ML. Quite a bit more expensive bit you get 2+ armor saves 5++ invulns, 10 bolter shots, and 2 ML shots, 5 wounds, and 5 PF's aren't world beaters but they don't hurt either.

[UltraTacSgt]

I agree that a single Speeder is First Blood bait. I am running on the assumption of at least 2 Speeders in a squadron.

 

That said, I run a 2 Speeder squadron in the backbone of my lists and against a myriad of enemies they probably survive 70+% of my games without losing a hull point.

 

List composition plays heavily into this for me because my lists uses target saturation as a major means of survival and I have several units that are far far more threatening than two Speeders in the backfield.

[minigun762]

UltraTacSgt, Good tactical ideas to fully utilize the Speeder's advantages.

 

Azash, There really isn't much outside of an Ironclad that isn't afraid of a Serpents firepower. They are just brutal.

[Azash]

UltraTacSgt, Good tactical ideas to fully utilize the Speeder's advantages.

Azash, There really isn't much outside of an Ironclad that isn't afraid of a Serpents firepower. They are just brutal.

Not just wave serpents that was kind of my point. Hell drakes, flying monstrous creatures, the entire tau codex, screamers, etc

 

Not much will survive these things like a rhino but a rhino is more durable and less threatening so less likely to draw the attention. If something is gonna draw attention is gotta be durable or its got a problem.

[minigun762]

I'm finding that Talons are eating up my Fast slots, so I might take a second look at the Rifleman Dread. 

 

I just wish there was an easy kit for it. 

 

Might be better just to run a quad gun instead. 

[Brother Heinrich]

Rapier laser destroyers :)

 

edit: oh wait non-heavy, never mind.