7th Ed. Heavy Support Discussion

[logun]

So, in this edition do predators rival to LFs on the table top with the new tank rules?

 

for me, no they are still a second place getter. but our local games tables are always preset with a reasonable amount of multi storied ruins/terrain to place LF units for good fire lanes/vantage points. my standard all missile build has now changed to a couple of lascannons added though. last edition i wouldn't even consider the predator though, now i actually think about it.

 

a pair of typhoon speeders are pretty reasonable and are sure to fall in price once the new codex is out, a good amount of fire power on a fast mobile platform with good range to keep them away from small arms fire. 

[DanPesci]

I still see ML LF as viable, sure you arent going to get any explode results, but then i found a lot of the time i was glancing stuff to death anway with them, and it was my melta units getting the explode results (which wont really have changed).

 

Predators are slightly more durable, and i like the look of them on the tabletop, but the positioning with them is always an issue for me, as it can be hard to bring all its guns to bear consistently (especially if facing a fast moving opponent). As mentioned by logun, usually in our games we have a fair bit of buildings or LOS blocking terrain, so some well placed long fangs can have a bit of survivability (helldrake nonwithstanding).

 

Twin vindicators is always nasty though, my housemate used them fairly frequently and they are really annoying for sealing of huge segments of the table (ie i dont want to advance troops there, thats where the pie plates are gonna land). I see no reason for them not be a good chioce in a rhino rush list (although droppods your gonna be risking landing templates on your own guys.

 

Also, whirlwinds - cheap, big template, can ignore cover - see them as being useful against tau, and probably gonna be good against this upcoming ork dex. Again, needs to fit in with the rest of your army though.

[Spazmonkey]

Has anyone tried to run predators in the new edition to get a feeling for how they are playing?

I am also considering looking at the Predators to see how they play out and would welcome some some actual battle report feed back.

 

i still run the same heavy support i have run since 5th ed.

 

6 long fangs. x2

x1 LC, x1 PC, x3 RKT

 

X1 Whirlwind.

 

They have always worked well for me.

The whirlwind offers access to units when I do not have LOS.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

I still see ML LF as viable, sure you arent going to get any explode results, but then i found a lot of the time i was glancing stuff to death anway with them, and it was my melta units getting the explode results (which wont really have changed).

 

Predators are slightly more durable, and i like the look of them on the tabletop, but the positioning with them is always an issue for me, as it can be hard to bring all its guns to bear consistently (especially if facing a fast moving opponent). As mentioned by logun, usually in our games we have a fair bit of buildings or LOS blocking terrain, so some well placed long fangs can have a bit of survivability (helldrake nonwithstanding).

 

Twin vindicators is always nasty though, my housemate used them fairly frequently and they are really annoying for sealing of huge segments of the table (ie i dont want to advance troops there, thats where the pie plates are gonna land). I see no reason for them not be a good chioce in a rhino rush list (although droppods your gonna be risking landing templates on your own guys.

 

Also, whirlwinds - cheap, big template, can ignore cover - see them as being useful against tau, and probably gonna be good against this upcoming ork dex. Again, needs to fit in with the rest of your army though.

I have 2 vindicators I love to use on the table top. I have recently changed my army to a drop pod Army, and I feel like the Vindis May clash a little bit in tactical application, but I've never run them both in a complete pod list. Will have to try it. At any rate, I like to have long range capabilities to support my (in your face) style of play. LFs are admittedly great at this, but adding in LCs and taking out missile launchers is gonna get spensive!

[MeatGrinder]

Ill be adding a lascannon to both my LF squads as its 6th member and a unit of heavy bolter LFs. The HBs are because of the increase in the more numerous armies in my current meta, tau, orks, eldar and nids. Im currently running rhino rush with bikes.

 

However, objectively I think adding a predator or two in an anti-tank role might take some focus off of my rhinos.

[Bloody Legionnaire]

Ill be adding a lascannon to both my LF squads as its 6th member and a unit of heavy bolter LFs. The HBs are because of the increase in the more numerous armies in my current meta, tau, orks, eldar and nids. Im currently running rhino rush with bikes.

 

However, objectively I think adding a predator or two in an anti-tank role might take some focus off of my rhinos.

HBs became one of my favorite weapons for LFs in 6th edition. I really liked running them as 3 HB and 2 PC, and would laugh when someone would try to assault them. I really liked using LFs for long range fire support, but always felt like they got killed too easily. Now that tanks are more durable, I'm really thinking predators would function well in this role. Their only disadvantage is not being able to split fire.