Missile Launchers any good?

[bigted]

What do you guys think about missile lauchers? Are they worth taking, or are autocannons and lascannons just plain better? What about Flakk missiles, are they any good? 

Thanks!

bigted

[scatmandoo]

Tokk them in the last 2 games I took part in and I honestly wish I either had AC or LC. Annoying as I like the models.

 

Just no good at popping tanks due to ap3 and ho good playing the hull point game due to one shot normally at bs3.

 

As for flakk, I would rather spend the points on an Aegis/Hydra or best is a Vendetta. A Valk with a Lascannon would even to me be a better choice.

[Pipes]

I have also been asking this question as I am debating running some vets with them in a mech list (so I have plenty of anti-everthing) I just thought they may be more versatile, thank you for stopping me from possibly making a mistake.

[WarriorFish]

Good is a relative term, but I don't really use them. The main issue is they're a bit expensive in my opinion and a single shot weapon means you may as well go for a lascannon for the valuable extra Strength and AP for relatively little. Their strength is in their versatility, as they can do well against almost any target - they can even take down flyers if you buy flakk (though this isn't cheap!).

 

Take them in some number to get the most out of them, one or two here or there can be ok for the right unit though. My opinion is that they make for a good support weapon, so you have your lascannons/autocannons/etc to specialise and a squad of missile rocket launchers to lend a hand to whatever is struggling at the end of your shooting phase.

 

Guard can take lots of heavy weapons easily in a list though, so it's not as if we need to compromise which is the main reason why you don't see them much. Perhaps if they were a bit cheaper that could change but unfortunately the reasons not to take them outweigh the positives too much.

[CoffeeGrunt]

I'd only ever take them against Nids due to the Frag Blasts and Krak Missiles making them versatile against both lil gribblies and big monsters in equal measure. Other than that, as Warriorfish said, Lascannons are much better AT and have the bonus of +1 to the Damage Table and being able to cut through 2+ Saves. Autocannons also play the Glancing Game way better against light vehicles.

[Captain Antonius]

They are, as was said already, the most versatile weapons platform the infantey can muster. But aren't that great at any one job. The main reason I take them is fluffy. Easy, man portable versatile weapons that fit right in with the light infantry concept.

[march10k]

I would definitely go with the autocannon.  If you're fine with a single shot, then the lascannon is almost unimaginably better than a krak missile...but two autocannon shots beat one krak missile shot in an all comers list, and the situations where a frag missile beats an autocannon are extremely rare.  Not having that 1/6 chance of killing a tank even on a penetrating hit just ruins the ML for me.  6s to glance against AV14 was yucky but reasonable...but a penetrating hit from a dedicated antitank weapon should have a chance greater than zero of causing catastrophic damage.

[steellegionnaire85]

I take two heavy weapons squads of missile launchers every game they have killed their points worth every game. The key is concentrated fire they do best in dedicated squads. My two squads have brought down several storm ravens and storm talons and fighta bommers. I never go into battle with out them. I don't use hydras they are fragile and can only do one thing. Missile launchers in squads can kill everything well given the opportunity. Your choice though, everyone plays to their strengths.

[Father Mehman]

Having the ability to shoot down flyers is amazing. Blowing a chunk out of a horde army is tasty. Bringing down lightly armoured vehicles is a pleasure. The Missile Launcher does all of these things.

 

My lists are peppered with these weapons for the reason of "what if". Allow me to take you down the rabbit hole. The enemy is advancing forwards, armed to the teeth and mad as a billy goat who just saw his pregnant lady get slapped on the rump. Their large force matches or even exceeds your own. Luckily, you've got "Elsa", the heavy bolter on your side. She chugs some shots but comes up dry when you need her. Without a moment's hesistation, "Pamela" roars her defiance, her autocannon fire ripping green bodies to the ground. Still, the green tide moves forward, undaunted. That is until "Natalia", the most flexible of them all, moves in beside the guardsmen. One missile is all it takes. Welcome, comrades, to Purple Rain.

 

Personally, two "all comer" Heavy Weapons Squads with Missile Launcher and Heavy Bolter adding either a Lascannon or Autocannon used to work wonders when I played. But, again, to each his own.

[lionofjudah]

I personally rock mortars and autocannons in my lists. The LC is only in the CCS and vet squad and I have yet to pick up the humble panzerfaust/RPG in my new list. I do love me some templates though and recognize how much fun it is to do something a lil different:)

The only thing I tend not to run is the humble Heavy bolter... Or bolters period in my guard army.

[march10k]

Personally, I don't use heavy weapons squads...way too fragile...T3 5++, and "shoot me" painted all over them!  If flak missiles were available on sentinels, I'd think long and hard about that option...but in truth, I'm swimming in anti-infantry and anti-tank shooting, MLs would be somewhere between superfluous and redundant in that role, so it really just comes down to air defense...and my quad icarus lascannon vengeance weapon batteries are WAY better, and harder to kill.

[steellegionnaire85]

The key with weapons teams is having something draw the enemy attention away from them. Something bigger and that scares the enemy more. Mine usually last at least three turns usually killing their points back.