Budget (ish) Typhon

[Hesh Kadesh]

Been playing around with a little something recently, especially with all of the 4+ Save Hordes beginning to creep around.

 

The Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher has been one of my favourite tanks for a long while.

 

It has much more potent downsides - mainly that it's not got Armoured Ceramite, and it's not AV14 all around - BUT it does have Barrage. Barrage is the new (well, since 7th edition came out new) Sniper. And it's Twin-linked. And you get Nuncio Vox on it. Its one final problem is that it lacks AP2 and ignores cover on the MEQ killing side.

 

I did say it was budget, though. And the model is awesome, very M270 MRLS Feel too it, which I absolutely adore. And I did say (ish); it's £10 more expensive, and costs around 70pts less; a £0.32 ppp as opposed to £0.29ppp. It's not much, but £10 gets you most of the way to a set of Doors to further customize.

 

However, it's Barrage. Plonk it behind terrain, and watch Graviton become a thing of the past (ish). Grav Rapiers still chew through most other ground pounder forces. As said, it's 2 supremely accurate BS3 Twin-linked Barrages that always count as being within Line of Sight are going to land on a unit, and cause absolutely unreal damage to a squad. On a 20 Man squad, I caused 17 casualties as a result - the majority of the unit was hiding behind cover, but not in any actual cover themselves. Missiles came in, (ironically, thanks to a failed Acute Senses roll on a Recon squad) and rolled out of a possible 21 hits to get 18, including the attached apothecary failing his Artificer Armour save first. 

 

The things you have to watch out for are the things you've always had to watch out for before, only this time, a Deep Striking unit is going to make a right mess of it, even if equipped with Meltas. A Deredeo  or two nearby can be masses of "fun", especially if you can angle them so that the Deep Striking unit has to arrive somewhere within the Deredeo's line of sight.

 

The added bonus?

 

The Praetor brings a 2 Shot Twin-linked AA  Skyfire Interceptor Krak Missile (locked to a 45 degree, though), so you CAN actually field a Plasma Deredeo, which can help make up for the lack of other AP2.

 

All in all, it's a wonderful unit, and quite fun to play, especially against an opponent turtling in his lines. I think the Typhon edges out in most lists, simply due to the ease with which it can be fielded and being less complicated to get set up and not needing chaperoning against Deep Strike/outflank.

 

But it's really fun.

 

And when you play that guy with his 300 FNP Rending Zealot Milita sat on their objectives and not moving, just wave to them as you launch 2 S6 AP4 7" Ignores Cover Pie Plates per turn at them from back in lines that they can't really touch without taking Thunderbolts and hoping that they don't get blown out of the sky because Deredeo.

[1ncarnadine]

Do you know if this thing saw a rules update today with the new edition of Doom of Mymeara?

 

I've been looking at this myself while teetering on the edge of a little Solar Auxilia force. It'd look very fitting and definitely fits really well into smaller forces, with maybe some las rifle sections behind Aegis lines spotting for the Barrage?

[Hesh Kadesh]

To be honest, it was seeing that being released that prompted me to check. I've done so little work today if I'm honest. Combining a new phone with the ability to actually access internet on the move has meant I've spent a lot of time in my groups Whats App coming up with ideas.

 

I believe one of us will be getting it, but it will produce the most recent set of rules for it - after all, the previous ones, the Imperial Armour 2nd Edition are still in the Structure Points of 6th edition. I'm hoping that it comes with the Dominus Bombard actually recieving a model. 

 

It's kinda naff, but it brings 3 S10 AP3 Barrage shots at 36" or an Apocalypse Barrage at 60", and is even more "budget" at 280pts. That said, unlike the Praetor, which has a lot more going for it, the Dominus' key niche is instagibbing 2+ wound 3+ save units with T5. Sooo.... basically that's just Thallax and Gal Vorbak.

[disease]

not to hijack this thread, but how do you compare this unit to say, the minotaur? 

[Brofist]

Hesh, I've been looking at the bombard as an alternative. Massive blast, barrage, pinning, AP3, and you can give it sunder and +1 to the damage table thanks to the master of destruction special rule. Or you can take the Minotaur Battery, which costs a bit more, but brings twin linked and AV14 ontop of everything else.

[zedmeister]

not to hijack this thread, but how do you compare this unit to say, the minotaur? 

 

I was wondering that. Would it be worth looking at allying in an Ordo Reductor detachment - they can take 1-3 minotaurs per heavy support slot. 7" AP3 twinlinked blasts all round would be somewhat comparable. They get rear facing flare shields as well and 5hp so they'll last somewhat. As a bonus, you'll still have your Lord of War slot

 

Though, I do agree, I love the Praetor and Crassus hulls. 

[1ncarnadine]

To be honest, it was seeing that being released that prompted me to check. I've done so little work today if I'm honest. Combining a new phone with the ability to actually access internet on the move has meant I've spent a lot of time in my groups Whats App coming up with ideas.

 

I believe one of us will be getting it, but it will produce the most recent set of rules for it - after all, the previous ones, the Imperial Armour 2nd Edition are still in the Structure Points of 6th edition. I'm hoping that it comes with the Dominus Bombard actually recieving a model. 

 

It's kinda naff, but it brings 3 S10 AP3 Barrage shots at 36" or an Apocalypse Barrage at 60", and is even more "budget" at 280pts. That said, unlike the Praetor, which has a lot more going for it, the Dominus' key niche is instagibbing 2+ wound 3+ save units with T5. Sooo.... basically that's just Thallax and Gal Vorbak.

 

Well, S9+ helps vs Iron Hands too. Or, these aren't very common but Primus Medicae'd bike units of either type I guess? Ehhh

 

I completely forgot the Dominus was a thing until you mentioned it, though. Even with a model... I think I'd still go with the sheer versatility of the Praetor. Plus the missile system looks freaking awesome, that's a major selling point :P Another serious point against the Dominus, it looks like it only has 1 shot if it moves, not 3...

[Hesh Kadesh]

zedmeister has the right idea I think, on paper, but you'd have to use it with a Sworn Brother ally (Iron Warriors, Iron Hands, Sons of Horus, Salamanders, and Raven Guard) and use Nuncio Voxes in that manner. They're cheaper than Cyber Ocularis. Any other legion and they don't get to transfer over and force the need for Cyber Ocularis, and at 60pts for 4, that's not cheap, on top of 205pts for a Twin-linked Super-Earthshaker. The biggest problem I see as well with Minotaurs is that the most recent rules, in the Ordo Reductor has them running with a minimum range that cannot be reduced, and the AP3 is a pain.

 

The Typhon was originally taken as a catch all eraser. S10, check. AP2AP1, check, ignores cover, check, 7" Blast, check. Of those, the only ticked box is the 7" Blast. It has the range (*hodgetwins voice* all kinds of range), sure - but with a minimum range that basically means it's shooting diagonals only. That said, it's also pretty constant damage. At 410pts (or rather, 440pts, those Plasma Fusils are too good to miss out on if an enemy comes a knocking), so it's a pretty hefty investment.

 

That Indirect only can be a bit of a pain though. 

 

At least by running as allies, you can also take some Grav Secutors in a Triaros for 345pts as elite, and some Fearless Adsec to hold objective. The other downside of running it is that you miss out on Krios which are awesome in all aspects.

 

@Bulb; not really paid too much attention to Mechanicum yet. I'm gradually beginning to get to play around with them, mainly as a way to try and stop our local Knight player, so I'm not so up on them. That said, Master of Destruction is pretty cool. Know what it's better on? A Typhon, which is Ordnance, Sunder, and AP1, so gets +3 to Penetrate. 

 

The Mars-Colossus Bombard - at 145pts for a Machine Spirited, Combi-Bolter tank, 2 fit the same cost as a Praetor, in exchange for nearly  double the area covered of the twin 5" blasts of the Praetor and the ability to split fire, the enemy gets FNP which possibly outweighs the additional coverage. Against Militia, the additional point of strength is of no benefit to Abhumans, so they still get FNP, and the Praetor can fire its Ignore's Cover S6 AP4 Blasts for the same effect, and then the ability to fire Skyfire TL Missiles.

 

S7 Sunder on a Barrage Weapon with count as AP2 for Penetration. It's hardly heavy AT duty, but it can certainly help shift a Predator Wall. 

 

Some of these ideas are all good, and very helpful; again, I've not played around too much with them - but I'm intrigued as to what they can do - but the flexibility of the Praetor I think is what makes it a viable alternative to a the Typhon, although the latter is still the better.

[Terminus]

Been playing around with a little something recently, especially with all of the 4+ Save Hordes beginning to creep around.

 

The Praetor Armoured Assault Launcher has been one of my favourite tanks for a long while.

 

It has much more potent downsides - mainly that it's not got Armoured Ceramite, and it's not AV14 all around - BUT it does have Barrage. Barrage is the new (well, since 7th edition came out new) Sniper. And it's Twin-linked. And you get Nuncio Vox on it. Its one final problem is that it lacks AP2 and ignores cover on the MEQ killing side.

 

I did say it was budget, though. And the model is awesome, very M270 MRLS Feel too it, which I absolutely adore. And I did say (ish); it's £10 more expensive, and costs around 70pts less; a £0.32 ppp as opposed to £0.29ppp. It's not much, but £10 gets you most of the way to a set of Doors to further customize.

 

However, it's Barrage. Plonk it behind terrain, and watch Graviton become a thing of the past (ish). Grav Rapiers still chew through most other ground pounder forces. As said, it's 2 supremely accurate BS3 Twin-linked Barrages that always count as being within Line of Sight are going to land on a unit, and cause absolutely unreal damage to a squad. On a 20 Man squad, I caused 17 casualties as a result - the majority of the unit was hiding behind cover, but not in any actual cover themselves. Missiles came in, (ironically, thanks to a failed Acute Senses roll on a Recon squad) and rolled out of a possible 21 hits to get 18, including the attached apothecary failing his Artificer Armour save first. 

 

The things you have to watch out for are the things you've always had to watch out for before, only this time, a Deep Striking unit is going to make a right mess of it, even if equipped with Meltas. A Deredeo  or two nearby can be masses of "fun", especially if you can angle them so that the Deep Striking unit has to arrive somewhere within the Deredeo's line of sight.

 

The added bonus?

 

The Praetor brings a 2 Shot Twin-linked AA  Skyfire Interceptor Krak Missile (locked to a 45 degree, though), so you CAN actually field a Plasma Deredeo, which can help make up for the lack of other AP2.

 

All in all, it's a wonderful unit, and quite fun to play, especially against an opponent turtling in his lines. I think the Typhon edges out in most lists, simply due to the ease with which it can be fielded and being less complicated to get set up and not needing chaperoning against Deep Strike/outflank.

 

But it's really fun.

 

And when you play that guy with his 300 FNP Rending Zealot Milita sat on their objectives and not moving, just wave to them as you launch 2 S6 AP4 7" Ignores Cover Pie Plates per turn at them from back in lines that they can't really touch without taking Thunderbolts and hoping that they don't get blown out of the sky because Deredeo.

Why is it relevant that the apothecary failed his save first? Aren't attacks resolved simultaneously, so if the apothecary was alive when the unit was shot at, they all get the FNP for that one round of shooting from that one unit?

[Hesh Kadesh]

Ot... Isn't. The 2+ save however was. If he passed 17+ 2+ saves, problems. He didn't. Squad gets splatted.

 

S8 means no FNP anyway.

[xera32]

Precedence from Blood Angel Apothecaries (in 5th and 6th) is that once the source of FNP is removed you lose the benefit, even if its from an attack the resolves simultaneously. But as Hesh said, it doesn't mean too much against and ID wound anyway.