So I'm Getting a Battle Maniple....How Should I Arm Them?

[Joasht]

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to pick up a Battle Maniple box at a heavily discounted price.

 

My main question is: how should I arm them?

 

Currently, I likely intend to use them for a Battle Congregation, but also potentially as allies since I own all the other Imperial armies as well.

 

I'm thinking:

Ruststalkers: Chordclaw+Transonic Razor. Probably a Dataspike on the leader.

Infiltrators: Tasergoads

Balistarii: Lascannon, only because it's a free upgrade in the Congregation. Otherwise I'd frankly prefer the Autocannon...may need to look into magnetizing this. 

Dunecrawler: Icarus Array.

Rangers: Arquebuses? Since they seem to be a more long-ranged unit.

Vanguard: Plasma

 

Moving forward with expanding, I intend to take a unit of Breachers (Torsion Cannons/Hydraulic Claw) and a unit of Destroyers (Grav/Flamer) and a Dominus.

 

As for the Knight, I'm currently contemplating a Paladin with Melta and Stormspear Rockets.

 

I'm very much open to ideas and suggestions though!

 

Thanks!

[Dawnstrider]

What is your meta like? On average, do you see more vehicles or monstrous creatures in the opposing army? I know I am building my army and going against the collective wisdom of these forums on some of my own builds but I have magnetized my Ballistari / Dragoons and it is not hard. I glued on the armored windshield looking piece and then magnetized the guns and the arms of the main rider. That way it can be used as any variant. 

 

Tasers and Uzis are the way to go with the infiltrators for sure.

 

I know I am going to run my Rangers in 5 man units with 2 Arquibi as objective campers. Since we are talking about free upgrades, and even if we weren't, Omnispex' all around. 

 

I think that I would go with the Icarus Autocannon on the Knight and change the Onager to a Neutron Laser. I think the Neutron will serve you better than the Stormspear in conjunction with the Battle Cannon. Use the Laser to open the transports and the Battle Cannon to munch whatever gets out. Icarus autocannon would be less effective as a flyer defense but the laser gets you the same number of hits or close to it given how acurate the Onager is with the Docterina's figured in. Also, the Dominus can be given the Cognis relic and put with the Breachers or Destroyers for a flyer defense as well, if needed. That way you can spend less points on flyer defense you may not need and still be protected.  Just my two cogs worth.

[DeStinyFiSh]

I think your list looks good.

I would keep the Icarus. Ad Mech realy has no problem with opening AVs, there is no need for the Neutron Laser here (not saying that the laser is bad, but I would prefere the anti air here).

For the Rangers I would prefere the Arc Rifles. Comes in realy handy with move through cover, and S6 is still good enough to hurt MCs. The big sniper weapons have just one big problem... the sniper rule . Wounding just on a 4+ with a single shot each is nothing to rely on...

I would also give the Breachers the Heavy Arc Rifle instead of the Torsion Canon. TC has just 1 shot at BS 3, and against everything with just 1 wound or 1 hullpoint left the ability is just wasted. Arc is more flexible.

The Knight sounds solid ! Battle Cannon is a great alrounder, the Rockets are good against everything from MEQ up to light AVs and MCs and they can also be used for anti air if realy needed.

[Terminus]

I've only run rangers with arc rifles, but some folks around here have had success with running large ranger units with just omnispex. I can see the logic, their base gun is quite good. Special weapons want you to get close to get the most out of them, and if you're getting close, Vanguard do it cheaper and better (in that they kill everything through weight of wounds).

 

Move through Cover can be invaluable if you're not borrowing transports, though, and if your local area uses a lot of terrain as they should.

[Leman Russ SW]

I am also building a War Convocation atm and was wondering what you feel is the best way to arm Stalkers and Infiltrators?

[Kilofix]

Keep Rangers far away with default weapons or Arquebus, else you give up their advantage and might as well take Vanguards.

 

Put Plasma on Vanguards and Arc on Vanguards. Ideally two squads, one with the latter and one with the former.

 

But if you only have one squad of Vanguards, I'd prefer Arc myself but your meta may dictate differently.

 

 

For Rusts and Infils, most go with what you've described.

 

For Onagers, if you have 3, Neutrons are great. But if just one, then hide it in the back with Icarus is fine.

 

For Walkers, if you have 3, Dragoons are great. But if just one, using Las to snipe special or heavy weapons isn't too bad.

 

 

Don't get Breachers unless you want to run the Holy Req formation and Deep Strike. Otherwise, better to use Arc Vanguard against vehicles or Grav Destroyers against big stuff with wounds and armor.

[Frater Cornelius]

There is real reason to choose weapons with the Onager. They are perfectly interchangeable. Didn't even need magnets, just a tiny bit of putty to hold the guns in place. It will become more apparent when you see the kit.

[Terminus]

I was very fortunate to have the opportunity to pick up a Battle Maniple box at a heavily discounted price.

 

My main question is: how should I arm them?

 

Currently, I likely intend to use them for a Battle Congregation, but also potentially as allies since I own all the other Imperial armies as well.

Ruststalkers: Chordclaw+Transonic Razor. Probably a Dataspike on the leader.

Sadly, this is the only real option. If they kept the grenades and just swapped the weapons, the two sword variant would be a solid option. Without grenades, they are too niche.

 

Infiltrators: Tasergoads

The real decision here is what ranged weapon you want. I lean towards the spitter pistols, because of the volume of fire and the fact that you get an extra attack with the taser goad (my preferred weapon for them), which itself can trigger more attacks.

 

Balistarii: Lascannon, only because it's a free upgrade in the Congregation. Otherwise I'd frankly prefer the Autocannon...may need to look into magnetizing this. 

How about a dragoon instead? They work quite well to support the Sicarians and Vanguard, and can roundhouse kick vehicles to death.

 

Dunecrawler: Icarus Array.

If just running one, yes.  If running two, I go for ze lazer.

 

Rangers: Arquebuses? Since they seem to be a more long-ranged unit.

Sadly worst special weapon option. In my Convocation I have them with arc rifles.  Outside of Convocation, I see little use for them over Vanguard, although I am going to try the all basic weapon unit here soon. 

 

Vanguard: Plasma

Arc and plasma are both good for them. Don't go crazy with the plasma given its cost, although I do run the full 3 in Convocation.

 

Moving forward with expanding, I intend to take a unit of Breachers (Torsion Cannons/Hydraulic Claw) and a unit of Destroyers (Grav/Flamer) and a Dominus.

Ballistic skill is too low to make torsion cannons reliable, I'd go arc rifles for long-range anti-tank/stuff that dies to S6. I like the destroyer load-out, the phosphor is again not great at BS3 so is not a necessary upgrade.

 

As for the Knight, I'm currently contemplating a Paladin with Melta and Stormspear Rockets.

Magnetize. This model is too big and too expensive not to.

[Joasht]

Thanks for the replies so far guys!

 

Curious; what about armaments for the squad leaders (Alphas')?

 

In a non-Battle Congregation list I'm honestly not inclined to buy anything other than maybe a Refractor Field or Conversion Field for the Warlord; but in a Battle Congregation it seems like everything is an option.

 

Any thoughts on this matter? Thanks!

[Terminus]

Oof, you've opened a can of worms, and I'd really like to see some discussion on that as well. The free upgrades formation is Convocation, by the way. The Congregation is the standard FOC for Cult Cybernetica.

 

For non-weapon upgrades, we have refractor/conversion fields and digital weapons. Digital weapons I would never pay for, so I would take it in Convocation and nowhere else. The fields are interesting if you intend to use the 2W alpha as an occasional bullet catcher for the rest of the squad, problem is a lot of the AP4 stuff he would be catching are S6+ and high rate of fire, so use there is limiting.  Plus against ranged attacks it's only your nearby units having to test (even if they do get a re-roll).  For any unit intending to be in melee, I would spring for a conversion field. So basically either Vanguard with Pater Radium, or Sicarians of either variety.

 

For weapon upgrades, Vanguard/Rangers are tricky. Their main guns are awesome, so giving them up for a short-ranged pistol is a downgrade in the case of radium and phosphor pistols, and a side-grade for 10! points in the case of the arc pistol. If you're running small specialist arc squads in allied transports, the arc pistol would be a good choice. I probably wouldn't spend more points on a melee upgrade, except again in the case of a vanguard squad with pater radium headed to melee. And if you do, I'm somewhat partial to the taser goad.

 

My Convocation Vanguard Alpha rocks everything, because he can. So with pistol/taser/radium, he has three attacks at S5, with 6s to hit generating two additional wounds, can re-roll a failed wound, against enemies at -1T (so 2+ to wound marines, insta-kill T3 stuff), and then they have to take a toughness test (also at -1), and if they hit him, a blind test as well. Rolls with the Magos, who tanks wounds for the unit, and just acts as a big scary shooty and surprisingly handly in melee death star of sorts.