Astra Militarum: Tactica Russ

[Akrim]

On my to-do list is an Armoured Company with 2-3 Punishers led by Pask. Not much can survive a bullet storm like that outside of Gargantuan Creatures.

 

I ran dual Puns vs Tau last game, they put the hurt on some Riptides.

 

But as far as Russes go I think the formula is simple; leave the stuff that rolls to hit with the BS4 dudes, pie plates with BS3 dudes.

[Emicus]

My local Tau opponents "don't believe in" nova charging the invuln save on the riptides. So plasma is 10/10.

[march10k]

That's funny...that's the only smart use of the nova reactor...hiding in ruins is better, but if you can't get a 4++ for sticking a toe behind a broken park bench, 3++ is crucial, while the shooty option isn't better enough to be worth the risk.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

That's funny...that's the only smart use of the nova reactor...hiding in ruins is better, but if you can't get a 4++ for sticking a toe behind a broken park bench, 3++ is crucial, while the shooty option isn't better enough to be worth the risk.

Since one failed 5++ can allow a beasthunter Vanquisher to one shot a riptide, (Which mine did).

[march10k]

Silly bovine space commies...one day, one of them probably activated 3++ and subsequently rolled 5,6,5 for three lascannon saves...and concluded that he had activated nova "for nothing."

 

[CaptainHelion]

A friend of mine used to run a Riptide during his foul xenos years (He has since seen the light and been redeemed) used to kill himself more often than not with Nova Charging.

[treadhead]

I've been running an armoured battle company since we first got the rules for it (back in 3rd or 4th I believe) so when we got squadrons in heavy support and a tank commander for a hq choice I was quite happy as I could run tank heavy without getting permission first  but it does present problems as well as opportunities

Here's some things I've noticed over the years

 

Never forget you can tank shock (especially if near the enemies board edge)

 

Always bring some hell hounds (or variants) nothing scratches armoured units backs as thoroughly as flame tanks as a plus no one tends to shoot them if you've got six battle tanks advancing in front of them

 

Sponsons are good as they drop the chance of losing your turret to one in four (throw a stormbolter in and it's one in five ) instead of fifty fifty

 

Demolishers are just nasty .

 

Keep one eye open for dedicated anti tank units (suicide dragons, haywire scourges etc) and try to slap them down fast or deny their deep strike / weapon range on your units with meatshields (conscripts are good for this I've found but a combined platoon works too)

 

It's better to have some mixture of weapons in a squadron rather than just carbon copies (IE 3 lrbt I'd run 2 las and hb's but the third I'd give a hull hf and hb's) try not to dilute their effectiveness by attempting to cover all your potential needs with one unit.

 

Upgrades are good (especially bulldozer blades, camo netting and the afore mentioned storm bolter ) but don't go too far overboard and thus lose out on foot sloggers.

Edited March 5, 2016 by treadhead

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I'm slowly building up my armored forces, and tanks are one of the things I'm investing in heavily. By the time I'm done with my latest rounds of requisition (buying stuff), I hope to be fielding 2 wyverns, a manticore/deathstrike, 2 Demolishers, 2 Vanquishers, 1 Eradicator, 2 Hellhounds, and a Hellhammer/Baneblade, for my armored forces.

[treadhead]

Magnetize everything you can get away with (Wish I'd had the option back when I got my tanks but they're all 2nd edition russes, plastic metal hybrid demolishers and exterminators ) It'll take some forethought, a little sweat and if you're not careful enough some blood droplets   but it will really pay off in the end.

[WarriorFish]

Did someone say magnetise? Have your cake! Eat it! Eat the other guy's cake! This is the way of the magnets :P

[march10k]

I would certainly magnetize stuff that you would only ever want to field a couple of , if that stuff has lots of options.  Tanks don't fit into that category for me.  I don't want to say: "I have three demolishers, three vanquishers, three stock russes, and three eradicators, but I can only field three tanks."  No such thing as too many tanks!  I'm working on having three of each of everything...except executioners and punishers.  Those two might be powerful, but they don't excite me (Exterminators didn't until the mont'ka BS4 bubble)

 

Also, sponsons?  I completely agreed about thinning the chances of weapon destroyed...until hull points.  Rare is the game where your tank has its turret blown off by the first damaging hit.  You just don't see a vanquisher running around with two hull points and no vanquisher battle cannon.  The insurance value of buying extra weapons (hey, don't forget that pintle-stubber!) as "extra lives" is almost zero now.  On the other hand, unless you're only fielding 1-2 tanks, the extra space that the sponsons take up on the tabletop is infuriating (I run chimeras and sentinels alongside my tanks, it's a parking lot in my deployment zone).  I wouldn't run sponsons on any tanks except for punishers (which I don't use) and exterminators.  I'd like to see more sponoson options...even at 40 points for the pair...imagine a vanquisher with triple lascannons!

 

Hellhounds are fantastic...but behind your tanks?  They belong way out in front, frying snipers out of their 2+ cover and parking sideways in front of that crusaderload of terminators!

[CaptainHelion]

I think pintle mounted weapons have a place for "Weapon Destroyed" insurance, but I do agree that sponsons are too expensive for that use.

[WarriorFish]

Excellent posts comrades, this has turned into a treasure trove of wisdom :tu: It has been added to the Resources topic - don't forget additions are always possible if you have something worthwhile :)