IG/ AM Tank Allies

[Charlo]

Purely because I decided to acquire the Cadian supplement today to root around, I noticed that one of the formations essentially lets you take:

 

• Pask
• 4+ Extra Russes (one more to buddy up with Pask and then 3 squadrons)
• Enginseer

All the tanks get BS4 while Pask is alive and within 12".

 

Any within 6" of the Enginseer force the opponent to roll two dice for damage when they get a penetrating hit and discard the highest.

 

Then some bonuses for ramming/ tankshocking units/ vehicles with multiple tanks. +1S Rams and -1LD to Tests for each tank after the first.

 

Now minimum this is setting you back about 850 points. But this will net you:

 

• Pask's mental Heavy 20 S5 Rending turret at BS4.
• His squad mates Heavy 20 S5 turret at BS4 (non rending).
• 2 Battle Cannons.
• Vanquisher Cannon for anti AV.
• 3 BS4 Heavy Bolter and 2 Snap Firing ones.
• Auto Passing Repairs from the Enginseer thanks to four servitors.
• Enginseer also gives one tank machine spirit a turn, good for shuffling.

Obviously this is quite points heavy, but I'm intrigued to see how you guys might think it does as an AV wall for our BA's advance.

 

My only gripe I suppose would be I could get two modest Knights for the cost...

[sebs_evo7]

I think it's decent. You can also take objectives with those tanks if required. I've actually just bought the start collecting am set and I'm looking forward to an allied detachment of guard. Pask in a punisher is obvious but wouldn't you also try and fit a demolisher in?

Like you say though how does it stack up against potentially 2 knights with whatever they are packing. Will those tanks put out more firepower and have more survivability

[Charlo]

Could well fit a demo in, just focused on anti massed ap3.

 

Rrslly two Knights would give some D in combat, stomps, a few battle cannon shots or Melta. Then the avenger cannon is similar?

 

Then again I'm tempted to paint the rushes Red and say they're under my chapters command. MUHUHUWAHHA.

[CaptainHelion]

The other Russ variants are also worth a look. The Eradicator (My favourite) is both the cheapest Russ and packs a S6 AP4 Ignores Cover large blast. Also not Ordinance, so grabbing sponson weapons isn't a bad plan.

The Demolisher's already been mentioned, so I'll not go further into it. Just think of it as a slower, more armoured Vindicator, and you're about there.

The Vanquisher gives us one thing we lack; long ranged Anti-Tank. S8 AP1 Armourbane, 72" ranger (iirc). BS3 lets it down a lot, but if you pair it with a hullmounted las cannon and plas sponsons, you can make up with a reasonable weight of fire.

The Exterminator is a bit of an odd one. Four shot twin-linked autocannon doesn't sound like a great deal, basically a Quad Gun on a AV14 chassis. On the other hand, that's a Quadgun. On an AV14 chassis. That you don't really have to babysit. Add some heavy bolters and watch it shred light vehicles and infantry. Improved in the same way as the Punisher, with the main gun getting Rending. Watch it have a chance to ruin a landraider's day!

[NTaW]

I play Guard as allies to my BA habitually and it generally crushes my opponents. Personally I don't think that Pask can be taken in the tank Formation (no caveat stating he can be swapped for a TC) but that only stops me from doing it. I'd never enforce such a niggling of rules on someone. I do however take him in a CAD all the time with ChimeraVets to fill out the Troops. He's awesome and kills everything, S5 Rending with re-rolls for armour pen is usually enough to wreck basically any AV tank that gets close. It gets tight against AV14 but I've one-shotted Land Raiders before...should've seen the look on the guy's face! I pretty much always take him with an Executioner so that it can benefit from Preferred Enemy, otherwise the stupid tank has a propensity to wreck itself. Demolishers I have always hesitated employing with my BA because they're in close and pie plates sometimes scatter disastrously, plus it's a waste of PE.

Out of all the Formations from the Cadian Supplement I'm most interested in the heavy support one of Basilisks and Manticores. Much fun from the big guns.

[greycat]

I disagree that its a waste of preffered enemy. It gives you rerolls to wound essentially giving your demolisher shred.

 

I would say that formation is too many points I usually make an allied army consisting of pask in punisher, demolisher, vets with camo cloaks and a leman russ as heavy support. 3 av14 vehicles to complement my BA force.

[Charlo]

You certainly can take Pask in the formation. He is just an upgrade for a single tank commander in the army. Same way as you can make a captain a chapter master in the space marine formations.

 

Good insight on the other Russ' people. I won't lie, last I ever knew of the LRBT was it came with a battle cannon and the demolisher was a metal add on and the exterminator was available to the Wolves.

 

The Eradicator seems cool, but anything that requires AP4 is handled by the massed heavy flamers/ bolters/ DC rather well anyway. Though I can see merits in the mobility and also sticking Heavy Bolter/ Flamers on it. Fun tank.

 

Vanquisher seems like a perfect ally for us indeed. Armourbane at range? Plus I can make it BS4 with the formation. Add on some lascannons like you say for a super predator annihilator. The range would be a major influence to this.

 

I think I'd still prefer the Punisher over the Exterminator, just for weight of fire and rending. If the Exterminator has the "stay still to get skyfire" or at least BS2 snap-shots it might be more up my list but I own a Deredeo, which is just a better choice all around with overlapping targets methinks.

 

What do people think of the Plasma Russ? I love the look of it but with Gets Hot it seems a little lack luster. Then again, we can't take Deimos Executioner Preds (even though I have a converted one...) so, maybe? Is Pask's large blast ever worth it?

[CaptainHelion]

Pairing the Executioner with Pask is a good idea if you make him your warlord, largely because PE lets you reroll your Gets Hot roll. And with 3 blasts, rerolling scatter can help you maximise the hits you want.

Pask's Super Awesome Fun Times Blast is interesting, cause a Large Blast plasma cannon is always interesting. One blast vs three is a plus, as it's 1/3 of the chance to Get Hot. Blind would be useful if you find yourself shooting anything with multiple wounds or a high invulnerable save.

[Charlo]

Ohhhh I forgot it has blind. That is actually HELLA synergy with BA.

 

Decimate a unit, blind them, charge with DC :D

 

Necrons and Tau are I2 right? :P

[CaptainHelion]

Maybe multi-charge a unit if you can, and try to stay in combat as long as you can? Does anyone remember what blacksun filters do? Other than nightvision, that is.

[The Unseen]

Blacksun filters, at least in their previous codex, granted immunity to blind tests. Still works on firewarriors though, just not the suits. And if your just going for # of hits, the 3 blasts are always superior, unless your shooting at a unit with absolutely massive bases that mean you won't ever get more than 1 hit from the small blast.

[NTaW]

You certainly can take Pask in the formation. He is just an upgrade for a single tank commander in the army. Same way as you can make a captain a chapter master in the space marine formations.

Exactly why it's never worth bringing up at a match. He is entered is as a unit option swap for the TC in the Command choice for their Formation of Formations but not for the Core choice, that's the only reason why I won't take him in that Formation; emphasis on me alone.

I disagree that its a waste of preffered enemy. It gives you rerolls to wound essentially giving your demolisher shred.

I would say that formation is too many points I usually make an allied army consisting of pask in punisher, demolisher, vets with camo cloaks and a leman russ as heavy support. 3 av14 vehicles to complement my BA force.

You're not getting any benefit from re-rolling 1's to hit and you're giving Shred to a S10 weapon. I know 1's are a thing that happen (I've rolled six at once on six dice ) but I don't see this as a very effective use of the Preferred Enemy rule. Maybe 'waste' was a bit strong, but you're definitely ignoring the first half of the rule and the second half is a lot more effective on lower Strength weapons.

What do people think of the Plasma Russ? I love the look of it but with Gets Hot it seems a little lack luster. Then again, we can't take Deimos Executioner Preds (even though I have a converted one...) so, maybe? Is Pask's large blast ever worth it?

I've tried it because I wanted a ton of plasma one game but found that the smaller blasts were more effective. Do you not play that Preferred Enemy allows you to re-roll 1's on blast weapons with Get's Hot?

[Charlo]

 

You certainly can take Pask in the formation. He is just an upgrade for a single tank commander in the army. Same way as you can make a captain a chapter master in the space marine formations.

 

Exactly why it's never worth bringing up at a match. He is entered is as a unit option swap for the TC in the Command choice for their Formation of Formations but not for the Core choice, that's the only reason why I won't take him in that Formation; emphasis on me alone.

 

No Swap. Upgrade. Functionally the same as making a lascannon a heavy bolter on a Leman Russ.

 

You take your units in the formation, then you apply upgrades to them :)