Primaris Lightning fighter

[Lords of Preyspire]

Hey all. I thinking about adding a Lightning to my Ultramarine force. I have been planning it to have a heavy assault marine focus and am looking to the lighting to act as an anti-armour piece. It fits my fluff of being an assaulty, fliery, skimmery army.

 

However. I have nerd problems and don't want to have an imperial navy aircraft in my force. The point of the 21 chapter of the Ultramarines legion is to have skilled legionary pilots. So, is it anywhere in the fluff that marines might pilot as lighting? Or is it worth looking into the Xiphon (since I'm being uber fussy).

 

Cheers

[helterskelter]

A lot of people on this board will tell you lightnings are definitely the way to go, and you can fluffstify it, because the pilot will be part of the ultramarines auxiliaries. When it arrives it has the punch with the kraken penetrators to pop many a vehicle assuming the dice like you.

 

The xiphon is equally fragile but lacks that initial punch. However it outranges the lightning with its rotary missile launcher and has significantly more use beyond one turn if you can make it survive.

[Hyaenidae]

Honestly, it's not much of a stretch to say a Legionnaire could be wired in to a Primaris. Heck, that's what I'm planning to do with my Iron Warriors; crippled marines that are agile of mind, but a detriment on the ground from injury, and yet not injured deeply enough to necessitate internment in half-life; they become my pilots and tankers.

 

It's all statistics, in the end.

[Ekim_Trub]

The Ashen Claws blackshield force are known to use the Lightning Primaris Fighter, so there is definitely evidence for Astartes piloting them.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

The lightning is a pretty good option. I really like the thunderbolt, since it has the combat interdiction rule, allowing it to re-roll failed reserves rolls if the opponent has any flyers or skimmers on the board. Which, playing Solar Auxilia against Necrons and Tau, is going to be always. Legiones Astartes can take them as an Orbital strike wing (which is pretty cool), in the LoW slot. It's not ideal, since I'm sure you'd rather use that LoW for something bigger and killier.

 

The lightning can be equipped very similarly to my beloved Thunderbolt, Given 2 twin linked autocannons and twin linked missile launchers and ground targeting auguries it comes out at the same cost as a thunderbolt. Fully equipped, the thunderbolt comes out cheaper.

 

Now comparing to the Xiphon. The Xiphon has 1 more point of armor on the rear, can have unlimited missiles like the lightning, has 2 twin linked lascannons and is still 20 points cheaper fully loaded than the lightning. The lightning has the benefit of trading it's pilot for a servitor, which does nothing to the BS and grants Tank hunter, making the Lightning far more lethal.

 

I personally would go with the lightning for a Legiones Astartes list.