Kataphrons...

[DanPesci]

So, currently putting together a couple of units of kataphrons to work as a long range support for my skitarri (currently 2 squads of vangaurd and 2 onagers....going to be adding at least another 2 vanguard and maybe some infiltrators).

Just looking for a bit of advice on loadout.

Now, i realise Grav Destroyers are probably better to go for here, but just for a bit of variety, i was going to make one unit destroyers and one breachers.

The destroyers will be magentised to take grav or plasma (as further down the line, the possibility of taking that terrain piece that gives you large blasts sounds hilarious!). But ill be running them as grav for the time being.

Should i take flamers or just keep them lower points with blasters...the blasters i guess could be nice at reducing a cover save...but then the grav cannons should be wiping most things they are shooting at anyway....whereas the flamers could come in handy for dealing with DS units (looking at daemons here, as the grav cannons will be useless against them)...or stopping a charge getting off (as i realise the destroyers are pretty weak in combat).

For the breachers, im thinking of just running with heavy arc rifle and the standard claw. I dont see point in upgrading their claw when they only get 1 attack anyway, and i like the idea of being able to hit stuff with haywire from 36/42" away.

Torsion cannon i guess is good if you are giving them the TH/SF/MH relic...but im way off even contemplating having cawl in as need to build/paint what i have so far

Im just running them both in units of 3 for the time being...how do people find that? Too small? Just seems like in bigger units their firepower will be overkill, but then 3 isnt that many wounds.

but yeah..just looking for a bit of general advice..what have people found works well?

[MajorNese]

For most games, equal numbers of breachers and grav did the job for me. 2 squads of breachers (at 2k and more) are hilarious when facing vehicles, as even LandRaiders are just marginally more resilient than rhinos (1hp more), yet a lot more expensive and important. The range keeps a lot of vehicles at bay, and moving + firing has quite a threat range. 2W each at T5 and 3+ armour takes quite a bit of firepower to put down. Hydraulic claw is pointless IMO, unless you run them offensively with dominus or Carl, they have ultimately failed when getting into CC. They're medium-long range AT, comparable to devastators, not terminators. Torsion gun sounds fun, but one shot at BS3 is just bad. Arc just sucks against well-armoured non-vehicle targets, but wounds reliably.

 

As for the grav, the 6" more range than plasma is really useful. Again, if they get into CC, they've done it wrong, so I personally don't see the value of flamers, unless in a Carl assault deathstar. Rather reduce the enemy's cover save at longer range with Luminagen, makes hugging terrain less effective. The biggest issue is the 4+ armour: Either the enemy has AP4 (even "bad" weapons like heavy bolters) and whittles them down fast, or sticks to forcing 4+ cover/armour saves, which won't take long either. Attach a Dominus or Carl, that would work for a much longer time.

[Mitchverr]

Really the only thing to say on them is so long as you go grav/haywire your golden, the only times to change it up are vs things like tyranids where the torsion cannon can be useful (d3 wounds vs MC) and plasma vs hordes helps.

 

Flamers are useful when you go up against CC armies only, you dont want to move into flamer range, but if the enemy wants to do that then you bring them with you. Due to their cost (iirc they cost points to bring) i preff the phosphor weapons due to reducing cover saves and also allowing any CC i have to reroll charge distances. Flamers have saved me 1 or 2 times especially these days with added "can deep strike and charge" rules to a few groups.

 

Hope that helps.

[DanPesci]

Cheers for the feedback guys, definitely helped me confirm what i was already thinking, ta!

 

reckon ill just leave my grav destroyers with phosphor to keep em as cheap as, and probably have my dominus sat in them up front to tank on his 2+

 

breachers ive just kept stock too for some haywire shenanigans

 

also after building em yesterday...man the extra armouring on them makes them look way cooler, probably just gonna add the armour onto my destroyers for rule of cool :)

[Charlo]

Plasma Kataphrons in the War Convocation with Haemotrope Reactors is pretty brutal.

 

Large Plasma Blasts that (sort of) don't Get Hot!

[A.T.]

Plasma Kataphrons in the War Convocation with Haemotrope Reactors is pretty brutal.

Large Plasma Blasts that (sort of) don't Get Hot!

 

The war convocation can now also get plasma servitors via Imperial Agents - 30pt elite units as part of the battle congregation, though they suffer from mind lock without an inquisitor or similar babysitter.

[Charlo]

 

Plasma Kataphrons in the War Convocation with Haemotrope Reactors is pretty brutal.

Large Plasma Blasts that (sort of) don't Get Hot!

 

The war convocation can now also get plasma servitors via Imperial Agents - 30pt elite units as part of the battle congregation, though they suffer from mind lock without an inquisitor or similar babysitter.

 

?

 

But I mean Kataphrons, though there is some debate about whether they count for the reactors rules - seeing as they aren't listed as "Plasma Weapons" in the rulebook etc.

 

But a unit of servitors is not a bad shout at all, being able to take quite a few and have a magos or similar tank for them :D

[MagicHat]

Servitors do have a longer range, which is nice.