Hellforged Predator support

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

What Hellforged predator loadouts have people been having luck with in terms of supporting the Thousand sons? I've ordered a demios executioner, and whilst I am planning on magnatising it, and in future may get the more.
Atm I'm thinking of running it with lascannon sponsons in all load outs, I'm just not sure how usefull heavy bolters will be considering how good inferno boltguns are.

 

In terms of turret I like both the plasma destroyer and the C Beam cannon though the latter seems to be far more useful despite being cheaper? Plasma destroyer could be good if you face lots of T5 2 w stuff but I am not sure how common those are.
Has anyone had any luck with the melta/flamer turrets or heavy flamer sponsons?
And could havok launchers be a good idea?

[Khannis]

Never really used them, but I think that, as a rule, our heavy support choices should be focused on dealing with high toughness units, with high strength and armour pen weapons. Our storm of infernal bolter fire and the odd mortal wound does works wonders with the thinning of infantry of all kinds That being said, we still can't field many models, so MAYBE consider some dedicated anti-horde against some lists? I guess it depends on your local match-ups, but I wouldn't worry unless the opponents going to field, say 150 Orks or more, and still, they die in droves to our core units.

[Atia]

Never really used them, but I think that, as a rule, our heavy support choices should be focused on dealing with high toughness units, with high strength and armour pen weapons. Our storm of infernal bolter fire and the odd mortal wound does works wonders with the thinning of infantry of all kinds That being said, we still can't field many models, so MAYBE consider some dedicated anti-horde against some lists? I guess it depends on your local match-ups, but I wouldn't worry unless the opponents going to field, say 150 Orks or more, and still, they die in droves to our core units.

Afaik the hellforged predators are elite choices, not heavy support ^^

[micahwc]

Predator is elite, just looked it up. I'm not thrilled with any of the weapon load outs for them over the regular predators.

 

Scorpius is heavy support. Incidently, a scorpius does really well against hoards, marines, and terminators. A pair of them can consistently do enough wounds per turn to wipe a 5 man terminator squad. Nice thing about them is that they are just a rhino chassis with a rocket launcher.

 

If you want dedicated anti hoard the best weapon is anything with lots of heavy bolters for the least amount of points. So things like rapiers with quad heavy bolters are good choices.

 

For anti tank consider that a xiphon interceptor costs about the same as a predator but comes with four lascannons, a +1 to hit flying targets, ignores the penalty for moving and firing heavy weapons, and has the hard to hit rule.

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

I also have a Xiphon :P

[Khannis]

I meant heavy support in a more loose (battlefield) sense, didn't know they were elites though. Living and learning.

I seem to have read somewhere we couldn't take Rapiers as Thousand Sons, though... Xiphon went up in points considerably, but 4 lascannons is a lot of dakka in 8th Ed, so, tankbust away! The Scorpius is VERY good, especially in pairs, but I never felt like a need to kill more MEQ and TEQ than 5-6 smites and volleys of inferno bolters every turn, while I did felt the need to have some heavier firepower to deal with the likes of Land Raiders, Stormsurges, Knights, etc. Your mileage may vary, though.

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

The Xiphon went up in points? Has it's point cost been FAQ'd from the index?

[Khannis]

The Xiphon went up in points? Has it's point cost been FAQ'd from the index?

Not as far as I know, I just mean it used to be much cheaper in 7th Ed, about half the price or thereabouts, if I remember correctly.

[The Yncarne]

"You cannot choose for a Hellforged Rapier Battery, a Chaos Hellwright or a Chaos Hellwright on Dark Abeyant to be from the Thousand Sons." is from the July 19 FAQ.

[Raven1]

I just wonder how they decide things like why can Thousand Sons be pilots but not sit on a artillery piece and pull a string?

[Khannis]

I was wondering the same thing...

 

"Aerial maneuvers? Sure, why not? What? Pointing AND shooting a tracked cannon? Absolutely not! And don't you dare let them have those Hereteks they used to be best friends with!"

[The Yncarne]

Having sorcerers man the rapier seems unlike the 1K Sons? It doesn't explain why Death Guard can't take them either. I don't understand the reasoning either, but I'm also not expecting a good analog in the codex.

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

I was wondering the same thing...

 

"Aerial maneuvers? Sure, why not? What? Pointing AND shooting a tracked cannon? Absolutely not! And don't you dare let them have those Hereteks they used to be best friends with!"

Fluff wise most of the TS pilots prior to the heresy were Psykers, making them some of the best in the imperium so Fliers still fit a in a way :P

Anyone had anyluck with the Stratagems? And would the one for ignoring the penalties of movign and shooting allow you to fire the C beam cannon after moving?

[Khannis]

I'm pretty sure it does not allow it, as the C-Beam just cannot fire at all of the vehicle isn't stationary, so it never gets a penalty of any sort.

 

C-Beam vehicles would become significantly more valuable if that was the case, but unfortunately I don't think it is...

[Rune Priest Ridcully]

Fair, though I guess the killshot one could be very nasty on a squadron of either Plasma destroyers or Cbeam cannons. though atm I am kind of wishing I had just gone for the lascannon version :P

[Skerr]

I was thinking of picking up a couple FW predators though i saw a pic of one next to a GW predator on a gaming table and the FW looks noticibly smaller in scale.

 

Is that true or just a perspective trick of the photo I saw?

[Khannis]

I was thinking of picking up a couple FW predators though i saw a pic of one next to a GW predator on a gaming table and the FW looks noticibly smaller in scale.

 

Is that true or just a perspective trick of the photo I saw?

Care to share the picture? I only saw one once, but I'm pretty sure it looked the same size as a regular predator, if not a little bulkier thanks to that extra bulk on front plate.

[Skerr]

Well I cannot get the pic (shows both in a game) to post but looking at it again I believe it is perspective. The deimos is further back making it look smaller. Though your right likely a bit bigger dues to sloped nose and wider turrents.

 

After all the deimos uses the regular rhino/ predator chassis correct?

 

I am not familiar with the anniahilator or desteuctor gun on the deimos, I am guessing it's a las gun variant?

 

I would probably corrupt it up with flames coming out smoke stacks and gargoyle heads on gun barrels. Index is cheap.

 

Love that pre heresy design! Thinking 2 deimos pattern preds and 3 deimos rhinos for ny sons.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Skerr

[Paradigm]

I can confirm the Forgeworld line and regular GW line of predators are not only about the same size and silhouette, but are built from the same base model, with just a couple swapped parts.

 

You may be thinking of the original GW predator which was on the old version of the rhino chassis and noticeably smaller.

 

The autocannon and lascannon variants are effectively the same as their GW equivalents as far as modeling is concerned.

Edited October 1, 2017 by Fortnight

[Skerr]

Thanks for confirming the size.   With the index being pretty cheap am seriously considering it.