Which is the better boom?

[librisrouge]

So, using Solar Auxilia models has been fun but I find that I'm increasingly becoming more and more mechanized this edition so it looks like my SA medusas want to take the field. However, the medusa is generally considered ineffective in line with the more popular basilisk, and I understand why. The odds of getting more shots are clearly worth the loss of strength and AP. However, I find that I'm increasingly using the Catachan trait for my mechanized force and it seems to me that this would offset this advantage considerably.

 

Lets break it down:

 

Armaggedon Basilisk vs. Armaggedon Medusa

Points: EVEN (Their both the same)

Strength: Medusa (S10 vs. S9)

AP: Medusa (-3 vs. -2)

Range: Basilisk (A LOT vs. 36")

# of Shots: Basilisk (2d6, pick t

he highest, reroll the lowest vs. 1d6, rerollable)

Damage: EVEN (d3)

Other special rules: None

 

What do you guys think?

 

Clearly, I'll be giving magnets a whirl but I'm wondering about battlefield effectiveness.

Edited December 6, 2017 by librisrouge

[CoffeeGrunt]

The Earthshaker Cannon is -3, so it's a draw there as well. Personally I love my Medusa but it doesn't feel like it's worth it versus a Basilisk.

[Tirak]

T7 3+ is my normal target, though in this case it doesn't matter even at t8.

 

The average of 2d6 take the highest is 4.45. BS4+ is 2.225. 3+ means 1.48 wound. AP-3 strips the save down to 6+ which is 1.236, and average damage in a D3 is 2 for 2.47 wounds per turn from a stock basilisk.

 

Medusas shoots d6 shots, which is an average of 3.5. We follow the same logic chain and get an average of 1.94 wounds per turn.

 

Now this changes at T5 and T9.

 

At t5 3+ (Plauge marine) the basilisk puts out the same 2.47 wounds. The medusa however now strikes at 2.43. A step down to T4 3+ the medusas is still churning out 2.43 but now the basilisk jumps to 3.09 wounds.

 

On the other end of the spectrum at T9, which I don't know of any units with T9, the basilisk drops to 1.85 compared to 1.94.

 

Long story short, the basilisk outguns the medusas quite handily. 4.45 shots average vs 3.5 is a big deal.

[librisrouge]

The Earthshaker Cannon is -3, so it's a draw there as well. Personally I love my Medusa but it doesn't feel like it's worth it versus a Basilisk.

I keep forgetting this! I suppose that gives the basilisk a handed win.