I'm considering a Leviathan

[TiguriusX]

I have Bjorn and 2 shield dreads in my 1500 list.

 

For the jump up to 2000 points a leviathan with dual storm cannons is very tempting.

 

It provides mobile ranged weapons with a similar tough target profile as my dreads.  He has T8 to go with his 4++ so he doesn't stand out as the easier target.  He can march behind Bjorn and rain down dakka while the shield dreads are advancing in the front.

 

Anyone have experience or feedback either fielding one or facing one as an opponent?

 

[The Saint Ragnar]

Leviathan dreadnoughts are amazing from what I have seen. I have two people in my local scene who use them and they are deadly on the battlefield (although I have only seen the Chaos versions).

 

They are costly in points but I have seen them make back their points in almost every game they have been taken in. Plus the model is a great looking model and when painted in a Space Wolf scheme (both the pre-heresy and post-heresy) looks absolutely boss.

 

I would recommend that if you are going for something along the lines of an all dreadnought list. Also, I would recommend some magnetization as the other weapon options than double storm cannon can be useful. The melta lance and grax flux bombard are nasty when pointed at the right targets!

 

This is something that I wanted to add to my army eventually but I have to finish what I have on the table and save for that.

Edited February 28, 2018 by The Saint Ragnar

[Melete]

Leviathans sound dope. Run a drop pod as a Lucius-pattern (convert it a bit maybe), and just drop 15 tons of fury on 'em.

[Kasper_Hawser]

Since you have enough melee dreads, the dual wielding Stormcannon leviathan synergizes best. Provides for superb horde/elite murdering with high strength and 2 damage, along with respectable anti-armour. And with 2+/4++ on a T8 platform, it can withstand a quite a few lascannon hits. Nothing will be safe from them, and if they try to close for melee, the regular dreads will mince meat them.

[Honda]

First off, I would say, "Go for it!" The Levi has quite an on table presence and looks very impressive when painted.

 

Now this is just me being all Templar, but I equipped mine with the choppy hand and the seige drill hand. I put mine in a Lucius dread almost every time I field it. I want to be able to choose whether to go against infantry or hard targets.

 

It only has four attacks. Keep that in mind.

 

From a points effectiveness perspective (we play PLs only), I'm not sure a pure shooty Levi is the best use. Yes, it's tough, but nowadays, it seems like if someone really wants to eliminate a threat, they can. So, one way of dealing with that is being locked in combat so you can't be shot.

 

However, you need to find your style with the Levi...so as was proposed above, maybe magnetization might be a safer way to run.

 

You will enjoy the kit though. :)

[Jackalwolf]

Do it.

[Guest Triszin]

I've been pondering a leviatan

[Karack Blackstone]

While I one day hope to get a Leviathan Dreadnought, I must type, magnetization is above all seemingly vital in the case of said Levi Dread.

 

There's every reason to use magnets on a Leviathan; arm swaps are not as easy as the Castaferrum pattern. I have many different arms for my set of Mark IV Castaferrum Dreadnoughts, and I like it that way; arms being swapped out is something I fully expect the Wolves to try to do, even in the field.

 

A Levi needs magnets and arm swaps, because the thing is a sturdy, capable and above all, threatening, weapons platform. Given the option, I would expect that some form of Melee arm on one side, and maybe the Grav Bombard or the Melta Lance would truly cause some hurt to the foe. That typed, the simple option of swapping arms when and where needed would make sense; I just wish there were fluff that supported Dreadnoughts in a way that Battletech has repair platforms that allow Omnimechs to change their Omni Pod configuration, in a way that would allow Dreadnoughts to change out their arms in an all-comers list.

 

Still, as one that one day hopes to get a Leviathan Dreadnought, by all means, magnetize, and save yourself the headache of needing to get more than one chassis to get the use you will need out of the full range of arms available as options, in the bits range.

[The Saint Ragnar]

I think if you were to not want to magnetize for me the best load out for them would be the double storm cannons.

 

If it sits still with the 20 shots on average it takes down a single "tank" (T7 10 Wounds 3+ Save) in one round of shooting with no re-rolls. It absolutely butchers multi-wound models as it will take down on average 5 TEQ (w/o SS) a turn of shooting and against something like Primaris it is taking down on average 7 models a turn.

 

If you want a Dakka platform that is really hard to beat. Of course as it degrades it will lose some of the poignancy but with 20 shots the pain will still be felt. All of the weapons are short range so that is something to take into consideration when fielding it is that it might be out of range Turn 1 if you cannot get it in the right place.

 

My personal preference would be double storm cannons as they are deadly and look great on the model. We have our axe dreads for combat so take this guy as your dread Dakka platform for sure. 

All of the weapons are short range so that is something to take into consideration when fielding it is that it might be out of range Turn 1 if you cannot place it in the right place.

[TiguriusX]

My current list includes 2 shield dreads and bjorn. More than enough melee prowess for my army.

 

I need more dakka

 

The alternative is adding 2 LF-missile packs but i dont get as much bang for the buck. LF can dish it out but not take much in return.

 

I like the durable mid field dakka a leviathan gives me (double storm...double grav or a storm/grav...still running numbers in my head). Double storm gives me more shots than LF against big targets (20 s7 storm v 10 krak missiles) but fewer against hordes (LF have 10D6 shots but weaker with no ap). My combi flamer wg bike squad is built to contribute with horde duty though.

 

Durability is something i have emphasized in this list. Everything i move forward to midfield is T7 (shield dreads with 3++) T8 (bjorn with hq hiding protection) or T5 (wg bikers with 3++)

[Kasper_Hawser]

My current list includes 2 shield dreads and bjorn. More than enough melee prowess for my army.

 

I need more dakka

 

The alternative is adding 2 LF-missile packs but i dont get as much bang for the buck. LF can dish it out but not take much in return.

 

I like the durable mid field dakka a leviathan gives me (double storm...double grav or a storm/grav...still running numbers in my head). Double storm gives me more shots than LF against big targets (20 s7 storm v 10 krak missiles) but fewer against hordes (LF have 10D6 shots but weaker with no ap). My combi flamer wg bike squad is built to contribute with horde duty though.

 

Durability is something i have emphasized in this list. Everything i move forward to midfield is T7 (shield dreads with 3++) T8 (bjorn with hq hiding protection) or T5 (wg bikers with 3++)

 

Very good. But I think you will need some deep striking harassers, if only to take just a little pressure off your marching dreads. No need to get fancy, some cheap non-equipped wolf scouts or reivers popping in his backline, maybe inceptors if you want a bit more punch. even if they die, opponent MAY spend one turn diverting power to deal with harassers, especially if your Dreads manage to hug terrain and deny LOS, leaving him to waste his lascannon on a measly scout. If your luck holds, may even charge and tie up some anti-tank units, although most likely only be able to do so to tanks. 

 

That being said, allying IG for a few dirt cheap conscripts or guardsmen to bubblewrap your firing base is a thing, so be careful if you go that route. 

[TiguriusX]

I have decided to jump on board with the leviathan

 

Will start my field testing with dual storm cannon arrays

 

While i was in the forge vault my attention was also drawn to some rusty rapier quad mortars mothballed in the corner

 

I told the iron priest to prepare those for war as well. Indirect fire is always nice and i can field all of these as a mono codex army

[TiguriusX]

I'm theory crafting how to put the Leviathan in my list

 

I'm also theory crafting ITC lists

 

To be any kind of competitive I have to pull from another marine codex and get scouts for screening otherwise I am just going to explode to an alpha strike combo

 

Came up with this crazy detachment but it means no pure SW army

 

 

HQ-Chief Librarian Tigurius

Troops-2xScouts (bare bones...job is to screen/die)

            -They probably should be raven guard if they want to live longer

Elite-Culexis (anti-psyker protection) + Callidus (make stratagems cost more) + maybe more?

Heavy-Relic leviathan (UM) + Rapier quad launcher (this basically replaces a long fang squad and sits on a rear objective in cover)

 

The UM gives the leviathan the ability to walk out of combat and still fire.  In a tournament setting that will probably be needed

I would replace Njal with Tigurius as the psyker.  Why Tigurius?  His name is awesome (ya it is where I got mine although I just liked the name...not UM).  He is also superior psyker combination for this army and his special rule is nasty

 

Might of heroes bumps the Leviathan to T9

Tigurius special rule also makes a constant -1BS when firing at Leviathan

 

If everything pops just right the Leviathan is shrugging on meltas needing 5's to wound

If a wound gets through there is another 4++ waiting to save it

 

Bjorn and Tigurius are behind the dread and as characters can't be hit under normal circumstances

Bjorn and Leviathan have strong firepower (20 storm cannon shots + 2 LC rerolling 1s)

 

If anything wants to come in close to melee I can pop Null Zone (Tigurius gets to reroll if he fails and with a nearby culexis it will be hard to deny)

Once null zone is up Bjorn will rip anything to shreds with his true claw

 

But is all that worth handing in the pure SW card...

 

I feel dirty just posting this

[Karack Blackstone]

The final choice is entirely up to you, TiguriusX.

 

The questions to ask yourself are, among others, the following:

 

- Would a Ven Dread with Axe and Shield help?

- Bjorn is a great way to grant a mobile invulnerable save

- The Leviathan is going to be target priority number one; sniper weapons with poison 4+ are something to consider, as, 4+ they wound, no matter what, 6's might be mortal wounds. Check the SM Codex, that's at least one reference point to go off of

 

Pure Wolves or not, the choice, is, again, entirely yours

 

What do you want out of your force?

Why?

 

If you can ask and answer the above two questions for every unit, and you have an idea of how to run the units on the board, then by all means, no matter the questions and answers, proceed at your own leisure.

[TiguriusX]

Poison is 6 to wound v vehicles isnt it?