Thoughts on the spartan.

[jeremy1391]

So I’m contemplating running my spartan as a centurion bomb delivery system.... basically a moving bastion.

 

Obviously I plan on backing it with support characters and having a full unit of Heavy Bolter centurions in it. How viable do you all think this is?

 

On paper it’s about on par with a knight.... and I haven’t run this beautiful tank in 8th yet.

[Vykes]

Haven't a clue about using it as a Centurion bomb but it sounds interesting albeit enormously expensive.  Frankly in both Imperial and Chaos armies for 8th I occasionally like trotting it out and having it shoot at things, and all things considered, it's not bad.  There is a big 'however', though: since Raiders got a points decrease I'm a touch less enthusiastic as it's now incredibly expensive.  But, it is relic, it is a Lord of War, but it doesn't tend to get bogged down by sacrificial cohorts and is shockingly punchy in close combat for a tank (if you can get there rerolls to make its to-hit rolls connect).  

 

That said, for its price it's somewhat thinly armoured given that it doesn't have an invul save, and not that much more doughy than a standard raider.   Part of me says, 3 centurions in a Land Raider is probably going to give you good results without sucking up an additional 400-ish points. 

[MegaVolt87]

Give it a go, take the laser destroyers over the quad lascannons to keep the points way down. 

[MegaVolt87]

Haven't a clue about using it as a Centurion bomb but it sounds interesting albeit enormously expensive.  Frankly in both Imperial and Chaos armies for 8th I occasionally like trotting it out and having it shoot at things, and all things considered, it's not bad.  There is a big 'however', though: since Raiders got a points decrease I'm a touch less enthusiastic as it's now incredibly expensive.  But, it is relic, it is a Lord of War, but it doesn't tend to get bogged down by sacrificial cohorts and is shockingly punchy in close combat for a tank (if you can get there rerolls to make its to-hit rolls connect).  

 

That said, for its price it's somewhat thinly armoured given that it doesn't have an invul save, and not that much more doughy than a standard raider.   Part of me says, 3 centurions in a Land Raider is probably going to give you good results without sucking up an additional 400-ish points. 

 

Not sure on the exact loyalist points, but yeah the points with the laser destroyer spartan is definitely a good deal for CSM, I imagine its close to loyalist one. CSM one might be cheaper a bit because ours NOMNOMNOM the passengers. 

[tvih]

The problem with the Spartan is indeed entirely the points cost. I don't see Laser Destroyers as much of a solution. For one, they don't come with the kit, so it's extra cost/effort to even have them. As if the kit wasn't entirely too expensive money-wise as it is. Secondly, 40 points doesn't make that much of a dent the points cost much, and while the Lasers aren't bad, they're not all that reliable/great against a lot of targets being single-shot. Quads at least put out more shots so they somewhat work even against squads and such.

 

Anyway, compared to Land Raiders the great part is not being nullified if you get charged, or charge yourself, thanks to Steel Behemoth. But when you consider that it does indeed end up being very squishy for its point cost and completely outclassed by Imperial Knights and the like, it is sad indeed. If you put expensive units inside it, that just makes it pop all the faster if the enemy has reasonable anti-armor firepower.

If it was maybe 400 points max for the Quad config, it'd make a bit more sense. But I don't hold out much hope that they'd change it even in the next Chapter Approved as the problem was readily apparent even prior to all these LR cost reductions.