Spartan tanks in 40K

[Captain Idaho]

So I recently acquired a Spartan tank from a good group friends as a delayed birthday gift... how do we get the best out of them in Marine armies?

 

Let's discuss it.

 

Weapon systems is a solid 8 Lascannons. That's a solid amount of firepower of course.

 

20 wounds is good. 2+ save with Armour of Contempt is also good.

 

But it's modern 40K! Things die easily at times!

 

Can we get the most out of this unit still? 420pts (plus pintle weapons) ain't cheap. Using one in an army with a bunch of Dreads and other scary vehicles like a Kratos seems prohibitively expensive.

 

On the other hand, I could probably get a turn 2 charge off with 10 Terminators and character support with the thing's aid, if it isn't dead.

[Bouargh]

The big issue is that it has been relocated in LoW section while jumping to 9th Ed. ...

So its 420 pts PLUS 3+1 CP. Ouch.

 

It does not worth it in that case I guess, except in very specific contexts such as narrative or open play (or eventually Apoc size games). As you see I am not convinced (anymore) by the Spartan. This is why mine starts being covered with dust.

Should it conme back to Heavy Support  it could be a different cause worth being defended and I would field it back more or less i the same output as the one you included in your post: Taxiing ELite infantery in large numbers and/or sniping at LoW (Knights...) or heavily armoured targets (LRusses, LRaiders, Fortifications...) .

 

But so far I do not see any benefit in fielding such an animal...

[Casual Heresy]

Delivering large blobs of units like terminators is probably it’s best use and it should have the durability to get them to their target. The transport capacity also lends itself to large units of assault centurions with character support. 
 

I feel it’s one of those vehicles that won’t last if it’s the only big threat, but has a higher chance of surviving and doing what you want it to if there is something else that can draw some fire from your opponent. 

[Karhedron]

Run it as Space Wolves with a pair of other T8 2+ vehicles (Land Raiders, Vindicators etc). Include Njal Stormcaller and an Iron Priest with Master of the Forge. Load with scary infantry to taste (Wulfen, Terminators etc). T1 have Njal cast Stormcaller to give the whole lot Light Cover for a 1+ effective save stacked with AoC. Then use the "Cloaked by the Storm" Stratagem to make all incoming attacks -1 to Hit. That is a whole lot of modifiers to chew through and the Iron Priest can patch up anything the enemy damages but doesn't kill.

 

Turn 2: Disembark + Charge = PROFIT!

 

Hoping that these vehicles get buffed like the Chaos LandRaider with T9 and improved Lascannons in the new codex as that would work even better.

[9x19 Parabellum]

I used it at my last Tanksgiving event a few weeks ago for which there was an ample amount of anti-tank firepower all over the board.  I won the day (1st place) using it in an Iron Hands list, but I actually think taking troops to the front line is the wrong use for it.  I stashed up to 3 units of Tacticals in it (depending on the mission) to keep them safe from enemy fire for a couple turns, but basically it hung back and I just used it's massive long range fire power to snipe stuff until the board was a little less congested by enemy AT weapons.  It's also got the smokescreen keyword so you can impose the -1 to hit against it, but it's biggest defensive characteristic is not the 20 wounds, or T8, or 2+ armor save, but it's ability to shoot from 48" away.  I had a dedicated techmarine babysitting it with the Ironstone for -1 to incoming damage, too.  The only time it died was to a Chaos Knight list with Knight Desecrator and its laser destructor.

Edited December 11, 2022 by 9x19 Parabellum

[Captain Idaho]

Sacrilege to swap Chapters of course but seems like there is mileage to be had.

 

For me as an Ultramarines player, I'm considering 10 Terminators, a Terminator Ancient with the Standard of Macragge Inviolate and hitting someone with about a billion attacks. Captains can muck in as required of course.

 

I like the idea of hitting out with 8 Lascannons a turn with a Techmarine support to heal and provide +1 to hit. The army definitely needs other armoured targets or else it'll just get concentrated on.

[XeonDragon]

On 12/12/2022 at 2:15 AM, Casual Heresy said:

Delivering large blobs of units like terminators is probably it’s best use and it should have the durability to get them to their target. The transport capacity also lends itself to large units of assault centurions with character support. 
 

I feel it’s one of those vehicles that won’t last if it’s the only big threat, but has a higher chance of surviving and doing what you want it to if there is something else that can draw some fire from your opponent. 

 

Apart from an apothecary, what character buffs work on assault centurions? (genuine question, if I have missed something to make them better, I'd love to know! :D )

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

Only one I can think of is the Iron Father special character +1 to hit.