Centurion Missile Launchers -- An Underappreciated Weapon (?)

[L30n1d4s]

One of the most underrated weapons in the Space Marine inventory, IMHO, is the Centurion Missile Launcher.

 

Looking at its profile, this Ranged Weapon has the following stats:

 

D3 Shots S9 AP-2 DmgD3 (Blast)

 

So, what stands out to me about the Centurion Missile Launcher is its versatility across so many different targets. Against high toughness units like Monster, Light-Medium Vehicles, heavy Infantry, etc. the solid S, AP, and Dmg make it a genuine threat, especially when coming from a squad of 6 Centurions (so an average of 12 x S9 AP-2 Dmg D3 attacks against most vehicles/monsters). Combine this with Strats like +1BS/-1AP “Strike from the Shadows” of the Vanguard Spearhead detachment and now you have a 12 shots that hit on BS2+ (re-rollable, thanks to Dev Cents special rule) S9 AP-3 Dmg D3, which makes them dangerous against all but the very toughest Monsters/Vehicles.

 

Centurion Missile Launcher versatility does not end there, though. In a squad of 6 Centurions, all 6 CMLs have Blast, meaning that when shooting at a squad of 5 models you average 18 shots and, if you shoot at a big unit like 20 Ork Boyz or 20 Necron Warriors, you average 36 shots, all with the S, AP, and Dmg profile to be deadly against almost any kind of infantry/Bikers/Beasts.

 

Finally, with their 36” range, CMLs are able to threaten targets across the board, even with the Centurions slow 4" base Movement.

 

I have found in my games that Centurions in general, and the Centurions Missile Launchers specifically, have been consistently one of the all-star performers. Taking a step back, I think this is because they combine the volume of fire of anti-infantry weapons with the S, AP, and Dmg of Elite infantry/Medium Vehicle killing weapons, making them good in almost any scenario, it seems.

 

Anyway, thought I'd share this here and see if anyone else has had Centurion Missile Launchers do similar great work for them in 10th edition!

Edited December 24, 2023 by L30n1d4s

[DemonGSides]

Centurion Spam is the go to tactic for 'meta' competitive lists, so no surprises here.

IF only the model itself wasn't so ugly.

[Dracos]

and sadly they and Aggressors likely go up 5 points a piece in the next data update. Thanks John lol. 
 

 

Edited December 24, 2023 by Dracos

[chapter master 454]

Considering marines are struggling with win-rate, unlikely to see much in the way of nerfs.

Though comically the unit I first went with has turned out to be a surprise hit considering everyone wrote them off due to not having a notable combo like Aggressors or Ironstorm "Mercy is Weakness" blitz styles along with not having any characters that can lead them.

 

The missile launchers however are certainly something that caught me but from first deployment they have done WORK. This mainly from the fact that the bolters you get are now heavily reduced, read HALVED in their output by now having their own unique Centurion Bolters (which are literally Hurricanes but half their fire rate on base and rapid fire) which now means they just aren't worth it as much. Interestingly, chaff clearing isn't that hard and unrequired to take weapons like the bolters...when blast over multiple models is so much better paired with better damaging stats.

We are talking more than double the strength of bolters, AP2 that is still doing work through cover (and not just negated) and the damage stat is the reliable D3. Against most targets outside of 12" that are infantry based, you are getting better rates on all fronts: your average shot count is 3 (as most infantry squads are 5 models or more), you wound most infantry on 2s, 3s at worst outside of stratagem interference and the only downside is no twin-linked but then that gets offset by AP that does stuff. Final nail is having a damage value of D3 means it can clear 2 wound infantry squads much more cleanly.

Then we talk hard targets and comically they do well because of their rate of fire. I have actually had my centurions take out a leman russ with missiles alone (after a legendary whiff on the lascannons) just because rate of fire with just an average damage of 2 is good. Though we'll call that RNGesus balancing the books on luck for that round! Normally you'll put a sizable hole in whatever nasty you don't like with lascannons and then wish you had more: then here's Brother Billy with the missile launchers which will with good chance take those last remaining wounds.

 

To be honest...they really swung it around for the maligned missile pods the centurions had. Made them good but now I am concerned the Bolters just aren't ever worth, even against prefered targets. Though that may be down to the fact that it used to be that for damage the Hurricanes did more prior, now we have some semblence of balance.

 

Love my chonky bois...

Though they still need to get some cardio in...MOVEMENT 4"...the you mean "Nuh-uh" you can't go faster!