EC Rhinos

[Sume]

I am not sure who all has the book to be able to answer this question.  I am trying to figure out the EC rhino weapon options.  I am either not understanding GW's English or somehow, I fail at reading.  Is it 1 combi bolter, or combi weapon, with the option to switch to a havoc missile launcher?  That or is it 1 combi bolter with the option for a combi weapon, havoc missile launcher.  That or just 2 combi bolters?  I am currently building my 3, 30k rhinos and I am leaving the 2nd hatch with no weapons in case.  I am just not sure what the exact loadout is. As I rather have the missile launcher if its just 1 weapon.

[HeadlessCross]

1. You start with one Combi-Bolter to begin with. 

2. You can add either one Combi-Bolter or one Combi-Weapon

3. You can just get the Havoc Launcher or you can replace one of your Combi-Bolters with the Havoc Launcher. Why you would do this I don't know. 

[Sume]

Thank you.  I'll go add the combi-bolter to the rhinos after work tonight then.  I am not ready to paint them yet.  I wanted the havoc launcher more for the look of things and I dont know if its the right option or to use 2 combi bolters though

 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

EDIT: Ninja'd

 

@HeadlessCross correctly sets out the weapon options.

 

So, the following weapon options are legal:

 

A.  1 combi-bolter

B.  1 havoc launcher

C.  2 combi-bolters

D.  1 combi-bolter, 1 combi-weapon

E.   1 combi-bolter, 1 havoc launcher

F.   1 combi-weapon, 1 havoc launcher

G.   2 combi-bolters, 1 havoc launcher

H.  1 combi-bolter, 1 combi-weapon, 1 havoc launcher

 

Given the weapons are baked into the cost of the rhino, I imagine most of us will be fielding either G or H, though doing so means (most likely) mounting the havoc on the hull rather than a hatch.  My personal preference is G, but that's because I ran the math and the combi-bolter is better than the combi-weapon against the enemies I face (necrons and orks).

 

Oddly enough, it means you can't field just a combi-weapon, which seems a bit weird, but of little practical difference as the better choice is just to take the additional "free" weapons.

 

So, the best choice to take the 3 weapons (just means gluing the havoc to the hull rather than the hatch - you can see Prot do that here on the left rhino), though if you were only to take 2, I think the havoc is better than either of the combis - a bit less consistent, but about the same number of shots (3.5 on average versus the combi-bolters's rapid fire 4 shots), higher strength, greater range and, most importantly, the only source of indirect fire (well, that and havocs on land raiders) in the codex.

Edited March 18 by Dr_Ruminahui

[Sume]

Thanks for that heads up.  I then was failing at reading GW English.  I'll just rig up the 2nd combi-bolter as pinitcale mounted somewhere.  I used the 2nd hatch option as closed, but it has the option for 1 of the combi weapons.  Figured I should be able to add the pintacle mount on the back of that closed hatch and should look fine.