Selection Dilemma...
ok, so I'm building three shadowsords (well, three variants anyway)
Currently looking at Shadowsword, Stormlord and Banehammer.
And it comes to the sponson options. I have a spare set of sponsons and side plates from my Ork Baneblade (I haven't built it yet but I'm going for an understandably ramshackle look so those bits will most likely be surplus) so have some flexibility when it comes to extra armour, sponsons, or extra sponsons. Which leaves me wondeing what to do for each.
My first thought for extra armour would be the Stormlord. It's an assault tank when all is said and done, so chances are it wants to move forward, which opens it up to more side shots. The downside of this is that with the massive amount of str D weaponry thrown around in apoc, it doesn't really matter about upgrading my side armour from 13 to 14, I could drop it to 10, it's just as easy to get a penetrating hit when you're firing Str D. In which case, surely it's better to have MORE sponsons on (that way, if I'm lucky and he doesn't roll to lose structure points, any weapon destroyed results won't swiftly roll over to becoming drive damaged. A static assault tank isn't very impressive. At least with sponsons I have an extra 4 lives before my chance of immobilisation doubles. In fact the tank is more likely to be dead before immobilised!) If I could take heavy bolter sponsons on the Stormlord I would, I'd take 4. But I can only take heavy flamer. And the chance of getting in range to do anything with it is pretty slim. Even slimmer to get the chance to use 4 of the bastards, if the enemy is that close I'm gonna be unloading troops and THEN where do I flame?
The Shadowsword I'd like to be able to use as The Iron Saint from time to time, so that loadout is already dictated to me.
Which leaves the Banehammer. This has a 60" range Tremor cannon, and will be doing it's best to slow the enemy down and keep them away. Therefore I am more likely to be sitting it back, and less likely to need improved side armour. In this situation, the extra sponsons could prove handy.
Which just leaves us back with my old pal the Stormlord. Extra sponsons seems impractical given I can only have flamers, so really the choice is between the side armour 14, or the extra 4 guns for the enemy to shoot off. And yes the lascannons will at least give the Stormlord a smidgen of anti tank capability. Right now I'm leaning towards a single set of sponsons on Stormlord and Shadowsword, with a dual set on the Banehammer. What do you think?
Currently looking at Shadowsword, Stormlord and Banehammer.
And it comes to the sponson options. I have a spare set of sponsons and side plates from my Ork Baneblade (I haven't built it yet but I'm going for an understandably ramshackle look so those bits will most likely be surplus) so have some flexibility when it comes to extra armour, sponsons, or extra sponsons. Which leaves me wondeing what to do for each.
My first thought for extra armour would be the Stormlord. It's an assault tank when all is said and done, so chances are it wants to move forward, which opens it up to more side shots. The downside of this is that with the massive amount of str D weaponry thrown around in apoc, it doesn't really matter about upgrading my side armour from 13 to 14, I could drop it to 10, it's just as easy to get a penetrating hit when you're firing Str D. In which case, surely it's better to have MORE sponsons on (that way, if I'm lucky and he doesn't roll to lose structure points, any weapon destroyed results won't swiftly roll over to becoming drive damaged. A static assault tank isn't very impressive. At least with sponsons I have an extra 4 lives before my chance of immobilisation doubles. In fact the tank is more likely to be dead before immobilised!) If I could take heavy bolter sponsons on the Stormlord I would, I'd take 4. But I can only take heavy flamer. And the chance of getting in range to do anything with it is pretty slim. Even slimmer to get the chance to use 4 of the bastards, if the enemy is that close I'm gonna be unloading troops and THEN where do I flame?
The Shadowsword I'd like to be able to use as The Iron Saint from time to time, so that loadout is already dictated to me.
Which leaves the Banehammer. This has a 60" range Tremor cannon, and will be doing it's best to slow the enemy down and keep them away. Therefore I am more likely to be sitting it back, and less likely to need improved side armour. In this situation, the extra sponsons could prove handy.
Which just leaves us back with my old pal the Stormlord. Extra sponsons seems impractical given I can only have flamers, so really the choice is between the side armour 14, or the extra 4 guns for the enemy to shoot off. And yes the lascannons will at least give the Stormlord a smidgen of anti tank capability. Right now I'm leaning towards a single set of sponsons on Stormlord and Shadowsword, with a dual set on the Banehammer. What do you think?
Stormlord. Extra sponsons.
ReplyDeleteEasy.
My reasoning - The storm lords going to be getting quite close to the enemy. Closer to all those nasty melta guns. extra armour will do practically diddly fuck all against meltaguns. A far better option would be to have the extra heavy flamers to punish those that dare use meltaguns against you.
Also, having the extra lascannons on the SL rather then the SS means that when the SS is destroyed, you dont lose the lascannons as well. people will probably view the bigger threat as the SS due to the strength D weapon. Puts them on more of an even footing when picking targets.
wouldn't even consider the extra armour on any of them. maybe the banehammer for protection against flank march.
Flank March would still get into the rear armour most likely, so better side armour is pointless. Was thinking 4 sets sponsons on the Banehammer so it can lay down a lot of firepower.
ReplyDeleteAs for the stormlord, I'd been thinking just a pair of heavy flamer / lascannon sponsons, rhther than 2 pair, as the extra pair cost another 100 points. Now for heavy bolters and lascannons that will fire every turn I usually consider that worthwhile if you have the spare parts available. But for heavy flamers, you've got a very limited range. So don't expect to fire them more than once. Which leaves you with a pair of lascannons. For 100 points. For what, 3 or 4 turns? That seems awfully expensive to me :oS Hence why I was thinking just the single pair. Especially when you factor in that byt he time I get into heavy flamer range, I'm presumably gonna be unloading 40 guardsmen looking to get to grips with the enemy. That could seriously cut down my available arcs of fire with a template weapon.
hahaha 40 guardsmen to get to grips with the enemy, id rather unload 40 gretchin and the toe punt them into my enemies it would do more damage and serve to raise morale of the rest of the army esp the designated kicker :P now unloading ogryns that would shit me up esp if only had my tau and then you can assult the turn you jump out thats nasty
ReplyDelete