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So say that you decide to build an army around 3 heavy slots filled with artillery in a 2000pts list. What would be the best way to protect this expensive investment?

Also what artillery tanks would you be protecting?

Vets w/ 3 meltas in chimeras?

I'd take Medusas for your ordnance batteries

Surround them with troops, like 100 guardsmen to repel attacks and have a vendetta or two to fly around and hunt down anti-tank.

I would have two maybe three colossuses, two medusas with standard ammo and two more with bastion breachers. No matter what you need some kind of indirect fire which is where the colossus is wonderful.

Bodies, lots of bodies.

I take a Chimera-mounted Veteran squad to babysit my Basilisks. In synergy with my Officers of the Fleet, they haven't let me down yet.

I would just run a ton of troops to put a large meat-shield in front of your line-of-death artillery. maybe a set of conscripts with chenkov for the "send in the next wave" to endlessly throw at your enemies lines.

and I would run each squadron with a mix of utility,

Basilisk, Medusa with Bastion Breachers, Griffon

Basilisk, Medusa with Bastion Breachers, Griffon

Colossus, Medusa with Bastion Breachers, Griffon

that way against a mech force you can target 3 different transports with your S10 AP1 extra D6 penning awesome tank poppers, or target one then hit the troops inside with accurate anti infantry fire from a griffon (if you wreck and they hide behind) or indiscriminate fire from the colossus that will ignore the cover save if they try to hide in the crater. And Basilisks are just great all around, they can fire directly to cover the 36" dead zone that they have, they can hurt everything, and they can move+fire.

also by mixing units this way you can also allocate pens to the artillery that you dont really need in that battle.

If the models are low enough (griffons perhaps) to gain a cover-save from standard infantry - then conscripts, lots of conscripts & possibily one Lord Commissar but I dunno - Perhaps even a techpriest for his Leadership and abilitiy to repair the vehicles (Which leaves both HQ slots open).

If not, Devil dog distraction & armor deterent. They wont be so much covering the artillery line as they will be moving up quickly and getting stuck into the enemies line, distracting fire.

Also, if these tanks are open topped..then atleast one per squadren (preferably all) should have enclosed crew compartements, so you can allocate singular hits on that vehicle for its improved resilence & ablative lifestyle.

christ. you would only need more than 2 or 3 in apocalypse. i seriously suggest you reduce the number you take because they are very fragile with mostly AV10 and most are open topped. also with that many you cant spend very many points on other stuff. im love the new IG artillery and im going to run a Manticore in my future games, but a leman russ is MUCH more durable. and infantry is important to run an IG army

Protection plan: Hundreds and hundreds of warm bodies.
What Im protecting:
3 Medusa w/ BB
3 Basilisks
3 Colossi

Pathfinders* will laugh at all that.

Choose your artillery/tanks Wisely.

* In the second story level of a 3-story building. . . P85 of the BGB for referance.

1.
3 Hydra
3 Griffons
3 Leman Russes


2
Command Squad.
PCS w/ whatever
4 Troops w/ 4 Autocannons ; w/ Commisar
PCS
4 Troops w/ 4 autocannons ; w/ Commissars

3.
Psychic w/ Chimera
psychic w/ Chimera

4. Lollllling

5. PROFITZ

Razerous wrote:Pathfinders* will laugh at all that.

Choose your artillery/tanks Wisely.

* In the second story level of a 3-story building. . . P85 of the BGB for referance.

The Basilisks and Medusas are both capable of targetting any floor of a ruin, as can whatever he's using to protect them.

Templates are for killing bodies. Using them on armour is a waste. I would run a mix of basilisks and griffons in about a 2:3, maybe 1:2 ratio. You have bought yourself 9 templates a turn for under 900 points, depending on your ratio. Use these to wipe out infantry. This cost savings over taking more expensive units will let you better outfit the remainder of your force. I would use that to buy AT (melta teams and delivery systems, poss. LC teams to take on lighter stuff), and some gun-based AI. With lots of bodies.

Canonness Rory wrote:Protection plan: Hundreds and hundreds of warm bodies.
What Im protecting:
3 Medusa w/ BB
3 Basilisks
3 Colossi

Would you put them in their own squadrons? or mix it up like 1 medusa, 1 basilisk, and 1 colossus in each squadron? Would you have the bodies mechanized?

djphranq wrote:

Canonness Rory wrote:Protection plan: Hundreds and hundreds of warm bodies.
What Im protecting:
3 Medusa w/ BB
3 Basilisks
3 Colossi

Would you put them in their own squadrons? or mix it up like 1 medusa, 1 basilisk, and 1 colossus in each squadron? Would you have the bodies mechanized?

All in their own squadrons so they can all shoot at the same target (as they all excel at different targets)
Chimeras are expensive. Real manly IG armies are just boots on the ground!

I would set up a mini gunline around your tanks, say 3-5 infantry squads, with autocannons and 2-3 heavy weapon squads with autocannons they will take care of the transports, while your artillery hurt the cargo. I would then run 3 banewolves, they will act as your counter charge unit something reaches your lines destroys a squad you move 12 flame them good bye close combat unit. Have maybe 1-2 chimeltas for landraiders, thats what I would do. I would give the artillery camo netting and keep them behind bane wolfs and chimeras to give them a 3+ save and to make it damn near impossible to see them with long range anti-tank.

CKO wrote:I would set up a mini gunline around your tanks, say 3-5 infantry squads, with autocannons and 2-3 heavy weapon squads with autocannons they will take care of the transports, while your artillery hurt the cargo. I would then run 3 banewolves, they will act as your counter charge unit something reaches your lines destroys a squad you move 12 flame them good bye close combat unit. Have maybe 1-2 chimeltas for landraiders, thats what I would do. I would give the artillery camo netting and keep them behind bane wolfs and chimeras to give them a 3+ save and to make it damn near impossible to see them with long range anti-tank.

That's pretty close to what I do. I have a couple platoons set up in defensive formation around the guns. This is basically there to hold up assault troops and meltas for a turn or two. They're backed up by platoon command squads with flamers and by the heavy flamers on the chimeras. I also have a few squads of mechanized melta vets for about the same reason you do. There's an armored sentinel thrown in basically for fun, though I don't think you'd have the luxury of getting all of that in a reasonable number of points in the same list as nine artillery. My list is not completely gunline, artillery spam, or mech vets, which isn't currently very trendy.

2000 Pts

HQ: Company Command Squad (7#, 175 Pts)
4 Company Command Squad @ 175 Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x4); Meltagun (x4); Officer of the Fleet; Chimera
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Heavy Flamer; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser

Troops: Infantry Platoon (29#, 390 Pts)
1 Infantry Platoon @ 390 Pts
4 Platoon Command Squad @ [125] Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x4); Meltagun (x4); Chimera
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Heavy Flamer; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser

7 Infantry Squad @ [80] Pts
Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x6); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x7); Meltagun (x1); Heavy Weapons Team
1 Heavy Weapons Team @ [20] Pts
Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x1); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x1); Lascannon


7 Infantry Squad @ [80] Pts
Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x6); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x7); Meltagun (x1); Heavy Weapons Team
1 Heavy Weapons Team @ [20] Pts
Frag Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x1); Flak Armour; Lasgun (x1); Lascannon

3 Heavy Weapons Squad @ [105] Pts
Lascannon (x3)

Troops: Veteran Squad (11#, 155 Pts)
9 Veteran Squad @ 155 Pts
Flak Armour; Frag Grenades; Krak Grenades; Close Combat Weapon (x9); Lasgun (x6); Meltagun (x3); Chimera
1 Chimera @ [55] Pts
Heavy Flamer; Searchlight; Smoke Launchers; Turret Multi-Laser

Fast Attack: Hellhound Squadron (1#, 130 Pts)
1 Hellhound Squadron @ 130 Pts
Bane Wolf

Fast Attack: Hellhound Squadron (1#, 130 Pts)
1 Hellhound Squadron @ 130 Pts
Bane Wolf

Heavy Support: Ordnance Battery (3#, 340 Pts)
1 Ordnance Battery @ 340 Pts
Basilisk; Colossus; Griffon

Heavy Support: Ordnance Battery (3#, 340 Pts)
1 Ordnance Battery @ 340 Pts
Basilisk; Colossus; Griffon

Heavy Support: Ordnance Battery (3#, 340 Pts)
1 Ordnance Battery @ 340 Pts
Basilisk; Colossus; Griffon


I was not able to put as much infantry as I would have liked, but if you use the range of your weaponry as a defence you should be in good shape, but like all gunline armies getting the first turn is huge. You have enough long range anti-tank with all the lascannons, you also have 3 chimeltas and two bane wolfs to help hid your artillery. Also I recommend that you use the colossus tank as the tank that takes the damage as its ability not to fire directly will hurts you the longer the game goes.

Here is what i would run for a massive artillery gunline at 1850(approx)

Inf platoon
5x Inf squads with lascannons
1x Platoon command squad with Chenkov in a chimera
1x 50 man Conscripts unit (with Send in the next wave)
3 artillery squadrons each with
1 Medusa with BB
1 Griffon
1 Basilik
use the conscripts to create a huge wall of never ending bodies so assaulty units cant get to the artillery, use the infantry squads as a buffer between the conscripts and my artillery, (also hug them around the sides and back of the artilley so outflankers and whatnot can sqeeze in)

win!

To those who suggest heaps and heaps of bodies,

How will you protect the squadrons of artillery against long range anti-tank? Like a squad of devastators for example. It seems in such an army if you don't get the first turn you will lose half your army as long range heavy weapons rip into your artillery, simply shooting over the top of your masses of infantry.

Open topped artillery in squadrons are destroyed on a 3+ on the damage table, its pretty harsh.

It seems to me if you were building an artillery gunline list you would definitely need to subscribe to some strategy where you literally don't allow your tanks to be shot at or give them obscene cover saves.

ie:
1) Camo netting and other chimeras in front of them.
2) completely block line of sight. I think if the forgeworld griffon was placed behind a wall of chimeras it would be hidden completely from ground based troops and barely seeable from other tanks.
3) Put them in reserve? Bassies and medusas are great for this. They can fire the turn that they rock up. Also you can deploy where its the safest along your entire board edge.

In the list I made you can use the five vehicles and terrain to hid your artillery pretty easily, also remember that you can hug the edges and use your range as protection as well.

NeoMaul wrote:To those who suggest heaps and heaps of bodies,

How will you protect the squadrons of artillery against long range anti-tank? Like a squad of devastators for example. It seems in such an army if you don't get the first turn you will lose half your army as long range heavy weapons rip into your artillery, simply shooting over the top of your masses of infantry.

Open topped artillery in squadrons are destroyed on a 3+ on the damage table, its pretty harsh.

It seems to me if you were building an artillery gunline list you would definitely need to subscribe to some strategy where you literally don't allow your tanks to be shot at or give them obscene cover saves.

ie:
1) Camo netting and other chimeras in front of them.
2) completely block line of sight. I think if the forgeworld griffon was placed behind a wall of chimeras it would be hidden completely from ground based troops and barely seeable from other tanks.
3) Put them in reserve? Bassies and medusas are great for this. They can fire the turn that they rock up. Also you can deploy where its the safest along your entire board edge.

Because OP asked for toys not tactics?

to protect from 1st turn shooting start in reserve.

if you get the first turn, make ranged anti tank your #1 priority, if you have the second turn start you ordnance out of LOS if possible, if not just start in reserve (or roll on if its DOW) and blast them

A custom foam case with a hard plastic outside. Like the ones GW sells, except with foam that you have to punch out yourself.

You can protect your artillery tanks with a chimera wall (to give them a 3+ cover save while allowing them to shoot directly) or hold the vehicles that are capable of direct fire in reserve. If you have three squadrons, you could probably interweave their deployment to give them all cover saves.

Surround them by Send in the Next Wave! Conscripts and have the good Commander stand next to them to give them Stubborn.

So say that you decide to build an army around 3 heavy slots filled with artillery in a 2000pts list. What would be the best way to protect this expensive investment?

Several large hills blocking line of sight in a corner and a lot of bodies to block anything coming at them? :}

I would say that chimeras are your best bet.

Bodies can physically force attackers away from you, which is good for protecting against CC and melta based tank kill. But with only armor 12, you've got a lot more than that to worry about.

Enough chimeras (or devildogs) can keep those meltas away, keep those CCs pushed for a while, and provide you with a cover save (I never ask for a 3+ save if my mantlet can be seen over my screening chimera).

Another 9 artillery tanks.

I can tell you how to protect those 9 aswell if you'd like.

Hardstyle wrote:Another 9 artillery tanks.

I can tell you how to protect those 9 aswell if you'd like.

With another 9 artilery tanks?

Ohh..Ohh! How would you protect those 9 then?