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My friend, who plays csm, keeps saying that havoc launchers are more then worth the points you pay for them.

I say they're not. For a few reasons

1.Their a pretty expensive (relatively) add-on. For the price of 2 rhinos w/ havoc launchers, I can get 3 rhinos for 5 points more.

2. Let's be honest, rhinos have armor made out of the hopes and dreams of small children.

3. If he chooses to shoot the havocs, he can only move 6 inches, which, to me anyway, defeats the whole purpose of having a transport if your just gonna move them at walkng pace.


Enough ranting, I'd like to hear dakka's opinions.

Thank you for your time.

Havok launchers are decent for adding firepower to the rhino once the unit their transporting disembarks. It can glance AV11 and provides some anti-horde capability in the right lists. It also works when you have a unit sitting on an objective, a missile could crack a transport and then the Havok could wound what falls out.

In all it be the first thing I cut in a list, but it has uses.

Havocs are fun, though I do miss the old version.

It depends on what's riding in the Rhino, and whether you have the capabilities that the Havoc Launcher has offered in the rest of the list.

They're really nasty mounted on Predator Destructors, and Land Raiders.

xxBlazinGhostxx wrote:My friend, who plays csm, keeps saying that havoc launchers are more then worth the points you pay for them.

I say they're not. For a few reasons

1.Their a pretty expensive (relatively) add-on. For the price of 2 rhinos w/ havoc launchers, I can get 3 rhinos for 5 points more.

2. Let's be honest, rhinos have armor made out of the hopes and dreams of small children.

3. If he chooses to shoot the havocs, he can only move 6 inches, which, to me anyway, defeats the whole purpose of having a transport if your just gonna move them at walkng pace.


Enough ranting, I'd like to hear dakka's opinions.

Thank you for your time.

1: They are not expensive. For 60 points a CSM player can turn 4 rhinos into a havok squad.

2: Empty Rhinos are rarely shot at, and almost always pop smoke on turn 1. Any Rhino that survives long enough to unload it's troops is highly likely to survive the entire game as it's a low target priority.

3: 1 or 2 turns of shooting are lost to transport the squad, after that a Rhino can shoot every turn.

I use 4 rhinos with 4 havocs in my army, and the effect is brutal. Str 5 twin linked blast templates is nothing to laugh at.

There are very few light infantry units that a S5 twin-linked blast won't solve. Even some heavier units will lose a model or two. Even if you can only hit four marines (remember, you get direct hits 5/9 of the time), you still have a good chance of taking out one and thereby making your points back.

I tend to take them on my dedicated battle tanks (Raiders and Predators) for some more diversified long-range firepower.

Rhinos, though? Meh. Would only use it if I knew I would be able to dump my squad and start shooting the 1st turn.

I find them most effective against lightly armoured armies tat lack the consitant ranged firepower to knock them out quickly.

Generally Nids and Orks.

I find against Guard / Tau / where they have enough weaponry to constantly target the rhinos then they tend to not provide a return on ivestment.

All in all, as said earlier they have their use, but i also tend to cut them fairly quickly when points become critical.

I love havoc launchers, but not just on rhinos.

The following predator loadout has become a standard in my list due to its versatility:

AC turret
Lascannon Sponsons
Havoc Launcher.

It kills transports dead, can have a go at heavier vehicles, and also puts considerable wounds on infantry units, unless my opponent wants to considerably increase the footprint of his army by spreading his infantry out to max coherency.

willydstyle wrote:I love havoc launchers, but not just on rhinos.

The following predator loadout has become a standard in my list due to its versatility:

AC turret
Lascannon Sponsons
Havoc Launcher.

It kills transports dead, can have a go at heavier vehicles, and also puts considerable wounds on infantry units, unless my opponent wants to considerably increase the footprint of his army by spreading his infantry out to max coherency.

Never seen this and never thought of this since I think oblit's are a must in a csm list.

However, this looks pretty strong. Thanks and Props to You!

Oblits bring multi-meltas and plasma cannons, which are difficult to get en-masse otherwise in the CSM list. Predators can fire less weapons on the move, but add more firepower/point than obliterators.

willydstyle wrote:Oblits bring multi-meltas and plasma cannons, which are difficult to get en-masse otherwise in the CSM list. Predators can fire less weapons on the move, but add more firepower/point than obliterators.

Correct. I just never thought there was a potential HS unit that could bump oblit's out of my mind. This is definitely a viable alternative.

willydstyle wrote:I love havoc launchers, but not just on rhinos.

The following predator loadout has become a standard in my list due to its versatility:

AC turret
Lascannon Sponsons
Havoc Launcher.

It kills transports dead, can have a go at heavier vehicles, and also puts considerable wounds on infantry units, unless my opponent wants to considerably increase the footprint of his army by spreading his infantry out to max coherency.

Very nice configuration, I will suggest this to my friend, and maybe try it out on my own predator... heavy bolters have been failing me anyway

Personally, I like them. Like it's been mentioned, once you slap down the load out, the rhinos just kind of hang around anyway. Between the Havoc Launcer and the standard bolter you can actually use it as a bit of a support unit. The range is long enough that you can scoot the rhino to safety and snipe away too. All you need to do is kill one marine and you've earned back the points. Alternatively, I've also stashed battered squad remnants in the rhino for safety and used it as a bit of a fire platform that way.

They are also a good spot to scavenge points if you're running light. I also tend to cut the Havocs early when looking to add things. I usually kind of regret it though.

I just consider my rhinos to cost 50 points, Havoc launchers are mandatory for me. I play a Thousand Sons army though, more anti-horde the better.

If you have points, I think there are worse things to sped them on, but, as stateed above, they'd be something I'd be more willing to part with.