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Now it may just be me, but for some reason, SM vehicles rarely do well for me in any sort of combat. I've used dreadnoughts, rhino's, predators, whirlwinds, bikes and speeders. None of them seem to do all that well for me.

Now I may not be the best player, but compared to how I can handle my tac squads and other infantry, they almost always do a better job of whatever it is I want done. Granted Bikes and speeders are great for mobility which is essential to any SM force, they don't seem to work as well with my army as other races seem to.

My question is this. Is there something I'm not doing right with my vehicles as far as how I utilize them? Even if they don't get FF'd, they rarely make up their points or provide any amount of utility. I generally have a better time with an infantry heavy army.

Maybe I'll just go with an ork army with warbikes to get my vehicle fix. Smog as far as the eye can see. :O

Dreadnoughts in a pod are excellent vehicles. The pod allows you to get in their face quickly or drop down and melta enemy vehicles. Dreads are also great for tarpitting enemy units that can't hurt them like IG blob squads and some ork boyz (just watch out for PF and PK).

Whirlwinds suck. End of story.

The only type of speeder I really like is the storm, great for sticking a few CC scouts in and outflanking onto some poor, squishy unit camping on an objective. Though I can see the value of a squadron of speeders, being able to dash over to where their weaponry is most appropriate, behind vehicles etc.

Rhinos dont have great armour, so don't expect them to last all game. Their primary function is to get your squad from point A to point B.

Predators, well... I haven't actually had the pleasure of using one... yet. But I reckon, as long as you keep the front armour facing towards the enemy anti-armour, it should do fine (13 is no small AV). But whatever you do: don;t give the predator lascannons. The lascannon option is one of the worst upgrades in the book. Totally overpriced.

Endrant

ultramarinelord wrote:But whatever you do: don;t give the predator lascannons. The lascannon option is one of the worst upgrades in the book. Totally overpriced.

Endrant

The twin linked turret Las Cannon is, the side sponsons make the Pred into an awesome tank killer

Ramseh wrote:My question is this. Is there something I'm not doing right with my vehicles as far as how I utilize them?

How about telling us how you use them in the first place? Give us your typical list, along with any and all upgrades, and a detailed explanation of how you play. That would give us a point of reference in which to help.

I typically run a 2000 point list with 4 Razorbacks, 1 Predator w/las sponsons, 1 Vindicator, and 2 Landspeeders supported by 40 tac marines, 6 attack bikes, and a Thunder Fire. I use the vehicles to suppress targets dangerous to my infantry and then use the infantry to kill soft targets and take objectives. The trick for me has always been to make sure I maintain a balanced weapon selection that allows the most vehicles to be lethal from at least 36 inches out so that they can support my infantry while staying immune to short ranged AT power carried by enemy infantry.

As an aside, the autocannon/las sponsons predator is a great tank killer for 120 points. It gets 4 shots against AV 12 vehicles capable of penetrating armor and the front AV of 13 makes it virtually immune to Guard autocannon spam. Even missiles have a tough time penetrating.

well, SM tanks work best in groups of the same tank IMO.



1 vindicator will die, 2 will do some damage, 3 will wreak house.

predators are the same deal.

Landraiders are best taken as transports for Terminators.

Thunderfire cannons are best inm lower point games and again work best in pairs or in trios


you say 2 Landspeeders. what armament do they have?

for speeders i prefer 3 typhoons with the stock heavy bolters. potential for 6 krak missiles or 6 frag blasts and 9 heavy bolter shots a turn at 36-48" for really cheap(a similer amount of devestators costs nearly twice as much). i can justify a MM/HF landspeeder(armaments are contradictory and needs to be close to work and LS die when close to the enemy)

Grey Templar wrote:well, SM tanks work best in groups of the same tank IMO.



1 vindicator will die, 2 will do some damage, 3 will wreak house.

predators are the same deal.

Landraiders are best taken as transports for Terminators.

Thunderfire cannons are best inm lower point games and again work best in pairs or in trios


you say 2 Landspeeders. what armament do they have?

for speeders i prefer 3 typhoons with the stock heavy bolters. potential for 6 krak missiles or 6 frag blasts and 9 heavy bolter shots a turn at 36-48" for really cheap(a similer amount of devestators costs nearly twice as much). i can justify a MM/HF landspeeder(armaments are contradictory and needs to be close to work and LS die when close to the enemy)

1 Vindicator more than serves its purpose for me. If my opponents really want to devote the firepower to shut it down, it means they are not dealing with the Predator, Thunderfire or the Typhoon squadron. I use the Vindicator to fill a niche in my army, not to be a primary weapon system. The bulk of my AT comes from the 2 meltaguns and 6 lascannons sprinkled in the 4 tac squads + transports that can all engage seperate targets. The Predator acts as strong safety to mop up any remaining targets while the Vindicator and Thunderfire blast enemy infantry that spills out. The MM bikes are held in reserve to use against encroaching assault land raiders while the HB bikes provide some more anti-infantry back up. I can send you the full list if you like. The bottom line is that I strongly believe that if you spam multiple specaility units, you ultimately leave bigger weaknesses in your army than if you set out to build a balanced force from the get go.

i just posted a thread in this section dealing with this.


you don't have to kill a Vindicator to make it use less, one weapon destroyed will remove it from play and any roll on the table at all will at least remove shooting from the next turn.

Also, one side armor AV 11 tank is going to get thrashed, with skilled deployment and tank line formation, you should be able to keep their vulnerable parts protected.

also deploy in cover or use other vehicles as cover.

AV13 with a 4+ cover is pretty tough to crack

I love vehicles, if not for dreadnought i would probably be playing guard, or maybe crazy themed orks. As my games go on i end up with a lot in really forward kinda exposed positions, so far my strategy has been to give my enemy so many targets that they either misdirect their fire, spread it out too thinly or obliterate one of my units of doom and leaving open another three. In hindsight this seems like a Zapp Brannigan approach but its served me pretty well in all my competitive play.

today in some 2000 pointers I was running:

2 Baal predators(warm death cannons and h. flamers)
1 blatantly death company razorback
1 tactical squad razor(the objective thief!)
3 dreads (multimelta and storm bolter)
1 death company dread avec drop pod (blood talons)
1 furioso librarian dread (flying dreadnought!)

lotsa armor on my part of the field, but once you throw in 3 assault squads (perhaps one or two in drop pods for initial boots on the ground) and some san. priests my army sticks really well.

My only complaint is that everything flies at my enemies except the dreadnoughts who have to walk the whole field, I would only take land speeders if my dreadnoughts could surf them into battle.

@OP

Seeing as you haven't tried vindicators yet, I suggest vassaling it up with them!