AnomanderRake wrote:(it can bomb ground targets, kill planes, and kill tanks with the same loadout, which the Vendetta can't)
So what? The bombs are ridiculously expensive and suck, and the Vendetta is better at everything else. I don't see any value in a unit that trades firepower in its primary role for an ineffective attempt at a secondary role.
(Also, don't forget that hellstrike missiles are useless. If you're getting your "can kill tanks" claim from the missiles then you're wrong.)
it's got S7 autocannons so it's a bit better than the Avenger at fighting AV12 Flyers
Sure, but that's not the issue. It's better than the Avenger at some roles, but so is the Vendetta. And the Vendetta is better than the Thunderbolt.
it's got more volume than the Vendetta to overcome jink
This is a misunderstanding. Like the old misunderstanding about "lots of shots is better at low
BS" it ignores the fact that jink saves are just a 0.5x multiplier on your damage, they apply exactly the same no matter what weapon type you're using. An
AC is more likely to hit at all, but the
LC is more likely to do damage when it hits. The end result is that the weapon that is best without a jink save (and at high
BS, etc) is also the weapon that is best with a jink save (low
BS, etc). The only way this would change is if you have a weapon that ignores the save, and neither unit has that.
and it's got the repair rule in case of emergencies
Too bad that repair rule might as well be blank text. If you have something to shoot at you're never going to give up shooting to repair, and if you don't have something to shoot at it's better to fly off the table and set up a shot for next turn. It's a nice bit of fluff, but that's it.
It's a jack-of-all-trades plane to take if you don't know what to expect and you don't want to bring two planes
No, because as a jack-of-all-trades plane it's worse than the Vendetta. If you only want one flyer and don't know what you're facing you take the Vendetta (or maybe a punisher cannon Vulture). The only time the Thunderbolt is even potentially a valid choice is if you have already filled up your fast attack slots and need to get a heavy support flyer.