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Two part question
1) Should you put any sponons on it in the first place? With a medium range gun, it looks like you'll have to move once or twice before you get into range and moving = wasted sponon points normally.
2) If you do put sponons on it, what do you put? Plasma Cannons seem like the first choice but damn does that make an expensive tank even more expensive. What about the cheaper Heavy Bolters. With the center mount, thats 9 S5 shots extra if you lose the turret.

Executioners are the one tank that I would probably advocate putting sponsons on, and yes the plasma ones are the ones you should use. This makes an already lethal tank into one thats pretty damn disgusting on the field; 5 S7 AP2 blasts per turn liquifies ANYTHING it hits.

Yes, this set-up is pricey but it more than pays for itself when it starts firing.

L. Wrex

Yes, yes, yes, take the sponsons. Costly, but it tears the crap out of anything which isn't encased in heavy armour.

I agree,plasma sponsons are the way to go.I really like this tank and only have the plasma in mind for when it gets built.

Same here. Look at it this way. You're boosting cost by about 21% in exchange for a 40% increase in firepower. It'll make up for itself assuming you don't move too much.

Plasma sponsons all the way!!

I agree that plasma sponsons on an executioner are pretty much the only time you'd want to take sponsons, but I still dont' think I'd take them.

I mean, if you move, you can only shoot 1, and if it's really such a threat to your opponent, it's probably going to take a lot of heat. Is it worth it to spend 40 points for one, or maybe 2 shots of small blast plasma guns?

... pass.

Full plasma it is.

As an aside, how effective is this tank in an all-comers list? It doesn't seem to have the raw flexibility of the LRBT but that much AP2 firepower might be useful right?

If you're going to take it, take the sponsons.

S7 isn't all that great against vehicles, and with the huge pile o' points you're spending, it's so points ineffective, it's silly.

That said, it's useful against MCs, as it's hard to get cover (but sometimes they get an invul save...), and against terminators (once again, invul save), but it's firepower drops precipitously against targets that aren't densely packed together.

Basically, it's at its best against marines who cluster together outside of cover. Of course, you're never going to see this, so most of the time the tank will operate worse than advertised as cover and spacing will rain on your parade like a bucket of water thrown on a string of ants.

Well, my pair of executioners with plasma sponsons has won me more than one tournament, so I suppose ineffective is relative.

The fact is, you really only need one good shot for it to make back points. A unit just out of assault, or in a wrecked transport, or that was just tank shocked, etc. all present fantastic targets. In today's all missiles, all the time world AV14 gives you decent durability.

The executioner should only shoot at vehicles when there are no infantry, but it has a chance against AV10-11.

Another point is that because of it's fearsome reputation opponents find it intimidating to the point of ignoring other units. This means whilst this unit may not have a great game it allows other units in your army to shine.

Yeah, against less experienced players you'll see them shooting lascannons at it instead of the valks or chimeras that do the real heavy lifting.

That all said, I've seen complete noobs wreck both executioners with three total lascannon shots and take me to lunch.

Take the plasma sponsons and dont worry about the shorter range, and don't assume you will need to move much to fire.

Its a guard army, the enemy will be coming to you! Or something is horribly wrong, or they are Tau; and you dont need executioners to fight Tau, you need stock Russ to instant kill suits.

Its good for attracting fire,as Dude says.Then theres the 5 AP2 templates for cancelling FNP and forcing 5/6 invuls on shooty/lightning claw termies.And being a lumbering behemoth means if you do have to move ( admittedly its only a 6 inch move ),you can still fire everything.

Always plasma sponsons on the executioner.

Lumbering behemoth means, when you move up to 6", you get to fire the turret +1 sponson. So on the Executioner, that means 4 plasma templates instead of 5. It's kind of unique among LR variants in that way--that moving at combat speed really doesn't cost you much firepower overall.

Also, without sponsons, one weapon destroyed result makes it basically useless. But it's still a significant threat with sponsons, even with the turret destroyed.

Take sponsons, but better yet take a Leman Russ Demolisher instead.

Basically backing what everyone else says. If you are taking it, take sponsons. After all, if you're not, a LRBT or an exterminator with plasma sponsons is the same cost and probably better - if you take the executioner, go big.

Flavius Infernus wrote:Lumbering behemoth means, when you move up to 6", you get to fire the turret +1 sponson..

Oh so sorry! you didn't win the Grand prize!

it actually means you move 6" and fire Everything.
but you can only move 6 + d6 for cruising speed.
and this is why i don't get why everyone says it has to stay still or not move if you get sponsons. not saying it's a Fast vehicle, but you move at least 6"
to keep from getting autohit in HTH.

alarmingrick wrote:

Flavius Infernus wrote:Lumbering behemoth means, when you move up to 6", you get to fire the turret +1 sponson..

Oh so sorry! you didn't win the Grand prize!

it actually means you move 6" and fire Everything.
but you can only move 6 + d6 for cruising speed.
and this is why i don't get why everyone says it has to stay still or not move if you get sponsons. not saying it's a Fast vehicle, but you move at least 6"
to keep from getting autohit in HTH.

Errr...what? Lifted straight from the Guard codex, pg48, left column; '...has moved at combat speed or remained stationary can fire its turret weapon in addition to any other weapons it is usually allowed to fire'

BRB, pg58; 'a vehicle that moved at combat speed may fire a single weapon.'

So you get to fire a single weapon + the turret which on an Executioner is equal to 4 blasts (turret + one sponson) rather than 5 (turret + both sponsons).

L. Wrex

@Flavius Infernus: ooops, i guess I didn't win the big prize! sorry!



@Lycaeus Wrex: thank for the clarification! did you hear the pop across the pond as i pulled my head out?!?!

Hehehe Nps dude. I was secretly hoping you were right as I'd whack sponsons on all my tanks then

L. Wrex