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Got a pack of Assault Termies at Games Day, and I've been discussing how to arm them as part of my Blangels. In order to help me choose I've made a list of the pros and cons of each choice.

Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield
Pros
+ The coverted 3++ save
+ S8 attacks
+ After-effect of Thunder Hammer attacks

Cons
- Initiative 1 attacks
- No 2 weapon bonus
- +25 points to upgrade


Lightning Claws
Pros
+ 4 Attacks on the charge
+ Initiative 4, 5 if within 6" of a Sang Priest
+ No charge to upgrade
+ Re-roll wounds, and hits if led by Chaplain

Cons
- Reduced survivability when compared to TH/SS
- Still only S4, S5 on charge if within range of Sang Priest


So what would you guys recommend from your experience? Personally I'm swaying towards Lightning Claws but I'm just hoping to hear some tactics first.

Thanks,

I say run a mix. If you are running 5 I would go 3 Claws and 2 Hammers for BA. Mix in a chappy and a priest and you have a super scary unit.

If this were vanilla I would go 5x hammers unless you were running a chaplain as HQ in which case go with the mix.

Why not a mix?

This coming from a dirty traitor Marine but a 3:2 mix of Hammers and Claws seems like a fair balance. You still have alot of durability but this way you retain some extra I4 attacks to help clear out infantry.

I'd vote for a mix, too, the exact composition dependent on the main goal you want the unit to achieve. If the focus is on vehicle-killing and MC-smashing, obviously this points into the direction of TH/SS. If you want to use them to waves of infantry, give them more LCs. However, even against infantry I think TH/SS are very useful, because the 3+ invuln really helps against those powerklaw attacks, that powersword on the commissar or the odd squad of Banshees.

So, in general, I'd go with a TH/SS heavy mix.

I’d go with lightning claws and accompany the unit with a sang priest and chaplain in a LR. This would net you a disturbingly powerful assault unit that would have to hit and to wound re-rolls, furious charge, FNP and fearless.

Hamminators of course, they are the life of the rave party.

I personally don't like the idea of mixes.

If you go with just 2 LC, when you fight a horde of guys, you won't kill enough to weather the number of return attacks, termies are weak against torrent attacks, its a counter to storm shields in cc after all. LCs are supposed to keep you safer by going first. By not taking enough, you are weaker against units that LCs are supposed to face.

By only taking 3 TH/SH, you risk not having enough 3++ saves to take a torrent of AP attacks, which some armies can bring. So you are forced to take those hits on guys with 5++ instead. Against MCs with many attacks and higher Int (like keeper of secrets or such) they can really get hammered, and not have enough left to finish it off, where a full squad of shields might have pulled it off.

Pick a role, and stick to it. If your list is lacking mass infantry clearing power, take LC, if your list needs some tough anti MC, vehicle, or multiwound killing power, take TH/SH.

I find notabots187's point very persuasive. I voted for LCs because you are BA, so they're cheaper, and would spill a lot more blood.

Hmm, I've built three Hamminators at the moments and have two more to choose weapons for, I'm still tempted to go for Lightning Claws for the last ones. Thanks for your tips guys

I would go TH/SS on all of them.Although it is more expensive that way for your Blangels,i would not be without that 3++,even though i am hitting last.You could build a combat squad of both,then pick the one suited to your opponent.I am not much of a fan of mixing my assault termies and plan to do this myself.