Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Am I missing something? I really don't think autocannans are that good. Sure they have a high(ish) strength but 2 shots is a bit lame really. It can penetrate light vehicles but even then its not reliable. I just think it is a compromise between anti-tank and anti-infantry. Why would you take one when you can have a missile launcher for cheaper (not as durable but that won't matter if you kill them 1st will it). The only time I see it as good is on a predator destrucor with heavy bolter sponsons, when it has a purpose.

Anything I've forgot?

A missile launcher is slightly more expensive than an autocannon, at least for an IG player. That's part of it. An autocannon is actually better against its intended targets (AV10-11 vehicles) and the same against AV12. The rationale being that trying to shoot a missile at AV13-14 is a fool's game anyway. Because of how common vehicles, especially AV10-12 transports, are in most competitive armies, autocannons are popular.

Autocannons do fall down compared to missile launchers against MCs and heavy infantry. For that reason I will be taking a mix of both.

They're cheaper than missile launchers for guard, while being good enough against things like rhinos and other AV10-11. That's pretty much it.

Two shots is anything but lame. It's a 100% increase.

Mathematically, on average rolls they do more damage against AV10 or 11 vehicles (which is quite a lot of them, considering how cheap and good Venoms, Raiders, Landspeeders, Rhinos and Razorbacks are) than a missile launcher.

Need to pop 99% of DT's?

Autocannon.

Need to instagib most marines and wreck MC's? ML.

A lot of the popularity of autocannons also comes from Dreadnoughts... The rifleman dreadnought is a double TL- autocannon dreadnought... It's a cheap-ish fire platform, that can often be spammed. Its autocannons are also twin-linked, so hitting with all the shots is more likely, while dreadnoughts only get one single missile launcher.

Add to this that the latest addition, grey knights, get autocannons with the same strength of the missiles (IE: str 8 ap4 heavy 2 autocannons), by spending just 10 points above the normal rifleman dread. Plus they don't really need low str blasts as purifiers can manage hordes by themselves, so autocannons are the preferred lodout.

2 shots makes it about the same as a frag missile against infantry that isn't MEQ. those shots are also AP4 instead of AP6.

Str7 wounds most infantry on 2s and can still wound many monsterous creatures.


against light vehicles(av10-12) it has twice as many shots as a missile launcher.


IG Missile launcher against AV10

50% chance to hit

2s to glance.

it has a 33% chance to penetrate with each shot and an 8.3% chance to glance.


the auto-cannon on the other hand

50% chance to hit.

3s to glance


50% chance to penetrate and a 16% chance to glance.

simply because you are mitigating your mediocre BS with twice as many shots.

You get 2 shots so statistically the mean is one hit assuming BS 3 so statistically it is better than a missile launcher as if you have three shot the mean is 1 hit rounded down from 1.5 (HWS) whereas a HWS with AC will get 3 hits averagely so you have a much better chance of penetrating even with the -1 ST even if you cannot take down armor values greater than 12 effectively and there is not much of a point in being ST 8 against infantry than ST 7. If you are playing guard there are much better anti-tank tanks e.g. LR.

Autocannons are as cheap to IG as a heavy bolter. For a mere one less shot, you get the strength bumped up to S7 and the ranged bumped to 48". S7 can penetrate rhino transports and chimeras, and easily penetrate chimeras from side shots, as well as producing a threat to AV13 via glancing. They also do a lot of damage to monstrous creatures due to their enhanced strength over a heavy bolter.

wulfenork wrote:Am I missing something? I really don't think autocannans are that good. Sure they have a high(ish) strength but 2 shots is a bit lame really. It can penetrate light vehicles but even then its not reliable. I just think it is a compromise between anti-tank and anti-infantry. Why would you take one when you can have a missile launcher for cheaper (not as durable but that won't matter if you kill them 1st will it). The only time I see it as good is on a predator destrucor with heavy bolter sponsons, when it has a purpose.

Anything I've forgot?

Are you assuming IG or SM? For IG, it helps offset the BS, as mentioned by other posters. It's also great against DE and other armies that use low armor vehicles (Killa Kans anyone?). It's also a cheap way of getting a 3+ to wound on TMC. However, I feel they're overrated. Instead of spending points for a gun that's okay at everything, I'd rather spend POINTS on a gun that's great at one thing specifically. That way, I can have my anti-tank squad, and my anti-infantry squad. IG doesn't have to be great at everything in one squad like SM seems to. They've got enough bodies to spread the fun around. Don't get me wrong though, I think DE coming out definitely gave autocannons added value. I just don't think they're as amazing as everyone seems to believe.

The thing is, it's not just "okay" at everything. It's actually better than a lascannon against AV10 vehicles, for example, as statistically you're probably gonna get a hit, possibly two, for far less in points cost, and both the hits can penetrate easily.

It's anti-light armor. Save the lascannons for the big guys.

its also better against high T targets then missile launchers, simply because of the higher damage possability. you are just about garunteed a hit with BS3 and its Str7 which is good against big monsters.

wulfenork wrote:Am I missing something? I really don't think autocannans are that good. Sure they have a high(ish) strength but 2 shots is a bit lame really. It can penetrate light vehicles but even then its not reliable. I just think it is a compromise between anti-tank and anti-infantry. Why would you take one when you can have a missile launcher for cheaper (not as durable but that won't matter if you kill them 1st will it). The only time I see it as good is on a predator destrucor with heavy bolter sponsons, when it has a purpose.

Anything I've forgot?

Autocannons often are cheaper than missile launchers (IG armies), or are able to be twin linked where missile launchers cannot for like the same cost (dreads). Autocannons are more effective against AV10/11 vehicles than Missile Launchers and equally effective against AV12 vehicles, these are very important because the most powerful builds in the game right now are generally built around large numbers of AV10/11/12 vehicles.

two shots also helps insure a higher minimum damage output and insure against wonky dice rolling over only 1 shot.

Due to the transport spam meta, autocannons are king. If everyone only ran infantry and av 14 vehicles, you wouldn't see any autocannons.

Autocannons rock against anything AV10-11, and are no slouch against AV12 in a pinch. As that covers pretty much any dedicated transport in the game, and because of how transport-heavy the global meta is, autocannons fill a vital role very well. The fact that you can use them to target MCs and put wounds on pretty much everything in the game just adds icing to an already rather tasty cake.

L. Wrex

autocannons are also extremely cheap and can be spammed.

they are decent at killing regular infantry too.


a Rifleman dred has an 88% accuracy rate, asuming it not venerable. so you can basically assume you are hitting every time. 4 Str7 AP4 hits against anything that isn't a space marine usually equates to 4 kills(cover excluded)


these TL-autocannons are only 10 points each too.

Melissia wrote:The thing is, it's not just "okay" at everything. It's actually better than a lascannon against AV10 vehicles, for example, as statistically you're probably gonna get a hit, possibly two, for far less in points cost, and both the hits can penetrate easily.

It's anti-light armor. Save the lascannons for the big guys.

Admittedly so. I just think that the trend is most people taking too many of them. The amount of autocannons in every squad (or Hydras) I see posted in lists is stunning, but maybe I'm just too used to playing against high armor value opponents. My two most frequent opponents play either Marines, Tau, or IG themselves, so maybe I'm just biased.

I think for AV11, I'd still rather want a lascannon. I mean, I'm sure it's all been done to death (I remember the Ailaros/Terminus threads) but 2 shots with 50% chance to hit by 33% chance to pen leaves you with a 1/3 chance of penetrating with an autocannon, while with the lascannon you have a shot with 50% chance to hit by 66% chance to pen. You still end up with the same odds, but the lascannon is still threatening to higher armor things. Granted the lascannon is more expensive and the autocannon also gives you an upper bounds of two pens per turn, whereas the lascannon is only one pen per turn, but they can both still completely miss one way or the other.

I'm not saying they're useless, I'm just saying that they need to be balanced with more powerful weapons. I take a handful myself. I just cringe when I see a list that is all AC&GL/squad as far as the eye can see.

The Autocannon is better against any target that isn't a marine (or the occasional MC), and, if the marines are in cover it is better against them as well. On top of this it is cheaper. So, although I take the occasional ML, in most cases points are preferably spent on the Autocannon.

I still take Lascannons, just not on the places where an Auto-cannon can be taken.


most of my lascannons are on my Tac squads simply because its cheap compared to other lascannons.

occasionally i run a tl-lascannon/missile dred for some heftier anti-tank, but for the most part its auto-cannon dreds.

The autocannon looks cooler on a predator

But, IMO the las is ofcourse meant for tank hunting. But well, it DOES work against infantery and MC better then autocannon... (smart ey? )

assuming points cost isn't considered, yeah its better at killing infantry

it sure is!

And yet, the autocannon still has better killing power.

The heavy bolter has more killing potential still against non-MEQ, but the autocannon strikes a balance.

Melissia wrote:And yet, the autocannon still has better killing power.

The heavy bolter has more killing potential still against non-MEQ, but the autocannon strikes a balance.

Heavy bolter is your best points for killpower weapon vs infantry, but as you say the autocannon just gives you more options.

I would have to agree with Melissia as well.