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So, now that my IG army is reaching towards the 2000pt mark, I am looking at a Super heavy as a center piece. Specifically, one that tank hunts. All the apoc games I have played are not really tactical, but just throwing stuff on a table. SO I stopped playing. I am looking to go back, and looking at the AT options. I am torn between the Doom Hammer for the AT power and the transport, but I also like the banesword for the range. So regular Apoc players, how do you pick your super heavy?

Purely based on what model I would enjoy to paint/model. Apoc really isn't about tactics and list optimization

Are you looking for anti tank or anti super heavy tank?
For taking out Super heavies this guy is probably the best bet

http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m2440065_Imperial_Guard_Datasheet_-_Shadowsword.pdf

Banesword does have fantastic range but it is str 9, which vs AV14 you still need that 6 to make sure you pen.

The Doomhammer does lack range for Apoc games (table size dependant of course). Having a 10 man squad fire from its top platform is nice however.

The humble old Baneblade is a good all round tank hunter too.

Can't go wrong with the Baneblade. Has plenty of weapons and never suffers from the "one gun syndrome".

Shadowswords are good too, however, without a turret, targeting may become an issue if you ever become immobile.

There's another one (the name escapes me) that has a Str 9 (or 10) AP 2 Ordnance attack that ignores cover. It's range is a lot shorter than other Super Heavy tanks (I think it's either 36" or 48"), but clearly makes up for it in effective firepower.

Rurouni Benshin wrote:There's another one (the name escapes me) that has a Str 9 (or 10) AP 2 Ordnance attack that ignores cover. It's range is a lot shorter than other Super Heavy tanks (I think it's either 36" or 48"), but clearly makes up for it in effective firepower.

Hellhammer?

Dronze wrote:

Rurouni Benshin wrote:There's another one (the name escapes me) that has a Str 9 (or 10) AP 2 Ordnance attack that ignores cover. It's range is a lot shorter than other Super Heavy tanks (I think it's either 36" or 48"), but clearly makes up for it in effective firepower.

Hellhammer?

There you go! Thanks!

I am in the process of painting a shadowsword myself, and have found that with minimal effort, you can make it swappable with a couple.

1)The tip of the volcano cannon comes off to make it a banesword

2)if you make the 'turret' loose, you can slide the whole nonsense forward to make it a bane hammer with the removal of most of the main gun.

Anything beyond those 2 swaps is going to require a lot of magnetic parts. If you just bite the bullet and make the engine casing top removable, you can make the rest of them except stormlord. That requires making every part of the main gun removable.

For pure, unadulterated AT/titan wreacking potential, go with the shadowsword. Just make sure you don't fire the volcano into void shields

-cgmckenzie

Well, I was looking at the Doomhammer, because I run a mostly infantry IG army and it would be great to throw all my heavy weapons (because I believe Superheavies can carry multiple squads) into one tank that they can all fire from. And its a 60" strength 10 AP 1 gun. Is strength D better then that?

(Fitting that my 2000 post on dakka was about super heavies, GO ME! Will have to do my big 2000 post idea latter)

It is. It penetrates automatically, iirc. And inflicts ID on units with a T, I believe (strangely, if you have EW, you don't die). I don't recall if it allows armor saves, though... I believe invulns only?
In addition, iirc, the Shadowsword has some titan-killer rule which takes down d3 structure points from superheavies and the like...
Just give me a sec to look for the superheavies transport capacities...

Ok, here we go: Doomhammer and Banehammer can carry 25 models, with 10 firing from the platform (has anyone decided if an IG HWT counts as one or two?), Stormlord have 40 and 20 (but is more of an anti-infantry- light vehicle killer...), while the others have no transport capacity at all...

Two for transport, one for firing. The destroyer weapons don't allow armor, just invulnerable saves. Yay instant death!

-cgmckenzie

Why are you even asking which SH to take for AT firepower? The obvious choice is the Shadowsword: Instant Penetration coupled with a +1 to the damage table, with a 120" range so you can stay out of range of the Power Fists, Multi-Meltas and even Railguns. However, you may want to try the Stormsword too (to those who don't know, it's the beefed-up Hellhammer). A 10" S10 Ap1 blast will also pack a serious punch against vehicles, the only thing it struggles against is the longer range weapons, as it's 36" range Hellhammer Cannon puts it at risk from the beforementioned enemy weapons.

Shadowsword all the way.

Shadowsword : And add the targeters for +1 the BS!

Strength D is always Win. Win. Win.

The +1 BS is not worth it when you are scattering templates, especially when it removes 2 lascannon shots. Scattering a template 10 inches vs 9 in Apoc isn't going to change anything; something will be under that blast, and it is going to die.

-cgmckenzie

I think I am sold on the Doom Hammer. Its Strength 10 AP 1 5" blast, so not a shadowsword, but it has the 25 man transport capacity I think its gun will be the perfect AT gun for me, as I can load up all my HWS into the back and have 360 degree ark of fire from something.

If you have the skills to build it a scratch build warhound titan with 2 turbo lasers is better then any of the tanks. 2 turbo lasers put out 4 strength D 5 inch templates and the warhound is tougher then any of the tanks for 250 points more.

I don't have the skill, and I would like the tanks more because I could buy them local at GW.

If it has to be a tank then the Shadowsword is the way to go. Spam Strength D. Hell Hammers are too short ranged and although baneblades have lots of weapons they can bounce vs av14.