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Okay Dakka Dakka-goers, I recently started up a Dark Angels army, and I've been concidering adding a Pred to my armory. Now, I started with the Guard....and the Predator is certainly no Russ. I've accepted this fact. Now, what I wish to ask of you all here at Dakka Dakka....how do you field Predators? Any tips on tactics or loadouts would be greatly appreciated.

I don't play Dark Angels, but my Vanilla Predators are always Autocannon with Heavy Bolter Sponsons.

I like the amount of dakka it puts out, and I don't miss the lascannons due to all the twin-linked melta cheese that rains down on the opponent in drop pods.

I use one with an autocannon and 2 LCs.It can be lethal against vehicles and heavy infantry.Even light infantry.Give it a HK for good measure.

I magnetized my sponsons so I could swap them to LC spons with the Autocannon top.

However I have never put the lascannons on.

<3 the Dakka Pred

dakka pred loadout is the most popular way to go with TL autocannon and heavy bolters. It can put out a decent amount of firepower and has pretty good armour. Plus it's really cheap, alot cheaper than the last codex. Pred with all lascannon would be great for tank hunting or elite units but thats about it I like taking devastators with 3 rockets and 1 lascannon so that I can deal with any situation.

Im probably going to get flamed for this but, when I do field a predator, it will be the 165 point cost Lascannon Pred. There are just so few things that can deal with AV13 at range.

Dakka pred is cheap but Id rather have a thunderfire cannon or something else in the heavy slot. 2 Autocannon shots and 6 HB rarely do squat.

The autolas seems cheap (120 points) but it's very unreliable when You really need to deal with av12 and above. At least YMMV with this one, for me, not so much.

Well, I'll add on to this by mentioning that my normal opponents are MEQ. Every flavor of marine EXCEPT Dark Angels and Necrons are what I'm always fighting. Rarely do I have the pleasure of burning horde armies, although it happens from time to time. And with the list that I plan to run regularly, I'll have 3 TL LC razorbacks, 4 meltas, and TH/LC termies. So, I'm fairly confident of my anti-tank power.

However, the dakka pred on paper just seems so horrible when its pit against MEQs, and the AutoLas and Las preds just seem to bring more AT than I feel I need...

At its point value though, the AutoLas is a suitable replacement for the second Dread I need to get.....I feel so conflicted.

The main issue with preds is that they cannot move and shoot =/

I've never been able to use my dakka pred as well as I'd like to. It just does not kill enough units in a horde army to my liking. I prefer using a dreadnaught instead. At only 105pts a dread is a super cheap way to crush both infantry in close combat and melt enemy vehicles with its multi melta. Always worth it.

The problem really is that i use no Heavy Support slots at up to 2k points. I'm a bit biased because of the Russes I'm used to having, but I love me an armored assault.

With that being said, my HS options are Whirlwinds, Preds, Devastators, Land Raiders, LR Crusaders and Vindis.

I WILL add a vindi at some point, but the lack of the Vindi's siege shield in the DA codex hurts it in my opinion.

Land Raiders....I just don't need the lascannons, even on an AV 14 monster.

Crusaders....I can't justify them in my mind. Dark Angels will NEVER need that much transport space, and hurricane bolters just seem so horrible to me...2 TL bolters....as a tank sponson? It just seems so wrong.

As was said above, magnetize it. However I find that AC/LC sponsoons are more profitable for me. It's able to take out armor fairly well (better than the the TLLC HB) and the autocannon is no push over. They're quite effective against heavy infantry and can dent regular infantry (I also like the 48" everything range).

I usually feild two with AC and LC sponsons. They are the cheapest way to feild a LC platform for killing enemy tanks.

For anti infantry the AC with HB sponsons is the way to go.

Magnetized is the way to go. It lets you customize your build at the whim of your current meta.

If you are thinking of LRC,don't.They suck.At least the LRR can damge something with it's sponsons.And it is 10pts cheaper.No one needs the ability to transport 8 termnies.Most lists ,I see anyway,contain eitheer 5 or 10 modals.5 is not using the full capacity,an 10 is too much.

The problem, Deadshot, is that Dark Angels arn't allowed to take LRRs, they're limited to LRs and LRCs.....I would totally bring a Redeemer if I could. I've seen those things in action....they are scary.

If you can't get a LRR,take a vanilla one.It would cost the same as the LRC,but is much better.

I think a regular LR is overkill in my list as it is....

No such thing!You believ that the DA would not take a LR to the Chaos and Xenos scum,because it would be OVERKILL?!You blasphemer.

Deadshot wrote:If you can't get a LRR,take a vanilla one.It would cost the same as the LRC,but is much better.

I'd like to contest that statement. The LR certainly has its uses, but to say it is strictly better than the LRC is not correct. In fact, I'd say its quite the opposite.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
As far as predators go, I personally like the AC/las combo. Probably the most reliable source of long-range anti light vehicle firepower.

No one's mentioned this yet... but why not consider a vindicator? s10 ap2 large blast eats MEQ, and in a pinch (barring any suck with a scatter die) can be used to punch just about any armor given its an ordinance weapon.

The only downside would be the range, you're not going to be firing that thing on t1.

The Dakka Pred is a good choice, but I always go with the AC/LCs It can handle just about anything.

WanderingFox wrote:No one's mentioned this yet... but why not consider a vindicator? s10 ap2 large blast eats MEQ, and in a pinch (barring any suck with a scatter die) can be used to punch just about any armor given its an ordinance weapon.

The only downside would be the range, you're not going to be firing that thing on t1.

Im aware of Vindi's, and I plan on getting one. I just want something to help support my fire base. Plus, in the Dark Angel's codex, Vindis don't get siege shields.....it hurts the vindi in my opinion.

I dunno, everyone i talk to says siege shields aren't worth it. Dozerblade does more or less the same thing

If you're just looking for fire support I'd go with the dakke pred tho.

I've seen dozer blades let that vindi do some crazy things....stuff i wont attempt with my russes with dozer blades.

As for the dakka pred, thats wha I was originally planning, ass it keeps the pred cheap and lets it throw lead, but the AC/LC preds seem to be sworn-by quite a bit.

Really depends on where your army is lacking in all honesty.

Teufelhunde wrote:The problem really is that i use no Heavy Support slots at up to 2k points. I'm a bit biased because of the Russes I'm used to having, but I love me an armored assault.

With that being said, my HS options are Whirlwinds, Preds, Devastators, Land Raiders, LR Crusaders and Vindis.

I WILL add a vindi at some point, but the lack of the Vindi's siege shield in the DA codex hurts it in my opinion.

Land Raiders....I just don't need the lascannons, even on an AV 14 monster.

Crusaders....I can't justify them in my mind. Dark Angels will NEVER need that much transport space, and hurricane bolters just seem so horrible to me...2 TL bolters....as a tank sponson? It just seems so wrong.

Hurricane bolters are 3 tl bolters per sponson. 12 TL bolter shots that you can ALWAYS fire? Yes please.

In my current Blood Angels army, I field two Baal Predators.

Ranged Support Baal: sponson-mounted heavy bolters, twin-linked assault cannon.

Anti-Infantry Baal: flamestorm cannon, sponson-mounted heavy flamers.

The first throws out a good number of pretty high strength shots at long to medium range for supporting my assault squads, the second throws out tons of varying strength templates to toast massed infantry. I haven't played them yet. I worry that since I plan to deploy them with the Scouts rule I should equip each of them with an autocannon on the turret and flamers on the sponsons so I won't get screwed by rolling the wrong predator on the wrong side.

I run a dakka Predator in my Chaos Marines army, but that one's got a lot of power fists, meltaguns, missile launchers, lascannon Havocs, and the like to handle armor. Predator configuration depends entirely on what holes are in your list that need filling.

@ BronzeJon:
If you're firing 12 bolter shots all the time from that thing.....you're doing it wrong I think. You get 6 shots at 24", and 12 at 12". The people I play against regularly have melta, melta bombs, Monsterous Creatures, missiles and power fists EVERYWHERE. That AV 14 is amazing, yes.....but it won't save you forever. And you can still be glanced into submission. My Russes are paaaaaainfully aware of this fact.

@ ElectricPaladin:
I appreciate the input, but Baal Preds are specific to the Blood Angels. I'd love to field them....but I'm not swapping marine codexes(codecies?) just to field them.

and last, but not least, @ AnomanderRake:
My 2k points list has 3 TL LC razorbacks, 4 Meltaguns, 2 MultiMeltas, 6 missile shots, 4 plasma cannons, and 3 Thunder Hammers. I'm fairly certain I have AT covered, however, I wanted input on Predator configurations as I don't see them fielded often in my meta, maybe 3 times in the year or two since I started playing, so I have no experience with what they're capable of.

Do you have a regular army list you use that you could post?

Teufelhunde wrote:@ BronzeJon:
If you're firing 12 bolter shots all the time from that thing.....you're doing it wrong I think. You get 6 shots at 24", and 12 at 12". The people I play against regularly have melta, melta bombs, Monsterous Creatures, missiles and power fists EVERYWHERE. That AV 14 is amazing, yes.....but it won't save you forever. And you can still be glanced into submission. My Russes are paaaaaainfully aware of this fact.

@ ElectricPaladin:
I appreciate the input, but Baal Preds are specific to the Blood Angels. I'd love to field them....but I'm not swapping marine codexes(codecies?) just to field them.

and last, but not least, @ AnomanderRake:
My 2k points list has 3 TL LC razorbacks, 4 Meltaguns, 2 MultiMeltas, 6 missile shots, 4 plasma cannons, and 3 Thunder Hammers. I'm fairly certain I have AT covered, however, I wanted input on Predator configurations as I don't see them fielded often in my meta, maybe 3 times in the year or two since I started playing, so I have no experience with what they're capable of.

If you are already packing so much AT, then maybe a Predator is not what you are looking for.

The dakka pred is the only anti-infantry option for the pred, and its firepower is very meager. Its only good for contesting objectives - not really useful seeing as how you are already packing alot of tanks.

For the same points cost, you can just field a whilrwind instead, or better yet, a thunderfire cannon for when you punish players that fill their transports with 10 people after you pop them.