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.

Armoured sentinal with plasma cannon is 75 points.
I'm thinking of having two of these outflanking, along with kaskrins deepstriking, to suppliment an infantry list.
With astropath the hope is I'd get them in turn 2 to outflank and smash up the back armour of some transports/preditors, maybe blast at any un-meched MEQ.
Hell they could even charge a devestator squad (who would presumably not have melta bombs) who'd be unable to hurt it, tying them up for the duration of the game.

armored sentinel's do not outflank!

Scout sentinels can outflank, the others can't.

Armored sentinels work wonderfully, especially with heavy flamers and working to assault enemy units without powerfists.

Beyond that, lascannons are good choices, as are plasma cannons on both kinds.

I've used an armored sentinel (with plasma cannon) walking behind a chimera wall pretty successfully. It pretty much always gets a cover save, but is tall enough to shoot over the hulls of the chimeras, so it gives them some low-AP punch outside of meltagun-from-the-hatch range.

Also it contributes to the AR12 spam quotient of the army. It's a small model, hard to remember that it actually has the same armor as a chimera or artillery/hydra.

Charged a unit of necron warriors with it one time, pulling them off the objective into a stalemate battle that was going to go on for the rest of the game. Nearly tarpitted a bloodcrusher deathstar with it one time, but the rending herald got a lucky hit.

How handy are they outside of a AV12 list? I.e. a footlist with a couple of Leman Russes. I can see them dying pretty quickly to autocannons/lascannons.

That's basically what I run at 750 points. Scale that up and you should have 6 or so Sentinels. They really shine in close combat, drawing infantry off objectives and clearing the way for your troops. They'll provide cover saves on the way up, then tarpit the nasties for your counter-charge.

I ALWAYS have a squaded pair of armored sentinals with plasma.
1. Plasma doesn't miss, it may not hit on target, but it's hitting something and that's always better in my book. (The BS 3 las cannons will just make you pissed off after a while)

2. They are a squad, if one of them pops smoke, Poof you can shoot the other sentinal and still get a cover save. (Fun trick)

3. They are simply the greatest anti-close combat unit in the IG. Oh so that gene stealers squad thinks it's going to rip apart your troops? WHOOPS! Sentinals lock them into combat for 3 turns. Those witches getting a liiiiiiiiittle too close? BAM sentinals 4tw.

They are my MVP in all of my games as they are CONSTANTLY under rated by my opponents. (Whats that wimpy walker going to do to my 500 point death close combat squad.....AV 12 whaaaaaaaa?)

I use them in the same fashion as the post above and they do really well.

Meh. Armored sentinels are AV12 vehicles that exist to put firepower down range. Compare this to other AV12 vehicles with the same objective, and you can see just how awful armored sentinels are, even for their own FO slot.

Scout sentinels, with the ability to outflank, actually make a somewhat decent harassment unit, but even then...

And catching people in surprise close combat can be fun, but any player who knows that walkers can get into close combat, and doesn't want a particular walker to get into a particular close combat shouldn't have too much of a problem stopping it. They only move at the speed of infantry, and are only AV12. There's not much surprise there...

Ailaros wrote:Meh. Armored sentinels are AV12 vehicles that exist to put firepower down range.

Here's your first problem. Armored Sentinels are not efficient weapons platforms. Compared to a Chimera, you lose a Heavy Bolter and gain the Walker unit type. What can Walkers do that Chimeras can't?

And catching people in surprise close combat can be fun, but any player who knows that walkers can get into close combat, and doesn't want a particular walker to get into a particular close combat shouldn't have too much of a problem stopping it.

That might be true for a single walker, but Sentinels cost half as much as any other walker. 6 Sentinels are an inexorable wall. It is quite easy for one or two Sentinels to pull a squad off an objective by assaulting them. Infantry have almost no chance of removing them once they get stuck in.

That does very weird things to your opponent's target priority. On the one hand, they don't do much damage. On the other hand, if they're alive on turn 4, you'll lose your objectives. In KP games, you get a wall against assaulters and cover from shooters.

DarkHound wrote:

Ailaros wrote:Meh. Armored sentinels are AV12 vehicles that exist to put firepower down range.

Here's your first problem. Armored Sentinels are not efficient weapons platforms. Compared to a Chimera, you lose a Heavy Bolter and gain the Walker unit type. What can Walkers do that Chimeras can't?

Lay down plasma blasts? They'd probably find it easier to get cover saves too.
It would be sweet to the see look on my enemy's face when his howling banshees got charged by one, though.
Thinking about it more, my enemy would have to, when shooting it, either use lascannons which would otherwise be directed at my Leman Russes, or autocannons which would otherwise be used against troops.
225 for three of them is pretty sweet.

Joey wrote:Lay down plasma blasts?

You can get 3 Plasmacannons for 190 on an Executioner. You can get 3 Lascannons from a Vendetta for 130. You can get (effectively) 3 Autocannons from a Hydra for 75.

Like any other unit, find the aspect that makes it effective and focus on that. Armored Sentinels are uniquely effective tarpits. The only thing necessary for that is more chassis.

I love the armoured sets with the plasma cannons, they're regually the MVPs of my games, they're always underestimated and often are allowed to drop their plasma shots the entire game.

They're hilarious fun for doing silly things. "Oh, what's that? Your unit of Hormagaunts is now stuck forever in with this walker they can't kill?" Not the most competitive unit, but very, very fun, as others have said.

I'll admit right off, i feel that there are better choices in 1000+ pt games.
I do have a question to those who tarpit them against units: Does it equal
the pay off? you tied up X unit, but that unit has also tied up that Plasma
sentinel. losing you that (what could be) critical AP 2.

DarkHound wrote:6 Sentinels are an inexorable wall.

Inexorable? They're only AV12 and suffer from squadroning rules.

In addition to the assault thing, it's the cover save that they always get standing behind chimeras that makes them worthwhile as firepower units. The same thing works for dreads in SM variant armies, when they walk behind rhinos. The whole wall is only moving at 6" a turn anyway, so walkers in the second rank can lob threatening shots into the midrange between your hatch-fired meltaguns and your long-range fire support, while remaining covered and threatening a countercharge.

Russes and vendettas may have more firepower, but Russes can't hide behind chimeras, and vendettas can't hide anywhere.

alarmingrick wrote:but that unit has also tied up that Plasma
sentinel. losing you that (what could be) critical AP 2.

Very true, I dont ever use the plasma for tarpitting, they're too many points and i need the Plasma cannon for other things, Try to keep them back where they can shoot without being molested. The scout setinal make much better tarpitters just becasue they're cheaper, but even one plasma set is still 75 points, and they're pretty useless if you dont take more than one. So it all really depends on what you're looking to do. Sence it seems like you want the heavy sets try to keep them back and just use them to lob plasma.

alarmingrick wrote:I'll admit right off, i feel that there are better choices in 1000+ pt games.
I do have a question to those who tarpit them against units: Does it equal
the pay off? you tied up X unit, but that unit has also tied up that Plasma
sentinel. losing you that (what could be) critical AP 2.

Well if they managed to charge a unit of howling banshees who were about to charge my objective I'd say so.
Anything with melta bombs would be a risk though.

I don't advocate anything but Multilasers, Autocannons, and Heavy Flamers for reasons I've already stated. The point of them, and the answer to Ailaros' response, is that you can take a million of them. Durability is relative. There's plenty that will kill AV12, but very little that can do it for 55 points. For instance, a Long Fang squad would not kill its points in Armored Sentinels before they made it into close combat. They are disturbingly cheap AV12.

If you want to take a 55 pt. vehicle that comes with multilasers and heavy flamers, why not just take another chimera? They get twice the firepower sitting still, gain the ability to take a heavy bolter/stubber, can tank shock, and can be made scoring (and are amphibious...)

Which brings to the other problem with armored sentinels. If you're running a mech list, likely you already have a ton of AV12, so a little more is only doing so much. If you're running a foot list, they'll be your only vehicle, and thus lascannon/melta fodder.

And russes can certainly hide behind chimeras. Of course, remember that cover cuts both ways...

Part of what makes them good is that they are walkers. Yea you can get a chimera for the same price..buy a chimera is a tank. Not a walker.

They do better at lower points then higher points.

At 1k or less you can get a lot of them in there and cause a lot of havoc.

But at higher point games they do start to loose what makes them nice to have and scout walkers start to shine more.

Joey wrote:Armoured sentinal with plasma cannon is 75 points.
I'm thinking of having two of these outflanking, along with kaskrins deepstriking, to suppliment an infantry list.
With astropath the hope is I'd get them in turn 2 to outflank and smash up the back armour of some transports/preditors, maybe blast at any un-meched MEQ.
Hell they could even charge a devestator squad (who would presumably not have melta bombs) who'd be unable to hurt it, tying them up for the duration of the game.

As much as I like that idea, it just isn't in the rules.



Automatically Appended Next Post:

sfshilo wrote:I ALWAYS have a squaded pair of armored sentinals with plasma.
1. Plasma doesn't miss, it may not hit on target, but it's hitting something and that's always better in my book. (The BS 3 las cannons will just make you pissed off after a while)

2. They are a squad, if one of them pops smoke, Poof you can shoot the other sentinal and still get a cover save. (Fun trick)

3. They are simply the greatest anti-close combat unit in the IG. Oh so that gene stealers squad thinks it's going to rip apart your troops? WHOOPS! Sentinals lock them into combat for 3 turns. Those witches getting a liiiiiiiiittle too close? BAM sentinals 4tw.

They are my MVP in all of my games as they are CONSTANTLY under rated by my opponents. (Whats that wimpy walker going to do to my 500 point death close combat squad.....AV 12 whaaaaaaaa?)

There is nothing like tar pitting that death company dread with blood talons with that wonderful armored sentinel. It is so fun to watch the frustration on the face of a blood angel player as their wrecking machine is stuck in close combat not far away from 50 guardsman.

Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.
Though sentinals could deal with camping MEQs in a way that hydras couldn't.

Joey wrote:

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.
Though sentinals could deal with camping MEQs in a way that hydras couldn't.

I was thinking the Creed thing myself-why not try it out?

Also, Joey, I keep meaning to comment-if that's you in your avatar, you look JUST like one of my closest friends-who ALSO has the name Joe. Kinda freaky

timetowaste85 wrote:

Joey wrote:

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.
Though sentinals could deal with camping MEQs in a way that hydras couldn't.

I was thinking the Creed thing myself-why not try it out?

Also, Joey, I keep meaning to comment-if that's you in your avatar, you look JUST like one of my closest friends-who ALSO has the name Joe. Kinda freaky

My biggest reason for not using Creed for that would be I'd rather a pair of Demolishers come rolling up.
That's just me though.

Joey wrote:

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.

Or just take scout sentinels...

alarmingrick wrote:My biggest reason for not using Creed for that would be I'd rather a pair of Demolishers come rolling up.

Yeah, armored sentinels are already an inefficient way of delivering killing power. With creed, they are a REALLY inefficient way of doing that.

I mean, for the price of 3 plasma cannon armored sentinels and creed you could get an infantry platoon comprising of Al'Rahem with 4x plasma guns and a 21-dude power blob. You get more plasma (with BiD), you get more close combat killing power with roughly the same durability, you get the same outflanking goodness, and you get two scoring units to boot, so they can actually objective camp once they've killed stuff.

Buffing armored sentinels seems to just throw good points after bad.

timetowaste85 wrote:

Joey wrote:

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.
Though sentinals could deal with camping MEQs in a way that hydras couldn't.

I was thinking the Creed thing myself-why not try it out?

Also, Joey, I keep meaning to comment-if that's you in your avatar, you look JUST like one of my closest friends-who ALSO has the name Joe. Kinda freaky

The dude in my pic is Shane McGowan.

Ailaros wrote:

Joey wrote:

Xeriapt wrote:Couldnt you use Creeds ability to give the sentinels scout allowing them to outflank?

If you were going to do that you'd just be better off with a hydra or two.

Or just take scout sentinels...

alarmingrick wrote:My biggest reason for not using Creed for that would be I'd rather a pair of Demolishers come rolling up.

Yeah, armored sentinels are already an inefficient way of delivering killing power. With creed, they are a REALLY inefficient way of doing that.

I mean, for the price of 3 plasma cannon armored sentinels and creed you could get an infantry platoon comprising of Al'Rahem with 4x plasma guns and a 21-dude power blob. You get more plasma (with BiD), you get more close combat killing power with roughly the same durability, you get the same outflanking goodness, and you get two scoring units to boot, so they can actually objective camp once they've killed stuff.

Buffing armored sentinels seems to just throw good points after bad.

No one was suggesting using Creed specifically for armoured sentinals...a 90 point upgrade to make 225 points more viable would be a little silly.
Al'Rahem tactics are interesting but for another thread.

An Armoured Plasma Sent Creed outflanking will not really manage to do anything that an AC Scout will not achieve where the best use is side/rear hits. Save the points on Creed and get scouts.

I run 4x scouts and 2x Armoured plasma, originally as a bit of fun but found them to be suprisingly effective.

Scouts are also handly for those opponents that hide weak troops choivces at the rear (grots). Charging becomes a valid choiice at that point.