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For a start, a las/plas is cheaper than a razor with ass can and psybolts and they also bring some much needed AP1/AP2 to a GK force. I know that math hammer says rending is really good - and on a twin linked 4 shot weapon, I'm sure you'll get a few rends - but my experience of rending is that it doesn't happen very often. I'd still take plenty of psycannons in any GK list but is the guaranteed armour pen of las/plas really worse than the chance of rending with the ass cans?

If you keep your purifier unit at 5 man, min/max then it obviously has decent shooting at 24" but a small squad like that can easily get wiped in CC by anything half decent - isn't it better to have whichever squad it is that beat your Purifiers open to shooting from a few las/plas set ups rather than ass cans? Against hordes I can see the 4 shots from the ass cans being useful but Purifiers should get cleansing flame off on them anyway but it's the smaller elite squads with good armour that could trouble ass cans whereas las/plas has no problem with that. I think that the las/plas razor set up seems more suited to backing up your force in an all comers sense than ass can ones.

Also, other than your dreads, there's no 48" shooting so the lascannons add in extra long ranged threat and 5 or 6 of them in an army is nothing to sniff at and, even though they're not ideal, they can pen AV14 just like rending but they have the guaranteed armour pen on termies/artificer armour etc that ass cans can't provide. So, why do I see loads more lists with the ass can + psybolts set up than the las/plas set up? What am I missing?

Well, I don't play GK, but I would say its because of the sheer volume of fire.

An PsiAssCannon still has 4 shots at S7 rending. Las/Plas has 2 shots, 3 if rapid, and you only get that 3rd shot if the Plas is in rapid fire range. Now do you want your transport to be in multi-melta range?

Ap1 and Ap2 isn't that big of a deal anyway, thanks to the stupid number of force weapons that are on the field. I would say GK have the tools to kill termies without plasma.

I like the las/plas > the Psyback just for being able to take an extra Weapon Destroyed hit before being immobilized

Both las/plas and psyassbacks have their place in lists, but you're right in most GK lists now you will see lots of psyassbacks. I think it has more to do with synergy than anything else. Coteaz/ henchmen lists will not have many psyassbacks, but will mix with Chimeras for hatch firing and Dreads for distance firing and then a few HB Razors or even Rhinos.

More pure GK lists, with an effective-optimal firing range of 24" due to stormbolters and psycannons, can use the psyassbacks more effectively than las/plas razors....the GK troops can hitch a ride for the 1st turn to get within 24" firing range, then the psyassback can come into its own with aforementioned 24" 4xTL Str7Rending shots. The las/plas tends to be conflicted with which role to take - stay back and use its lascannon without getting in MM range, or use the plas and risk getting popped. In this instance the psyassback is preferred for its utility as both a transport and fire volume at the 24" range to support the troops.

True that for taking out 2+/3+ armor units the las/plas can do it more effectively than assault cannons due to the low AP of its shots; however, if your R'back moves you are putting out 2 shots max with the plas while the assault cannon is putting out 4 shots with a better than even chance that one of those will be rending. The las/plas and the psyassback are also both good at both anti-infantry and anti-tank roles, but the Str7 rending has more chance of penetrating armor 13 and 14 than does a lascannon. The las is not TL while all 4 shots of the psyassback are TL with the possibility that at least one of those shots will rend, which has a 67% chance to pen.

In short, the psyassback can fill both an anti-infantry and anti-tank role with torrents of firepower and transport utility that a las/plas cannot achieve in a pure GK list....

People would rather have the shots. Plus, it deals with infantry better than las/plas IMO

I'm really seeing a lot of just plain TL Heavy Bolters with psy ammo. I know this isn't part of your arguement, but for the points is it a huge bargain.

The lack of range is the asscannon's main drawback. The lack of mobility (if not BA fast) is the las/plas's main drawback if you want to fire both weapons. Pick your poison.

Hmmm, there are some compelling arguments for the ass cans here. Those magnetic razorback turrets from Chapterhouse look great and I think I may get some so I guess I'll end up conducting a few experiments as up to now, I've just been running rhinos.

However, I must say that as for the ass cans being good at torrenting down infantry - if the GK themselves can't do that with storm bolters and psycannons then they're doing something wrong. They also have cleansing flame for hordes. I also like that the las/plas can survive an extra weapon destroyed result before becoming immobilised.

I feel I prefer the option of having my dreads plus lascannons being able to shoot 48" and then the closer range AP2 of rapid fire plasma supporting my troops closer in.

Here is the thing. GK armies have a lot of S7 rending fire at 24".

Why pay 45 points* to put a TL "psy"-cannon on your rhino when the GK inside can just shoot their Psycannons out of the roof. you still get 4 Shots, you can still move 6" and fire., All you loose is TL. With BS 4 the TL does not really help you much anyways. Unless you are planning to move 6" AND have your purifiers get out and shoot, you should just stick with the Rhino for S7 shots at 24". Purifiers do not really have the model count to hop out like that all the time however, so it is not really a great idea.


The Razorback is one of only a few cost effective methods the GK have of getting 36"-48" firepower.

the Psyrifle dreads generally takes care of the S8 at 48" department, so if you want razorbacks the HB-psybolt is the preferred. It is very cheap, and S6 at 36" is nothing to scoff at when you have a lot of it. Just ask any IG player (and they pay 55 pts for it and it is BS 3 AP6. You get it at BS4, TL, and AP4 for 50 pts)




* [a rhino is 40 pts, "Psy"-cannon razor is 85]