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How effective is the TFC compared to the whirlwind?

Im thinking of using one in a gunline but don't know which one will be the most usefull.
any insight would be appriciated

Also, how does cover work for artillery?

I have used the Whirlwind in a couple of games and its proved to be devastating to the low AP/T squads, firing it as barrage from a point on the map outside LOS is good to keep it alive. Although i have not experimented with the TFC i would say the TFC seems a little more versatile but would be easier to take out as you can hide the Whirlwind and continue to fire where you need LOS on a TFC.

I believe cover for artillery is the same as any infantry model, if infantry gets a 4+ cover save the artillery piece in that same piece of terrain gets a 4+ cover save.

The only time cover really changes is for ordinance barrage. In that case it counts cover from the point of impact rather than from where it was shot from.

With the TFC you can place it in a ruin, have your techmarine bolster defense and offer it a 3+ cover save. Your whirlwind is never getting that. TFC is amazing vs hordes but vs MEQ I don't get much out of it. Both options always scatter too much for me. YMMV

The whirlwind gives you two large blast shots, one which is good vs weak troops, the other... not really good vs anything.

The thunderfire cannon however, can slow units and vehicles down, can do massive damage with a str 6 shot, and can destroy ork equivalents with ease. While being small blasts, they fire 4 times. Furthermore it's an artillery unit, making it easy due to mixed unit rules to give the whole thing a 3+ cover save. And if that wasn't good enough you basically get a free techmarine with the unit, or if you do the math another way the cannon itself is only 25 points.

Thunderfire cannons all the way. They only cost 15 points more than the whirlwind, and you get so much more.

As an Ork player?

thunderfire cannon scares the zog out of me.

Personally I like the Whirlwind when I'm facing Orks or DE. It's won me the game on a few occasions, and that large blast that ignores cover is deadly, especially against DE cowering in cover on objectives.

I'd roll something else if I'm facing MEQ though.

Everyone keeps mentioning Whirlwind's large blast but I don't see it in the rules unless I'm missing something. The Whirlwind multiple missile launcher is an Ordinance 1 and Barrage weapon. It doesn't say large blast. I think the previous version of the SM codex had a large blast. Maybe I'm going insane.

Def the thunderfire cannon. Being able to bolster a ruin is wonderful for the cannon itself and with camp cloaks your scouts now have a 2+ cover!

And the 4 blast templates are devestating. I have taken out in one shot; 17 orks, 7 CSM, entire scout squads, and 2 DE Raiders.

The TFC is simply incredible. Aside from librarians they are the best 100pts in the codex IMHO (and if you use vulkan, thats a twin linked flamer the techmarine has if his cannon is destroyed). My whirlwind used to get carted off to every tournament that I went to but it never gets used after I started using a TFC.

skycapt44 wrote:With the TFC you can place it in a ruin, have your techmarine bolster defense and offer it a 3+ cover save. Your whirlwind is never getting that. TFC is amazing vs hordes but vs MEQ I don't get much out of it. Both options always scatter too much for me. YMMV

Fair enough, although i tend to find if you smash a rhino and the marines are in a lovely blast formation the TFC still reaves its way through them purely on number of saves. And agreed, the 3+ for the TFC is great

shamroll wrote:Everyone keeps mentioning Whirlwind's large blast but I don't see it in the rules unless I'm missing something. The Whirlwind multiple missile launcher is an Ordinance 1 and Barrage weapon. It doesn't say large blast. I think the previous version of the SM codex had a large blast. Maybe I'm going insane.

All Ordnance weapons use the Large Blast template unless otherwise noted. It's in the BRB under the vehicles section pg. 58

Thanks for the advice.

Think I'll get the TFC now (+the model looks cool aswell)

Doomhunter wrote:How effective is the TFC compared to the whirlwind?

Im thinking of using one in a gunline but don't know which one will be the most usefull.
any insight would be appriciated

Also, how does cover work for artillery?

I'd never run 1 of these, I'd run 2-3 or nothing. They are cheap but 'can' be easy to kill, field 2 or 3 and they can put down a massive amount of blast templates before they die, don't cost a lot of points to do it, and are going to soak shots that your squads would otherwise have been taking.

Doomhunter wrote:Thanks for the advice.

Think I'll get the TFC now (+the model looks cool aswell)

Ho ho!

thats let the cat out the bag there though - whilst the model is undeniably cool, good luck putting it together! I ended up giving mine to a mate to put together before a tournament as it just simply wouldn't stick. I could build a million whirlwinds in the time it takes to build a single TFC...

http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440093a&prodId=prod20020 you could always use this for a TFC.

Thunderfire cannon, hands down. It does everything the whirlwind does, more, more accurately and more times. It is a little more expensive, but it makes up for it in having a Techmarine.

The Techmarine can also have a retinue of servitors - Giving you another small heavy weapons team.

As for the model, I suggest purchasing this little doozy from Forgeworld for less than the price of a TFC. Cut the barrels off at the little tip of the lascannon and it looks really cool!

I plan on doing this. Plus, you get an extra mini for when the gun blows up!

TFC is a very cool model. It's also easier to hide in most boards. It can be dragged into CC by outflankers and the like, but if anyone gets that close, it or the Whirlwind would be equally hosed.

I like the aspect of having 3 shots. Even with the smaller blast, it helps you avoid bad scatters that could make a single shot whiff. and if all 3 go on target, it can be amazing.

4 shots, the TFC has 4 shots.

If my opponent want's to send an outflanking unit or any other thing with some special rule after my 100 point model, they are welcome to waste that.