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Ok, so, I bought a Land Speeder a while back and in my enthusiasm, gave it an Assault cannon, Missile launchers and a Multi-melta.
My problem is that now it is ridiculously expensive in points, and as it's the only speeder I have, a very attractive target.
As such, I'm planning on removing the weapons and refitting it so I can actually rationalise fitting it into a list.

My question to you is this: What is the best way to run a speeder, preferably solo, and in what capacity are they most effective?

The multi-melta makes it a good suicide tank hunter. Missiles give it good standoff-range, so it can last a little longer. Refer to our many other experts for the rest.

A Land Speeder can not be both Tornado pattern (with the assault cannon) and Typhoon (with the missile launcer) at the same time. It is either the one or the other.

The most used builds are the Typhoon with HB, as a more static shooting platform (behind a rhino for cover) and the MM/heavy flamer for fast, suicidal misions.

As mentioned a landspeeder can't have both the assault cannon and missile launchers ( or that's what I would be running )

As a general rule, never trade the heavy bolter for the melta. If you are giving your landspeeder the role of a tank hunter then it's going to be using it's missiles and needing to stay at long range.

If you're anti-tank is covered, then consider the assault cannon. It turns the landspeeder into a infantry mulching machine, with the ability to threaten elite troops and light vehicles.

Either of those methods work well, if you have a vulkan list then I would suggest a dual multi-melta speeder, but never a flamer. You're speeder doesn't want to be close.

juraigamer wrote:As mentioned a landspeeder can't have both the assault cannon and missile launchers ( or that's what I would be running )

As a general rule, never trade the heavy bolter for the melta. If you are giving your landspeeder the role of a tank hunter then it's going to be using it's missiles and needing to stay at long range.

If you're anti-tank is covered, then consider the assault cannon. It turns the landspeeder into a infantry mulching machine, with the ability to threaten elite troops and light vehicles.

Either of those methods work well, if you have a vulkan list then I would suggest a dual multi-melta speeder, but never a flamer. You're speeder doesn't want to be close.

Unless it's a suicide speeder, or working in a pair, with one popping the tank and the other flaming the contents. Generally if you are moving 12", you only get to fire one, and you want to be moving 12 if it's a suicide speeder to make it hard to take down if/when it gets charged.

non-twin Linked Assault Cannons are meh. If you are going to spend 40pts, buy the typhoon missile launcher and use frag missiles if you want some Anti Infantry.

Fire support speeders tend to move 6 or less, and you use the weapons that you need at the time.

Missile speeders can still move 12 and fire if that's all that's needed, assault cannon speeders can move 12 into a good position to fire their cannons, or if more firepower is needed only move 6. Don't think of speeders as only having one or two jobs, I've had mine deal with all kinds if situations.

Missile and HB or AC and HB. The first is, as everyone else has said, for fire support at range, able to take out light tanks or light infantry reasonably well, while the second is good at completely murdering infantry of almost any kind.

A speeder with MM/HF is relatively inexpensive, and is very good at popping transports and flaming the contents. However, if you move it slowly enough to fire both weapons, even for one turn, then you better make sure those shots count, because you will definitely not get another chance.

spartiatis wrote:The most used builds are the Typhoon with HB, as a more static shooting platform (behind a rhino for cover)

Asides from the fact that its a cheap way of getting firepower, I thought part of the Typhoons power was that it isn't a static firepower unit. For a comparable price I can get 5 Dev's with 4ML's+TLHB Razorback, or 2 Typhoons.
Both choices shoot 4 missiles per turn, one however can split fire. Both can add HB rounds when fragging infantry, the RB is twin linked, but the Typhoons have twice the shots- on average, the Typhoons will get you more hits per volley. But the real kicker is the mobility- the dev's MUST sit and fire. You can move out of LOS of my dev's and they can't fire. You move out of LOS of a Typhoon, its going to scoot into a cover denying position and still hit you.
The question of durability between these units is a harder one- A typhoon doesn't care as much as the Dev's about a volley of lasguns, but it cares much much more about a salvo of Lascannons than the dev's. However, Typhoons can scoot away from assaults, which combined with the ups and downs of an AV value makes me consider them more durable- they can move away from trouble, shooting and assaulting, and add to target saturation. Typhoons are a cheap and nasty way of getting solid flexible firepower in your army, AND they take up FA slots which generally aren't seen as important/competitive (assault squads/vanguard vets, anyone?........anyone ?

why ac/hb? That seems more expensive for an extra shot/strength and shorter range. I'd think that double hb would be better, it's cheaper and both guns are at 36 inches, have three of em and if they move 6 inches thats 18 hb shots.

As people have hit on already on this thread, how you are going to equip your landspeeder is going to vary dramatically based on the army you are running.

For example, I am building up a white scars army with tons of melta-guns and multi-meltas on my bikes. My preference will be for the landspeeder with TML and HB for some longer range shots to support my bikes. (And to Jihallah, in this list my FA slots are very dear as I am trying to stick to fluff and keep things mobile. But as a whole I agree the FA slots are generally ignored in favor of elites and heavy)

A different army list that is lacking in melta may have need of a MM/HF loadout in order to have your speeders zoom in and melt face before getting killed off quickly.

So, it will come down to what type of army your are running and how you plan to incorporate your speeders into your list.

I use the Typhoon because it looks better, then worked out my justifications later.

TermiesInARaider wrote:The multi-melta makes it a good suicide tank hunter.

That's the only successful loadout I've run with my Black Templars.

It's a simple but effective gun platform that's cheap enough that I don't mind so much when I lose one.

Orlanth wrote:I use the Typhoon because it looks better, then worked out my justifications later.

I must admit, I pick a lot of units based on form over function. Then try to figure out ways to make them work as well.

Cheers lads and lasses (and other life-forms), I run a MOTF Dread-heavy list, so I use hellfire dreads (TL LC + ML) for anti-armour, I'll swap the Multi-Melta for a HB and leave the missile launchers on.

(Partly because the AC might be easier to remove)

Cheers for the help

Heavy Flamer/Multi-Melta is the best combo from my experience. The MM is great for tank busting, the flamer is great for getting guys who are bunkered up and in cover (especially if they get 2+ cover due to their profile).

As said the MM/HF combo is quite good for and All comers list, as is the typhoon with either HB or MM.

If you are using BT or DA go for the typhoon.

spartiatis wrote:A Land Speeder can not be both Tornado pattern (with the assault cannon) and Typhoon (with the missile launcer) at the same time. It is either the one or the other.

The most used builds are the Typhoon with HB, as a more static shooting platform (behind a rhino for cover) and the MM/heavy flamer for fast, suicidal misions.

This. I use mm/hf on my ba speeders

spartiatis wrote:A Land Speeder can not be both Tornado pattern (with the assault cannon) and Typhoon (with the missile launcer) at the same time. It is either the one or the other.

The most used builds are the Typhoon with HB, as a more static shooting platform (behind a rhino for cover) and the MM/heavy flamer for fast, suicidal misions.

Orlanth wrote:I use the Typhoon because it looks better, then worked out my justifications later.

And how has it worked for you?
For me, Typhoons are the only speeders. I've never been a big fan of MM/HF or even just a MM. I can see why they are popular, I've gotten so much more mileage out of my switch to Typhoons that I just can't go back.

I run typhoon/MM. shoot missiles in backfield until the missile launcher is destroyed then suicide melta until it's done. However, I play DA, so the MM is a free upgrade. 3 STR 8 shots is brutal against MEQ, Especially since I run 3 of these little guys. As a caution, this set up is more expensive in C:SM. I only mention my experience because though a lot of people dismiss it, but I've found it to work well.

In vanilla marines, it's mm/hf all the way with vulkan.

While they are a good cost effective unit with hf/mm, I prefer hb/tml.

The only load outs I use is either mm/hf or tml/hb. Period.

Well, I'd consider a multimelta and a heavy flamer. It can fulfill two roles. Duality in a unit is key.

Double-MM is my favourite loadout, but then, I rarely run 'speeders.

IndigoJack wrote:I run typhoon/MM. shoot missiles in backfield until the missile launcher is destroyed then suicide melta until it's done. However, I play DA, so the MM is a free upgrade. 3 STR 8 shots is brutal against MEQ, Especially since I run 3 of these little guys. As a caution, this set up is more expensive in C:SM. I only mention my experience because though a lot of people dismiss it, but I've found it to work well.

Are the missiles for a DA speeder str 8? My friend runs DA and we were comparing points and statlines the other day. He said his missile launchers were str 5 ap 5 only. However, I did not look at his codex.

He needs to read his FAQ. DA and Black Templars got fairly extensive errata added in January 2011. Poor sucker's been missing out for over a year.

THe important thing is to impliment the attack in the way the model was built and paid for. You have to commit to the idea when building the list. I prefer Typhoons for assault heavy lists to give some fire support. And Tornados with Flamer/MM to plunge in and kill tanks and burn troops in Gunline Lists. Speeders are amazing Utility Players, and way too underestimated by most gamers.

I currently run a Flamer/Combiflamer Land Speeder Storm.

I was wanting to add a Squad of 2 Land Speeders to support the Storm and I was thinking about running MM/TML on them. Let them fly with the Storm and use the MM to pop transports, then let the storm Flame & Combiflame (and maybe charge) whatever was inside since it is a different unit. Not sure how it would work, but it sounds fun. So the squad would be dedicated tank-busters, would the MM/TML work for that, or should I stick with the MM/HF?