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.

Simply put which gun is better on Ravagers 3 dark lances or 3 disintegrator cannons?

I know they play slightly different roles but I'm torn between the two. If it helps I'm looking at taking a Ravager along with the other necessities as allies for my mech Eldar in larger games. I already have 10 fire dragons and 2 fire prisms in the list if that helps in the decision.

They fit different roles altogether.

It's not a question of which gun is better, it's a question of what will you be putting them up against?

If you want to go tank hunting, take DL's, if you want to go MEQ / TEQ hunting, take DC's.

How will you use them?

Mathematically, thanks to the changes in 6th Edition rules, Darklances are considerably better at killing AV13+, slightly worse but definitely comparable at killing AV11-12, and considerably worse at killing models with a 2+ save. Much to everyone's surprise, Disintegrators are actually pretty good now!

Depends on what you want.

A trio of sub-par anti-tank weapons, or a trio of AP 2 heavy bolters.

Both are decent options, but since you're taking them as allies for an Eldar army with (what seems to be) potent anti-tank options already, I'd say go for the disintegrators.

Lokas wrote:Depends on what you want.

A trio of sub-par anti-tank weapons, or a trio of AP 2 heavy bolters.

Both are decent options, but since you're taking them as allies for an Eldar army with (what seems to be) potent anti-tank options already, I'd say go for the disintegrators.

if you are going to ally them in you have to ask yourself why you are getting a DL ravager when you could have a lascannon vendetta for 20 points more.

The DL ravager only really excels at killing LR and LRBT from the front at range. It does that about as well as anything or better for the points.
The disintigrator is great at killing Teq, if you run into a lot of teq. against 3+ saves it is probably better to have a bunch of venoms as just about eveything is going to have a 5+ cover save.

imo, the Dark Lance is the better all-round weapon of the two. It's consistenly used for AT, but ID's paladins, and rolls 2+ to wound on just about everything except a handful of T7 MC's.

The Dissies are good if you see a lot of teq and can work in a pinch against AV10-11. They aren't very good against MC's, as most MC's are T6.

The dissies are a free upgrade though, so mix and match to see what you like best. Take 2 DL and 1 dissy, or 2 dissy and 1 DL to make them multi-purpose and to suit your needs best.

ThePhish wrote:imo, the Dark Lance is the better all-round weapon of the two. It's consistenly used for AT, but ID's paladins, and rolls 2+ to wound on just about everything except a handful of T7 MC's.

The Dissies are good if you see a lot of teq and can work in a pinch against AV10-11. They aren't very good against MC's, as most MC's are T6.

The dissies are a free upgrade though, so mix and match to see what you like best. Take 2 DL and 1 dissy, or 2 dissy and 1 DL to make them multi-purpose and to suit your needs best.

DO NOT mix and match.

The dark lance is the more cost effective option as a back line fire platform.
Otherwise you might want to start looking at upgrades which is more points on something designed to sit back and shoot.

I think you can find other units to do the job of the disintegratior load out and keep those dark lances aimed at armour.
This could take down a soul grinder in 1 shooting phase without too much trouble.
Grotesques, incubi, wracks etc should be able to handle your opposition well enough and they don't come with much anti tank options beyond glance them out in combat.

Exergy wrote:

ThePhish wrote:imo, the Dark Lance is the better all-round weapon of the two. It's consistenly used for AT, but ID's paladins, and rolls 2+ to wound on just about everything except a handful of T7 MC's.

The Dissies are good if you see a lot of teq and can work in a pinch against AV10-11. They aren't very good against MC's, as most MC's are T6.

The dissies are a free upgrade though, so mix and match to see what you like best. Take 2 DL and 1 dissy, or 2 dissy and 1 DL to make them multi-purpose and to suit your needs best.

DO NOT mix and match.

Why?

Because you have to shoot at the same target with two different weapons. If you fire at a vehicle, you're all-but-wasting the Dissie shots. If you fire at infantry, you're overkilling with the Darklances.

You can mix and match across models, but I wouldn't do it within. I've been giving my Raider a Disintegrator so it can soften things up for the Wracks/Wyches inside.

This thread is timely; I was just considering bolstering my fledgling Dark Eldar force with a Ravager; I was thinking 2 Razorwing/1 Ravager or Razorwing/Reaper/Ravage for 3 Heavy Support slots.

My most common foe is my traditional opponent who runs a Necron army, soon to have Grey Knight allies, which brings us full circle to the question of the thread:

Dark Lances or Disintegrators?

First off, I'd say go for 2x ravagers and 1x Razorwing. The ravagers help you demech your opponent in the early game.

The Razorwing is a good anti-infantry (especially against TEQ) platform. I love the disintegrators on my razorwing, they do beautiful things to 2+ saves.

Especially since having the lances will dilute your anti-infantry firepower, making it worse. It used to be you'd take the dark lances so you'd have a purpose after you blew your 4 missiles on a unit and made it evaporate. Now you can only fire 2 missiles per turn, so that's 2 turns spent firing at infantry targets with anti-tank weapons, when most fliers only get 2-4 good turns of shooting.

First off, I'd say go for 2x ravagers and 1x Razorwing. The ravagers help you demech your opponent in the early game.

The Razorwing is a good anti-infantry (especially against TEQ) platform. I love the disintegrators on my razorwing, they do beautiful things to 2+ saves.

Especially since having the lances will dilute your anti-infantry firepower, making it worse. It used to be you'd take the dark lances so you'd have a purpose after you blew your 4 missiles on a unit and made it evaporate. Now you can only fire 2 missiles per turn, so that's 2 turns spent firing at infantry targets with anti-tank weapons, when most fliers only get 2-4 good turns of shooting.

Tempting, but my opponent is going heavy with vehicles in the air and ground. He's already got a Doom Scythe and Storm Raven and only wants to bolster his air cav more. The Dark Lances on the Razorwing(s) are the only reliable anti-air I have at this point. I have been considering a 2nd Ravager, but they won't last long against gauss fire. Razorwings have that extra bit of survivability... I could always run one wing with Lances and another with Disintegrators, I suppose...

De-meching his troops won't be that much of a problem; he's a footslogger. I've been (foolishly) telling him to get some Ghost Arks and/or Nightwings for better mobility, but that's not happened yet.

Cut throat tournament play?

I don't thik I'd take a ravager of any variety. Dies instantaneously to a flyer, has no game against flyers, and isn't all that good at killing deathstars.

If forced to take one, I would ensure that I had ample anti-flyer somewhere, (like two voidravens) and then I'd probably take a 3x disintegrator boat.

But then I would be looking at my list asking... why am I not taking a razorwing here?

Less competitive? More fun? In those games, both of the boats are decent. three dark lances can kill any kind of tank eventually, and cause instant death and deny feel no pain to t3 and t4.

Disintegrators take away your anti-tank option, whereas the three dark lances CAN be fired at infantry, disintegrators literally do nothing to armor 12. However, they do quite well when the proper target presents itself. So dark lances to me are a bit more flexible and balanced, whereas the disintegrators go from really bad, to oh my god good, depending on opponent army composition.

It used to be DL all the way in 5th.

These days i'm leaning more to Dissies, and using them to hunt Av 10 , MC's and heavy infantry. The ravager is nimble enough to usually get side and rear shots when used right (usually AV 10) so it can be used in a pinch as a tank-hunter against those vehicles.

MY Razorwings are pure anti-infanty builds, with dissies and cannon, standard missiles. I prefer to keep them mono-role, and ude Voidravens for armour hunting.