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My demolisher has been under performing in a lot of my recent games. It either is taking fire (not a lot before it goes down compared to other units) and blowing up, or it's being avoided due to it's short range. It's nice for area control, but 165 points on area control seems hefty.
I would prefer to spend those points on some heavy armour (but not necessarily), so what would Dakka recommend? I already have a standard LRBT and the Executioner is too many points to include really. My army tends to come across a lot of MEQ, Tau and Necrons with the occasional horde based army. I have no artillery, from past experience I've found it very unreliable and a bullet magnet without the durability of Russ variants.

Throw your ideas! All appreciated.

 Griddlelol wrote:
My demolisher has been under performing in a lot of my recent games. It either is taking fire (not a lot before it goes down compared to other units) and blowing up, or it's being avoided due to it's short range. It's nice for area control, but 165 points on area control seems hefty.
I would prefer to spend those points on some heavy armour (but not necessarily), so what would Dakka recommend? I already have a standard LRBT and the Executioner is too many points to include really. My army tends to come across a lot of MEQ, Tau and Necrons with the occasional horde based army. I have no artillery, from past experience I've found it very unreliable and a bullet magnet without the durability of Russ variants.

Throw your ideas! All appreciated.

Battle Cannon was made to kill marines. Eats through Rhinos, eats through marines, instant gibs non-EW characters. The Plasma variant is also very good against Marines but I have always found it too be too expensive. I always use to run them as the standard LRBT or....unlike what most will tell you....run Pask in a Vanquisher. Str 8 + 2d6 at BS4 isn't half bad, and if you fight a lot of Land Raiders can make some of them very upset.

 Farseer Mael Dannan wrote:
or....unlike what most will tell you....run Pask in a Vanquisher. Str 8 + 2d6 at BS4 isn't half bad, and if you fight a lot of Land Raiders can make some of them very upset.

The "Pasquisher" does interest me, it seems like a huge points sink, but with the ability to ruin people's day. I might give it another consideration.

I've been hearing a lot of good things about the exterminator. It just sounds so weak, although it is a baseline 150pts...

 Griddlelol wrote:

 Farseer Mael Dannan wrote:
or....unlike what most will tell you....run Pask in a Vanquisher. Str 8 + 2d6 at BS4 isn't half bad, and if you fight a lot of Land Raiders can make some of them very upset.

The "Pasquisher" does interest me, it seems like a huge points sink, but with the ability to ruin people's day. I might give it another consideration.

I've been hearing a lot of good things about the exterminator. It just sounds so weak, although it is a baseline 150pts...

The Exterminator will do you well against Dark Eldar at minimum. Orks as well.

Try the executioner again. It's insane with the new "heavy" rule. Now that execution can move 6" a turn and fire 5 plasma blasts at 36" range. It's terrifying in action, and will make any MEQ-TEQ player crap a brick the first time he sees it open fire.

Yes it's expensive, but you definitely get what you paid for in this instance. Other than that, do you really need the AP 2? If not, I'd just go for a standard russ, or even something like a bolter boat exterminator, which will tear apart MC and kill other units through dice output, for only 5 pts more.

Those tanks seem to be the 2 scariest ones I've used so far with the Leman Russ change.

If you face a lot of TEQ, then the Executioner will ruin their day. Mines made double its points back in a single turn in some games. I think a lot of people will be switching over to that now over the Demolisher.

Everyone is leaning towards Exterminators, with HB or MM sponsons, because of the new Heavy rule. It does well against transports and MCs.

Other than those two, a standard LRBT will serve you well.

I strongly believe LRBTs work best in pairs. While expensive, it'll eat anything weaker than AV 14, and you can always bring plasma guns to kill terminators.

That or like some folks said, try the Executioner again.

I swear by my Executioner. There is a reason many posters are advising you to use it. That being said i personally do not agree with upgrading it with Plasma Sponsons because it costs too damn much and you could potentially glance it to death with Gets Hot rolls.

I find when i want to play a less Russtastic game that a Battle Tank and an Executioner are all i need. For what you play against it might be worth you investing in another Battle Tank or an Exterminator (magnets are your friend) if you come up against light armour often

Peace Out!
Jonny!

My new favorite tank is an Executioner with a lascannon and multi melta sponsons. It has so much killing power that it's a threat to every army and can glance/pen vehicles at a distance and as it drives forward it just gets deadlier.

I like:
Exterminator with no sponsons. 3 plasma cannon shots for 190 points, good enough for me. At most, I'll add heavy bolter sponsons.
Executioner with las/melta. It's the tactical tank.
Executioner with all heavy bolters.

And my oddball choice:
Eradicator. S6 non-ordance no cover pie plate (with heavy bolters). Just for your mother-f_ckers who go to ground behind defensive lines or use harliquin death stars.

-Matt

It depends on what your infantry can deal with. I personally use my tanks to shore up any weaknesses my troops may have. First look at the troops, if you're lacking ant-horde, go with an exterminator or punisher with heavy bolter sponsons. If you're finding you're not packing enough anti-armor or anti-transport, try a vanquisher or exterminator with multi-meltas. The anti-elite choice is fairly obvious: the executioner with or without plasma sponsons will put the hurt on the things with a 2+ save.


A thing to remember though: generally, having more shots is more flexible than having one big, ap 1 or 2 shot. For example, a punisher will excel against swarms, and when faced with models that have a 2+ save, is able to put out enough wounds that 2 or 3 of your opponent's super-awesome terminators will drop due to the weight of fire.

This all really points to the executioner and exterminator. Thanks for the advice everyone. I generally use my vets in chimeras to back up my advancing demolisher, and with the executioner, the similarity in weapons will definitely provide synergy.
The exterminator will fill a nice niche as anti horde which I am lacking, and for quite cheap.