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The Marines have the Land Raider, the pinnacle of Imperial armoured vehicle engineering.

The guard generally have to make do with lesser transports, like the ubiquitous Chimera chassis.

Considering some of the real-like tanks out there, I figured I'd just like to see how the DDPRF would respond to my attempt to stat up an Imperial Guard heavy transport/main battle tank, based off the Israeli Merkava IV.

Heavy Support choice for Imperial Guard armies
Points: 250
BS: 3
FA: 14
SA: 14
RA: 12
HP: 4

Transport Capacity: 11
Firing Ports: 0
Access Points: Rear Hatch

Armament:
Turret-mounted long-barreled Demolisher Cannon (Rng 36", S10 AP1 Heavy 1, Large Blast)
2 Pintle-mounted Heavy Machineguns (Rng 36", S4 AP 5 Heavy 4)
Turret-mounted Mortar (See Codex: Imperial Guard)

Equipment:
Advanced Targeting (May fire weapons as if Fast)
Smoke Launchers
Extra Armour
Split Fire

how about an Assault Squad to go with it to make it seem like a worthy unit to transport. but I would typically think that this kind of tank would use the storage space for more ammunition and fuel.

the Mortar seems kind of insignificant, now if it were a 3 shot barrage or more, that might be more fun.

and maybe cut down the range of the Demolisher to 30". I'd prefer 24" though.

I want one ......... screw taking Chimeras for 5 Squads ill take one of these ........... points inefficent in all realism for use but totally awesome ...hit the with the morter and force them to take a pinning test then a demolisher ...

Just realised I forgot to state that it's got 4 hull points (although I think it was pretty obvious).

Lotet - you might think it would make more sense to use the space for ammo and fuel, but since I basically just statted up a Merkava IV...

Karskin - are you saying you think it's too expensive? That's what I hear a lot about the Land Raider as well, so I'm wondering if heavy tanks are just overcosted in general in the current game?

- Get rid of the Mortars
- Use a standard Demolisher Cannon. Why does this one in particular have Ap1 and 36" range?
- And why does this vehicle in particular have Split Fire and can fire as if Fast?

Honestly i'd say drop the Morters up the transport cap to 24 , make it a normal demolsierh and add 10 fire ports

Are normal Demolishers not AP1? I don't normally use them. I just figured it was the closest weapon to an actual main tank gun.

It's amusing that everyone says 'drop the mortar'. Apparently it's a popular feature of the real thing and one of its selling points. Then again... how about rather than dropping it, add special shell options, such as Parachute Flare shells that deny night fighting on units within d6" or whatever of the target?

Demolishers are AP 2 , and i like that idea with the Morter .,perhaps the Flare shell that all enemy units with in 2D6 are illuminated and a incendiary shell of some sort

Mortar may fire the following profiles;
Standard (See C:IG)
Parachute Flare (Rng 48", S-, AP-. Heavy 1. Barrage. Flare)
Incendiary Shell (Rng 48", S4, AP5, Heavy 1, Blast, Barrage, Ignores Cover)

The guard have nothing to run out of it and assault things with.

Funnily enough, it also doesn't have an assault ramp.

I don't get it.

Land raiders are cool because they carry terminators. If you're only carrying guardsmen, then why bother with a vehicle like this?

Really it's just a demolisher that's nearly twice as expensive just to hide an officer squad in. What other purpose would this serve?

 Ailaros wrote:
I don't get it.

Land raiders are cool because they carry terminators. If you're only carrying guardsmen, then why bother with a vehicle like this?

Really it's just a demolisher that's nearly three times as expensive just to hide an officer squad in. What other purpose would this serve?

Basically this.

The LRBT chassis offers a wonderful (and indeed better) answer to the Land Raider in every field except Transport Capacity, with much better firepower and roughly equivalent armor (except against CC) for 3/5 the price.

If you want an AV14 transport for the Guard, I have to ask you: why? What in the Imperial Guard is so important and vital that it needs a Land Raider, not to mention this beast?

If you wanted to stat out a Merkava (but still keep it in 40k) I'd basically let you use a Vanquisher that could fire the regular LRBT round, with a mortar on top. As far as I've seen, the Merkava's "transport capacity" IRL is rarely used for transporting squads - usually it's ammo and fuel or, at worst, an ambulance.

Right.

I'd think we'd be talking about an upgrade where any leman russ can take an upgrade for 40 points that gives them a transport capacity of 5 models. You could start a small squad in there, or throw an injured squad in later in the game.

Sounds like a Stormlord with better weapons for half of the cost

Mortars are the Nicolas Cage of IG weaponry.

I'd much rather have an Autocannon on top. I also agree about the demolisher cannon; normal stats will do.

My biggest issue with this is that the Land Raider is fundamentally a close-support assault vehicle, which is a combat role the Imperial Guard are not really equipped, trained, or designed for. Guard don't deal with entrenched enemies by rolling up in heavily-armored vehicles and pouring assault troops on them the way Space Marines do, they deal with entrenched enemies by bombarding them into dust with Earthshakers and mortars.

I don't see why guard would need an answer to land raiders. How about give marines (other than vanilla marines) an answer to vendettas that is comparable. I see the guard as having basically the best vehicles out there. Vendettas/valkyries, Medusas, manticores, etc, etc, etc lol

I think raiders are sort of weak right now as it isnt that hard to glance it 4 times.

 Icelord wrote:
I don't see why guard would need an answer to land raiders. How about give marines (other than vanilla marines) an answer to vendettas that is comparable. I see the guard as having basically the best vehicles out there. Vendettas/valkyries, Medusas, manticores, etc, etc, etc lol

I think raiders are sort of weak right now as it isnt that hard to glance it 4 times.

Closest thing to an 'answer' to the Vendetta/Valkyrie is the Storm Eagle, but that's Forge World...

Although I agree it's role is dubious. I would suggest it as Light Artillery that can provide cover fire and also deploy a squad. Similar to a Battlewagon.

An earlier comment to have something like a rapid fire Mortar and maybe some Missile Launchers or Grenade Launchers shot by the guys inside. Make it a Heavy and Assault Vehicle capable of carrying around 8 Ogryns and it might be viable.

As far as a heavy-transport role goes, what about a Leman Russ Kangaroo?
Step 1: Take tank
Step 2: Remove turret
Step 3: Cram guys into tank.

Canadian Kangaroo, a converted RAM tank.

BS3 AV14, 13, 11 HP3, 110pts
Tank, Open Topped, Heavy, Transport 10

Hull Heavy Bolter (can upgrade to h-flamer, lascannon)
Purchase sponsons: HBs (20pts), h-flamers(20pts), multimeltas(30pts), autocannons(30pts), or lascannons(40pts).

*Converted Troop Compartment:
Glancing and penetrating hits also cause d3 wounds to the embarked unit, allocated by the controlling player.

Guard got nothing worth assaulting with, so might as well be a decent firing platform instead.

Cool.

 phantommaster wrote:
Although I agree it's role is dubious. I would suggest it as Light Artillery that can provide cover fire and also deploy a squad. Similar to a Battlewagon.

An earlier comment to have something like a rapid fire Mortar and maybe some Missile Launchers or Grenade Launchers shot by the guys inside. Make it a Heavy and Assault Vehicle capable of carrying around 8 Ogryns and it might be viable.

Yet again: You've just described the Gorgon.

IG armies do have an answer to Land Raiders.
They're called Manticores. Boom!

Guard have no buinsess rollig up in a heavily armour assault tank. Their whole ethos is to pound everytihing to ash, then move in troops in APCs to clean up/pick up the pieces.