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What do you guys think about the thunderfire cannon? Is it any good? What would you rather take as a heavy support? How does it perform against MEQ or TEQ?

I think they are amazing.

If you're taking a Drop Pod list, these are the cheapest way to up your pod count. At 1850 it is possible to drop 50 marines turn 1 and have 3 of these out on the table. You have to fit in a cheap dreadnought to make it work also... 9 pods=5 come in the first turn which could be all of your troops.

They're great because they can ignore cover, cause dangerous terrain tests and shoot 60" which is rare for space marines.

Scarbrand wrote:
What do you guys think about the thunderfire cannon? Is it any good? What would you rather take as a heavy support? How does it perform against MEQ or TEQ?

It's amazing, it was good in 5th and it's even better now. The 4 small blasts, means you can rack up the the hits if your opponent is even the slightest bit clustered together. I've seen it decimate marine squads (use the Str6 shots and you get a crazy number of wounds), not so great against Teq because it's harder to get a many hits/force saves. That said I like using the tremor shells to slow their movement, it's a very amusing tactic.

TFCs are amazing versatile, excellent infantry killers, also the Str5 ignores cover can be very useful against light vehicles.

I used to run 2 AC/Las predators + TFC as my HS, given that predators can't contest except for BGNT the TFC is more useful, plus if they kill the gun, the techmarine can scuttle off and join a squad to deny a KP

never leave home without it. if the dice gods have blessed you there's 4 potential blast hits that can also ignore cover or cause dangerous terrain tests. and all for 100 points!? use it now. hell, use 3! i have a feeling they're gonna' rise in points when the new book comes out.

Very versatile and with the tech marine you could enforce a ruin for your scouts, so it has some added bonuses.

I would say the only drawback is putting one together.
Mine is all metal (much pinning and I put it on a base), yours would probably be finecast so should go together with a bit of bending an bubble fills.

It looks reasonably cool so there is no real disadvantage to getting it.

You'll need one if your facing a Tau gun line. All those little jerks safe behind cover? Not any more!
Seriously, you'll wish you brought one. Otherwise they'll be shooting at you and they'll have their nice invul cover save all game. A few artillery blasts may just win the game for you.

More like Awesomefire cannon. Coming from someone who faces them a lot, they're scary and I'm jealous.

I know I groan a little every time I play against them...

In my humble opinion, they're the sole reason why Vanilla Bike Armies are worth taking over Ravenwing.

i always bring 2 of them in a ruin (whit a 3+ cover) and t7 just let them try to remove those on average 2 of them remove tripple there points easely(usualy i have my points back turn 1 (unless my opponent hides from them)
lord cal 1 of 2 reasons nr2 storm talons

Take 2 with you, a master of the forge and pray you roll 1 on the warlord strategic trait table
EVIL!

Yeah I bought one just to have something different looking in my army. And it has been the best performing model against my most common opponents tau and nids

Everything that people said above. They are gold.

Did I mention that it gives you a full-kit Techmarine as a bonus too?

One thing I am curious about, the entire SM codex seems to lack stats for the Thunderfire cannon its self, and it just lists the tech marine. Does this mean the cannon its self is not a valid target, and only the techmarine can be shot at? Or am I just missing it?

 ultimentra wrote:
One thing I am curious about, the entire SM codex seems to lack stats for the Thunderfire cannon its self, and it just lists the tech marine. Does this mean the cannon its self is not a valid target, and only the techmarine can be shot at? Or am I just missing it?

Heh! Check the artillery rules.