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Here's my approach:

when the opponent has something really nasty on the table, like a Riptide, Tyranid MC, Wraithknight or Centurions, I deepstrike the Hammernators, wither one round of enemy shooting, and then assault the scary thing and hopefully take it out.

when the opponent has no such thing on the table, but plenty of "lesser" units, then I start my Hammernators on the table and march them up toward the enemy. I am a Black Templar player, so marching stuff up (preferably in transports) and re-rolling the run dice to get an average move distance of 10 inches during turn 1 and turn 2 is my default method of warfare. I usually take the fight to the enemy rather than the other way round. And if I can use my Hammernators as a fire magnet, it means my more fragile stuff isn't being targeted - stuff like Vanguard vets, scoring Initiates, etc. Yes, a 225 point squad doesnt really sound like a good bait or firemagnet, but the psychology factor is that he will end up pouring more firepower into the Hammernators than is necessary to take them out, and at 5 wounds and 2+/3++, they can still hold out a lot of my dice hold out. And even a single remaining model is still a threat, so he'll concentrate till the squad is wiped out (also to get that victory point), and a lone 2+/3++ model can still soak an irrational amount of fire.

I am not a fan of using a LRC to transport the Hammernators into CC. First off, the frag launchers are only useful for LC termies, which are rendered redundant in 6th anyway, but even taking that into consideration, spending 500 points on such a unit isnt very effective, IMO. That LRC could be used to transport a big cc-weapon crusader squad into combat with it sustaining minimal losses on the way. The Hammernators can still deep strike, and honestly if you are scared of taking 1 round of enemy fire, even on a 2+/3++ unit, you shouldnt be playing an assaulty army anways

When i ran them back with the 5th edition codex i stuck em in a LR and they always did well. now they cost more points and it just makes more sense to take units that can deal constant damage through shooting over them.

Since 6th and the new codex, I leave them on the shelf. The amount of armies that can decimate them now. They just aren't worth it at 45 points a model, if they were cheaper it would be a different story.

I dont really see how? 6th hasnt brought anything that can ignore invulns; the only thing that has changed is that invulns are no longer as neccesary in cc as they used to be in 5th thanks to the general nerf of power weapons, making ranged terminators generally speaking slightly better in cc then they were.

 Sir Arun wrote:
I dont really see how? 6th hasnt brought anything that can ignore invulns; the only thing that has changed is that invulns are no longer as neccesary in cc as they used to be in 5th thanks to the general nerf of power weapons, making renaged terminators generally speaking slightly better in cc then they were.

Why are you comparing hammernators with the only good thing they are against? Compare them against bolters or lasguns and then you'll cringe.

I run them with CML to give them that sweet, sweet, 3++.

Certainly put them in a LRC. Its the only real way they will get where they need to be.

3 issues with deepstriking:

1) Random arrival time & arrival location - if you are taking them to counter something the enemy has, then you really can't afford to wait till turn 3 for them to arrive, then turn 4 to charge. Also, you have to place them in an area with a little room to risk deepstrike mishaps, or invest in TP homers.

2) Many armies have seen an increase in the amount of firepower they can put out. Whether it is by buffs to their codex, new units or points reductions, 6th edition has seen an overall increase in the amount of firepower an army can lay down. Simply put, I wouldn't be confident of their survival.

3) Many nasty threats are mobile. Deamon princes, wraith knights, riptides, all of them move much faster than your terminators. If will take great luck or tactics to actually get them into cc if they are footslogging it.

An LRC will enable you to pick where and when the terminators go, and, providing the LRC is not put out of action, will get them there faster than teleporting.

The only TH/SS teries I would deepstrike are DW knights, when I don't have enough points left in a 1k list to give them a raider. They are a little cheaper than real TH/SS DW terminators, and also have T5 which might keep them alive when faced with a lot of small arms.

I run them in a mixed assault squad. (I go 3/2 between hammers and claws.) That way, depending on what I'm charging and what might be shooting at me, I can have one group or the other run defense for what is the more needed squad.

I personally prefer the LRC as a transport. Its mobility extension frequently means I can get a second turn assault. Since I play Salamanders, the Land Raider gives me a good place to stick Vulkan anyway, although I tend to have him bail out the side and assault smaller, weaker units than the termies are going after. The LRC provides some additional support fire for my army, which is always nice, and another twin-linked melta is nothing to sneeze at.

Of course, their preferred target is the biggest, nastiest thing on the table. Walkers, monstrous creatures, vehicles, it scarcely matters. Once the hammernators get there, it's all over but the crying.