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.

So lets be honest here...

if you aren't fielding IF/CF Centurion Devastators, why bother with the TL-Lascannons?

I think we can all rule out the TL-HBs as a really sucky choice unless you *know* you'll be facing Orks or Dark Eldar. Even then a squad of normal Devs with HBs or a WW or TFC would make for better, faaar cheaper options.

My idea is...if youre gonna be taking Centurion Devastators and not playing IF, you are obviously only gonna take them if you are playing a static gunline army wanting an assault oriented MEQ opponent (BT; BA, SW, CSM etc.) to "come at you" and in such a scenario Grav Cents are a must have. They're also great against Tyranid MC lists.


Or, you could put them in a LR and drive them up to anything scary like a Wraithknight or Riptide and pop out unscathed and shoot the hell out of it.

Putting Grav Cents in LRs also prevents them from being the target of an enemy Sternguard pod landing right next to em an emptying all combi-plasmas into their faces.

So, really - why would a non-IF player bother with TL-Las Cents?

Sure, coupled with the dirt cheap MLs they make for a great unit on its own (read: no Land Raider required) that can hide in cover and *still* be effective because of its range. They also do not really require prescienced psykers around due to already being BS4 and having twin-link, giving them an additional degree of independency. And lastly also no need for Shield Eternal Chapter Masters to tank wounds as they will be in cover.

But honestly...? They're just as costly as 3 Grav Cents, are pretty immobile on their own, and all you get is 3 measly TL-Lascannons. Just looking at the TL-Lascannons, that's less than 1.5 times the firepower of a Predator Annihilator, and that tank is 100 points cheaper. Okay you get +3 MLs AND can split-fire with the omniscope sarge, directing 2 AT weapons at another tank, but honestly there are cheaper ways to crack enemy armor in the SM codex. No need to take a 290 point unit, dont you think?

 Sir Arun wrote:
So, really - why would a non-IF player bother with TL-Las Cents?

I don't think there's a point either. Grav cannons are simply the best choice because you can't really get that type of weapon on other units (on the same effectiveness level anyway), and like you said tanks and devs are cheaper.

Tau buff commander will TL the krak missiles and give the unit tank hunter, monster hunter, night fight, hit and run, and ignore cover. With splitfire from an oscope the unit is really deadly. Hit n run prevents it from being tarpitted. On top of that the commander can tank some hits. Dev cents don't need to be imperial fists.

My idea is...if youre gonna be taking Centurion Devastators and not playing IF, you are obviously only gonna take them if you are playing a static gunline army wanting an assault oriented MEQ opponent (BT; BA, SW, CSM etc.) to "come at you" and in such a scenario Grav Cents are a must have. They're also great against Tyranid MC lists.

That part's not accurate in all cases. My (non-IF) Dev Cents have done everything from bounce around the field with Gate of Infinity, have been dropped from Storm Ravens, delivered via Land Raiders and even outflanked once. Using them in a straight gunline is probably one of the worst ways to use them IMO.

Now, all that being said, I have to agree with everything else you've said - I can't think of a single time I've used them as anything other than Grav Cents. It just seems like if you want anything else, a regular Devastator squad is almost always better.

The main advantage I see of lc ml dev cents over regular devs is a single buffing hq like tiggy or a tau buff commander can buff 12 heavy weapon shots at once.

 schadenfreude wrote:
The main advantage I see of lc ml dev cents over regular devs is a single buffing hq like tiggy or a tau buff commander can buff 12 heavy weapon shots at once.

Fair enough, but who fields 6 Centurions in an army? I think you'd be putting too many eggs in one basket that way, given that the unit (+HQ) would alone cost close to 750 points and will probably never make its points back.



I'm thinking either 3 Grav Cents + Omniscope to lay the hurt to 2 MEQ/TEQ squads or 1 MEQ/TEQ squad and 1 MC, OR 2 Grav Cents and a LC+ML sarge with Omniscope is the ideal way to field them. In the case of the latter the sarge can shift his attention to a tank (possessing the firepower of a 135 point TL-Las + ML dread), while the 2 Centurions will still be able to cripple any MC, MEQ squad or non-Stormshield TEQ squad by themselves.