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 the new GK roster suffers from two problems:

1) Purifiers do not have a reliable delivery system (allied SW drop pods aside)

2) The army lacks Anti-tank with the removal of Psybolt Ammunition (that affected the Psyfleman Dread, but also the massed S5 shooting that would cripple AV11 vehicles)

The Land Raider Phobos solves both problems.

2 twin-linked Lascannons, a multimelta, and present on the battlefield from turn 1 itself (unlike the stormraven), the LR can provide reliable AT firepower for the GKs targeting upto 2 different tanks, while advancing 6" each turn. This doesnt make the Purifiers any faster than on foot, and they lose all their Stormbolter firepower, but they're virtually untouchable from being plasma'd to death before they reached their targets when footslogging. Alternately, if desperate measures call for it, the LR can move 12" and still fire 1 Lascannon at normal BS and snapshot the other.

Furthermore, the Purifiers can assault out of the LR. So what do you think? Has the LR Phobos found its place in the GK army?

It is not a staple unit any more than it's a staple unit in other SM armies, it still suffers from the same issues and is very expensive for 3 anti-tank shots.

I think most of those points go toward a 4HP AV 14 all over vehicle. And GKs need the LR's AT more than SM who can call Lascannon Devs, Cents, Las Preds or Dpodded melta Sternguard to do the job.

Right now, I don't think anything holds a candle to the Space Wolf allies for Drop-Pod Purifiers.

Last night I had my fifth or sixth game with that set-up, and big part of what that offers that the LR can't, is getting those Purifiers into your opponent on turn one when they tend to still be close together. Odds are decent that with good positioning you will hit 2-3 units with each Purifier squad (and if you haven't combat-squaded them you're doing it wrong).

That is a lot of Cleansing Flame hits, and probably plenty of still bunched bodies for the Incinerators after.

Oh, and those allies that brought you said Drop-Pod also came with a troop (not)-tax which helps with the other GK issue, bodies on the table for objectives.

A couple of min unit Bloodclaws, and a cheapo Rune-Priest, and that Pod all come in significantly under the Landraider which has only served to SLOWLY deliver your Purifiers for a now, less efficient attack, and a few anti-tank shots which you could have had just as easily from the Storm Raven, which also provides anti-air.

That line-up just covers a lot more bases if you're making a take-all-comers, list.

I think the Phobos serves as fire support unit, holding some PAGKs to support all those shunting units GKs have. DreadKnight getting overwhelmed? Forget shooting those Lascannons for a turn and dump some guys into combat. This way the Raiders are never a primary threat, but always impacting the game and controlling the board.

It's a lot of points for a unit that supports a PAGK unit, and provides modest anti-armor firepower. Worse, it competes for heavy support slots against the Dreadknight.

I dont know. I just dont feel comfortable with the drop pod ally exploitation tactic. Doesnt sound like good sportsmanship to me. There was a reason why GW didnt give Purifiers the DS option or include dpods in our FA/DT section.

Because if I do that, I'd have to be okay with someone d-podding Grav Centurions with a PA ML2 Librarian in, and we all know how that could utterly wreck any GK player's day.