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This is mainly just referring to IG vehicles that use the Chimera chassis. I have Basilisks, Manticores, Hydras, and Wyverns, and I never know which hull weapons to give them.

On the one hand, the heavy bolter has more range, but due to BS3 and other weapons on the vehicle making it snap fire (ordnance etc.), I'd be lucky to hit anything.
On the other hand, the heavy flamer is guaranteed to hit baddies that get close, but it's useless at medium/long range.

Thoughts?

Heavy Bolter. Always. If the enemy is close enough for the Heavy Flamer to be in range then you're doing something very, very wrong. Especially on things like Basilisks, Manticores, Hydras, and Wyverns. If the enemy is close enough for you to get to use the Flamer then you have bigger issues.

coolone84 wrote:
This is mainly just referring to IG vehicles that use the Chimera chassis. I have Basilisks, Manticores, Hydras, and Wyverns, and I never know which hull weapons to give them.

On the one hand, the heavy bolter has more range, but due to BS3 and other weapons on the vehicle making it snap fire (ordnance etc.), I'd be lucky to hit anything.
On the other hand, the heavy flamer is guaranteed to hit baddies that get close, but it's useless at medium/long range.

Thoughts?

For anything that's generally going to be sitting back and shooting across the board, I go with a heavy bolter (as most of the time it either won't be shooting either way, or it may couple nicely with the other guns, like on the Hydra or Wyvern). For anything that's going to be moving about, like Chimeltavet Chimeras, I give them a heavy flamer. The one exception is Manticores, which I give Heavy Flamers because when they run out of ammo they have nothing useful to do sitting in the back, and a suidical heavy flamer can be more of a threat to an opponent than heavy bolter.

 War Kitten wrote:
Heavy Bolter. Always. If the enemy is close enough for the Heavy Flamer to be in range then you're doing something very, very wrong. Especially on things like Basilisks, Manticores, Hydras, and Wyverns. If the enemy is close enough for you to get to use the Flamer then you have bigger issues.

I can't agree with the "always HB" thought process, especially if you're mostly mobile. I run 3 squads of mounted Vets with Melta or Plasma and the majority of the time my Chimeras are moving. That means I'm shooting either the multilaser or the HB and, odds are, the ML is going to be the superior weapon. Targets that aren't keen on an AP4, no cover weapon are surprisingly common and tend to scurry away if you drive up the board. Even against things like MEQ, half a dozen hits wounding on 3s isn't bad at all.

On artillery and the like, I just use the HB. The likelihood that you'll use the HF (even against an outflanker or deep striker) is slim, since you'll probably want to use the main weapon.

The only other one that breaks the mold is the Multimelta on my Hellhound. Popped quite a few tanks with that one since people assume it's only a threat to infantry and, given its speed, you've got a decent (~24") armorbane threat range. Admittedly at BS3, but we can't all be Space Marines...

DoW

IMO: HB on tanks that can shoot it at full BS consistently, HF on ones that can't. A snap fire HB is barely better than no weapon at all, and the HF actually has the potential to be useful in a few situations. But if you're actually using the HB effectively then it's far better than a "just in case" HF.

If I have multiple vehicles sitting or moving in a group I like to have at least one in that group with a heavy flamer. Often enough enemy units will deepstrike in close and being able lay a flamer template over that does more than a heavy bolter. Its not always the a good choice but situationally having one or two in your army is justified.

Depends on the vehicle. I don't like to pay for weapons I don't use (effectively).

Things in the back shooting at soft infantry -> Heavy bolter
Things in the back shooting at hard infantry or vehicles -> Las cannons (perhaps plas) or nothing / the cheapest option heavybolters and flamers both seem to be a waste.
Things that like to be near to melee, or will most likely be near melee -> Heavy flamer.

Heavy Bolters on my Leman Russ. I do not have to pay for them and as I try not to get close the range on them makes them far more useful. So does the ability to snapfire them after firing the main gun.

On Chimeras it varies. The Heavy Flamer can be insanely useful at closer ranges, especially for supporting demolition sections/shotgun murder sections .

I'm of the Leman Russ with HB group. Mind you I rarely use russes for busting hard targets, the Exterminator and Eradicator are my two most frequently loadouts so the HBs l are often used to soften groups of infantry or light vehicles.

Also with hellhounds, I also tend to put multi meltas on them since their getting up in there anyways its ways nice to be able to pop a unexpecting tank or double out a fusion suit that though it had a easy killpoint. As for chimeras I usually outfit mine with a heavy flamers as their also generally running up the table.

Unless you run a completely static gunline, you will get more mileage out of heavy flamers than you will with heavy bolters on Chimeras. One turn of shooting from a heavy flamer will hit more models than six turns of snap shooting a heavy bolter. And you will be moving throughout the game either to take objectives or to keep your distance. Also, for barrage weapons on Chimera chassis', you're probably out of LoS for the heavy bolter. If you lose your main gun on a Bassie or Wyvern, you might as well use the the vehicle agressively and a heavy flamer is more of a threat than a BS3 heavy bolter, IMO.

I always use the HB on LRBTs. But I also never take sponsons on anything bar the Autocannon variant (and those sponsons are also HBs). I like my tanks cheap and efficient.

On a the Chimera, (I only run them in Inquisition detachments) I keep the HB because of Psybolt ammo.

One turn of shooting from a heavy flamer will hit more models than six turns of snap shooting a heavy bolter.

Definitely true. On the other hand, you should be snap firing as well as firing your main gun for six turns, whilst you hope never to fire your heavy flamer.

I'd agree on a heavy flamer for artillery tanks - if you're ever firing your hull mount, it's probably because something just outflanked/deep struck/whatever next to you so you're probably dead next turn anyway - you might as well do as much damage as you can.

I run chimeras with Laser and HF, and and HBs on most other stuff. 3 Str5 AP4 hits in the game vs probably zero Str5 AP3 hits with a small chance for a couple more.

Even if the enemy deep strikes next to the tank and whiffs it's usually better to just keep firing the main gun while someone else cleans up. And odds are you'll be at least Crew Shaken so the HF is off anyway, in which case just turbo boost to try and get to a safer location.