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So I'm starting up a renegades and heretics army out of "The Purge" detachment so I'm going to have RIDICULOUS amounts of artillery. What I'm trying to figure out is if I should try and either afford or convert some blight drones to cover my air, or if I should make use of Hydra Battery's. Reminder that with this formation I have no access to anything Fast Attack so no Valkyries. What are peoples opinions on this?

My first thoughts are the questionable accuracy of just 2 shots at BS2 even with twin-linked. It averages only 1 hit per gun and then his mawcannon cant attack other fliers. Where as a Hydra is less than half the cost of a drone and can be BS3, however if there are no fliers/flying monstrous creatures on the board he's 100% useless.

Hydras also fire at full effect against skimmers, which are usually good targets for auto-cannons. I would go with the hydras. Stupid cheap, and won't be losing half of their usefulness in the role you get them for.

Hydras get 4 shots total (because it has two hydra autocannons) and you can just buy it militia training for BS3 (which you should)

Also even if they don't have flyers or FMCs, it still can fire at skimmers at full BS (which there are plenty of in the game) and even at other targets it still can fire twin linked snap shots (so its not 100% useless)

So definitely hydra then. I don't think I lack AP3 by any definition in my planned list anyway

Actually I have with the renegades of vraks army that due to all the artillery, zombies, and spawn I can field I just ignore flyers. I have found absolutely no need to engage flying targets as they usually lack the ability to actually win the game. I just kill all of the opponent's stuff on the ground, score early maelstorm objectives with the spawn, move some zombie units on for latter turn scoring, and hammer FMC if they land to capture objectives.

Hydras are not bad but are actually rather ineffective against the most important flying targets (ie FMC). However due to the significant numbers of skimmer, jetbikes, and flyers in lists it is not a waste. IMO it is better not to get training so when you have to snapfire you are wasting less points.

Blight drones are actually really good but not really for anti air. They are extremely good fast scoring elements. They are one of 2 flyers that can actually score objectives due to having their hull within 3" of the ground. They should always have 2+ cover saves due to shrouding and either jink or ruins. The autocannon is not terrible but the blast weapon is where the magic is at as it helps to mitigate the poor BS.

If you really need to engage flyers and FMC then you really want a CSM ally detachment with a fire raptor in it. Perhaps one of the best air superiority flyers in the game.

On the note of CSM allies would Necrosius with a unit of cultists (since his zombies don't fill minimum troop choice) and a fire raptor serve me well for air supierority and still not have wasted points on taxes. I think the only real tax in their is the cultists. Is their anything else that would be useful to drag into the army from the CSM world? Note that I'd be using just an allied detachment so that I don't need many troops

Since the Fire Raptor is an Infernal Relic you have to take a technomancer (Abbadon, Warpsmith, or Maelifc Sorcerer) in order to bring one in an allied detachment. So can't tale Necrosius

Also you should use your fast attack slot for a Heldrake or the Hell Blade (which is also a good anti-air option)

Just thought of using Necrosius in a CAD with a warpsmith 4 units of 50 plage zombies, 2 units of cultists, a fire raptor, and possibly some held rakes.