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Title explains it, would a Heldrake be better than a 3 man squad of Obliterators? Specifically if I should double up on one, which should it be?

I wouldn't say the Obliterators or the Heldrake are better, just that they are suited for different roles. The Heldrake is certainly cheaper than 3 oblits, but 2 oblits are comparable in price.

Obliterators fill a gap in the army that you otherwise need to take forgeworld for... the ability to have decent melta in a deepstriking unit. However, the points for this gimmick is pretty astounding (I usually put a MoN on mine to keep the expensive unit alive longer, but that brings the cost of the unit up to around 260!) The only other way to get this deepstriking melta is to take forgeworld Dreadclaws, which are a bit steep points-wise as well.

Heldrakes are better suited for zipping around and torching MEQ's off objectives, and vector striking things. Not quite the same role, but an important one nonetheless.

Honestly, probably Heldrakes at this point. Two MoN Obliterators is almost the same cost as the Heldrake, and the Heldrake can actually serve as a tool against Scatterbikes and Marines sitting in cover, or hitting Warriors hiding in Ghost Arks.

Nowadays if I want tougher CSM units I might as well stick with Spawn or Terminators. I WANT to like Obliterators but I just can't anymore. They don't have a great damage output and just aren't too tough anymore.
They're still better than Warp Talons and Mutilators but that isn't going to say much.

I usually take oblits to DS near objectives I want to make sure I secure and areas that will have LOS to enemy vehicles. Heldrake are really just their to annoy my opponent and give them an immediate threat they have to react to.

The heldrake is much more of a rock paper scissors units, as most flyers are. Either your opponent has enough skyfire to shoot it down before it can do much or they don't and it will burn things for 6 turns. Obliterators get you more special weapons but on an expensive and someone what fragile platform.

Would it be better to take oblits with MoT to get a nice 4+ inv save over the heldrake which doesn't have a whole lot and can easily crash and burn?

sturgeondtd wrote:
Would it be better to take oblits with MoT to get a nice 4+ inv save over the heldrake which doesn't have a whole lot and can easily crash and burn?

No. MoN is superior to MoT on oblits because not only doesn't it make you take less wounds from guns S3-6 but it also prevents Instant Death from S8 and S9 weapons. YOu can get 4+ from cover anyway

Because Grav and D-Weapons exist, both marks are entirely viable. One makes them harder to ID and hurt with small arms (Scatterbikes, Dark Reapers hurt them less, and Fire Dragons won't pop them in one shot), and the other takes care of all other AP2 weaponry above S5 for all intents and purposes.

The avoidance of Instant Death makes me always take MoN on anything with multiple wounds, but you might hate Grav more than I do.

Like I said, just get 4+ cover for free

Try to take both. Seriously; a unit of each in this case tends to be better than two units of either. They function very differently, and excel in very different situations. However, if I had to choose, I'd pick the Heldrake. It's often better, what with burning bikers and most other tough enemies that get into cover, while its Meteoric Descent allows for some very effective Vector Strikes. Against open-topped transports and anything but the heaviest infantry, the Heldrake wins out. However, as soon as you get to those points, Obliterators instantly outshine the Heldrake. Being able to bust most vehicles and very heavy infantry in 6" range with twin-linked Meltas or Plasmas, while still presenting a powerful threat at both range and close combat against almost anything else, while also being able to hold objectives... well that's pretty great.

As for the difference between MoN and MoT, Nurgle's blessings tend to carry you further. I've dabbled with MoT, and while it's definitely nice when it helps, there are far more situations where the extra toughness is far sweeter.

Howcome the desire to take the oblits teamed up and not solo? Out of heavy support slots?

Oblits are no longer considered "Great" in the current state of anything Chaos-y simply because of how unreliable they can be and how costly they are.

1 stinkin Oblit is 70 Points, thats no marks bare bones and slow as Ork Turds. Chances are you're DSing them behind enemy lines and you're taking them in squads of 2 for more "Reliability" but then you've also wasted a HS slot in which you could have taken something else, like a FW model, because GW wants you to invest in FW and buy 200 dollar models like Vind Laser Destroyers

Now this is just me, but you're honestly better off taking the Turkey as it does its job, well, and scares the living crap out of people because its generally over feared now. Its no longer a super powerful 360 degree arc but people still remember when enemy Doom Chickens were flying over head and roasting their arses.

As it was said earlier, they both fill very different roles, but when I have to choose one or the other, I always take the heldrake. It just seems to overperform compared to oblits.

Since oblits have to change weapons every turn, you have to put them in a place where it can reliably change weapons to fight it optimal target every turn. Which means you can't commit them to completely tank hunting. Nothing is more frustrating than being in MM range and having to take LC shots at AV14 because you used you MM last round. When the unit could fire any weapon any turn, it was amazing. Apparently too good to some. Now, it's just too gimmicky to be used seriously. Like most of the CSM book.

The heldrake on the other hand is still feared and still does its job well. Even with the nerf to vector strike and the reduction to its firing arc, its still a 3HP FA12 SA12 flyer with a guaranteed 5++ because its a deamon and IWND because why not. This makes it incredibly durable without having to sacrifice your shot to jink. Considering that you can equip it with a strength 6 AP3 ignores cover torrent flamer (Which you should take always) . So anything short 2+ is going to moderately worried. That and the model looks cool and it has a stigma of being hard to deal with. So people actively try to kill it, or actively try to avoid it, either way it tends to control the battlefield in your favor.

If you have the choice. take the heldrake. Unless your fighting someone with a lot of interceptor. In that case though, the deepstriking obliterators are not going to be much use to you either.