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My son plays Iron Warriors and is wanting the Vengeance Battery. As I read the rules it seems the battery can only fire using Automated Fire, meaning it must always target the closest enemy unit. This seems less than ideal as it potentially greatly reduces the usefulness and can be easily exploited by basically allowing your opponent to choose were the gun will fire. Am I missing something, and can the controlling player choose what targets the battle cannon fires at?

Nope you aren't missing anything. Buildings fire their guns with autmated fire unless there is a unit inside the building that will fire the gun manually. VWB don't have a capacity for unit to get inside to do this so will always use automated fire.

 CrownAxe wrote:
Nope you aren't missing anything. Buildings fire their guns with autmated fire unless there is a unit inside the building that will fire the gun manually. VWB don't have a capacity for unit to get inside to do this so will always use automated fire.

So I deep strike a unit first turn (I play Grey Knights) into his deployment zone and he has to drop scattering large blast templates into his own army? That's kind of stupid.

 Solis Luna Astrum wrote:

 CrownAxe wrote:
Nope you aren't missing anything. Buildings fire their guns with autmated fire unless there is a unit inside the building that will fire the gun manually. VWB don't have a capacity for unit to get inside to do this so will always use automated fire.

So I deep strike a unit first turn (I play Grey Knights) into his deployment zone and he has to drop scattering large blast templates into his own army? That's kind of stupid.

Yes. Also you still can't place the blast on top of friendly models so if for some reason you can't fire at the closest target the VWB just doesn't get to fire

Keep in mind automated fire always happens at the end of the shooting phase so the entire army's shooting can shoot out the targets that you don't want the VWB to fire at.

There's also other gun options, if you anticipate an opposing army getting in your face. The Punisher Gatling Cannon, while it has a significantly shorter range than the Battle Cannon, is something to think about if you think you're going to need to hold a smaller area around your deployment zone.

There's also the ability to reroll scatter on the ordnance blast if he takes it in a Grand Company, and he can deploy in ways that make it harder for you to get into the middle of his forces.

The plus side of automated fire on these seems to be that you as an opponent will have no way to control them and turn them against the owner, though that's a dangerous plus side.

Jacksmiles wrote:

There's also the ability to reroll scatter on the ordnance blast if he takes it in a Grand Company,

That's the big upside of these with Iron Warriors.

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I havent used them much anymore, but VWB are also considered scoring units, so make a good babysitter on an Objective. The threat bubble it creates is exploitable sure, but it still affects your opponents deployment and movement options. They mustbeither be dealt with or ignored.

I would use them for my Orks mostly, but the idea was using the Battle Cannons for area denial/Obj holding or the Punisher Gatlin to babysit a camping unit like Lootaz.

They also look cool, and fit the theme. Id recommend.