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So I've been having some decent success running Longstrike along with an Ion hammerhead, and I'm definitely getting at least one more, because with broadsides and riptides being as weak as they are, they're some of the best heavy support available to us.

The question being, railgun or ion cannon?

In my games so far, the railgun has been unreliable. While its S10, AP-4,D6 wounds are tempting, it has a tendency to whiff on the to wound roll, or simply roll low on the wound multiplier. The ion cannon, on the other hand, with its 3 S7 2 damage shots (or D3 S8 3 damage) shots seem to provide a reliability the railgun cannot match. Few things are more than toughness 8, meaning it's rarely going to wound on less than a 4+, and a straight 3 wounds? I'll take it.

So I was wondering, are there any decent arguments for taking a railgun with longstrike (or in general)? I know the ion cannon is more expensive, but the damage output makes it worth it, it seems.

Submunitions Is what's got me accepting the rail in 8th. If not for that bit of versatility I'd go ion. Plus ion is more expensive by enough points to matter.

Shas'O'Ceris wrote:
Submunitions Is what's got me accepting the rail in 8th. If not for that bit of versatility I'd go ion. Plus ion is more expensive by enough points to matter.

Submunitions seem decent for dealing with heavy infantry, although I rely on SMS shots for doing big damage vs infantry anyway. The Ion Cannon can deal with it even better, since its overcharge becomes D6 shots against units of 10 or more.

Railgun because he gets +1 to wound vs vehicles and monsters - meaning he can get the extra d3 mortal wounds on a 5+ to wound roll

 Vector Strike wrote:
Railgun because he gets +1 to wound vs vehicles and monsters - meaning he can get the extra d3 mortal wounds on a 5+ to wound roll

OK, a +1 to wound vs vehicles and monsters? I had missed that entirely, that makes him way more attractive as a heavy support choice.

 SevenSeasOfRhye wrote:

 Vector Strike wrote:
Railgun because he gets +1 to wound vs vehicles and monsters - meaning he can get the extra d3 mortal wounds on a 5+ to wound roll

OK, a +1 to wound vs vehicles and monsters? I had missed that entirely, that makes him way more attractive as a heavy support choice.

He's HQ

He meant Longstrike's particular bonus.

Still, I like the railgun + 2x gun drones load out. Barebones but versatile. You gain no benefit upgrading, particularly to SMS except a range bump and you can target outside of LOS - not quite worth the 18pt cost to upgrade. Even the burst cannons upgrade is a waste at 20pts - 16pts for 2 gun drones with the exact same number of shots and weapon profile, plus they can detach and form a unit when desired.

Fills a needed AT role and lets you focus other parts of your army on other counters.

vs T7 3+
Ion 2 * 5/6 * 5/6 * 2 * 2/3 = 1.85
Rail (1 * 5/6 * 5/6 * 3.5) + (1 * 5/6 * 1/3 * 2) = 2.98

vs TEQ
Ion 2 * 5/6 * 5/6 * 1/2 * ((1 * 1/3) + (2 * 2/3)) = 1.15
Rail (1 * 5/6 * 5/6 * 2/3 * ((1 * 1/6) + (2 * 5/6)) + (1 * 5/6 * 1/3 * 2) = 1.40

Oh
and Ion costs 17 points more

Ion is garbage, it's not an option.

Get ion just to show your disdain for grade-school-level math being passed off as insightful over and over again

Alcibiades wrote:
Get ion just to show your disdain for grade-school-level math being passed off as insightful over and over again

lmao mathhammer

While I can accept the arguments for railguns being better (on Longstrike, at least) I've had great success with ion cannon, so I really hesitate to call it "garbage".