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So my 5th edition SW long fangs all have missile launchers.

In 8th edition the name of the game was lascannons. S9 vs those T8 models, and better AP then the missile launcher. But how are missile launchers in 9th edition. If you ever meet light infatery deleting them from 48" away is a good way to get rid of them.

How bad is the missile launcher?

ML is not bad since it's AP-3 in devastator doctrine (1st turn). Sure it's not a lascannon against vehicles but then again a lascannon is useless against a horde. If you know you're going to face a lot of vehicles go lascannons otherwise I would take missiles for versatility. Then again Multimeltas might prove the better choice against vehicles, but they lack range...

Well the dirty secret is that eradicators are severly undercosted to the awnset to any question should be 'you should run eradicators'.

But I am not doing that.

The melta argument would be to drop 6 or 2 groups of 5 long fangs in a drop pod if I wanted melta.

Drop pod, 6 long fangs with 5 meltaguns are 278 points. Does seem very strong. They are now stranded in no mans land 12" away, no good.

A good thing is the threat if the melta drop though. If they start the tanks far behind, and I do not drop the pod they are stil in the same place their where last turn.

Another neat trick, or perhaps a better trick, is 2 groups of long fangs with 8 heavy bolters in a drop pod for 330 points, or 8 plasma cannons for 410 points. Although with a range of 36" I might not need the drop pod.

Back to topic though, I feel like lascannons are just the superior weapon. But 9th edition seems to have some element of bodies on points, so the frag misiles can be good there.

I have no experience with the different doctries. Not played SW since 6th.

Is there any point in mixing loadouts or are single weapons loadouts the way to go?

Well there is some point for mixing weapon outloads. In the old days the long fangs used to have a rule that made them shoot worse if they split their fire. The problem is that the missile launcher sort of comes 'pre-mixed'.

In the old days the laser cannon was more exspensive then missile launchers. And when the long fangs start die you can remove what you need.

A better thing to mix is heavy bolter and plasma cannons. They have the same range, they are good at different things. You do not always want full 5 plasma cannons, or full 5 heavy bolter. Depending on what you meet during the game.

If you're planning to mix. I would mix maybe 2 Las Cannons and 2 Missile Launchers. You can go full force AT that way and still have the contingency of frag missile to help with hordes, but honestly you have many other options to help with hordes. And the cherub now I believe lets one of the shoot twice? So pick your poison, either another Las Cannon shot or the missile with frag if dealing with hordes.

Devastator doctrine gives all of your grenades and heavy weapons and additional -1 AP in the first combat round. So you want your Long Fangs on the table turn one to get use of that.

Meltas are already AP-4 so you don't really need the Dev Doctrine. However the drop pod and long fangs option is super expensive and you only get 10+1 meltashots out of them at -1 to hit (unless you use a stratagem). You can get 6 Eradicators for less and they pump out 12 meltashots (16 with 2 MM) and are more durable. Sure they need a little more work to get inside half range but it really isn't absolutely necessary with that amount of shots.

But yeah, Eradicators are broken so it's kinda pointless to compare any antitank to them, they are always the superior choice.