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I'm thinking of using a Leviation Dreadnaught as an anti-vehicle/tank platform. I am currently debating between arming it with either double clyclonic melta lances or double grav flux bombards. The lances offer more damage (both in terms of average damage and maximum damage potential) but the bombards offer more stability in terms of number of shots and damage done as well as a slightly longer range.

My question is which set would be better vs an all comers Meta or is there another weapon system I should consider? Any opinions would be welcome.

For general info-

Lance 18" Hvy d6 S9 AP-4 Dam d6 (if used at less than half range then Dam d6+2)

Bomabrd 24" Hvy 2d3 S8 AP-3 Dam 2 (Dam 3 if the target has a SV of 3+ or better)

I'd prefer to run a CCW on one arm if I'm going the melta lance route. 18" with 9" half range really puts him in the thick of things and very likely to wind up in combat whether you want him in it or not.

Dreads are pretty good at smashing vehicles and monsters in combat too.

I'd run dual grav over dual melta because dual melta is just an inferior option to a squad of eradicators imo. Dual grav at least matches their 24" range and the volume of fire will allow it to go after MSU elite infantry pretty well too.

I still think going double-Stormcannon is the more reliable option.

Double CCW or bust, leviathans are meant to lead the siege and break through the opponents!

 VladimirHerzog wrote:
Double CCW or bust, leviathans are meant to lead the siege and break through the opponents!

¨

Now if only the rules made any mechanical sense to do so, sure, buuuut...

@ Valkyrie - Storm cannons don't do as well as either lances or bombards when it comes to anti-vehicle uses. And, I'm pretty sure that they don't do better than either of them vs Marines. So, what makes them better in your opinion.

I don't see how anyone would consider a Leviathan as a CCW user in this meta. They're too expensive and too slow. They make great targets and you wouldn't really be able to start using them till turn 3 if you went first and maybe turn 2 if you went second. However, I'm willing to listen to a reason to make them a CCW dread.

Leo_the_Rat wrote:
@ Valkyrie - Storm cannons don't do as well as either lances or bombards when it comes to anti-vehicle uses. And, I'm pretty sure that they don't do better than either of them vs Marines. So, what makes them better in your opinion.

Pure weight of fire, 16 shots vs an average of 7.

Valkyrie- By my mathhammer the cannons are by far the worst choice against heavy vehicles. vs a T8 3+ 5++ vehicle. The cannon averages 3.6 damage. The lances average 7.7 damage and at 9" or less 12.1 damage. The bombards average 5.4 damage. Aganist a LRMBT T8 3+ its worse for the cannon it still is only doing 3.6 while the melta is 11/17.5 and the boambard 6.7 in average damage.

Just for completeness I'm using the to hit of 3+ with no other modifiers to any roll. The cannon stats out at S7 AP -1 D2.

I think the challenge with using the Leviathan in this role is that the storm cannon is really the only option that has the range to sit back and pound away from the backfield. The grav and melta option will always be outranged by basically whatever T8 vehicle it is you want to kill so you are going to have to march up the board to get to them anyway. Not many T8 tanks like a Tank Commander, Repulsor Executioner, or Plagueburst Crawler have much incentive to drive into midboard themselves.

You'll likely spend a couple turns trying to get in firing position and once you are in midboard, you then have to worry about getting tagged.

As far getting into CC, I think turn 2 combat, though not guaranteed, is very possible with primary objectives forcing both players into midboard. 8+D6" advance if you are willing to forgo shooting T1 (probably out of range and/or LoS T1 anyway), another 8" move and then 2D6" charge in T2... unless you start at the back of your deployment I think you are getting well into midboard in T2 to fight something. Whether it's appropriate to throw the Leviathan at whatever your opponent has pushed into midboard that early is another question...

Generally speaking, I think the Leviathan is best suited for wading into midboard to mess up multi wound elite infantry, bikes, dreads, or light vehicles and just be something you opponent has to deal with. Heavy vehicles with heavy guns of their own are going to be difficult for it to pin down.

Since we are discussing T2 why not consider deep striking? The leviathan would take 2 CP (IIRC) but then you could probably drop it 9" from a target thereby allowing max melta lance damage. That might be a risky manuever considering you would only have 1 lance + a CCW. If you're lucky then you can get off a goodly number of shots and not worry about charge distance. If you roll a 1 or 2 on shots then you're probably looking at a long charge to finish off your target. I suppose you could do the same sort of thing using a bombard (aiming at 1 unit while charging something else) but both choices seem a bit iffy.

With the Leviathan already taking 1 CP just to get him into your list, an additional 2 CP for strategic reserves is a pretty significant resource sink.

If you deep strike, you’d be more than 9” away. So no Melta bonus.

Good point about the melta. So, with the idea of getting into melee T2 which shooting weapon would you recommend? I figure the CCW should be the siege claw but should I go with the melta or the grav on the other arm?

double storm cannon is the only viable choice, no one is really running t8 vehicles anyway

I'm sorry but I really don't see it. The storm cannon is inferior to the grav bombard vs any type of target. The only thing that it has going for it is it's range. With boards having more cover/LoS blocking and being smaller than the previous editions I don't see the range being all that more important than inflicting damage when you get the chance. 30" is about the longest range I've been able to shoot at a target and even that was at -1 to hit for terrain.

Would one of you storm cannon supporters please give me a breakdown of what makes it the weapon of choice? Like I said, I just don't see it.

chances are you won’t get to shoot it anyway if you don’t go first. You’re about 2 years late on the leviathan boat.

Storm cannon has three main advantages over its opponents:

1) Range. You're probably taking triple HKM and volkite, right? Well, everything has a rang of 30"+, which is a nice little bump from 24".

2) SCA+Volkite gives you a total of 24 shots a turn plus your 3 missiles. Lev is a dakka boy.

3) Non-blast: if your lev gets tagged in melee and survives to your turn, woe betide whatever tagged him.

This isn't to say I don't rate the bombards, I do, I think they might be its best weapon now. But equally it pays to keep an open mind on SCAs too.