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So, I'm putting together a flufflist for my Adeptus Mechanicus with allied Iron Hands, and I've realised that I forgot air defence. If I want to maintain the integrity of the units in the list, I can scrounge back at most the 100 points required for an Aegis and Quad-gun, but I'm questioning the worth of that when my list is absent any substantial static heavy support units to hide behind the Aegis wall, and Aeronautica gives the alternative options of; two Hyperios Platforms for 70 points, or two Autocannon Sabre Defence Platforms for 80 points.

The Hyperios launchers have one-better Strength than the Sabres, but two platforms only puts out two shots, whereas the Sabres will put out eight. It would seem that the Sabres give the best value, but I don't play that often so I might be missing something obvious.

What you're missing is that the Sabre platforms can only be taken as part of an infantry platoon, so if you've only got 100 points you can't afford them. Unless you've already got a platoon in your list with free HWS slots? But in that case I would think it would be easy to find some stuff to sit behind the aegis line.

Volume of fire is always useful against a wider variety of targets. If you're only spending 10 more points to quadruple output I'd say go for it. Even at -1 strength more shots means more glances and you arent using these things to punch through heavy armor. Also you're going to be shooting at non-fliers for most likely the first two turns and the extra shots will go a long way rhere.

For AA, i always lean more towards the more shots the better. Glancing a flyer to death is just as good as blowing it up.

 Peregrine wrote:
What you're missing is that the Sabre platforms can only be taken as part of an infantry platoon, so if you've only got 100 points you can't afford them. Unless you've already got a platoon in your list with free HWS slots? But in that case I would think it would be easy to find some stuff to sit behind the aegis line.

Flufflist remember; I have an Infantry Platoon, but only so I could take a 20-man tarpit blob to represent Servitors, the PCS is bare save for a HB and Vox and there are no other units attached.

It seems the consensus is, at least, that the Sabres beat out the Hyperios, so it comes down to Sabres vs Aegis, and I'm still leaning towards Sabres; any contrary views?

If you really want good Air Defense, take the AA Manticore out of the IA: Aeronautica if you can find 45 more points. It fething rocks.

Also the AA Manticore reminds me of the old Soviet KUB SAM system.

 Yodhrin wrote:
Flufflist remember; I have an Infantry Platoon, but only so I could take a 20-man tarpit blob to represent Servitors, the PCS is bare save for a HB and Vox and there are no other units attached.

Ok, yeah, if you have the prerequisite platoon in your list already then the Sabres are the best choice. Firepower per point and durability (T6 vs. T7 but vulnerable crew) are about equal, but the Sabre's ability to claim objectives makes it the clear winner.

(The details of the platoon aren't relevant, just the fact that the Sabre guns need to be taken as a substitute for a HWS in a platoon, so if you didn't have one already you'd have to buy the PCS and 2x infantry squad first. All the prerequisites need to do is be in your list first, the Sabre guns gain no benefit from ever interacting with them.)

It seems the consensus is, at least, that the Sabres beat out the Hyperios, so it comes down to Sabres vs Aegis, and I'm still leaning towards Sabres; any contrary views?

Not really. If you don't have anything to hide behind the aegis line you're just taking it for the quad gun, and the Sabre platforms give you that same firepower but hold objectives. Of course taking both of them is always a good plan, the ageis line protects your vulnerable AA guns, while a spare artillery crewman fires the quad gun at BS 3.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
If you really want good Air Defense, take the AA Manticore out of the IA: Aeronautica if you can find 45 more points. It fething rocks.

Honestly the AA Manticore is pretty bad. With only a single shot it's not all that reliable, and STR 9 ordnance is worse than 3x STR 9 lascannon shots from the Sabre platforms (both at TL BS 3) you could buy at that price. Add in Interceptor on the Sabre guns and it's a really obvious choice. Add in the fact that the Sabres are scoring units while the Manticore eats a precious heavy support slot and you wonder why FW had to kill innocent trees to publish the Manticore.

 Peregrine wrote:
why FW had to kill innocent trees to publish the Manticore.

Innocent? those things killed my brother!