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Hello everyone,

I am considering ways to improve my Armored Battlegroup. I normally use a Vanquisher as my command tank, but of course it suffers from the usual problems that Vanquishers do, so I have experimented with a normal Leman Russ and a Leman Russ Annihilator.

So far, the Annihilator has performed admirably for its points, although it is quite similar to the Vanquisher while being 15 points cheaper (since the co-ax MG is not a requirement for the Annihilator). One of the ideas I've had that would improve the Vanquisher and Annihilator both is to fit Plasma Cannon Sponsons.

I, however, am posting to ask if that really is a good idea, and if not where they should be fitted. I cannot run a Siege Tank variant (RA11) Leman Russ as a command tank, so I must fit the sponsons to something else.

Would a Vanquisher or an Annihilator be a good fit?

Taking over-heats on you HQ is a bad idea.

-Matt

I'm not sure I'm that worried about plasma cannon overheat. Especially with enginseers to repair them.

With only 3 HP over heating can really burn you. Personally I avoid anything that rolling ones can hurt me as they come up far too often for me to risk but YMMV.

Also, I don't get the point of paying for expensive plasma cannons and then pairing them with anti-tank turrets. Against heavy armor, the plasma cannons aren't doing much of anything, and against lighter targets, you already have real anti-tank.

If you must have sponsons, I'd think multimeltas would be most appropriate (with a hull lascannon), or to keep it in bolter boat formation to make the tank dual purpose.

Well they'll be Str8 against tanks because of Ace Gunners. However, you're right; I'll reconsider. Honestly HB sponsons never crossed my mind.

No sponsons.

Sponsons, to me, are a waste of space on the field, and points on the tank. Hull lascannon/ HB works well. Paying 20 points for 2 HBs when you're normally only going to be able to shoot 1 is a waste, you could put those points elsewhere. Not only to sponsons make the tank a larger target(both physically and in you opponents mind), they dont do as much as we'd all like them to. Honestly I wouldn't take sponsons unless youve got the punisher cannon, its your only tank, youre versing homogaunts and youve got a techpriest with 3 servitors behind it. If it is not this above scenario specifically, do not take sponsons.

I'd only take plasma sponsons if the Russ also has a plasma turret - that will encourage/force you to shoot at plasma-vulnerable targets where the 3 weapons can together do some serious damage (so long as you don't get unlucky with overheating, of course).

But as above, a lot of players think the same points would be better spent towards another sponsonless Russ.

I wouldn't worry about losing HPs, on average you'll lose 1HP per game to them, and that's assuming you fire both every single turn for 6 turns. If you're running Tech Priests, then it's even less of a concern.

Alright, I decided against sponsons, for now. Although it is tempting to place them on, if only because my only current anti-terminator is a trio of Demolishers, which are usually the enemy's priority target.

 Andilus Greatsword wrote:
I wouldn't worry about losing HPs, on average you'll lose 1HP per game to them, and that's assuming you fire both every single turn for 6 turns. If you're running Tech Priests, then it's even less of a concern.

So if you roll 2 sets of dice 6 times each it'll avg out with only 1 HP? Stats surely say 2, right? Bad luck can knock off 2 HP turn 1.

jdjamesdean@mail.com wrote:

 Andilus Greatsword wrote:
I wouldn't worry about losing HPs, on average you'll lose 1HP per game to them, and that's assuming you fire both every single turn for 6 turns. If you're running Tech Priests, then it's even less of a concern.

So if you roll 2 sets of dice 6 times each it'll avg out with only 1 HP? Stats surely say 2, right? Bad luck can knock off 2 HP turn 1.

The tank gets a 4+ save as well, you know.

So if you roll 2 D6s six times, that's 12 rolls. Which is two overheats. But the 4+ save means that, roughly speaking, it'll suffer a single hull-point of damage during a 6-turn battle.