Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey Guys,

I really like the look of basilisks, but it seems to me like their pretty bad game play wise. Does anybody have any experience with using them and if so how did it go? I think that their minimum range penalty would make it to unreliable due to it scattering the full 2d6. Any comments are appreciated.

Yes they are bad. AV 10 side open toppped will die to a stiff breeze. It's gun does not ignore cover and will at best inflict 1 wound/ hull point to a MC/ Vehicle.
If you like Earthshakers I suggest you look at the rules for Artillery Carriages from Forge World. They are superior in every imaginable way. You can even attach ICs to them to increase their effectiveness.

Let's just say there are worse things in the AM codex

They look cool, are cheaper than LRBTs, can fire while being completely hidden behind LoS, and have the off chance of ignoring cover if the central hole lands in the right place so those are the things that they have going for them.

OTOH LRBTs have much better armor and arent open topped for the small amount of extra points you pay, and their secondary weapons also contribute a little to increasing their damage output.

And even the LRBT isnt a top tier tank in the AM codex, so there's that.

They get better the bigger the board is. If you're ever playing on something larger than the standard 6'x4', they really start to come into their own.

Also remember that you ignore the minimum range if you direct fire - it's only if you are firing from out of LOS that you have to abide by it.

The basil isn't the worst tank in existence. The artillery piece has a nice pie plate shot with a decent stat the problem is the competition. As someone mentioned you have the artillery carriages, you also have the legion basilisk which is noticeably better in hh. And finally you have the wyvern which is a pretty spectacular field piece with some solid fire power matched only in consistency by things like the tfc and the whirlwind scorpius.

konst80hummel wrote:
Yes they are bad. AV 10 side open toppped will die to a stiff breeze. It's gun does not ignore cover and will at best inflict 1 wound/ hull point to a MC/ Vehicle.
If you like Earthshakers I suggest you look at the rules for Artillery Carriages from Forge World. They are superior in every imaginable way. You can even attach ICs to them to increase their effectiveness.

I second this wholeheartedly. At 75 pnts a pop with an option add camo netting and up to 4 extra crewmen, they can be a serious threat and still eat up a number of shots. Put them behind an Aegis and you are looking at a 3+ cover save.

Having said that, with basilisks - and all imperial artillery - its all about your opponent. If you are expecting drop pods or some other form of alpha strike, then you will need to bubble wrap them with a unit of conscripts (super cheap, no significant waste of points). Using them as a deterrent or distraction, however, is their best use IMO. Place it on the opposite side of the board and bubble wrap it with minimal points to either force your opponent to waste troops attacking it (and I find they send more than is needed in fear of failing) allowing you to funnel his forces towards your more dangerous side or if he does not engage it then lob shells from across the board. It is easy to make up their points either way and they can be a very effective unit in this regard.

One problem is that the basilisk - which comes with the chimera chassis - costs 31 pounds while the earthshaker platform - which comes with a set of wheels - costs 71 pounds. Not sure about the length of the barrel, though.

I'm not quite convinced that they're all that bad in todays meta. The fact that when you target a unit of elder jetbikes they *have* to jink. A wyvern is probably, when you factor in everything, more likely to kill more jetbikes than the basilisk but the basilisk has the benefit of diminishing the firepower of the elder significantly even if it doesn't manage to kill any of the bikes.

 Sir Arun wrote:
One problem is that the basilisk - which comes with the chimera chassis - costs 31 pounds while the earthshaker platform - which comes with a set of wheels - costs 71 pounds. Not sure about the length of the barrel, though.

There are alternatives.

Look into Long Tom models / toys, they're not hard to find. Making your own Earthshaker Platforms / Carriages is pretty stupid easy when you find some cheap alternatives and use some plasticard.

For example, I've 10 platforms. Each of them was 6$ for the toy, plus a bit of plasticard. Stupid cheap, and the barrels are twice as long as the standard Earthshaker, making them even look cooler!

I find with my Basilisk it really comes down to the target being shot at. If you are shooting Armor Dave 2+, then they will not be quite so effective. In targets like Power Armor/aspect armor they can be real nasty. And nothing is more fun than taking out Brooks of Tyranid Warriors en mass.

In my experience, Basilisks need an Aegis Defense Line to survive. But hey, the mileage you get for a Basilisk is amazing, would recommend particularly against MEQ armies, this thing is death incarnate to anything T4 and 3+.

Yes you COULD take a Battle Tank, but when that 5 man Tac Squad with Melta Bombs is hiding on an objective out of LOS waiting for your Russ to come get them, if you've got a Basilisk you can smile and inform them of the Barrage special rule