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So I tend to play at 1500 points values. I do like the Guard, and I tend to have a lot of options as we allow all proxies if done to a decent standard, and I an craft. So I like the Russ, but the lack of good ordnance shooting (no lumbering behemoth) and general love of big guns has made me look at the larger tanks. I don't want to go full baneblade, I dislike apoc. blasts in 40k, but the macharius and malcador seem decent. The problem is they seem really expensive for what they bring firepower wise, especially the malcador. Better sponsons and more HP, but lower armor, and for 80+ points more? Are either of these worth it? Also, why is the gorgon assault transport not... an assault transport?

The gorgon is an assault transport because its open topped.

Also no the malcador and macharius aren't worth it. the drop in armor basically negates the extra HPs and you didn't even get more shooting

The Malcador is kind of worth it. It costs more than a LRBT, but gets to take advantage of the superheavy rules. Moving up to 12" and shooting everything, even ordnance weapons, is great. Ignoring the damage table makes it almost as good as a MC. Just think of it as an improved LRBT instead of a true superheavy.

The Macharius is pretty bad. It's just way too expensive for what you get. You pay almost Baneblade-level points for the same kind of "bigger LRBT" stats that a Malcador gives you. Most of the time you're better off finding some points to cut elsewhere and bringing one of the Baneblade variants, or dropping to a Malcador variant and spending the extra points on something else.

Just a quick question: in my IA V2 Second Edition, it is written that Macharius and Malcador are "Apocalypse only".
Do you have a way, a book, to play with in standard games (they aren't in Escalation IIRC) ?
Is the Malcharius really that bad ? Its cost is really lower than a baneblade (but baneblade aren't really good either...)

 godardc wrote:
Just a quick question: in my IA V2 Second Edition, it is written that Macharius and Malcador are "Apocalypse only".
Do you have a way, a book, to play with in standard games (they aren't in Escalation IIRC) ?
Is the Malcharius really that bad ? Its cost is really lower than a baneblade (but baneblade aren't really good either...)

Their normal rules are in IA:Apoc (2013)

Thanks !

 godardc wrote:
Just a quick question: in my IA V2 Second Edition, it is written that Macharius and Malcador are "Apocalypse only".
Do you have a way, a book, to play with in standard games (they aren't in Escalation IIRC) ?

On the FW website there's a list of what units are available as LOW for which armies. Every former Apocalypse unit they've published is now a LOW option for at least one army, including the Macharius and Malcador.

Is the Malcharius really that bad ? Its cost is really lower than a baneblade (but baneblade aren't really good either...)

Yes. And it's not that much cheaper than a Baneblade or Shadowsword (and variants). The basic Macharius is garbage and you're always going to want to at least buy the vanquisher cannon upgrade, so that's almost 400 points once you've upgraded the sponsons to HBs. The vulcan version is even better in most situations, but it goes over the 400 point mark. When a Stormblade is only 455 points and has a vastly superior gun there's just no reason to even consider the Macharius.

I really like the Malcador tanks. I've been thinking of getting one and that's exactly how I've been thinking to use it: a more HP LR tank. Sadly, Renegades can't get the the two I like, the lascannon/demolisher one and the giant flamer one.

The battlecannon tank with 3x autocanon looks like it would fit pretty well, for me, the OP could use the different versions with the hullmount Demolisher.

The models look very nice though.