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Hi Dakka,


I've been playing a static CCS in my 1500 point list, choosing to take the MoO with Volkov's cane. The ability to start dropping bombs on my opponent turn one is fantastic and, in those beginning turns, it's quite likely I'll get a few hits off owing to the enemy being more bunched up in their deployment zone. My CCS isn't my warlord, that goes to pask, so it puts my opponent in an odd situation where they'll have to focus on a fairly low point squad in my deployment early game. This ability to cause "aggro" takes pressure off my more expensive unit, slightly unnerves my opponent as no one likes raining S9 AP3 from the get-go and may cause a "rush" leading to silly movement. Of course it may scatter 18 inches away from anything valuable if you're unlucky, however good positioning at the start will allow you to subtract your BS from this.

Volkov's cane buffs this unit, allowing ignores cover to deal with anything in ruins and Tank Hunter/Monster Hunter for hitting those bigger models on the table. Being barrage you're hitting side armour too!

For me MoO is an auto-include for any static CCS and is worth fielding.

The Rozza

What do you find to be the advantage of investing 90 points in a CCS+MOO+Vulkovs over just getting an earthshaker carriage for 85?

No extra scatter, T7, etc...

They both have their uses! I just think the CCS plays slightly differently:
Slap down orders on your defensive units with your spare order.
No minimum range is also quite fun and allows you to have a pop at any infiltrating CC units that might only be 12 inches away.
The AV10 of the Earthshaker isn't going to hold up that long and will be a huge target.
Mobility; when you've had enough MoO you can move around freely - helpful if you're next to an objective.

The Rozza

1) Minimum range only stops you from firing indirectly. Earthshakers can still fire direct past the minimum range.

2) Earthshakers are not AV10. They are 4 T7 wounds, as they are artillery. Compare to the CCS, which is 5 T3 wounds, the earthshaker is always more durable.

3) this is true. The crew are the only models of an earthshaker battery that can move.

However, it's kind of impossible to deny just how much more effective an earthshaker battery is for the exact same price... you go from always scattering at least 2d6 off your target to being able to fire an extremely reliable large blast.

I didn't intend for this post to be a competition, I'm just finding the CCS quite fun to play with right now and have been achieving reliable results with it as of late.

I'm not too versed in the realm of Forge World, I'm just talking about vanilla IG.

Thank you for letting me know about this beast though, shall have a look at it.

The Rozza

I wasn't either, but Battlescribe is a beautiful thing Plus, they're super easy to create with the basilisk kit - you can make an Earthshaker and a cool open-topped chimera.

Don't get me wrong, if you're already gonna be taking the CCS, I usually throw one of those guys in there. It's better than nothing, and along with Stealth gear and a Lascannon team it's my standard loadout for a CCS.

Going to do that at some point then! Thanks.

In my 2000 point list I have my CCS squad in a chimera so I'm taking the MoO out anyway, I just had a CCS that I thought I'd use anyway.

the_scotsman wrote:
1) Minimum range only stops you from firing indirectly. Earthshakers can still fire direct past the minimum range.

2) Earthshakers are not AV10. They are 4 T7 wounds, as they are artillery. Compare to the CCS, which is 5 T3 wounds, the earthshaker is always more durable.

3) this is true. The crew are the only models of an earthshaker battery that can move.

However, it's kind of impossible to deny just how much more effective an earthshaker battery is for the exact same price... you go from always scattering at least 2d6 off your target to being able to fire an extremely reliable large blast.

To tag along with this post. I play Renegades and Heretics, which has the ability to spam artillery like there is no tomorrow. Artillery is just amazing, and most people do not know how to deal with it, especially larger artillery like an earthshaker or Medusa. If you max out the crew they are very hard to kill (not sure how pricey that is for AM, but for R&H 8 dudes on an earthshaker is under 70pt) outside of combat or battlecannons. You don't need to ever move, as you have a 20ft range and don't need line of sight. Plus with the earth shakers you can(maybe?) take them in units of 3 and toss a divination psyker in them for some extra oomph.
Other artillery to look into is the Quad Mortar, its like a diet Wyvern, 4 blasts at S5 Ap5 and pinning. No ignore cover, shred or twin linked. Then the Medusa, for tank busting goodness. Not sure if AM can take Rapier batteries, but if you can, they are awesome.

Only a rare few guns cannot fire in minimum range, such as the Heavy bombard, so like you said, nothing to worry about! Plus I think its like, 12" for the earthshaker, if something is that close, they are assaulting you anyway.

Actually, there is no reason to choose one or the other and a compelling reason to take both.

The MoO hidden away with a CCS in cover with camo is great, the cane giving you inbuilt Ignores Cover. You then place your field artillery batteries within 12" of the CCS, so that the Commander can pass out Ignores Cover to them, now you have a Holy mess of S9 AP3 ordinance raining down on your enemies.

Bubble wrap that up with a platoon and use some Sabre Platforms instead of the platoon's HWSs (basically the same price for T7 2W and TL weapons) to do some direct fire.

All you need is some fast moving units to claim objectives and you're in the money. Bonus points for keeping it all infantry though, just for style

In any horde list they're amazing value (particularly if you wanted a CCS anyway). The CCS dishes out tank hunter or ignores cover to nearby platoons with heavy weapons.

In infantry-heavy lists they are unlikely to be targeted first and can camp out of LOS

the_scotsman wrote:
What do you find to be the advantage of investing 90 points in a CCS+MOO+Vulkovs over just getting an earthshaker carriage for 85?

The fact that it fills a mandatory HQ slot.