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So for my next game I really want to try out my good old land raider. I have owned this model since it first came out in 3rd edition, it's the classic 2 twin-laz cannon and twin heavy bolter option. But as I am playing a power level game and have 85 points to play with I am not sure what to do here. My first thought was "land raider + assault terminators = win" because that's what it used fo be years ago, but with deep strike rules what they are I no longer feel this is the transport for terminators by default. So I was thinking maybe cheap assault squad without jump packs or vanguard vets?

So if your playing just to play, no mission other than "last man standing" , with 85 points to play with and no other definite units to use with the land raider what do you use it with? Assuming all other standard options (ie no wulfen or death guard type units) are on the table, what do you use it with? Or do you use it as a distraction? My next opponent has never seen a land raider on the field of battle so a part of me wants to pick it just to be a bullet magnet, we all know if you show up and your tank is bigger than theirs they will shoot it way beyond what it realistically deservea just because scarry big Tank is on the field.

Any help is appreciated, but really I just would love to know how others are using these guys.

Custodes.

Or, I dunno, stern guard plasma death squad maybe?

There really isn't a lot that needs to go into a land raider these days that shouldn't just take a rhino

I dont have much of an opinion about what should be in it, but one really cool thing about the Land Raider is that it can move its full distance and still fire all its weapons without penalty, unlike most other vehicles. So, remember that when you're figuring out what to do with it.

First, i wouldnt use the land raider, because its way to expensive, but thats up to you. If you want to assault here is what i think. Use 2 model units of company veterans (CV). CV are very flexible, you can equip them with SS, pistols, combiweapons, powerweapons. A land raider can take 12 models. Thats two vanguard detachments (with 2 hq), +2 CP, because one unit of CV are only 2 models. If you choose 2 model units you get more sarges, which means more attacks in CC, for free. Want to keep them cheap ? Give them a chainsword and a combibolter. When you arrive they disembark and rain a bullet storm of 48 shots on whatever there is within 12". If anything is still standing they charge. You can make 6 charge rolls, increasing your chances to make a successful charge. If there is a heavy weapon overwatching with more than 2 shots the rest of the shots is wasted (if all would hit), because only 2 models can die. This also applies to other ranged attacks against them later in the game. If all make the charge the enemy gets hit with 42 attacks.

I think cataphractii are pretty good. They are reasonably cheap, very tough, and can shoot and punch things quite well when they get out. It could even be worth giving them a heavy flamer.

Custodes are without question the most powerful unit that can get in a land raider. You'd have to pimp their ride in gold paint before they'd get in it, but actually the 2 points extra you spend buys you 2+ bs and 6+ fnp (and a 5++ you hardly ever need - can't hurt though.

Another option is to leave it empty. It's actually a decent battle tank.

The first option is to put in almost anything that is short ranged and killy. Command squads, Sternguard etc all fit the bill. The Land Raider is an expensive delivery system but if you are taking one anyway, there is no harm in making use of the transport capacity.

The second option is to take a cheap squad like Tacs, ASM (without jump packs) or CCW Scouts. Their role is to protect the LR and seize objectives. If your opponent has deep striking units, they can disembark early and bubble-wrap the Raider. If you opponent is looking to assault, you can form a skirmish screen to make sure that enemy CC units don't rob of your firing. If neither of the above looks likely, they can stay in the LR until the late game and then hop out to claim objectives.

I'd only take the crusader since it's an effective anti horde tool and has a bigger transport capacity. With SW I'd fill in with wulfen, wolf guard terminators or max blood claws, eventually with some characters. I prefer the stormwolf which is more anti tank kitted but I think the crusader is a decent option overall.

Other land raiders don't look particularly interesting.

I will be putting a 10 man crusader squad with power ax, power sword and melta gun. 2 2 man honor guard with power axes, helbrecht and the emps champ. All in a Land Raider Crusader.

Great advice folks, thanks. Sounds like midrange or cheap close combat works best. Or just using it as a bunker for turn one to protect something in case I don't get first turn.

Something to keep in mind. Transports in this edition are much more useful for protection than transport. Because you have to disembark before the vehicle moves. This basically means turn 3 assault out of a land raider at best. Personally - the only unit that I think benefits from a land raider are dev centurions. Cent Devs are way over-costed though so I would never consider running them.

This is how I would make it work though. I'd put a 3 Man Cent Dev with 2x Las cannons and hurricane bolters each in a 4x las LR. That's 10 las cannons that you can keep reasonably safe by staying at max range and you would use the LR to block LOS to the Cents from anything that threatens them. Synergy wise it works - point wise - it's terrible.

I haven’t tried it yet, as I’m about to start assembling my Land Raider, but my plan is to go with the Crusader and load it with 2x 5 Crusaders, each with 3x Power Weapons (Sword Brother + Special + Heavy), and then Helbrecht + Emperor’s Champion + Grimaldus + Retinue.

Yeah I lost my crusader a few years ago (lost an entire box while moving) so all I have is the laz/hb variant now. I used to love that crusader.

Maybe I will hide a dev squad and lieutenant in the raider and then jump out turn one, leaving the raider as a mobile gun platform. That protects the devs from turn one death at least.

 Xenomancers wrote:
Something to keep in mind. Transports in this edition are much more useful for protection than transport. Because you have to disembark before the vehicle moves. This basically means turn 3 assault out of a land raider at best. Personally - the only unit that I think benefits from a land raider are dev centurions. Cent Devs are way over-costed though so I would never consider running them.

This is how I would make it work though. I'd put a 3 Man Cent Dev with 2x Las cannons and hurricane bolters each in a 4x las LR. That's 10 las cannons that you can keep reasonably safe by staying at max range and you would use the LR to block LOS to the Cents from anything that threatens them. Synergy wise it works - point wise - it's terrible.

In the event that I ever used my devastator centurions again, I'd put them in a bunker - or maybe a bastion - not a land raider. They can fire out of a building. This is about the one time when devastator centurions could be anything like worthwhile.

One good thing that transports like the land raider do allow is holding multiple units, so as to improve your chances of getting first turn. The land raider isn't amazingly good at this, as its capacity isn't huge, but the option exists to have something like a company veteran squad and a couple of HQ characters.

I'm thinking a few squads of Company Veterans with plasma/chainswords and TH/SS sgts, along with a Chaplain, LT, and Captain so the troops can jump out, shoot a bunch (re-rolling 1s) re-roll 1's to wound, and then charge and wreck things in close combat.

Oh and an Ancient to get extra attacks. Plan to use Honor the Chapter also, on veteran squads that survive unblooded.

I was thinking of two 5 man Grey Knight squads in power armor. It's a crap ton of shooting at 24" & 12", and two ways to get a limited version of Smite off.

I play chaos, so lately I've been running a LR with plasma havocs and a terminator lord.

Thinking about adding some Possessed to max out transport capacity.

It’s worth noting that you can put JP guys in there now, which helps with the disembark before moving thing.

3 Assualt Centurions and a Chaplain - drive them right up to heavy, multi-wound infantry, monsters, or tanks

Assault marines in a land raider with jet packs.... Brilliant! Lol.

Vanguard assault would be better though I would think.

Assault centurions with flamers/storm. If you want extra add lieutenant/medic etc

Ooh, that would rock. I am really liking flame throwers this time around, anything that can have one has been getting one in my army.

TH/SS Assault Terminators w/ a Terminator Chaplain. It's not amazing, but it's super fun. Also, a Null Zone Terminator Librarian can take away invulnerable saves, and you can pretty much murder anything in CC that you want.

A crusader with a deathwatch kill team and a watch master.
The squad has
1 Vanguard Veteran with two Inferno pistols
3 Terminators with assault cannons and power axes
6 veterans with stormbolters and chainswords

There is one spot left which could be taken by a librarian or one additional terminator instead of a veteran.

This will deliver quite some hurt.

Assault Centurions are easily the best thing to transport.

My only concern is putting too many eggs in one basket so to speak. Assault terms are expensive themselves and putting them in a raider vs teleporting in seems an easy choice.

I am thinking of vanguard vets at the moment, they did well for me last game I played with them.

Srg with relic blade and storm shield, 2 with thunder hammer and storm shields, 3 with chain swords and storm shields, 4 with plasma pistols and Chain swords. All with jump packs.

Start them in the raider. All but the most direct fire will kill it in one turn I expect.( Unless my opponent shows up with 2 dev squads of 4 laz cannons each lol then they deep strike)

They get out first turn 3" away from raider. Then jump 12" and get an average charge of 7" so that's a 22" move first turn with enough oomph to take out any big target out there. And if they fail their charge there are enough storm shields there to give cover / protection for the expensive toys.

Lots of small arms fire will easily kill them, their SS are useless against it.

Sgt Cronus

Small arms is a good point as well. Seems that nothing is good to put into a land raider without making the raider a huge target.

Still an awesome Tank though. :p

Azuza001 wrote:
My only concern is putting too many eggs in one basket so to speak. Assault terms are expensive themselves and putting them in a raider vs teleporting in seems an easy choice.

I am thinking of vanguard vets at the moment, they did well for me last game I played with them.

Srg with relic blade and storm shield, 2 with thunder hammer and storm shields, 3 with chain swords and storm shields, 4 with plasma pistols and Chain swords. All with jump packs.

Start them in the raider. All but the most direct fire will kill it in one turn I expect.( Unless my opponent shows up with 2 dev squads of 4 laz cannons each lol then they deep strike)

They get out first turn 3" away from raider. Then jump 12" and get an average charge of 7" so that's a 22" move first turn with enough oomph to take out any big target out there. And if they fail their charge there are enough storm shields there to give cover / protection for the expensive toys.

Down side is even the Land Raider Crusader can only carry 16 models, and models with jump packs count as two. So you can only fit 8 jump-pack equipped models in a LRC, and only 5 in a standard-pattern Land Raider.

That being said, I agree with you that Vanguard Vets with Jump packs and a chaplain make for a great package out of a Land Raider. It just has to be an LRC instead of a standard-pattern.

Not so much what I put in it, but what I put behind it - LR Achilles with a thunderfire cannon walking behind it to make a mobile bunker.

Disembarking before movement means that very fast vehicles like the storm raven have taken over the role of assault vehicle, so the only options left for traditional transports are either something to protect the tank, something that needs protecting by the tank, or sharing transports to cut drops; scouts fit the bill on all counts as a cheap/weak unit that can hop out and bubble wrap, or wait then grab an objective late game.