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.

The other day I play tested three of these with twin lascannon each. Throughout the game I felt like I had way to much punch as I was generally destroying most tanks with a contemptor. So it had me thinking. Would the autocannons be a more viable loadout for them? It saves quite a bit of points and I can fuel the rest of my army with those points.

I for sure will be picking up two of them but I would prefer to get one load out vs the other.

What is everyone's opinion on them? What is the math behind it?

Thanks!

I think it depends on what role you need them to fill in your army. If you're expecting them to be tank-killers, then autocannons don't seem like the optimal choice. If you're going against heavy infantry stuff though, then the autocannons would be more efficient. What else are you taking in your list? Chapter tactics?

IMHO, there are better places to put a Lascannon. On Razorbacks, for one. I've never had much luck with a Contemptor, either.

The degrading statline is a potential problem, but the extra speed while above half wounds seems pretty nice, as is the 5++. I've got two of the plastic kits that I'm using with the Kheres Assault Cannons, I figure they should be able to clear a screen and then charge in and punch some tanks/monsters/etc to death. Having the -1 to hit over 12" helps too, of course.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
S14 in close combat also makes killing tanks more reasonable, even more so if you can buff it with Might of Heroes.

Chapter tactic would be Iron Hands because I am stubborn.

The rest of the list generally consists of several assault cannon razorbacks, scouts to screen, intercessors to help hold objectives and to somewhat screen, captain and lieutenant to do what they do best, several techmarines (fill out the spearheads) and devastators either a heavy bolter and lascannon or switching the lascannon for missile launcher.

It seems to me that you'd be best off keeping the lascannons in Devastator squads (with ablative wounds of course) and using autocannons on the dreadnoughts. Your devastators are going to be less likely to move, I imagine, and they also don't suffer from a degrading stat line, and one of them per turn can use the signum (and an armorium cherub). If your opponent is concerned about your anti-tank capability, giving those weapons to your dreadnoughts is going to put a giant red target on them. The devastators should be harder to shift, and if he focuses his own anti-tank on them in order to neutralize your lascannons then your dreadnoughts should be safer.

Alternatively, maybe run them as venerable dreads rather than contemptors, to give you 2 separate 6+++ saves?

Are you running them as contemptor mortis dreads or relic contemptors?

As relics contemptors require you to include a tax unit. Also if it's a prue shooting dread look at a deredeo.

Ice_can wrote:
Are you running them as contemptor mortis dreads or relic contemptors?

As relics contemptors require you to include a tax unit. Also if it's a prue shooting dread look at a deredeo.

Mortis dread for the dual weapons. I do actually have the Dorrito dread with the plasma weapons.

Yeah unfortunately as fsr as I can tell the plasma deredeo didn't get good 8th edition rules the las or autocannon got better rules.
Currently building up mine with autocannon battery.

Yeah I built him during 7th edition. If I were to get another one I would for sure go the autocannon route.

I'm currently trying to find a way to magnetise him. Just in case

Two Mortis with Lascans are in a lot of my lists, along with a double stormcannon-array leviathan. They go well together, as the leviathan buys them the time they need to take out their priority targets, whilst burning the world to the ground with 20 S7 -2 D2 shots a round, buffed with might of heroes.

I think as a unit they really benefit from a higher target priority on the board, allowing them to hunt their hunters, leaving them free to boss the rest of the game.