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I'm working on a Tallarn light armor list, and I'm wondering what the best mix of tanks are.

I have 17 chassis to work with, and am looking at:
Hellhounds (either type)
Devil Dogs
Hydras
Basilisks/medusas
Manticores
Wyverns
Command Salamanders.

I'm bringing a screen of infantry with Psykers for HQ, so probably a brigade if I can fit it.
Any holes in the list I'm looking at filling with tauroxi.
My meta is heavy space marines (loyalist and chaos), with occational Tau, Eldar, and GSC. There are fliers to worry about as well. It's a casual one though, so while I'm trying to not make a push over list, I also trying not to just run roughshod over them. I'm not looking at making stew either, just IG.

Right now I'm looking at two of each, with three salamander commands, devil dogs, and hydras.

Hellhounds are neat.

Salamander Commands less so, since their buff is solidly mid-tier and their points cost is expensive for that. Their own weapons are unimpressive compared to a similarly-priced Hellhound. If you're going an armour heavy list and need to fill Elites, tech-priest enginseers or Atlases are useful.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Salamander Commands less so, since their buff is solidly mid-tier and their points cost is expensive for that.

Lolwut. Salamander command tanks have one of the best buffs in the game, a flat +1 BS instead of all that re-roll 1s nonsense. Even with the price increase they're still incredibly powerful as long as you have the right units around to buff.

 Peregrine wrote:

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Salamander Commands less so, since their buff is solidly mid-tier and their points cost is expensive for that.

Lolwut. Salamander command tanks have one of the best buffs in the game, a flat +1 BS instead of all that re-roll 1s nonsense. Even with the price increase they're still incredibly powerful as long as you have the right units around to buff.

It's a buff that can only be applied to a single unit within 6". It's not a 6" aura. Unless that unit is a superheavy tank, you're better just buying two units instead of the Salamander and one unit.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
It's a buff that can only be applied to a single unit within 6". It's not a 6" aura. Unless that unit is a superheavy tank, you're better just buying two units instead of the Salamander and one unit.

How convenient that superheavy tanks are really good right now.

 Peregrine wrote:

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
It's a buff that can only be applied to a single unit within 6". It's not a 6" aura. Unless that unit is a superheavy tank, you're better just buying two units instead of the Salamander and one unit.

How convenient that superheavy tanks are really good right now.

Yes, but in a thread about light armour I'd hardly consider them an appropriate topic of discussion.

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Yes, but in a thread about light armour I'd hardly consider them an appropriate topic of discussion.

One would think that you, of all people, would understand the value of putting LoW in every armored list. A Baneblade/Shadowsword supported by a bunch of smaller tanks is a perfectly thematic list and makes good use of the Salamanders the OP wants to use.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, your claim was that the Salamander buff is "mid-tier", not that the Salamander is a powerful unit that isn't suited for the OP's specific strategy.

 Peregrine wrote:

 Unit1126PLL wrote:
Yes, but in a thread about light armour I'd hardly consider them an appropriate topic of discussion.

One would think that you, of all people, would understand the value of putting LoW in every armored list. A Baneblade/Shadowsword supported by a bunch of smaller tanks is a perfectly thematic list and makes good use of the Salamanders the OP wants to use.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Also, your claim was that the Salamander buff is "mid-tier", not that the Salamander is a powerful unit that isn't suited for the OP's specific strategy.

Yes, there is good reason to have superheavies in an armored list, but he was asking about 17 chimera chassis units, specifically, based on my reading of the post.

And yes, Peregrine, posts are contextual. In a list that includes only Chimera-chassis tanks, the Salamander buff is mid-tier. I suppose next time I should just put a header on all my posts that says "In the context of this thread..." just so people don't get confused and think I'm talking about some other irrelevant, unspecified claim in my post.

Yeah, I was asking about specifically Chimera chassies. No LoW for this list, though the SalCom seems really good with a LoW. I was mainly going to use them to zip around and provide buffs to specific tanks when I needed good shots, but the fact that they're almost as expensive as the vehicles they're buffing does lower their value a bit. I can see where they would still be useful, such as adding extra +1's against -1 armies, or for high value shots where I only have one vehicle of that type in range, though it would be rare that something like these would be within six inches of each other, but not in range, though buffs from outside line of sight would also work.

 Mmmpi wrote:
I'm working on a Tallarn light armor list, and I'm wondering what the best mix of tanks are.

I have 17 chassis to work with, and am looking at:
Hellhounds (either type)
Devil Dogs
Hydras
Basilisks/medusas
Manticores
Wyverns
Command Salamanders.

I'm bringing a screen of infantry with Psykers for HQ, so probably a brigade if I can fit it.
Any holes in the list I'm looking at filling with tauroxi.
My meta is heavy space marines (loyalist and chaos), with occational Tau, Eldar, and GSC. There are fliers to worry about as well. It's a casual one though, so while I'm trying to not make a push over list, I also trying not to just run roughshod over them. I'm not looking at making stew either, just IG.

Right now I'm looking at two of each, with three salamander commands, devil dogs, and hydras.

Since these are Tallarns (and only because they're Tallarns)
I would make the following out of those 17 chassis, based on the fact that you've stated you are trying to make a list that will stand up, but won't just decimate the other players around you all the time. So for those that critique my suggestions, keep that in mind that these are not the "optimal" choices.

4 Hellhounds (Multimelta hull) - Good for almost anything, split the multimelta shot into a tank or something. Watch pesky flyers cry as they get hit with the flame cannon automatically, great for suicide bombing and hordes too (blow up on 4+). If you can make Artemia Pattern Hellhounds, these are outright superior.
2 Devil Dogs (Multimelta hull) - I'm not a fan of them, as they still suffer from IG BS 4+ even with ignoring movement penalties, but they do make good candidates for Salamander's buff.
3 basilisks (HB hull) - Good anti-tank
1 Manticore (HB hull) - Also good anti-tank, prime target for your Salamander's BS buff.
1 Atlas Recovery Vehicle (HB hull) - Park it in back or park it in front to keep your vehicles alive a bit longer. Your choice.
1 Salamander Command Vehicle (model it with storm bolter and hunter killer missile) - Remember the Salamander has native BS 3+, so all said and done, a heavy bolter, storm bolter, hunter kill missile, and heavy flamer isn't a terrible amount of dakka.
3 Wyverns (HB hull) - Great for hordes
2 Hydras (HB hull) - These are honestly not that great IMO, but they do outrange hellhounds when it comes to dealing with flyers and a surprising amount of units have the FLY keyword other than aircraft. Mostly, though I would stick to shooting flyers with hellhounds.

Built in the amounts listed above, you should be able to easily build multiple kinds of lists with your Tallarns.

Salamander Command is a near must-have to attach to most super heavies, and a Steel Fury company should absolutely have one.

However, if you don't have a super heavy, you should probably pass, since you could just outright buy another of the unit in question.

All things considered, +1 to hit is generally better than re-roll 1's from the receiving unit's perspective, but a 6" aura of re-roll 1's is better than a single-target +1 to hit from the issuing unit's perspective.


All things considered, I'd make Hellhounds and Basilisks, because they're generally good. So are Manticores. Tallarn can make Devildogs functional if you really want a light tank swarm. I'd stick to hull heavy bolters, everything else is expensive.

Yeah, I was looking at heavy bolters for everything but the DD's. Stormbolters on the short ranged ones, and heavy stubbers on the longer ranged.

Probably not on the basilisks of course.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I might toss in one Salamander for the Manticore, but otherwise, it seems like a good pass based on what everyone is saying.

How do Griffens look?

Otherwise, thanks for everyone's input.

Have you thought of Gryphonne Pattern Chimeras for your troops? They make pretty good light tanks/AFVs with the Autocannon turret.

I could see vulture gunships being used in a light tank kind of roll, even if you just hover them after turn 1. I like the way they have fly so can't get tied up in CC and made useless.

Also a big fan of the artemia pattern hellhound. Even if that does get tied up at least it will likely kill a bunch of enemies when it goes boom. Cheap too

While vultures could be good, I already have the tanks I'll be converting, and a metal slug tank really doesn't resemble a helicopter.

Find an alternative to the Taurox which doesn't look like buttered ass? Something like the Mantic Mule or something.

 Elbows wrote:
Find an alternative to the Taurox which doesn't look like buttered ass? Something like the Mantic Mule or something.

I'm using these model kits as a basis.



They come with double the tracks and hull plating in clear versions so you can see the inside layer of the model. I was going to use those to build Taurox tankettes.

Can't guarantee that they won't look like buttered ass when I'm done, but they'll look like different buttered ass.

Very chibi-esque, have you considered some of the 'Meng' juniors tanks?

I didn't even know those existed!

Damn, the company doesn't have them on it's website...

Bonaparte! The only armoured vehicle cuter than Tachikomas

Bonaparte's model kit was out of production, and therefor out of my price range for a whole army.