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What do you think about the sponsons? I think they are useless. Limited fire sector, most of time cant shoot at same target. In addition, the new Ordnance rules. Heavy bolters are not significant firepower. multimeltas too expensive. I think, machinegun is enough, instead of sponsons. Though the MG is weak, but shooting in any direction.

depends on the tank. Punishers obviously get mileage out of heavy bolters as do exterminators. Executioners get mileage out of plasma cannon sponsors as well. Honestly any tank that doesn't have ordnance (so everything but the LRBT and the demolisher) stands to gain in some way from sponsons. Heavy let's you move and shoot normally so odds are there's something that lines up with what the turret does no matter what.

Either way, I magnetize my tanks for this reason, as editions change the usefulness of options goes all over, so it's best to just keep flexible.

Theres no telling, in 8th heavy may allow vehicles to ignore ordnance penalty for shooting weapons for all we know.

Short of plasma cannon sponsons, I've never seen them as useful. I've never seen heavy bolter sponsons help solve a problem the rest of an IG army hadn't already sorted out.

For the tanks that aren't Ordnance, sponsons are worth considering. Pask in a Punisher with Heavy Bolter sponsons and an Exterminator with the same are my typical HQ choice for tearing through troops and light armour. If taken as your warlord, Pask alone is firing 29 S5 shots with preferred enemy is a lot for a units most to handle.

Less frequently, a Vanquisher with hull Lascannon is one of the best anti-tank options straight out of the standard codex, multi-melts sponsons if point allow it.

In most games, I run Pask in a Punisher supported by an Exterminator as described above, and two bare LRBTs. It's been pretty effective in most of my games.

As others have said it depends on the tank. With ordinance sponsons are a waste of points, but the other variants can get some mileage out of them. I prefer heavy bolters for volume of fire. I tend to use my tanks to chew up infantry and light vehicles, most of my AT work is done by veterans and Vendettas.

I also use Pask in a Punisher with an Exterminator buddy, heavy bolters all around on both. It dumps a ton of fire downrange against enemy dudes, and against AV 10-12 it's basically a guaranteed kill if you need it.

I'll add in any non ordinance version that's anti infantry, the heavy stubber is an excellent 5pts to spend.


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I'll add in any non ordinance version that's anti infantry, the heavy stubber is an excellent 5pts to spend.

While this is GSC rather than AM, I like my outflanking Russ with the 4 shot autocannon, multimelta sponsons and a lascannon to come in and nuke some heavy armour or pop a transport.

How about Vanquisger+lascannon+rocket with Pask or commander?

I'm a fan of Multi-meltas on vanquishers, and exterminators. Vanquishers are tank hunters, and exterminators are multi-role.

Hvy flamers on the nova cannon version
Plasma on Demolishers, to have something to shoot outside of 24"

I leave the sponsons off the standard.
Haven't used the other versions.