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.

Hellcannons can certainly provide some nasty ranged mortal woundage but the crew is so easily dispatched. Is it worth taking over a Keeper of Secrets or Rage Thirster or 3 Khorograths (for examples of about 300 point power units)? Or does the Hellcannon just need good bubble wrap with Chaos Warriors perhaps?

I have heard that some units can pop up like deepstriking but how far away do they typically have to be from enemy units, and then how far can those deepstrikers shoot? That type of thing can ruin anyone's plans.

Hellcannons are worth the points. If you have problems with the crew getting shot to death then you just need to put it behind a building or equivalent terrain to deny line of sight (remember that the hellcannon doesn't need los to shoot). Standard war machine hunting units can have a lot of trouble with hellcannons since the cannon itself can fight better than them in melee.

it is idd also best to bubblewrap it with marauders or so.
that way there is no way that the canon runs off...

For shooty armies targetting the crew: the hell canon itself can block LoS to the crew. Range is big enough to put it out of the way of objectives. so that deepstriking forces will be out of the game if they land near the cannon. the canon itself is no pushover in melee either.

Well deployed the thing is a bomb.