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I am thinking of adding a Skull Cannon to my Khorne Demons Detachment that joins my World Eaters. I've heard that it's a good unit. It will be my only ranged unit and I'm wondering if people usually use them as stationary cannons or if they take the -1 to hit and move them closer whilst shooting so that they can charge people for the mortal wounds while also shooting stuff.

IMO they should be backfield, spread so they deny deep strike behind your force as it moves up.

 Kharneth wrote:
I'm wondering if people usually use them as stationary cannons or if they take the -1 to hit and move them closer whilst shooting so that they can charge people for the mortal wounds while also shooting stuff.

The only answer you can really get is: "It depends". When I take Scull Cannons myself I always take 3 of them (because a) they are cheap and b) redundancy is the key to your ability to inflict sustained damage). Of course, I try to screen them from enemies 'cause I want them to shoot rather than spend a turn in close combat but there are situations when you NEED them to advance or charge (for example to kill that last naughty guardsman contesting an objective).

What I can recommend to you is to use some proxy models to try Scull Cannons before you buy them. Look if they are compatible with your playstyle. See for yourself whether you are able to make them work and how many of those things you want to see in your army. And then make an informed decision. No one will be able to it for you, only you yourself based on your personal experience.

Skull Cannons are pretty great, not least of all for being a tough backfield unit that can keep you from autolosing due to being wiped, which is a very real concern for an army of T3 glass cannons.

As for charging with them, if someone drops a unit of harassers in the backfield to silence your artillery just by tying them up, then by all means charge those fools and get your mortal wounds off. Skull Cannons are no slouches in melee, it’s just a waste to be stuck there all game.

 Badablack wrote:
Skull Cannons are pretty great, not least of all for being a tough backfield unit that can keep you from autolosing due to being wiped, which is a very real concern for an army of T3 glass cannons.

As for charging with them, if someone drops a unit of harassers in the backfield to silence your artillery just by tying them up, then by all means charge those fools and get your mortal wounds off. Skull Cannons are no slouches in melee, it’s just a waste to be stuck there all game.

Haha, my army is tough as nails with t4 power armor and monsters. The only t3 are the deep striking bloodletters and they're my fodder.

Skull cannons are nice but you have access to missile launchers on havocs so....

Azuza001 wrote:
Skull cannons are nice but you have access to missile launchers on havocs so....

Yeah... I'm at 1912 points and havocs with lascannons or missile launchers are 160ish I think. The Skull Cannon is only 100 (I'd drop 2 bloodletters to fit it in). I don't like the cannon... I just can't figure out how to design the list.

You don't have to take a full havoc squad, you can take a 5 man squad with 2 missile launchers which is arguably almost as effective. You get d6 shots vs 2 with the havocs but they do d6 dmg vs d3 so.... idk?