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Hi - just getting back into 40k after 7-8 years away - just got a Repulsor and was looking on ideas of how to kit it out weapon wise for a general all round type vehicle - I love Gatling guns so that's what the main turret weapon will be the heavy onslaught cannon - should I use grenade launchers anywhere or stick with guns TIA

 Beaker07 wrote:
Hi - just getting back into 40k after 7-8 years away - just got a Repulsor and was looking on ideas of how to kit it out weapon wise for a general all round type vehicle - I love Gatling guns so that's what the main turret weapon will be the heavy onslaught cannon - should I use grenade launchers anywhere or stick with guns TIA

Welcome back.

One thing to consider is what else is in you list. Do you need the AV from the Lascannons?

The auto launchers are more worth it these days that you can pop smoke as a stratagem, rather then give up all your firepower for a turn.

I prefer the stormbolters over the fragstorms, especially as an Ultramarine. In general, the SBs are better at 0-12, frags at 13-18, and the SB at 19-24. Same damage profile, but the SB gets either 2/4 shots to the frag’s d6 (which averages 3.5). As an Ultra in tac doctrine (where you should be for turns 2-3) you fire the SBs as stationary, so they are just on average better.
Edit: I was wrong about the shots, but still prefer SBs. I’ll take the flat numbers over erratic dice, and the band where the frags are better, and the amount they are better, is just too narrow for my tastes. You are probably never going to advance the repulsor, and the blast trait had pros and cons, but more cons here (no melee shooting) IMHO.

Another point to think about is practicality. The repulsor is encrusted with guns. How long will it take to resolve it’s shooting? Sure the Ironhails are OK guns, and who doesn’t love more dakka? But is it worth the effort of rolling the dice for yet another profile?

 Beaker07 wrote:
Hi - just getting back into 40k after 7-8 years away - just got a Repulsor and was looking on ideas of how to kit it out weapon wise for a general all round type vehicle - I love Gatling guns so that's what the main turret weapon will be the heavy onslaught cannon - should I use grenade launchers anywhere or stick with guns TIA

welcome back. I, too, had a extended 40k remission, over 10 years in my case, but this hobby never really lets you go.


the armament depends how aggressive you plan to be with it as a transport.

under the current rules, vehicles can shoot while tagged in melee, but only into the unit they are engaged with. However, you cannot do this with blast weapons (its no longer a template, just a keyword in the weapons abilities section). So, the fragstorm grenade launchers and icarus rocket pod cannot be used in melee, but storm bolters and krakstorm launchers can be. This means you can sometimes shoot yourself out for melee if youve been tagged by a weak chaff unit to hold you in place.

Thus, depending on whether or not you expect the enemy to charge your replusor can help you decide what to equip it with, and what your planning to load into it can be a big factor. Obviously, if you have assault intercessors that will jump out and charge something, thats going to be reduce the risk of charging compared to having a shooting focused unit like hellblasters in it.


Also, just be forewarned, the conventional wisdom is that most space marine vehicles these days are sub-par, mainly due to them not having CORE and thus not getting access to most aura abilities, unlike infantry who generally do. Its not that they are totally useless, just the marines have better options available these days, and the replusor is expensive (310-320 depending on if you take lascannons or bolters in the front casemate gun), and the game is a lot more leathal than it was 8 years ago, you'd be suprised how quickly someone can kill a 16 wound vehicle these days.

 Nevelon wrote:

 Beaker07 wrote:
Hi - just getting back into 40k after 7-8 years away - just got a Repulsor and was looking on ideas of how to kit it out weapon wise for a general all round type vehicle - I love Gatling guns so that's what the main turret weapon will be the heavy onslaught cannon - should I use grenade launchers anywhere or stick with guns TIA

Welcome back.

One thing to consider is what else is in you list. Do you need the AV from the Lascannons?

The auto launchers are more worth it these days that you can pop smoke as a stratagem, rather then give up all your firepower for a turn.

I prefer the stormbolters over the fragstorms, especially as an Ultramarine. In general, the SBs are better at 0-12, frags at 13-18, and the SB at 19-24. Same damage profile, but the SB gets either 2/4 shots to the frag’s d6 (which averages 3.5). As an Ultra in tac doctrine (where you should be for turns 2-3) you fire the SBs as stationary, so they are just on average better.

Another point to think about is practicality. The repulsor is encrusted with guns. How long will it take to resolve it’s shooting? Sure the Ironhails are OK guns, and who doesn’t love more dakka? But is it worth the effort of rolling the dice for yet another profile?

The Ultra doctrine has no effect on the storm bolters of the Repulsor or vehicles in general. Bolter Discipline let only infantry, bikes and terminators fire twice at full range stationary.

 Lord_Valorion wrote:

The Ultra doctrine has no effect on the storm bolters of the Repulsor or vehicles in general. Bolter Discipline let only infantry, bikes and terminators fire twice at full range stationary.

My bad, you are correct.

Thanks everyone for their help - bought the Repulsor as I wanted a transport for my new primaris marines didn't know points value or load outs available at the time got it because i liked it as a model? - I now have the rule book and space marines codex - liked the look of a main Gatling gun - I have a 10 man intercessor squad and a 5 man hellblaster squad at the moment - thinking Twin Heavy Bolters front, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon Front, 3 Ironhail Heavy Stubbers 2 front & 1 rear and SB's on both sides - never thought of the number of dice rolls involved

 Beaker07 wrote:
Thanks everyone for their help - bought the Repulsor as I wanted a transport for my new primaris marines didn't know points value or load outs available at the time got it because i liked it as a model? - I now have the rule book and space marines codex - liked the look of a main Gatling gun - I have a 10 man intercessor squad and a 5 man hellblaster squad at the moment - thinking Twin Heavy Bolters front, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon Front, 3 Ironhail Heavy Stubbers 2 front & 1 rear and SB's on both sides - never thought of the number of dice rolls involved

Fair enough. "I just think their neat" is a perfectly acceptable reason to get a model, I know I have used it many times as well. The model will still be cool looking regardless of what the current datasheet, after all, and those can change or the points can drop (we're due for a points adjustment, so maybe it will get a bit cheaper which make it more effective).

tell me, has anyone told you about battlescribe yet? it's a open source free list building tool, very very helpful for planning your purchases and has the up to date points values (IMPORTANT: the values printed in the codex have been superceded by GW, so they aren't 100% correct. GW pushes out the Minitorum Field Manual with tweaked points for all factions every so often, the next one is due this month, so dont rush out to buy it just yet. )

 Beaker07 wrote:
Thanks everyone for their help - bought the Repulsor as I wanted a transport for my new primaris marines didn't know points value or load outs available at the time got it because i liked it as a model? - I now have the rule book and space marines codex - liked the look of a main Gatling gun - I have a 10 man intercessor squad and a 5 man hellblaster squad at the moment - thinking Twin Heavy Bolters front, Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon Front, 3 Ironhail Heavy Stubbers 2 front & 1 rear and SB's on both sides - never thought of the number of dice rolls involved

The practicality of dice was something that first struck me when I built a fluffy Vanguard Vet unit a few editions ago. These are the cream of the chapter’s close combat specialists, with open access to the armory. So every one of them got different weapons, to represent that they were a band of heroes, each with a history and a preference. On the table it was a nightmare to figure out who was in contact with who, what the stats of their weapons, and do all the rolls separate. Luckily, I use magnets, so now they generally hit the table with one or two profiles for the squad, and sometimes a different one for the sarge.

Repulsor is a lot like that (and has gotten worse in 9th from 8th) Just so many guns with different ranges, profiles, and ideal targets. You nominate what everything is going to shoot, and by the time you start working your way through the list, you start forgetting what you picked, or if you’ve already rolled it.

Personally I magnetized the hull/turret weapons so I can swap as needed.
Top gunner with the gatling
SBs over the side doors
Icarus missile over the back.
No choice for the krack launchers (or the hunter missile I guess, never glued that on personally; was just a strat in 8th)
IMHO stubbers of any sort have no place in the marine armory, so get left off. I know you can get the co-axial one for free. Don’t care.
The launchers on the side of the turret (auto launchers or more fragstorms) I built as closed, so can counts-as either. Maybe not 100% WYSWYG legal, but who can count all the guns on the thing?

thanks - yes i tend to build models that i like that aren't maybe the most efficient tempted to go for the 2nd Gatling gun as well lol - no haven't heard of battlescribe before just saw some downloads on GW website and also that there has been a revision to some points in the codex - will check battlescribe out - thanks

When asking the best way to kit out an expensive 40k kit with lots of options, the correct answer is always magnets.

In hind sight would have been better getting an Impulsor only 110 pts basic

 Beaker07 wrote:
In hind sight would have been better getting an Impulsor only 110 pts basic

If you just want the taxi, why pay for the MBT?

Repulsors are like Land Raiders. They have 2 jobs, tank and transport, which are often mutually exclusive. And you pay for both, even if not using them. So from a points efficiency standpoint, they are not the best. But they are cool looking grav tanks, so I’ll forgive a lot to see it on the table now and again.

I recently picked up a gladiator which I’m going to build so it can be either one depending on what my list needs. Don’t always have space for the big guy depending on points.

Thanks i bought it before i got the codex so didnt know points etc but have decided to get back into the hobby properly and hopefully play games so need to think about that now - was looking at the combat patrol set it looks good value to get a taxi for the marines

 Beaker07 wrote:
Thanks i bought it before i got the codex so didnt know points etc but have decided to get back into the hobby properly and hopefully play games so need to think about that now - was looking at the combat patrol set it looks good value to get a taxi for the marines

Combat patrol boxes are a reasonable discount, assuming you want most of what's in the box. The vanguard box your looking at will be a nice expansion for you. Just a reminder that all the phobos marines in the lighter armour can forward deploy via their concealed positions ability, so they can start the game in middle.

Also, the boards are smaller now, and everyone can "fleet of foot" now, so getting forward isn't as hard. Once you play a few games you'll see what I mean.

Thanks for the info - yes i called into my local GW to get the rules and codex and the manager was telling me about the different sized boards now as i need a battle mat as well - i bought the dark imperium and indomitus sets and have the marines from them and a ATV so the CP set would be a good addition