Written By GoDz BuZzSaW
Purgatation Squad:
Devastator Style Units have become less and less popular for several reasons, one is due to the lack of mobility that these squads have, once they are set up they rarely move and can easily be avoided by enemy tanks from cover. Another is due to the more efficient Tanks that can be used by the Space Marines. While the Purgatation Squad does not have to worry about competiting with the Vindicator or the Predator, the Psyrifleman Dreadnought puts them in their place due to the cost effictiveness and versatility. Another thing that let's the Purgatation squad down is the lack of range, they only ever have 24" range max and that's not what you want due to the lack of long ranged anti tank in the rest of the force organisation chart. This unit could've been so much better however a 4 man psycannon unit can be nice but the unit then comes a bit pricey and you still need to add a transport to that, nevertheless i still believe they can perform a role on the battlefield and therefore are not in the Casual class.
May Take:
Incinerator - Can heap wounds on enemy infantry, can be effective against both MEQ and horde, there isn't a reason not to take this option, especially when it's free!
Psilencer - Awful, 24 S4 shots if they are your weapon of choice, Not only that but they are Heavy Weapons so you have to remain stationary to fire them. A full unit of Grey Knights with Psybolt could do the job much better.
Psycannon - The best weapon of choice with up to 16 Shots when stationary if all 4 weapons are psycannons. They are Versatile but the short range can let them down.
Rating: Semi Competitive
Dreadnought:
May Take:
TL Heavy Bolter - A cheap option which can make the Dreadnought Versatile, it can be a good choice when combined with Psybolt ammuntion.
TL Autocannon - The best choice to take, the most reliable form of anti tank weaponry in the codex and for such a cut price, whats not to like? It can be very versatile as it can put wounds on Infantry, Monstrous Creatures and Damage vehicles with ease and thanks to Fortitude you can get the most out of them. This option creates the infamous Psyrifleman Dreadnought
Assault Cannon - This option is a good choice, when combined with Psybolt Ammunition it turns into a Psycannon, the problem is the lack of range and this slot of the Force Organisation chart is the main source of long ranged firepower. However it's not to say that it shouldn't be taken and can still be a competitive choice.
Plasma Cannon - A nice weapon which does well against Infantry, but there are better options to take, can provide long ranged MEQ/TEQ killing power when needed.
TL Lascannon - Too expensive, the TL Autocannon will most likely do a better job at cracking open tanks due to the extra 3 shots it provides, while the TL Lascannon has AP2 the single shot means that it will only ever kill one infantry model a turn (Extreme Overkill!). It is a better option compared to the one for the standard Dreadnought due to fortitude, but it's still too expensive for the job it does.
Missile Launcher - A Versitile Weapon with the 2 types of ammunition, but the TL Autocannon will do the job better.
Heavy Flamer - A nice addition to the Doomfist which gives the Dreadnought a chance against horde enemies.
Psybolt Ammunition - A must have if taking any of the weapons that it benefits, for 5 points it turns an Assault Cannon into a Psycannon, a TL Heavy Bolter into a Versitile Killer and makes the TL Autocannon one of the most feared weapons in the codex.
Rating: Competitive
Nemisis Dreadknight:
The Terminator controlled machine makes it's debut in the 5th edition. While the Dreadknight finds it hard to make it on the table due to it competiting with the Bargain priced Dreadnought and The ever efficient Land Raider for those important Heavy Support slots. The need for long ranged anti tank is another reason why this may not been seen on the battlefield. However there are plenty of reasons why this should be taken, it can turn into an objective grabber when combined with Grand Strategy and can also become an All-Round Stone Cold Killer in itself, It is no doubt that a Nemisis Dreadknight can be a real threat on the battlefield.
May Take:
Heavy Incinerator - The Cheapest of the ranged weapons, but by far the best, A respectable strength and the 12" range makes it a great combination with the personal teleporter, it can be called upon to take out infantry and vehicles alike and can catch a lot of Dark Eldar paper planes when they are lined up together in typical fashion.
Gatling Psilencer - A great big waste of points, pretty much 12 Bolter shots without an AP value, The special rule against Daemons won't help and the other 2 options would be much better to get the best of your Dreadknight.
Heavy Psycannon - A major let down, When i first read about a Heavy Psycannon I thought it may be like the Galting Psilencer counterpart having double the shots, but the large blast template doesn't really cut it, effectiveness has been reduced against vehicles due to scattering and you'll only get an extra 2 models maximum compared to the standard psycannon if your opponent spreads out their units correctly. It can still do a job but it's not worth the points.
Nemisis Daemon Hammer - Not a terrible choice considering that it doubles the Dreadknight's strength to 10, but the Dreadknight's S6 2D6 Armour Penetration with Hammerhand should be enough to take down the vehicles which is one of the main reasons why you would take this.
Nemisis Greatsword - A great choice, this weapon never fails to come in handy, it's great when you desperatley need to destroy a vehicle as you can re-roll Armour Penetration rolls and also helps in CC greatly as it will be able to kill of threats more efficiently.
Personal Teleporter - A great way to make the most of your Dreadknight, while it is expensive it enables the Dreadknight to shoot it's weapons right from the get go and should be getting into combat by the second turn thanks to a 30" shunt move and a 12" standard move, can also help with objectives as it can make a last turn shunt and either contesting or capturing an objective.
Rating: Competitive
Land Raider:
For me, the standard Land Raider is the most effective choice to take, it provides the long ranged anti tank that is so much needed in the Grey Knight army due to the shorter range of all of the other choices you will be taking and it provides the protection and capacity to efficiently transport a unit to where it needs to be whether capturing an objective or plunging into the heart of the enemy lines, the Land Raider is a versatile tank and is one of the major contenders for the Heavy Support slot.
May Take:
Psybolt Ammunition - The price is decent when it upgrades the TL Heavy Bolter to S6, it makes it similar to that on the Razorback and is versatile.
Searchlight - A good choice as you never know when you'll need to light up enemy infantry for other units to shoot at them in those dawn of war games and the fact that the LR can move 12" and use it makes it more effective than it is on other vehicles. Although it does stop it from firing.
Storm Bolter - Not worth the price to add an additional weapon, the Multi Melta would be a better option, the thing that makes matters worse is that it won't count as a defensive weapon if you take Psybolt ammunition to improve the Heavy Bolter.
Truesilver Armour - The lack of Daemons or Psykers you'll see attacking the vehicle means it's too expensive for what it does, and it will be useless against most armies.
Rating: Competitive
Land Raider Crusader:
I've never been a fan of the Land Raider Crusader, the Hurricane Bolters have never appealed to me, and since the release of this codex nothing has changed, whilst it does have a 16 Model Transport Capacity I'm still confused as to why this would be taken over any other variant of the land raider, I rarely if ever see the 16 model capacity used to full effect and the Hurricane bolters can only be fired in addition if the vehicle moves 6" which sacrifices the role it was made for, a Transport first and a gunboat second. Combine that with Psybolt Ammunition, which is what you want to take to get a TL Psycannon on your Land Raider and your Bolters no longer count as defensive weapons. I'm not saying that the Land Raider Crusader is useless, but the other variants are much superior and if i wanted extra bolter shots, I'd take another squad of Grey Knights which can also catch objectives.
May Take:
Hunter Killer Missile - 10 Points for a one shot weapon has never appealed to me, especially when it's only S8 and it hits on a 3+ which isn't the most reliable thing in the world, avoid this.
Psybolt Ammunition - Not as effective on the Crusader as it is on the other variants, it removes the defensive weapon status of the Hurricane Bolters which harms the Tank as a gunboat in itself, but it does a good job upgrading the TL Assault Cannon and S5 Hurricane Bolters can do well if the tank remains stationary.
Warp Stabilization Field - Works well due to Power of The Machine Spirit enabling you to fire a weapon once you land, a good choice and it's cheap.
Extra Armour - Excuse me? 15 points for something which I can pass on a Psychic test at LD10? I'd pass on this one.
Rating: Semi Competitive
Land Raider Redeemer:
The Land Raider turns MEQ killer as a result of Flamestorm Cannons, not only can it take down heavier armoured infantry but it also retains effectiveness against horde and can do an efficient job when called upon to take down Gaunts or Space Marines, the only problem with the tank is the lack of range but this tank should be able to do a job before biting the dust. The 12 Capacity enables a Terminator unit and a Character to be transported and it looks like it is better than the Crusader in every way. If you're looking for an Infantry Killer and a Reliable Transport, then this is the option to take.
May Take:
Psybolt Ammunition - A good choice which upgrades the TL Assault Cannon making it a TL Psycannon which will always be firing 4 shots.
Multi Melta - I've always been a fan of this, it benefits from PoTMS so much as the tank can move 12" and fire it meaning that it can get in 2D6" range fairly quickly and make full use of this weapon.
Psyflame Ammunition - It's a bit expensive and the extra S value won't be noticed much, but it can come in handy against those Plague Marines or other T5 infantry whenever you face them.
Rating: Competitive
