Full Frontal

Back to the series where I compare multiple versions of similar pieces of wargear.  This time, it's going to be about Eldar, as I'm focused on them.  Let's get started...

The Imperial armies all have multiple versions of multiple tanks and therefore make this article nearly unending.  But the oldest of the races in the galaxy don't have that particular benefit.  In fact, it seems that the Xenos only have one or two vehicle platforms to take to war.  Of all the xenos, the Eldar come away the best.  Tau only have two versions of a single tank, Orks only have one tank at all, and the Necrons have one real tank period (and a couple of fake ones).  The Eldar, on the other hand, have three tanks to choose from.

I do have to note that I was hoping the Hornet would translate from Forgeworld to 40k.  But it wasn't meant to be.  Oh well, it is what it is.

Instead, the Eldar kept the Falcon and Fire Prism grav-tanks, and added the Night Spinner.  As if the Heavy Support slot wasn't already filled to the brim with legitimate options, now it's even more full.  Which makes this article almost necessary.  So what are the differences?  Which tank is better overall?  What vehicle should an Autarch include if he gets the choice?

Well, there's some similarities to start with:  All three tanks have an armour value range of Front 12, Side 12, and Rear 10.  All three are Fast, Skimmer, Tanks, meaning they can move up to 6" in the movement phase and fire all weapons at full Ballistic Skill.  Or they can move up to 12" and fire two weapons at full BS and the rest as 'Snap Shots'.  During movement, they can ignore all intervening terrain and even friendly and enemy troops.  Furthermore, they can move 'Flat Out' in the shooting phase up to 18", allowing them to cover ALOT of ground in a hurry if needed.

Upgrades can really make these monsters a beast, as well.  The Crystal Targeting Matrix allows the vehicles to fire a single weapon after moving Flat Out at full BS.  The Star Engines allow the vehicles to move Flat Out up to 24".  The Vectored Engines allow the vehicle to turn to a new facing after firing its weapons, thereby keeping less vulnerable to fire from the rear.  Add the cover save-boost by the Holo Fields and you can see how the upgrades really work to make the tanks more threatening.  Admittedly, these upgrades aren't cheap and will increase the cost of the tanks by quite a bit.

Now we can talk about each tank on its own:

Falcon
This is the go-to tank for the Eldar.  Long has it been the 'main' battle tank and supported the advance of the ancient race as they go to war.  Mounting a fearsome array of weapons and with tons of options, it can pretty much handle any situation.  Then, to make it that much more effective, it has a transport capacity!  Carrying a squad of up to six models, it can lay down a punishing amount of firepower and then drop off some very powerful specialists to deal with threats of any type.

The 'common' version of the Falcon mounts a Pulse Laser (two Str 8, AP 2 shots) to kill tanks, a Scatter Laser (4 Str 6 shots with Laser Lock), and a Shuriken Cannon (3 Str 6, AP 5, basically Rending shots).  This load-out allows the vehicle to engage any target- from the heavily armoured (Pulse Laser) to the horde infantry (Shuriken Cannon).  The advantage added from the Scatter Laser is that it twin-links all other weapons on the tank as long as it hits the intended target.  Against vehicles this can guarantee the Pulse Laser hits and has a chance of causing some damage, while against infantry this becomes four more shots to add to the now-twin-linked battery of five already.

Not being terribly good at killing vehicles, it might be worth taking a Bright Lance (a single Str 8, AP 2, Lance shot) rather than the Scatter Laser.  But against infantry, the 'common' version is perfect.  Including the transport capacity, this vehicle may be considered one of the best 'all-around' vehicles in the game.  And the common version is only 145 points- not bad!  It's till a tad too expensive, but what in the Eldar army isn't?

Fire Prism
Long considered the 'ugly duckling' of the Eldar tanks, this one mounts a massive crystal weapon that can fire a beam of focused energy designed to slag enemy tanks.  In previous editions, this vehicle could either change the firing mode or combine fire with other Fire Prisms to create an even more powerful shot.  Unfortunately, this meant that owning only a single Fire Prism could really reduce the effectiveness.  Luckily, the new version of the tank brought back the differing fire modes and turned the vehicle into a singular threat again.

The Fire Prism weapon has three firing modes- a big boom (a Str 5, AP 3, large blast shot), a regular boom (a Str 7, AP 2, blast shot), or a surgical strike (a single Str 9, AP 1, Lance shot).  This allows the tank to engage mass infantry or heavy vehicles with ease.  Unfortunately, the Fire Prism only mounts a Fire Prism (see what I did there?) and could upgrade the twin-linked Shuriken Catapults to a Shuriken Cannon.  That's not alot of firepower.  However, it makes up for it with a single gun of epic destruction and mayhem.

This tank is very simply that- a tank!  It's not armed with a ton of weapons, nor does it have the ability to carry troops.  Upgraded with the Shuriken Cannon, this vehicle weighs in at 135 points, which isn't horrible considering what it can do.  However, it is also a prime target to the enemies of the Eldar, as it LOOKS threatening enough to warrant the attention.

Night Spinner
This is the newest edition to the order of battle for the Eldar warhosts.  It's not pretty either, but certainly better-looking than the original Forgeworld version.  The Night Spinner is easily overlooked as it's not the 'normal' thing that people are used to, but that may be a gross underestimation on the part of Autarchs everywhere.

This is the only artillery tank in the entire arsenal.  It mounts a fantastic weapon that enemies everywhere don't understand.  You see, it launches monofilament netting high into the air and allows it to drop on the mass of troops, slicing them apart with contempt.  And the tank need never be seen to do this!  If the Night Spinner is facing the enemy, then it can launch the monofilament right into their faces, ignoring cover and causing great mayhem overall.  It's gun has two modes-  the artillery (a Str 7, AP 6, barrage, large blast, Monofilament (basically Rending) shot) and the direct version (a Str 7, AP 6, template, Torrent, Monofilament (did I mention basically Rending?) shot).  Space Marine armour might be enough to stop the damage, but it's a risk the enemy doesn't want to take.  Better, this weapon can even kill tanks as easily as a Pulse Laser-wielding Falcon!

Having artillery is always a plus on the post-modern battlefields of the 41st milennium, and this tank fills that role all-too well.  Having a twin-linked Shuriken Catapult as the secondary weapon is irrelevant as, again, it's the main gun that counts.  Accounting for only 115 points, this tank is a bargain in the Eldar army.  It's even more of a bargain since the enemy will rarely be scared of it, but can often develop respect after gobs of troops die.

So what is my overall ranking?  Just as normal, I'll post my list below in order of best to worst.  Funny enough, this list is difficult to make as all three of these vehicles are valuable, and the points reduction in the new book makes a huge difference.  But I have to have my opinion nonetheless, so let's see:

Rankings
1.  Night Spinner- having nearly the killing power of the Fire Prism and the cheapness to beat all three, this tank certainly seems like the winner.  But it's arguable.
2.  Fire Prism- when it comes to having a tank, having a tank is actually the key.  There is no substitute for a gun that can be a Battle Cannon or a Bright Lance at a moment's whim.
3.  Falcon- this is more of a heavy transport than a true tank, but that doesn't mean it fails at its role.  In fact, this tank is still the obvious choice for the typical warhost of Eldar.  But it's more 'general' than 'specific', and that can really bring it down compared to the other two.

Do you agree with my estimation?  Let me know what you think.  As I said, it's difficult to rank these as all three tanks have their role to play and fulfill them perfectly.  All of them are still expensive (just as all Eldar are), but they aren't terrible.

Bling for the boss

Today, I'm going to post about how to arm your squad leaders for combat.  This is NOT a tactics article.  I'm not going to do math-hammer (although I could, but I HATE predicting probability.  It never seems to work in my favor), and I'm not going to give you a breakdown of points-efficiency.  I AM going to tell you guys about what to give your sergeants and squad leaders to make them feel good about themselves...

So let's talk about those squad leaders.  Assuming you play Space Marines, or Chaos Space Marines, or Daemons, or pretty much anybody except Necrons, Tau, and 'Nids, you already understand that your squad leaders are little more than regular doods with a slight buff.  Most of the time, this buff is in the form of an additional attack and leadership stat, but sometimes you can find a higher WS, an additional wound, or all of the above (damn you, Nobs!!!).  At the core, squad leaders are not really that special.

What makes them special is three things:
1.  They have access to wargear, normally special close combat weapons, that the rest of the squad doesn't.
2.  They buff  the squad they lead, normally benefitting from a higher leadership, which can make a big difference to non-fearless armies.
3.  And the big one- they're characters!!!  The 6th edition rules gave characters their own page or three of happy-fun-time rules.

So let's look quickly at each of these advantages:

Leadership buffers!
The need to stay on the battlefield during the battle is very important.  As any real-life soldier/marine/etc will tell you, 'combat inefectiveness' isn't totally based on being killed or wounded.  A soldier who hunkers down behind cover is staying alive but is having no progressive impact on the battle.  A soldier who flees from the face on incoming bullets is not only useless but may also a negative impact on the rest of his allies.

Luckily, squad leaders are specifically trained to 'motivate' their units.  The real-life US Army does WLC and many courses besides that are meant to train sergeants in 'leading'.  Space Marines, in the 40k universe, don't have the luxury of 'leadership training'.  But they are heroes themselves so GW represents this with the LD boost.  We know why this matters in real-life, but why is it so important in the game?

Anyone ever had their heavy weapons squad line up to shoot that oncoming Land Raider full of Assault Termies, only to lose one model to their covering artillery and then become pinned?  Yeah, that can be really annoying.  Anyone ever had a squad, led by your Captain and Librarian of doom, get shot turn one, fail that Ld test and run from the table before they've even acted?  Yep, happens to me more often than I'd like to admit.  I'm not saying that I didn't have sergeants doing their thing for me, but I can only imagine how much more often this would happen if I didn't have that LD boost.  As a matter of fact, ask Eldar, IG, and even Tau players how that Ld 8 works for them...

Wait, we're characters now?
In 3rd edition, sergeants could be singled out in combat and dispatched easily.  They weren't quite characters but they were treated as separate targets in just the same way as 'true' characters while in close combat.  Nobody liked that rule (okay, some people did, but not marine players).  GW brought the rule back, but they clarified, added to it, and made it downright fun!  So what are these rules?

1.  Characters have the ability to 'snipe'.  As long as they roll a '6' to hit, be in with a gun or with a blade, they get to allocate the wound freely (if the hit wounds, of course.  That's the part I seem to have problems with...).  The 'closest guy dies first' rule can lead to generals positioning the 'flak' to the front and the important guys (especially the heavy weapon dood with his super long range) in the back.  That can mean your attempt to kill that heavy weapon will take 9 failed saves first.  NO WORRIES!  Have your sergeant take aim, roll a '6', successfully wound, and smile at your opponent when you pick out the target he was hoping to keep alive.  It's not a 'sure bet', but sergeants didn't become sergeants by 'spraying and praying', right?

2.  Characters can now be involved in 'challenges'.  Normally, it doesn't matter what rank you hold or how fancy your armor is, if you're the closest, then you're the deadest.  But characters can step outside that particular rule and lock themselves in a struggle to the death with a willing enemy character.  Can the rest of the enemy squad strike you?  Not while you're in a challenge.  Can your attacks fall on the heads of the piddly troops following the moron that dare fight you?  Nope.  It's just you and him (/her, if you're playing Eldars), and nobody else.  What sucks is when you left the Chapterhouse carrying your all-too-common chainsword, only to be challenged by the enemy character with something cooler.  Luckily, there's more!

3.  Characters have wargear options.  It's that simple, really.  This has been true since 3rd edition (2nd edition, too, but that game allowed almost ANYONE to choose from a gaggle of lists of weapons), but it really matters now.  Being stuck in a challenge without a special weapon of some sort is usually a death sentence.  Sniping with a standard sidearm is usually pretty ineffective.  If your sergeant is willing to tempt fate and go to battle with the same equipment as his subordinates, more power to ya.  But this advantage isn't an advantage on accident...

So what does this all mean? 

Not much really, I just needed to blog this week and I can't stop thinking about challenges and special CCW rules.  It also helps that I'm working on Word Bearers, which are sadly lacking in a ton of options for the Aspiring Champions, but focussed on killing nonetheless.

Dagnabbit, Jay, what are you talking about?

I'm telling you that your character needs something cool to fight with!  What are the options?
Remember, I'm assuming you play something Imperial, but the principles stand in every army.

Pistols- bolt pistol/slugga/etc. as normal weapons.  Typically Str 3 or 4, and AP 5,6, or -.  If you roll a '6' to hit and successfully wound, that chosen target will probably pass the armor save and your 'sniping' doesn't work.  Advantage though- it's free!!! 
Then there's the plasma pistol/inferno pistol, etc.  Typically str 6+ and AP 4 or lower, THESE are the pistols that will give you the most bang for the buck if you're lucky enough to roll that '6'.  Disadvantage- these upgrades cost points, normally as much as a normal trooper in said army.  But hey, getting an extra close combat attack ON TOP of being killy-death-shooty-meister isn't so bad.

Rifles- very few options here, almost always limitted to 'combi-weapons', which is nothing more than a bolter with a strap-on, one-shot, additional barrel.  Usually not expensive compared to the good pistol options, these weapons can make a huge difference for ONE TURN in the game.  Disadvantage- did I mention the one turn above?  Also, for a character, who's normally more skilled in close combat (due to that extra attack), it's limitting what this character can do well.  However, never discount the use of combi-plasma-guns for that overwatch shooting...

Blades- swords, halberds, spears, even mauls!  Typically powered, therefore AP 3 or 4, and typically equal strength or slightly higher than normal, these options give the character the ability to slice an enemy up pretty well.  The advantages are many- cheaper than the other special CCW options, no Initiative penalty (that's a BIG one), and ignoring most armor.  But the disadvantages are there as well- less likely to wound, not gonna penetrate that thick Meganob's armor, and unable to destroy heavily-armored vehicles.  Well, everything except the Power Maul, that is.  Chaplains and Librarians just became vehicle killers thanks to the new rules for those mauls, and yet I don't think people have keyed in on this yet.  I also don't think people have figured out that mauls have 'concussive', which can be really handy against faster monsters like Hive Tyrants.  Having that I6 doesn't mean anything when a maul hits and wounds...

Fists, Axes, Hammers, oh my!  Ever wanted to smash that sci-fi hopplite coming right at ya?  Here's how- high strength, low AP, and just as slow.  The advantages are simple- easier to wound and no armor is safe.  Unfortunately, the disadvantage is a massive one- initiative 1!  It also doesn't help that most of these options are 'special' and therefore don't give that sought-after additional attack.  But the potential for instant-kills and vehicle wreckage is massive, so it's all an issue of survival here.

Finally, and this one is not quite a weapon per se- shields.  There's Combat Shields, which aren't great but give an invulnerable save and an extra attack at the same time.  Plus, they're cheap.  The grand-daddy of shields (and the singular piece of game-breaking wargear, IMO) is the Storm Shield.  Advantage- an invulnerable save that even Captains wish for.  Disadvantage- well, you won't get an extra attack, but this is mitigated by the fact that you'll be around hitting things for a couple more turns.  I'm not gonna lie and say that I think Storm Shields are nifty.  I'm of the opinion that the '3++' is too much and breaks the game.  But as long as it stays that way, go to town and take advantage!!!

Thanks, Jay, you've told me things I already know.  Is there a point?  YES!  I want to tell you the top build options for your squad leaders, based on that list of advantages above.  Consider this 'gotten to the point'. 

1.  Thunder-hammer and Storm Shield.  Typically costing your 30-point sergeant another nearly 50 points, this build equals death to any enemy.  Be careful, though, as one failed save can cost you more than you were willing to pay...
2.  Power Weapon and Plasma Pistol.  A doubling of cost for a double-costed sergeant, it's way cheaper than the above and gives you almost all the advantages you can get.  The only problem here is the 'great equalizer' of wounding in close combat.  Good rolls equal success.  Bad rolls equal asking why you even try (I've spent years asking that of myself, and yet I keep coming back...).
3.  Lightning Claw and Plasma Pistol.  You're missing one attack from the build below, but your sniping shall work sooner or later, plus you get to reroll those pesky wounds in close combat.  It's actually the same cost as #2, but you trade one advantage for one disadvantage, and it actually equals out well.
4.  Pair of Lightning Claws.  Not only does this look cool, but challenging someone armed in this way can be a bit hairy.  This is not to say that this build is super-effective, but it doesn't often fail.  Don't go attacking vehicles or trying to shoot, though.  This build is designed to be the 'challenge monkey' build.
5.  Power Fist and Combi-plasma or melta/bolter.  Okay, you're a shooty master, and even get one really powerful shot once per game.  You have a Power Fist and the ability to punch that Leman Russ tank in the mouth (if it had one, otherwise go for the tailpipe).  You can, if you survive long enough, ruin some idiot's day for attempting to kill you with his cute little power dagger.  But these options are there to maximize your shooting potential and otherwise react tactically.  On the plus side, this build is usually no more expensive than #2.


There are many more combinations and even more options, but they're not common and there's usually a reason why.  Characters need their special gear, and what you're trying to accomplish makes all the difference in choosing.

More than anything, squad leaders should get first dibs on cool stuff.  You, as the general, owe it to them.  A shiny blade can make an unmotivated sergeant suddenly pumped.  Let me know what y'all think and, as always,

HAPPY GAMING!

"My Marines are better than your Marines!"

Everyday I sign into this little-known blogsite of mine and take the opportunity to read various posts on my blogroll (that's the list of blogs on the side of the page that I like) and I noticed the hatred again.  I had gotten pretty happy when the Necron rumours were released as it seemed that the following HATERAID ended temporarily:
1.  WAAC gamers and Fluffy gamers and who's better (y'all should know where I fall in that argument by now...)
2.  40k rules suck ass and the new edition will be far better or worse
3.  The cost of GW's stuff is so out-of-line that the million+ hobbyists around the world are going to quit anyday now
4.  Grey Knights are the bestest of the bestest
5.  How to paint Dark Eldar in another version of black
I have to admit that this was a glorious era- for the few weeks that it lasted.  But lo, it's back.  And my smile faded from my face as I read comment after comment and many original posts that basically pick up where we left off in the hate-filled communities that have an online forum.  Luckily, I'm here to bring some perspective, or at least talk about something a little less contentious and a little more hobby-based.  So what am I going to give a mad-rant about today?

What is the difference between one Chapter of Space Marines and the next (from a gaming standpoint)?

I am a hater of the 'codex creep' phenomenon.  I used to be a hater of gamers that perscribed to this theory and now I'm a hater of the reality.  (Yes, for all those poor hobbyists that I 'tore a new one' into- you were right!  Codex Creep does exist and it sucks ass!) 

See, I've been an Ultramarine player since the Chapter became a distinct color-scheme in a WD produced way back in the late 80's.  I chose the Ultramarines because, and this is a nifty story that I'm sure I've told before, everyone else in my local game shop played Blood Angels and Chaos.  Back in those days the differences in the Chapters was superfluous at best, but that changed over time.  Soon, the Ultramarines and Angels of Death were very different (mostly in the form of AoD getting better Termies and Death Company making their first real appearance), and those were FAR different from Chaos Space Marines.  Then 3rd came out and made these distinctions cemented in stone.  Since the early 21st century, I can honestly say that the idea of distinct Chapters of Space Marines has become more clear and more defined.  So let's take a look at the different Chapters and talk briefly about what's different about them:

Ultramarines
I'm gonna talk about these guys first for two reasons- first, that's where my loyalties lie and, second, because this Legion is the 'basis' for all other Chapters. 
So what makes the Ultramarines different than the other Chapters?  Well, first and most uniquely is the hardware.  No other Chapter has the Thunderfire Cannon or the Siege Dreadnought.  No other Chapter has the Land Speeder Storm.  And no other Chapter has the Master of the Forge.  These items aren't overpowered or even give the Ultramarines an unfair chance on the battlefield, but they're still unique to this book.  Wouldn't it be awesome for Space Wolves to have Siege Dreadnoughts or Blood Angels to have Land Speeder Storms?  Well SUCK IT!  Ultramarines do, you don't.  Ha!
What about special rules?  Well, if you take special characters you can gain some LD-boosting abilities, add Fleet or Outflank to your force, or even twin-link the best weapons in the army!  But those all require special characters and, for the most part, are pretty minor.  The Ultramarine army book is based mostly on "Look, my doods have bolters and power armor.  Go!"  This is what makes the Ultramarines different from anyone else- they're basic!

Black Templars
This is the oldest of the 'my Chapter is different than your Chapter' books.  It's actually only as old as the Tau army's entire existance (for those that don't know, I worked for the Emporer before there was such a thing as Tau), so that makes them really new in the world of Space Marines.  In fact, the Black Templars were part of the Ultramarines codex even when featured in the 3rd edition Starter Kit.
So what did GW do to make them different?  Well, they have NO Librarians.  None.  That's right, the ability to stop the Eldar's special glitter-tricks doesn't exist in this book.  The ability to draw a straight line across a battlefield and do something to the enemy does not exist.  The ability to force-weapon a Carnifex to death does not exist.  Moral of the story?  No psykers, people.
Also, there are no Veteran Sergeants.  This may not seem like a big deal to most people but not being able to take a strong close-combat specialist in a troop unit is very disconcerting to a Space Marine player.  In fact, the Black Templars lack Veterans altogether.  The Sword Brethren fulfill that role, but they don't do it as well as the other Space Marines.  Luckily, the Chapter comes around real nice with the Preferred Enemy special rule across the board.  There are other options, but taking that basically-free Captain and allowing the whole army to re-roll misses in close-combat is pretty awesome.  Although the Black Templars Chapter lacks the cool toys of the others, it still packs the punch in the dedicated role it was meant for- hitting people really hard!

Dark Angels
Unlike the Black Templars, the Dark Angels are actually privy to much of the stuff that Ultramarines go to war with.  They still have psykers and most of the wargear than all Chapters get.  But there's issues here.
The Dark Angels are little more than Ultramarines with different coloured armor.  They have no Sternguard Veterans, so can't take any of the special ammo.  Their Assault Veterans are terrible and have nothing to do with actually fighting (they pretty much just get more weapon options than a normal squad, but still can't take jump packs!), and their other units are carbon copies of the Ultramarines.  However, there is some good to it all.
Dark Angel Scouts can actually shoot.  That's right, they've gone to the Firing Range once or twice!  Real Chaplains still exist.  Their Terminators are Fearless and can mix-and-match wargear.  In fact, the Terminators and Bikes are the parts of the codex that make Ultramarine players like myself green with envy.  Bikes that Scout and have teleport homers, plus Terminator Squads as troop units, anyone?  Yes, please!  Besides being over-costed and lacking the options that some other Chapters have, Dark Angels are only slightly different and more basic than the boyz in blue.  Blame that on age.

Blood Angels
Here's where we start to get insane!  Remember how Ultramarines are the basis of all other Chapters?  Well, prepare for the sprinkles, chocolate syrup, nutty bits, and fruit on top.
Blood Angels have Sanguinary Priests that make all boyz-in-red into 'insta-death-company'.  This is crazy!  Did I mention that they're only 50 points?  They have Fast vehicles across the board (except Land Raiders, which can Deep Strike), meaning 'armoured fury' all day long.  They have Vangauard Assault Veterans AND Sanguinary Guard that are a perfect middle between those and Terminators!  They have Baal Predators and Stormraven Gunships- both very perfectly designed to do what Blood Angels do.  Finally, they have Furioso Dreadnoughts (that's their version of Siege Dreadnoughts) and Librarian Dreadnoughts.  That's right, Dreadnoughts that are also Librarians!  What do the Blood Angels not have?  See the Ultramarines entry.  They have NOT that stuff.  But they more than make up for it.  Blood Angels are the Chapter for Space Marine players that want more. 

Space Wolves
My seething hatred shall spill over on this one.  Space Wolves have always been the Chapter that angered me more than any other.  Worse yet, (and I mean no disrespect to my SW-playing readers out there) it seems that people who choose SW tend to be bigger assholes than most other gamers.  That's right, I said it- and now my hatred has spilled over.  Now back to the topic at hand:
Space Wolves lack the esoteric wargear that some of the other Chapters have.  In fact, the ability to ride giant wolves into battle seems to be about the level of creativity that the Sons of Russ can summon on a given day.  There's no special tanks or dreadnoughts, nor are there the special units of veterans, with their cool special ammo or guided jump-packs, to manage.  The Space Wolves make up for this lack of wargear options with special rules.
Their assault squads get more attacks on the charge than the rules technically allow (although they're not nearly as skilled as most assault troops), while ALL Space Wolves usually gain more attacks for being charged.  Their squads have multiple special weapon options.  SW Terminators get whatever wargear they each individually want.  Their Devastators can split fire. 
So what can't the Space Wolves do?  Take Veteran Sergeants- but wait!  They can have a whole squad of Vets and then allocate them to lead other units in the army, thereby gaining their rules too!  Think Terminator sneaking with Scouts and you'll get what I'm sayin'...  Also, the Space Wolf special characters are all but broken.  All in all, the Space Wolves are for the unimaginative Marine player that wants to win with special rules rather than special wargear.  Quick note here:  I don't hate Space Wolves, I hate Space Wolf players.  And the tournie scene has certainly magnified this for me.  If you're one of them, I'm sorry if I offended you.  Get over it, your army is better than anything else with a 3+ save and the GTs around the country seem to support this, and yet I still hear SW players whine.  So again, if I offend you by being a bit hateful, sorry.  If you're looking for an army to play in the Space Marine ilk and want to win often, Space Wolves are the force for you...

Grey Knights
This one is gonna be a bit harder since I'm totally confused with this army.  There is nothing the same as the rest of the Space Marine Chapters in this book (other than armor saves and the use of bolt-weapons), but we're now led to believe that they're just another founding just like the list above.  Here's the deal:
Grey Knights are broken.  They've got all the special rules of the Blood Angels (Iniative bonuses through Halberds and FNP through Paladins) while having none of the toys of the Ultramarines or other Chapters.  They have Psifleman Dreadnoughts (the most useless kind, in my opinion), Stormraven Gunships, and Dreadknights, but these are nothing compared to the Devastators that can shoot you behind cover or the Terminators with two wounds each, or the fact that every model is armed with a storm bolter to begin with.  This book is NOT a Space Marine codex, but I have to include them here for the interest of completion (and because GW defined them as another SM codex).
So what can the Grey Knights not do?  Well, they can't kill tanks or take real heavy weapons.  They aren't nearly as awesome as the Space Wolves in being amazing in every circumstance that presents itself.  But the Grey Knights make up for it by being freakin' awesome and almost totally unique, game-wise. 

In conclusion, I'm trying to distract you readers from the terribly droll repitition of the same topics over and over.  My idea of Space Marines has been developing for over two decades now, and it amazes me how little people understand the difference between the Chapters. 

• Are the Space Marine books all the same?  By no means.  Each is unique, even in the game.
• Should we continue to refer to all these books as 'more of the same thing?  No!  Just because GW puts out a Space Marine codex of some sort every year doesn't mean that this is a wash-and-repeat process.  Despite the fact that these are all fighting for the Emperor and all humanity, they don't share common goals, practices, or even languages.  So no, they're not the same thing. 
• Which Chapter is best in the game?  Well, if I had to rank them (and you know I do), I'd rank them as such:
• Space Wolves- they may not have the CC punch that BA or GK have, but they're good in EVERY situation
• Blood Angels- they are scary and very powerful, but they're not broken (for the most part). 
• Grey Knights- they can beat any of the other Chapters hands down, unless one of them brings a shooty army.  And that's why GK are third and not first...
• Ultramarines- hated by everyone, played by almost nobody.  This book is great as long as you ignore half the other books in the line and don't paint your models blue.
• Black Templars- they aren't multi-dimensional, but they certainly do what they do better than anyone else.
• Dark Angels- even a whole army of Terminators isn't enough to make this book good, but the backstory is awesome and the army is not overburdened with options, rules, or focus. 

It must also be noted that I have EVERY one of these armies (well, I sold the SW and BT last year, but I had them), so I'm giving you guys the thoughts I had with models in hand.  This isn't just my bitterness, I promise.  Go Ultramarines!

As always, let me know what you guys think and Happy Gaming!

Full Frontal

It's time for me to spew forth opinions of doom about things again.  In this column, it's all about vehicles and the differences between the various versions.  This time it's all about the humble Land Speeder.

The Land Speeder is one of the coolest vehicles in the 41st Millenium, in my opinion.  And since I'm as awesome as they come, that means I'm right.  Here's why:

The Land Speeder is one of the many STC (standard template constructs) found by the famous technoarchaeologist, Arkhan Land.  It's ubiquitous designs featured a control 'cockpit', a propulsion engine, and a massive anti-grav plate that allowed it to hover.  Astartes forces began adding armor plating to afford greater protection for battlefield use, and many 'marks' have become commonplace.

The best features of the Land Speeder, as a battlefield weapon, is the 'deep strike' capability and the 'fast' rule.  This allows the Land Speeder to quickly engage any kind of target at almost immediately.  From a gamer standpoint, that can be very useful, especially for a model that doesn't cost that many points.

The various versions

Land Speeder

This is the 'standard' version of the Land Speeder.  It is commonly mounted with either an infantry-shredding heavy bolter or a tank-busting multi-melta.  The Heavy Bolter-armed Land Speeders work best in squadrons of three (that's 9 strength 5 shots for only 150 points!), while the the anti-tank Multi-Melta armament is ideal for individual 'sting' elements.

The lack of 'punch' in this model gives it a ranking of okay.

  Land Speeder Tornado, mk I

This version of the Land Speeder is scary at close range.  Mounting the infantry-focused heavy flamer and the anti-tank multi-melta, this vehicle can engage both targets as the battle progesses.  As a stand-alone unit, the Tornado I is a nuisance.  As part of a squadron of three vehicles, the unit becomes very lethal.  Using the unit to deep strike very close to the target means that it'll almost always earn back the 200 points it costs.

Unfortunately, the very short range of this version puts it at great risk for such an un-armored vehicle.  I rank it pretty good. 

Land Speeder Tornado, mk II

Made absolutely famous by the Dark Angel's Ravenwing Company, this version of the Land Speeder was the most common for a long time.  Mounting anti-infantry Heavy Bolters AND Assault Cannons, these vehicles scared the pants off all enemies.  The Tornado II was specifically meant to lay down alot of pew-pew.  Tyranids, Orks, Tau, and Eldar all react quickly to its deployment.  Unfortunately, the new edition of the game made deep-striking a less attractive way to deploy the vehicle, as now it can only fire one weapon. 

Nonetheless, with the huge amount of firepower (especially in squadrons) and the relatively low points cost, I rank this mark 'freakin' cool!'

Land Speeder Typhoon

For many long years, this model was the laughing stock of the Land Speeder world.  When I returned from college and bought myself back into the hobby, this was one of the first units I purchased.  And then I read my new codex (all 12 pages of it) and decided that the Typhoon was useless.  It sat in my stock closet for years.  And years.  And more years then (all adding up to about 12 years).  Then, the new rules were released.  The useless Typhoon missle was replaced with frag and krak rounds.  Then they were allowed to fire twice.  And all for around 100 points?  Plus another heavy weapon!?  Needless to say, I changed my mind recently and built that super-old model.  And then bought three more of the new plastic ones!!!  Mwahahahahah! 

The Typhoon is a fire-support vehicle in the extreme.  The Typhoon Missle Launchers can attack vehicles AND infantry equally, and then a Heavy Bolter or Multi-Melta can be added.  The Heavy Bolter is fantastic as it engages infantry targets alongside the frag missles while the Land Speeder is zipping across the battlefield.  I personally prefer the Multi-Melta, however, as 2 krak missles and a Multi-Melta seem to be able to kill anything.  Sadly, this version must slow down a bit.  Deep Striking this Land Speeder is more effective than the Tornado version, as it'll fire one weapon and some frag missles into a unit.  Because of the high points cost, they work best in squadrons of two.  Even below strength, a Typhoon squadron pumps out alot of firepower.

Overall, I rank the Typhoon as 'Awesome'!

Land Speeder Storm

Okay, it mounts one Heavy Bolter, carries a half-size Scout Squad, and is crewed by noobs with a Ballistic Skill of 3.  It does mount a deep-strike-disruptor-thingie, which can be useful against those deamons.  But yeah...  This version leaves me speechless.

I rank the Storm as 'almost completely crap'.

Land Speeder Tempest

Have I mentioned that I love me some Land Speeders?  This version is the 'heavy' of the class.  It mounts a front armor value of 11 (making it much harder to kill unless battling against Tau) and mounts a twin-linked Missle Launcher and an Assault Cannon.  This model is a Forgeworld model and isn't part of the standard rules set, but I would be remiss if I didn't get this in as well.  After all, it is a Land Speeder...

Because of the heavy armor and cool weapons, I rank the Tempest as 'Cool.'

In Summation

I DO love me some Land Speeders.  I've never had an Ultramarine army without them.  They're speedy, deliver firepower onto whatever I need them to, and don't soak up too many valuable points.  But, as in life, there are always winners and losers.  Here's how I rank the different marks of the Land Speeders, from best to worst:

1.  Land Speeder Typhoon

2.  Land Speeder Tempest

3.  Land Speeder Tornado, mk II

4.  Land Speeder Tornado, mk I

5.  Land Speeder

6.  Land Speeder Storm

Tell me whether you guys agree or not, or what you think in general.  Happy Gaming!

Full Frontal

It's time to revisit that old column, Full Frontal.  In these articles, I directly compare the multiple patterns or versions of some wargear and rank them.  Today's article happens to be about the vaunted Predator Tank.

As a Blood Angels player, I have access to up to six of these battle tanks, giving me alot of options.  Most space marine armies can only have three and then still don't have access to the Baal patterns.  For this article, I'm going to assume that I'm playing my Blood Angels, or that ALL space marines have access to all versions (minus the supercharged engines, of course).  Let's get started:

Predator Mk 1

This is the oldest version of the Predator.  It only came with a turret-mounted autocannon and sponson-mounted lascannons.  The Imperial armies used this vehicle as their main battle tank, claiming it was fast and well-armed.  Unfortunately, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th editions made this vehicle almost obsolete.  Luckily, the new 5th edition has put the tank back on par with the other marks. 

In fact, in the modern era of tank combat, this version of the predator is both cheap and effective.  The lascannons are obvious tank-busters, but the autocannon does have the stopping power to ruin most transports' days.  Add the ballistic skill of the space marine gunners and you have a powerful armored bohemoth. 

There was a point I thought this tank was as stupid as it gets, but I've since changed my mind and I rank it pretty good.

Predator Destructor

This version of the Predator is the cheapest of them all.  It is armed with the turret-mounted autocannon and sponson-mounted heavy bolters (although it can be armed like the Mk I).  Of all the versions of the tank, this version sees the least use.  It's single role as an infantry-support vehicle means that it's rarely needed, as the infantry of the 41st millenium are usually well-supported already.  For facing against horde armies, such as Tyranids and Orks, this vehicle always earns its points back.  When facing against immobile marines and IG, this tank is little more than a few extra points on the table.

Overall, I rank it as okay.

Predator Annihilator

The Annihilator is the most well-known and feared Predator on the battlefield.  Packing a turret-mounted twin lascannon and usually sporting the lascannon sponsons, it strikes fear into any enemy commander foolish enough to bring armor to war.  The Annihilator, especially during the 4th edition era, was often armed with sponson-mounted heavy bolters, allowing it to fulfill a tank-hunter and an infantry-support role simultaneously.  With the mobility issue brought by 5th edition, the 'all-lascannon' version has taken over again. 

I rank the Annihilator as Awesome-sauce.  It's almost never not worth it.

Baal Predator

This Predator is lucky enough to mount a turret twin-assault cannon, giving it a huge amount of anti-infantry firepower.  The sponsons are also typically armed with heavy bolters, but are sometimes given the shorter-ranged heavy flamers for that 'close-in' support.  The Blood Angels, using almost exclusively strike tactics, enjoy having a battle tank that shreds infantry and works best at close range.  Compared to the Destructor pattern, the Baal is dead even, trading a bit of punch for more firepower. 

I rank the Baal Predator as okay, although its place in the BA codex really ups it to awesome-on-a-stick.

Firestorm Baal Predator

This battle tank is just wrong.  Having the armor of the Predator, with the flame-heavy weapons loadout, makes this vehicle a truly fearsome opponent for mass horde armies and even Space Marines themselves.

The turret mounts a flamestorm cannon which fires the most powerful flamethrower gout known to mankind.  The inferno is so hot the even power armor melts under it.  The sponsons are usually armed with heavy bolters like the Baal pattern, but heavy flamers can be taken as well.  This much fire is more than a match for the enemy's infantry squads, and the tank is relatively cheap as well. 

Overall, I rank this Predator as cool-as-hell.  Mostly because it shoots hell onto people, and that's just cool.

To finally summarize

I like the Predator tanks, especially with the wide variety of choices.  Although I don't often use them in most of my marine armies, my Blood Angels would be no fun without them.  My favorites aren't always the most tactical version, but I'm willing to rank them this way from top to bottom:

1.  Predator Annihilator

2.  Flamestorm Baal Predator

3.  Predator Mk I

4.  Baal Predator

5.  Predator Destructor

And with that, I'm gonna go build a new tank for one of my armies...

Full Frontal

This is the first of my 'which is better' articles.  I personally love the game and think the rules are pretty neato, but 40k does have some obvious winners and losers.  At least to me.  In this article, I'll show the merits of each of the 'versions' of something, and tell you why I think one or some are better than the rest.  Let's get this started...

Land Raider

These are the most powerful vehicles the space marines have at their disposal.  Once produced in such high quantities that every Imperial force could have them, this tank has become so rare that only Astartes chapters even have access to them now.  Some chapters maintain entire companies of Land Raiders- sometimes to transport the first company and other times to be 'armored spearheads'- while other chapters only have a half-dozen or so in their entire inventory.

All Land Raider patterns share certain common traits.  They all have the thickest armor available to non-starships (that's a 14 all around) with no obvious weaknesses.  They have fully-sealed compartments, allowing their crew and troops to traverse any form of environment.  They all have assault ramps and assault doors, allowing disembarking troops to launch straight into hand-to-hand combat.  But most importantly, they all have a machine spirit, known as 'deus ex machina'.
This machine spirit is another intelligence, not to be confused with artificial intelligence, which can control functions of the vehicle even when the crew are debilitated.  There are even recorded instances where a Land Raider's machine spirit was responsible for solely defeating an enemy or evacuating non-able crew.  Although the Tech-Priests of Mars keep the secrets of this machine spirit completely hidden away, the Space Marines can always count on it as they can any other battle-brother.

Land Raider Phobos

This is the standard pattern of Land Raider, used by all chapters of Space Marines as far back as history records.  Undergoing significant upgrades over the milennia, the basic structure and purpose of the Phobos remains the same.
It is armed with two twin-lascannons, great for busting tanks, and a twin heavy bolter, useful for suppression of nearby enemy troops.  This pattern is the most common, and provides anti-tank firepower AND heavily protected transport for troops.

Land Raider Crusader

This pattern was developed by the Black Templars chapter, needing a siege tank.  This pattern replaces the lascannons with hurricane bolters and the heavy bolters with the more-powerful assault cannons.  The Crusader lays down massive amounts of firepower as it speeds its cargo straight into enemy lines. 
In addition, the Crusader has an expanded transport capacity.  The Black Templars make great use of this with their 'mob' squads, while Space Wolves and Terminator assault squads also take advantage. 

Land Raider Redeemer

This is a relatively new addition to the Space Marine armories.  The Redeemer is a converted Crusader, utilizing the same principles, but replacing the hurricane bolters with redeemer flamecannons. 
While not enjoying the same expanded transport capacity as the Crusader, it does enjoy all the other benefits.  The redeemer flamecannons are especially scary as they work at very short range, a Land Raider's favorite.  In addition, the fury of the flames is such that even power armor is no protection.



Land Raider Helios

The Helios is a very specialized Land Raider variant.  Using the same chassis as the Phobos-pattern, the Helios replaces the twin-heavy bolters with an advanced targetting system, and adds a missle artillery launcher.
It has given up some of it's transport capacity, but the Helios is still a capable firebase, using the twin-lascannons to engage armored targets, and the Helios launcher for two main roles:  long-range barrage support and anti-aircraft.  Using the same missles as the Whirlwind artillery tank, the space marines add valuable artillery support, and can quickly re-arm to engage flying targets.

Land Raider Prometheus

This version was first invented by the Salamanders chapter, and then adopted fully by the Ultramarines.  Still rare amongst the chapters, the Prometheus mostly serves as a mobile command post.
It is armed with four sets of twin-heavy bolters, allowing the Prometheus to lay down a punishing amount of firepower.  Although deadly to most infantry and even some light vehicles, the most important part of the Prometheus is the expanded command and communications equipment.  With the additional command capabilities, the Prometheus allows more accurate and timely reinforcements, making the space marines even more lethal.

Land Raider Aries
Records on the Aries are rare, at best.  In appears that

this pattern was quickly converted and may have only served in one battle.  It appears that the Dark Angels chapter needed a heavy siege tank to execute their strategy, and the Techmarines had the brilliant solution to adding a demolisther cannon into the transport compartment, while replacing the Crusader's hurricane bolters with twin-multi-meltas. 

Not having any transport capacity at all, the Aries had one purpose only- to completely eradicate any physical barrier the marines might encounter.

Land Raider Achilles

Little is known of the Achilles at this point.  The only chapters that appeared to have utilized them have their records sealed so tightly that even the Inquisition has a hard time gleaning any information.

The pattern appears to replace the twin-foward weapon with the dreaded Thunderfire Cannon, giving the mobile armored vehicle a frightening destructive potential.  In addition, the side sponsons have been armed with twin-multi-meltas, useful for clearing obstacles as well.  The Aries has a very small transport capacity, relegating it to an 'armored spearhead' role.

So, who wins?

Well, I've had the joy of being able to play with almost every version of the Land Raider over the years.  In fact, I can honestly say that my own collection has been graced with more than a dozen Land Raiders itself! (Although not at the same time.  At my peak, I had 6 spread through 3 different armies.)  Each of the Land Raiders have a given role, specializes in specific situations, and scares the pants off oppenents (except Necrons, who scoff at all vehicles).  And here's what I think of them all:

Aries- COOL!!!  But I can get a Vindicator for half the cost, or two Vindicators for the same cost (or less).  If the point is to get a demolisher cannon onto a Land Raider, then the mission is complete, but not pretty.  The Aries ranks okay, if only because of the cool-factor.

Helios-  Waaaaaay back when the VDR (Vehicle Design Rules) came out, my LGS ran a competition where we had to develop the coolest AND the silliest vehicles we could think of.  My joke was a Land Raider with a whirlwind launcher on top.  Everyone laughed and we all agreed that it was dumb.  Then Forgeworld came out with their version.  You know what?  Still dumb.  I don't care if you do get a cool artillery piece that can't be killed easily, it's dumb.  The Helios ranks dumb. 

Achilles-  Is almost kinda cool an answer?  I like the Thunderfire (although I don't think it's worth 100 points), and I like Land Raiders.  But to give up most of the transport and arm the sponsons for such short range- I just don't think it works.  The Achilles ranks okay.  But it does look pretty sweet.

Redeemer-  So let me get this straight, we're gonna do what a Crusader does, but replace the side weapons with something that's shorter ranged and can't usually be fired together, as well as DECREASE the transport capacity?  Yeah, that sounds like a fail.  I know fire is cool and all, and the heroic Space Marines are always happy to light something aflame, but c'mon.  The Redeemer ranks dumb.  

Prometheus-  That's alot of pew-pew, and it allows my drop pods and reserves to come in faster?  Yes, please.  The only real failing to the Prometheus pattern is the slot selection, being an Elites choice now.  Emperor knows that Space Marines don't need MORE elites options.  But it has a substantial amount of firepower AND a substantial impact on the army as a whole.  The Prometheus is ranked 'sweet as ballz'.

Crusader-  Arguably the best version of all Land Raiders, it has the transport capacity and a dubious amount of firepower to mark it out as one of the best.  The biggest failing to the Crusader is the hurricane bolters.  Overall, the tank has just slightly less firepower than a well-armed Tactical Squad, making it more effective as a transport and less as a main battle tank.  Luckily, that is exactly how most armies use the Crusader.  Therefore, it ranks awesome-sauce.

Phobos- And it all comes back around.  The Land Raider Phobos has been around forever, and has proven itself in all that time.  Space Marine armies tend to lack anti-tank firepower (unless they're gunlines, but those don't use Land Raiders anyway), and the Phobos guarantees at least a hit a round, usually an effective one.  The average Terminator squad fits perfectly into a Phobos, and the points cost (although average compared to the above list) seems to be perfectly balanced.  Overall, I think the Phobos takes the cake as the best of all the patterns, ranking it First Amongst Equals. 

For those of you that need all this in a simple list format, the ranking from best to worst (in my opinion) is:

1.  Land Raider Phobos

2.  Land Raider Crusader

3.  Land Raider Prometheus

4.  Land Raider Aries

5.  Land Raider Achilles

6.  Land Raider Helios

7.  Land Raider Redeemer

As a final thought-  There are an aweful lot of gamers out there that complain that GW's prices are too high, and the quality of models doesn't justify that.  Well, we have the pictures of the modern Land Raiders above.  What did they used to look like when they only cost $30?

Yep, that's pretty ugly, if you ask me.  I happen to like the new $60 versions just fine.  Unless we can get the old versions to look this this:

Gotta say, that is a pretty sweet conversion...