Heavy Support Units
Man, how can anyone play Space Marines and NOT love Heavy Support Units? Much as I like to gush about troopers jumping into close combat and tearing the enemy apart up close and personal, there's something equally satisfying--perhaps even more so--about firing a volley of burning death all the way across the board and blowing some poor unit to bits. Perhaps it's the look on your opponent's face when he loses some favorite squad or tank on Turn 1 before they've even had a chance to move. Perhaps it's the exasperated curses they choke back when their Barney Badass assault units spend three or four turns running all the way across the board, only to get blown away at the last instant before they can so much as cock back a fist. Whatever it is, I love it. 

"Maybe", my critics would say, "you like Heavy Support Units so much because they're so simple even a twit like you can use them." They have a point: Heavy Support units are simple to use; like the camera commercial used to say, "just point and shoot."

Tigers of Agni: Devastator Squads
Guns, guns, guns! Gimme guns! The bigger the better! I have one unit to kill light infantry (like Orks) and one unit to kill heavy infantry (like Chaos Space Marines) and tanks.

Here's what I take--and why:
My anti-infantry unit is a ten-strong squad as follows:

• Sergeant with a bolter; 
• Five Space Marines with bolters; and
• Four Space Marines with heavy bolters

• Sergeant with a bolter; 
• Five Space Marines with bolters; and 
• Four Space Marines with missile launchers.

Here's what I don't take--and why:
Why go for such a boring range of weapons? Because multi-meltas have too short a range and plasma cannons and lascannons cost too much. Any further questions? 

"Tiger Claw": Vindicator
There are some things in life--and 40K--that you have to do just because they're cool. I'm prepared to agree with anyone that the Predator (Annihilator or Destructor) is a better value than the Vindicator.  I'm willing to agree that the ridiculously short range of this vehicle make it ill-suited for an aggressive Space Marine army. But there is NOTHING in 40K that quite compares with the thrill of blowing (for example) an Ork Warboss, his mega-armored Nobz, and their trukk to flaming bits--without them able to make a die roll, whimper a prayer or do anything else to save themselves. One shot, one Barney Badass Ork HQ unit buys the farm. Gotta love it.

Here's what I take--and why:
Only one surprise here:

• extra armor (because every little bit of protection helps);
• smoke launchers (because every little bit of protection helps); and
• H-K missile.

Here's what I don't take--and why:
This tank is made to stand there and slug it out with the big boys, not move around through difficult terrain (no dozer blade) and gun down pee wees (pintle-mounted storm bolter). I don't use a searchlight because with its short range, I'd just as soon use the darkness to move into a better firing position rather than attract attention to the 'Claw (trust me, Vindicators draw enough fire as is).

"Tyger Tyger": Predator Annihilator
The word "badass" does not even begin to describe this tank. The Predator Annihilator is substantially cheaper than the Land Raider and almost as well in an anti-armor firefight.

Here's what I take--and why:
After getting my butt flattened a few times by my tank-crazed buddy John and his Imperial Guard army, I went out and got some big guns. In an exception to the axiom of mobility, mobility, mobility, I add the side sponsons with lascannons and go tank hunting. I also take the following upgrades:

• extra armor (because every little bit of protection helps);
• H-K missile (can't have too many shots against enemy tanks);
• searchlight (for 1 point, why not?); and
• smoke launchers (because every little bit of protection helps)

"Sabretooth": Whirlwind
I used to not have a very high opinion of the Whirlwind--then I found myself taking it in almost every game. It ain't sexy, but it gets the job done. 

Here's what I take--and why:
I take the following upgrades:

• extra armor (because every little bit of protection helps); and
• smoke launchers (because every little bit of protection helps)

Here's what I don't take--and why:
This tank is made to stand there and shoot, not move around through difficult terrain (no dozer blade). Why take a pintle-mounted storm bolter to shoot infantry when you have those rockets? I don't use a searchlight because I'd just as soon use the darkness to move into a better firing position rather than attract attention: with its light armor, the Whirlwind can't survive a barrage from a heavy weapon squad.

I used to have a hunter-killer missile mounted on the vehicle, but that required line of sight to the target. Eventually, I decided an H-K on Sabretooth wasn't worth it.

Castellan missiles--I can see how making instant minefields would be useful, but on the whole, I think I'd prefer to just go ahead and kill targets with the Vengeance missiles--why [fornicate] around if you don't have to? 

"The White Tiger": Land Raider
The 40K vehicle that inspired the exclamation "HOO HAW!" Well, maybe that's not true, but it ought to be. You can read the stats on the White Tiger here.

When you think about it, Land Raiders don't really have optimal weaponry. Other Space Marine vehicles are better tank-killers (I'd take the Predator Annihilator) or better infantry killers (a squadron of bikes or Land Speeders with heavy bolters?). But the Land Raider is a good all-round tactical vehicle, able to fight tanks, fight infantry, carry troops, and survive an enormous amount of fire thrown its way. I use my Land Raider primarily for its firepower and toughness. I also rely, to a limited extent, on its transport capability (but the Land Raider Crusader is better suited for that task).

Here's what I take--and why:
I take the following upgrades:

• dozer blade (because one of its tasks is to transport a unit);
• extra armor (because every little bit of protection helps);
• H-K missile (can't have too many shots against enemy tanks);
• searchlight (for 1 point, why not?); and
• smoke launchers (because every little bit of protection helps)

"The White Tiger II": Land Raider Crusader
Like all other Land Raider Crusaders, “White Tiger II” is meant to rapidly close with the enemy, discharge a squad of Marines, and blast away at infantry. I rarely use “White Tiger II” just by itself—usually it’s transporting a squad. The obvious thing to do is use it to deliver Terminators (especially Assault Terminators) led by my Terminator Chaplain, Talwar Chakram. 

Because the Crusader is such a tempting target, sometimes I put a small, relatively unimportant squad (say, a five-member Tactical Squad) inside. The tank can drop the squad off near an objective, then distract the opponent by drawing a lot of fire away from that squad. Meanwhile, the rest of the army can move up to support the squad “White Tiger II” dropped off.

My favorite tactic for a Land Raider Crusader is to blast the next closest squad. Let me explain by way of example.

A Land Raider Crusader loaded with Terminators screeches to a halt in front of an enemy unit (Unit A). The Termies step out and begin firing on Unit A, softening it up with storm bolters, assault cannon, and heavy flamer before the Termies assault and really unload some Vedic Brand ™ Whoop-Ass. 

Meanwhile, “White Tiger II” turns and throws all of its considerable firepower at the next closest enemy squad (Unit B), to keep them off the Terminators’ backs. Space Marines usually do well during an initial assault, but get in trouble when more enemy units show up—and if you fight against Orks a lot (like I do), there’s always another enemy unit around. 
 

Here's what I take--and why:
I consider extra armor and smoke launchers mandatory on every vehicle. Crusaders already come with extra armor, so all that’s one less thing to model and 5 fewer points to spend. The model kit comes with a searchlight, so of course, I included it. I put on a pintle-mounted storm bolter because I was having problems with the multi-melta (it’s a long story), but usually the storm bolter is just for show.

Here’s what I don’t take—and why:
Although a dozer blade would help “White Tiger II” move more safely through difficult terrain, it would be of no benefit if the vehicle moves more than 6" a turn. Speed is definitely the ally of the Land Raider Crusader. It needs to get its bolters in range and drop off any transported squad quickly, before enemy heavy weapons can pulverize it. So when I move it, it goes 12". 

Nor did I put a hunter-killer missile on this tank. I prefer to put H-Ks on vehicles that will usually be stationary. Besides, the multi-melta does a great job of nuking enemy vehicles, and can fire more than once, unlike an H-K. True, the H-K’s range (unlimited) beats the multi-melta’s (24"), but I’ll be moving “White Tiger II” forward anyway.

Vedic Siege Gun: VDR Creation
I've used the Vehicle Design Rules (VDR) in Chapter Approved (Second Book of the Astronomican) to create the Vedic Siege Gun. You can find its stats here.

Here's what I take--and why:
Nothing! Not yet, anyway. I don't use this weapon that often. But I suppose soon I'll put on some extra armor and smoke launchers for added protection. Maybe a searchlight as well.

Here's what I don't take--and why:
Pintle-mounted storm bolter or hunter-killer missile? Please--when you have an Earthshaker, what else do you need?

 

Next page (pg 8): "Lessons Learned" Previous page (pg 6): Fighting Tiger Fast Attack

Related Pages
Fighting Tiger Heavy Support
Gallery: Fighting Tiger Heavy Support
Gallery: White Tiger II
 

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© Copyright Kenton Kilgore, December 2004 

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