There is no point really,if you want to use it single gunned,why not buy a dread instead?

 

Because Dread has less AV in front, moves slower and costs 30-55 points more depending on the main weapon we are comparing? A predator with twin-linked lascannon and no sponsons costs exact same as naked dread and is far better fire support. Dreadnought does have a role, but its not the same as predator, although people like to press riflemen dreads into the same niche to save heavy slots.

 

try it in higher point games with additional guns. 2 lasannons (one TL) have more of a chance of wiping out a Trukk than a TL Lasscannon

 

how come the Marine Dread does not have TL Autocannon? what would you use to proxie it? sorry for the thread-jacking by the way!

 

Well i wont use one at all.I would go for my standard of ML and PC.I dont like autocannons on dreads modelwise.You dont need to proxy it thats what forge world or other companies that produce conversion kits are for.

 

For a long range firing platform, I've generally only considered the front armour to be important. Side and back armour becomes a big deal when your tank (or dread) gets to mid-field, but if something is just sitting in the back, the enemy shouldn't have too easy a time outflanking you (baring models that you know will be coming in on table-sides from reserves). For the points of a dread, you're getting a BS 4 TL las cannon. A dread would cost half again as much for the same weapon, and you might gain a single missile shot or two str7 shots on top. But really, if I need the las cannon shot that much, (pen'ing high av), the str7 shots probably won't cut it. And I've always found the single missile shot too unreliable.

But, it was mostly a mental exercise for me anyways, as the opposite of my current foot-slogging list would be a heavy tank list and was curious of alternatives. I'd probably just magnetize the sponsons and so I could try it out for myself.

[MENTION=48145]goldenS[/MENTION]: I picked up the Aegis Defence Line for my autocannons, then just used the missile launcher and las-cannon arms as a base to attach the guns to. Plug I got a few little walls to add as terrain. Probably a little expensive, but it seems like autocannons aren't that cheap even from bitz sites.

 

I use Preds in my heavy slots due to the fact that I already run 3 Ven Dreads in my Scout list... the tanks give good armor plus punch from a distance. I don't have anything else for heavy's other than a single LR and that would be entirely out of place in my 10th company army. If I had the cash, or models already I would drop the preds for Thunderfires... but due to finances, I use the Preds... they always scare the crap out of my 2-3 regular opponents so it keeps the heat off of my real killers.... the dreads.

 

Pardon me for not succeeding to make my point across ill elaborate to make it more clear.
What i intended to say is that a pred with turret only though low in points it is not efficient compared to other single gun choices(hence the dread example).Now a pred with sponsors is an entirely other story.

Will a fully upgraded tank make its points back?Well in my experience it will do so in the very first salvo regardless of setup(ofc you have to hit the appropriate targets).Its weapons range is large enough to guaranty a turn one strike and possibly outrange certain weapons(melta comes to mind here).

 

I have only ever used Preds with sponsons of both types... I play a Nid player and a Space Marine(used to be BT) player regularly... in my experience, no the sponsons do not make their money back... I get 1, maybe 2 turns where I can actually see anything and not have to move. The Nid player is highly mobile and the SM player is not usually mobile. Even in those turns where I don't have to move, I usually only get 1 turn of being able to unload everything and maybe one turn where I get to fire 1 sponson and the main gun. However, I am always having to decide if I want to move to get a shot in now, or wait a turn of no shooting out because I have a 70% chance or less of being able to fire all three guns next turn. So, I am gearing more toward going to main gun only Preds and using those points else where.

 

I think a predator with no sponsons is perfectly viable. In fact, I do that with Baal predators. Vanilla predators are good for it too! Front AV13 rocks. Both the Autocannon and Lascannon are good weapons. It is cheap as chips with the autocannon. I say, "Go for it!"

 

I think a predator with no sponsons is perfectly viable. In fact, I do that with Baal predators. Vanilla predators are good for it too!

I think it also depends a bit on the list size. In Codex SM you can get quite limited by the FOC, especially in larger points. Then you pretty much HAVE to try and take everything out of the choices. In smaller games low point-cost tends to mean more. I games where the armies go 2500 points or even more I really start to wish we could get Whirlwinds, Vindicators and Predators in squadrons.

 

Its the same old pony that:If a unit cant fire for a turn its a waste.Well folks sorry but i dont believe that.
My pred might not fire all its guns for one turn(and that is something that rarely happens)but when it does it will destroy something.
Plus a fully kitted out pred is a fire magnet.Av 13 is just strong.

 

I have to back up pilot00 here for a bit: It is really inconsequental if the predator gets to fire all of its weapons all of the time. Take a look at your army for a few games and you quickly realize that most of your weapons are just "sitting there" not firing for maybe one, two or even three turns, depending on how things go. Hell, some of your weapons may never fire because they get destroyed before they have the chance. Whether the sponsons are a good choice or not really depends on how you use your predator and what do you expect it to do. For example:

- If you park your Predator in your deployment zone and use it as long-range anti-tank then hell yeah the sponsons are worth it
- If you use Predator as mobile firesupport to bring "little bit of extra" where needed, then the spons are not worth it since you need to keep it cheap and mobile
- If you use your Predator to keep AV 13 between enemy anti-tank and your Rhinos/Razorbacks/Marines then no, the sponsons probably ain't worth it since you get shot a lot before you can afford to stop yourself
- If you use your Predator to advance alongside Rhinos/Razorbacks/Marines and give them additional firepower, then yes, the heavy bolter sponsons are probably worth it since you can probably afford to be immobile once the enemy transports are popped and there is nice juicy infantry for the HBs to kill

 

i think it is situational as is everthing else in this game to a certain extent...

it just means you have the 'do I or Don't I' question when it comes to writing a list... In some ways it is similar to the leman russ argument over the sponsons they can take... When i have used preds the sponsons help but sometimes you have to move it to get a better shot or whatever. I'm contemplating using two preds in a chaos army that have turret lascannons and heavy bolter sponsons... just to help out with tank busting on the move and then setting up shop to mince whatever was in the transports...

thats the way i see it you just have to make it up as you go along as with most things like that good quote 'no plan ever survives first contact with the enemy' indeed i'm sure we've all had the infamous 'turn one' where that master plan ended up on the scrapheap...