[Bdoydie]

Rite I've been playing nids quite a bit and I and just want some advise,
The nid lists I am currently up against seem to be very swarmy including a couple of lists with 5 tervigons,
So Ive been doing some pondering about changing my heavy support, currently I have been using a MOTF and two dreadnoughts
(because I love dreads. they are so much fun to build and play with)
but I also have a thunderfire cannon and an un built unit of Devastators, neither of which I have ever used.

So finally my question...
Which is better? does anyone have any nice/unusual tactics for either,
I love the idea behind the thunderfire cannon and the fact its only 100pts but Devs Im thinking of taking 4 ML which makes the unit 150 pts and you pretty much get the same as the thunderfire cannon.

 

[Guthbrand]

You are not getting the same thing at all. Please review the special rules of all the special fire modes and special ammunition of thunderfire canon for the very obvious difference.

My snarky comment aside: it depends on your army. They die easy, so most take at least two, and you need something to throw at the enemy to make them want to shoot at something else (like a vindicator, or perhaps an ironclad in a drop pod). Overall, they take far more finesse and skill to use than devastators.

I found this helpful. Community Pimp: For Love of the Thunderfire Cannon | The Blood of Kittens Network

 

[Bdoydie]

Cheers I had never really put much thought into the special rules of the thunder fire,
and the link was great, defiantly think ill be taking a couple of these

 

[Klajorne]

If you're playing the vanilla marines codex, I'd stay away from devastators. They're so pricey, and every other marine book has the same thing, just cheaper. You generally can get the same thing but at a cheaper price looking at other options in the codex. Thunderfires, on the other hand, are pretty slick and if you field two of them I think you'd be pleasantly surprised.

Word of caution: putting the model together is like chewing on glass. I'm serious. I cannot emphasize enough how much of a pain this model is to put together. You want to hear the cries of a soul that suffered a thousand years of agony? Take someone's thunderfire cannon and drop it on the floor.*

Best alternative is the Mantic Dwarf Model, but if you want to stick with GW, Forgeworld has two good options: the thudd gun and the laser battery.


*Don't do this. This is one of those "burn your house down and salt your fields" type offenses.

 

[Bdoydie]

If you're playing the vanilla marines codex, I'd stay away from devastators. They're so pricey, and every other marine book has the same thing, just cheaper. You generally can get the same thing but at a cheaper price looking at other options in the codex

Just wondering what you are thinking about same thing as devs but cheaper?
and I have my tunderfire cannon built and tbh I've never played it in a list partly because im afraid of having to move it incase it breaks lol

 

[Guthbrand]

5 devs with 4 ML isn't that bad. One of them gets BS 5. True for 10 points less space wolves have 6 bodies with 5 ML in long fangs.... that can split fire...

Anyway, same thing as devs but cheaper? Most go for the Predator with Las Canon sponsons. Its only 120 points and serves the light tank popping role. I use to field a pair of them all the time.

 

[Bdoydie]

just wondering how one dev gets BS 5?

 

[Klajorne]

Just wondering what you are thinking about same thing as devs but cheaper?
and I have my tunderfire cannon built and tbh I've never played it in a list partly because im afraid of having to move it incase it breaks lol

For the same price and function, ac/lc preds can't be beat. That little extra punch versus heavy tanks, and all the shots you want versus light tanks. Plus with AV13 front armour, it can be tough to put down. And it's cheaper. Plus, definitely more mobile. That's my main beef with dev's (or long fangs, in my case) is their lack of mobility. You have to hope you get them in the perfect spot on deployment because those firing lanes are all you're getting the whole game. Unless you give up their shots to move them. At least with long fangs, though, they're cheap enough to make it worth it.

But, if you already have a thunderfire cannon built, I'd go with it. I like the unit (two is better), it's just I can't, in good conscious, recommend to a person to go through the pain to build one.

just wondering how one dev gets BS 5?

Signum wargear from the sergeant:

"Signum
The signum is a special form of communication device that can access a myriad of useful targeting data, allowing a more accurate concentration of fire. A model can use a signum in lieu of making a shooting attack of his own. If he does so, one model in his squad is Ballistic Skill 5 for the remainder of the Shooting phase. Declare that the signum is being used before any rolls to hit are made."
-Codex: Space Marines, pg 100

 

[Strombole]

Vanilla Devs are only "bad" if you know about how good longfangs are, or how BA devs are cheaper for the same exact thing as you get with vanilla devs. If you were not comparing vanilla devs to them, I wouldn't call vanilla devs "bad".