Space Wolf Tanks

[ninjacatz]

So, I am a beginner space wolf player hoping to intrigue my friend into the game by getting a tank. I am trying to decide between a predator, vindicator, or whirlwind. The main armies that I face are tyranids and orks. I have all the guys from assault on black reach plus a land speeder and 10 more grey hunters. So which tank do you think is best for a beginner space wolf army?

[Chuck777]

You really couldn't go wrong with any of those three.

The biggest question you have to ask yourself is this - do you like throwing blast templates around, or not? If you don't, then go for the Pred. If you do, the next question you have to ask yourself is what kind of space wolf army are you going to build? Do you want a tank that sits safely in the back or a tank that moves up with your army? If the former, go for the Whirlwind, if the latter go for the Vindicator.

For a more specific look, why don't we look at the pros and cons of each tank:

Predator
PROS:
- Cost: The Pred only costs 60 points base, 85 for the dakka build
- Survivability: With 13 armor and 3 individual guns, you can rest assured the pred will stay useful throughout much of the game for a long while.
- Adaptability: The Pred can be kitted out to preform a variety of roles including Anti-Infantry, Anti-Tank or a mix of the two.
CONS:
- Cost: The Anti-Tank load out makes it the most expensive of the 3 tanks

Whirlwind
PROS:
- Cost: The base cost is just 85 points
- Survivability: The tank can fire barrage, so it can be safely hidden behind some LOS blocking terrain
- Adaptability: With two different modes of fire, you'll always have a shot that can hurt the enemy
CONS:
- Blast : Blast templates can totally miss and if you fire barrage you'll scatter the full distance (making missing more likely).
- Fragility: With only 11 Front armor, the tank is very fragile when fired upon by the enemy.
- One Gun: With only one gun, the tank's purpose can be stolen with a single good hit.

Vindicator
PROS:
- Survivability: With 13 armor the Vindicator is well protected from threats
- Adaptability: The Demolisher Cannon is one of the most powerful guns in the game, which can be used to kill tanks, infantry and everything in between.
- Fear Factor: The tank is one of the most feared units in the game, many opponents will spend many rounds of shooting to kill it.
CONS:
- Cost: The tank is the most expensive of the three base.
- Blast : Blast templates can totally miss
- Short Range: The Cannon only has a range of 24 inches, which means it HAS to sally forth
- One Gun: With only one gun, the tank's purpose can be stolen with a single good hit.

[Grailkeeper]

For Sheer fun- vindicator. Bit of a bullet magnet but so. much. fun.

[wittdooley]

Get a Razorback. Everyone's spammin em!

[Whoop!]

I have a auto cannon/ heavy bolter side sponsor Predator for my wolves. It always attracks allot of fire, which is why I like it so much. I usually does produce some kills too, always worth the investment.

In addition adding tanks can definitely help to entrance your friends into buting in. Who doesn't want a tank to play with?

[Vaktathi]

- Blast : Blast templates can totally miss, and if you fire barrage you'll scatter the full distance


note: the Vindicator is not a barrage weapon, it is only an ordnance blast weapon, it cannot fire indirectly.

[Chuck777]

note: the Vindicator is not a barrage weapon, it is only an ordnance blast weapon, it cannot fire indirectly.

Oops, I copy pasted from the Whirlwind and forgot to delete the barrage part.

[Vaktathi]

:p Don't feel bad, Mat Ward did it too

[Lockark]

I hate to say it. But IMHO there whirlwind only has one good use.

To be used as the Anti-Air Variant in apoc.
=P

[Daemonette666]

The Tyranids are masters of deep strike and Trygons love burrowing up under or next to tanks and units in your rear area. The whirlwind would probably get shot or close combatted to pieces if ti hung abck and fired indirect. Although the whirlwind can destroy a large ammount of lesser nids and Orks under its large blast template.

The Predator has a lot of loadout options, and if you use magnets, you can swap between them. I do not know if Wolves can take the Baal Predator (too lazy to go down stairs to get it), but that would be a good optoin if you could.

The Demolisher is good at killing off most things the large blast hits, and it generally moves up with the army then, so you can put other forces in front to soak the enemy attacks untill you get closer.

All these tanks can take Storm Bolters and hunter killer missiles to increase the ammount of weapons so you still have something to fire or loose and avoid being glanced to death.

[Denzark]

Chuck has given good analysis.

One aspect I would respectfully venture has been forgotten, is flexibility. The Vindicator Demolisher can attack infantry en masse - large blast marker aka the pie plate. It defeats MEQ, also terminator armour, and is high enough strength to instant death almost anything T5 or below that fails a save and isn't eternal warrior.

It also can glance the game's highest AV on a 4, pen on 5+. So a 50% chance to do damage of some sort to the games hardest vehicles assuming you can hit them.

A Pred build cannot do the same against inf - autocannon/HB will not do MEQ, terminators or instnat kills. the anti-tank variety would but then its not doing its primary mission.

Personally I would never take the whirlwhind (yes excepting the anti air variant) unless I knew 100% that the opposition consisted of a lot of non-MEQ infantry hordes/mobs.

So Vindicator all the way with siege shield - never immobilises in terrain, so you can make it hard to get to.

[Brad]

IMO Vindicator all the way:D

Ability to kill Big Vehicles and Monstrous Creatures, Mobs of orks, Mobs of Nids and pretty much anything else easily

[phoenix01]

So, I am a beginner space wolf player hoping to intrigue my friend into the game by getting a tank.
Predator, dakka build or if you can get your hands on the Rhino extra armour kit from ForgeWorld, even better. If you are trying to entice your friend into the game by having a tank, the Predator is the most tank-like tank the Space Wolves/Marines/Blood Angels/etc. have access to. It has what the other Space Marine tanks don't: a turret, which to the mind of the average person is the defining characteristic of a tank. Not to debate the coolness/effectiveness of the Whirlwind or Vindicator or a particular Predator build, but if your friend is into tanks, Dakka Predators are the way to go.

[doom-kitten]

I'd take the vindicator hands down sure it'll get shoot and it's got a price tag but it's more than worth the points value, I've seen those damn things roll through my troops and tanks and I desperately want one but I can't figure out how to justify Battle Sisters with a Vindicator XD. It's great for shelling orcs and nids, space marines anything really and it'll draw their anti-tank away from other targets with armour 13 it's should do okay as long as it doesn't get flanked I've never played a game where the things haven't been vital and all the marine, chaos marine and grey knight players i know run one with every army. Deathguard friend runs two and wants a third but can't decide if he wants his plague hulk just as much.

[BlindGunn]

Vindicator, all the way.

I plan for it to attract all heavy fire for first 2 turns so that I can move the rest of my army forward! If it survives to shoot something - GREAT! The 13 Front armour usually means it will survive long enough to get at least 1 good shot.

However - you have to protect its flanks. Keep it hugging a board edge or walls to protect the side armour. Put a dozer blade on it and just drive into the woods for that cover save.

If you can afford it - take 2! Make your opponent split his fire! :D

As for anti-aircraft, to date I've had better luck with a Dread with Twin-Linked weapons (either Laser or Autocannon. Tau Broadsides are GREAT!)