What is the best Broadside Configeration?

[chicop76]

I been trying out differant Broadside builds and trying to figure out the best overall one. I will point out a few builds I have come up with as well as the popular builds.

Before I begin the biggest question I ask myself is to rail gun or to high yield. I have done both and find both to be useful. When facing +2 saves the strength eight rail guns come in handy. Also the rail guns can extend beyong 36" quite easily. The problem is facing high toughness low saving units or even 13 armour vehicles. The high yield can come in handy. Also another factor is that rail guns can instant kill toughness 4 models like paladins.

My issue is that Tau has a lot of strength 7 shots already. Also if taking missile drones you can dish out 12 missile shots, do you really need to shot 12 more missile shots on top of 12 strength 5 shots. I find the high yield missiles to be a bit over kill. With 36 shoots with marker lights and wounding most models on 2s and 3s you typically wipe out most squads 2x sometimes 3x over. The nice fire power becomes wasted and ineffiecent.

So here is the differant builds I have created and the popular ones:

A. Missiles everywhere:

This build you dishing out 36 missile shots, 12 strength 7 from drones, 12 strength 5 smart missles, and 12 high yield missiles.

Throw in a commander provinding twin link, and ignore cover, with tank or MC hunter not much survies this build. Throw in early warning over ride for 12 shots in the face. Skyfire is not needed due to all the twin linking love going on.

The main problem I see with this build is over statuation of a target. Also figuring out a good support system seems a bother.

B A variation of the top build is to take a commander with a drone controller and have 8 marker drones attach to the sides. Also equip the sides with target lock. This way you can have 8 twin linked bs 5 lights fire at one target and your broadsides can fire at different targets. You lose some fire power, but gain really accurate marker drones at 12 points cheaper if you did a drone squad. This configuration I find works out really well.

The problem here it works too well. You thought your sides was a target before. When configured this way with 8 marker lights at bs 5 they become a huge target.

C. This configuration you are using rail guns instead. Insert either a or b. However I find target locks and missile drones work really well. This way you dishing out a lot of fire power still, but you have ranged power to tackle long range targets.

D. Is A, B, and C with the inclusion of plasma rifles. I have used this build with rail guns and it is rather nasty. Let's just say with 3 rail guns, 3-6 plasma, and 12 missiles that's all twin linked and have MC hunter, and ignore cover saves. Where was that Flying prince that tried to get in your face. The plasma addition is nice since you have a ton of strength 5 shots in the army.

With tha being said I have found it useful to have 20 twinlinked shots that ignore cover and los a few ties. It comes in handy with infiltraters and single models that can be placed behind los blocking terrain like Marbo or. Deathleaper.

If anyone have any other builds let us know.

[Sly]

All missiles for me in most lists, and Target Lock on each Broadside so I don't have a problem with overkill on the primary target. I only use the railguns if I need the extra range (such as if Tau are the Ally for Necrons or GK, which have most of their firepower limited to 24"), otherwise missiles are just better within their range than railguns.

[chicop76]

All missiles for me in most lists, and Target Lock on each Broadside so I don't have a problem with overkill on the primary target. I only use the railguns if I need the extra range (such as if Tau are the Ally for Necrons or GK, which have most of their firepower limited to 24"), otherwise missiles are just better within their range than railguns.

I did notice you can mix missles and railguns. Like take 2 railguns and one high yield missile pod. My problem is if I take missle drones I don't see the reason to take the high yield. If I don't take drones than high yield becomes more attarctive.

I wonder how high yield with plasma rifles would work out.

[Sonikgav]

Because Missile Drones have poor BS. 1 less than the Broadsides and no Twin Linking.

Adding a Commander to a Missile Squad just to TL the BS5 missile pods is a HUGE waste for me.
Personally I run 2 Salvosides (High Yield and Smart Missiles) with Interceptor, 1 with Target Lock, Railgun and Plasma then 1 Shield drone each.

Worked ok so far.

[chicop76]

Because Missile Drones have poor BS. 1 less than the Broadsides and no Twin Linking.

Adding a Commander to a Missile Squad just to TL the BS5 missile pods is a HUGE waste for me.
Personally I run 2 Salvosides (High Yield and Smart Missiles) with Interceptor, 1 with Target Lock, Railgun and Plasma then 1 Shield drone each.

Worked ok so far.

That sounds like a cool build.

I use my commander for twin linked, ignore cover, tank hunter, and monster hunter.

[Sonikgav]

I know but everything Broadsides carry is already Twin Linked. Hunters are 'ok' additions but situational and possibly overkill with the firepower ur putting out and you have so many PathFinders for Markerlights (I know primarily for missiles) you can strip cover at will from what u want to blow away anyway.

Id consider dropping him altogether, get some Sniper Drones (BS5 Markerlights ftw!), join your Ethereal to the Broadsides and sit both units together. Ethereal is well protected and Sniper Drones benefit from his +1 shot ability. Use them in Tandem. Yhe drone unit peppers/lights up a unit, maybe sniping dangerous defensive items (fnp banners etc) then the Broadsides use the lights as they see fit to pound the survivors into the dirt.

[chicop76]

I know but everything Broadsides carry is already Twin Linked. Hunters are 'ok' additions but situational and possibly overkill with the firepower ur putting out and you have so many PathFinders for Markerlights (I know primarily for missiles) you can strip cover at will from what u want to blow away anyway.

Id consider dropping him altogether, get some Sniper Drones (BS5 Markerlights ftw!), join your Ethereal to the Broadsides and sit both units together. Ethereal is well protected and Sniper Drones benefit from his +1 shot ability. Use them in Tandem. Yhe drone unit peppers/lights up a unit, maybe sniping dangerous defensive items (fnp banners etc) then the Broadsides use the lights as they see fit to pound the survivors into the dirt.

What about drone controller and marker drones?

[Sonikgav]

But then the Broadsides cant use those lights and I thought we were trying to get the most out of them?

[Infinite Freedom]

I actually prefer Rail Rifles with plasma rifles outfitted with VT's. Let the other aspects of the army deal with lighter stuff.

[chicop76]

But then the Broadsides cant use those lights and I thought we were trying to get the most out of them?

Wouldn't matter if all your sides had target lock.

[Sonikgav]

Why would that work? The Broadsides still cant use the Markerlights if theyre on the same unit as the drones.

That just lets them shoot at something that isnt lit up.

[thisisnotpancho]

I'm a mathhammer kind of fellow. I Freaking love math. It's weird. I've gone through situation after situation and found exactly what the best build is. and this is it:

Commander:
Iridium suit, MSS, C&CN, Puretide, drone controller, gun drone

Broadsides:
All missiles all day
two suits with Target Lock, One with EWO
Maxed missile pods

Aegis with quad

Now the thing is:
with the twin-linked BS5 quad gun with tank hunter, as well as the twin-linked SMS and HYMP from the one EWO suit, you don't need more anti-air than that. And target lock allows you to do wonders to multiple threats.

Vehicles:
3 AV 10 vehicles
3 AV 11 vehicles
2 AV 12 vehicles
2 AV 13 vehicles

Dead. In one turn, no saves allowed barring invulns.


These missilesides are really flexible. They pop MC's like mad, killing everything from riptides to wraithknights in one turn. Even a flying Greater Daemon doesn't stand a chance.

You only need one EWO suit. With the BS5 quad gun, and the EWO suit, they can kill 1 AV 11 with jink saves, and kill 1 AV12 without jink saves. If it does jink, you just bought yourself a turn to bring the rest of your fire to bear on that vehicle (and it should statistically one have one hullpoint left). And you'll kill it.

The broadsides are the best anti-air, anti-tank, and the best anti-MC in the game honestly. They kill anything per turn and can kill multiple things with target lock. Plus you have a four wound T5 terminator with 4+ cover to tank wounds that come on that squad. I'd also give him FnP if i had the chance. Also stick him a Fusion blaster or two. That's all you really need. With BS5 and tank hunter, jump him up 6" and he's got a 9" melta, effectively giving him a 15" range to kill AV14, which is the only thing that they can't kill outright.



So yeah, killing small MSU guard equivalents, they are pretty nasty. Ignoring cover is the key here. 4 S5 shots and 4 S7 shots twin-linked from each split-firing suit leads to dead cultists, pathfinders, guard, and other things. they can even kill night scythes split-firing.

It really makes the squad more flexible. This is by far the best build I've seen

[Tynskel]

Granted, you won't see them often, but a Multi-Land Raider army could make that list whither.

[chicop76]

Granted, you won't see them often, but a Multi-Land Raider army could make that list whither.

That's what Multi-Riptides with Fusion Gun and smash is for.

Oh taking the marker drones isn't for the sides. It's for the rest of your army which can shoot seperately from the sides. Bs 5 drnes is rather nice and has been rather helpful.