Grav Bikes VS Grav Centurions

[kire]

I want to work grav weapons in to my army and i'm trying to decide the best way to do it. the main targets i want it for are Riptides, Wraithknight and Obliterators.

[Aegwymourn]

Well a big point to remember is that two of the three targets you are presenting are very quick. Bikes can match that speed while Centurions might have a harder time.

[Obispal]

5xSternguard with 3x combo grav and 2x grav guns in a drop pod, 1st turn arrival

[Anggul]

Well a big point to remember is that two of the three targets you are presenting are very quick. Bikes can match that speed while Centurions might have a harder time.

This, basically. Centurions will be fine at keeping heavily armoured close-up things away like Terminators, Centurions, anything with 3+ armour, but Wraithknights, Riptides and Obliterators can just keep out of your range and gun you down. You could put them in a Land Raider I guess, but it would be easier and more reliable to just take them on Bikes.

[GravesDisease]

Going for centurions, seems like the best way to get the longest range most shots of these strange and wonderful weapon type.

[Mr Mystery]

Depends entirely on what you want the Grav Guns to achieve.

On bikes, they're an active hunting unit. These are arguably preferable if you're wanting the Grav to take out enemy units.

On Centurions, they are far more defensive, effectively creating a large 'zone of death' which the Grav weapons natural prey will be loathe to enter, regardless of how swift they are.

Both have their uses, and will require different back up and tactics.

[Patrick Boyle]

5xSternguard with 3x combo grav and 2x grav guns in a drop pod, 1st turn arrival

Who promptly get pancaked by that Riptide they're going after dropping an Interceptor S8 AP2 pieplate on their heads before they get to shoot it. Point being if that's your target that's a very risky delivery method.

[Mr Mystery]

Who promptly get pancaked by that Riptide they're going after dropping an Interceptor S8 AP2 pieplate on their heads before they get to shoot it. Point being if that's your target that's a very risky delivery method.

Hmmm. Haven't got rulebook to hand, but seeing as it's the drop pod deep striking, not the unit, surely the Pod would take the blast, and the Sternguard only the passenger related effects?

[Demonus]

Its "any unit arriving from reserve" so he could pick. Of course if you arent fighting vs riptides you are fine ;)

[Mr Mystery]

Except the Sternguard never actually arrive from reserve. The Drop Pod does.

Sternguard then pile out of the Drop Pod once it's deployed. At no point do the Sternguard enter separately from Reserve. Just from the Drop Pod.

Hmmm. Need to go over me rulebook when I get in!

[GravesDisease]

Your answer is in your own thread Mr Mystery, however perhaps your strategy is still viable. If you deploy your drop pod as close as possible to rip tide and disembark in a line at max coherency around it eg X (o, {where X is droppod, ( is a line of sternguard, o is riptide} then not only would he only be able to get 5/10 of them at a time but he's going to be hitting himself, plus if it does scatter even a few inches he'll only get a few models.

[biffster666]

I think they're all good ways to use Grav, but I'm going to jump on Mr. Mystery's 'zone of death' bandwagon for an easy excuse to say Kneel before ZoD!

I couldn't resist :D

[Head in a jar]

Command squad with bikes all armed with GravGuns! Worked great so far for me. :D

[DarkLink]

5xSternguard with 3x combo grav and 2x grav guns in a drop pod, 1st turn arrival

Who've moved, and only get 2 shots at 9" instead of 3 at 18. Grav guns are not very good on non-relentless models.


Who promptly get pancaked by that Riptide they're going after dropping an Interceptor S8 AP2 pieplate on their heads before they get to shoot it. Point being if that's your target that's a very risky delivery method.

Maybe if he's dumb enough to clump up and let everyone get hit by the template. And the Riptide won't get markerlight support.


Except the Sternguard never actually arrive from reserve. The Drop Pod does.

Sternguard then pile out of the Drop Pod once it's deployed. At no point do the Sternguard enter separately from Reserve. Just from the Drop Pod.

Hmmm. Need to go over me rulebook when I get in!

Yes, they did arrive from reserve. They can be shot.

[FlangeNabber]

I second the command squad option as the best bet, so long as they're on bikes.

It gives 15 grav shots for as little as 210 points on a much more mobile platform. They are less durable than Centurions but can be made almost as durable with some of the upgrades available to them. They do lack the grav amp but I think their flexibility makes up for that.

Obviously your particular chapter tactics need to be factored into the equation as well, certain capter tactics will favor the centurions while others favor the bikes.
Also the Centurions will be a scoring unit in 1 out of 6 games which might tip it back in their favor but I'm a long time White Scars player so there's only one choice for me.

[DarkLink]

The command squad gets an Apothecary, too, so if you use a Shield Master to tank you're ridiculously durable.

[kire]

but taking an apothecary loses you a grav gun or am i misreading the codex?

[DarkLink]

Yeah, but it's probably worth it. I'd rather have 4 grav guns for 3-5 turns than to have 5 Grav guns for 2 turns. Grav guns aren't the only reason Command Squads are threatening. You also have the option to assault with the CM, which makes the unit a lot more flexible. That way it's still useful against stuff that isn't afraid of grav guns, and still useful once you've killed everything that grav guns are good against. And you can still take a combi-grav on the CM.

[DWest]

Yes, an apothecary equals -1 Grav Gun, but probably lets you get more use out of the other 4 in the long run.

[krittoris]

command squad has access to the ranged weapon lists and the melee weapon lists. I didn't see if it had access to the special weapon list.

ranged weapon list only allows you to take combi gravs so it is expensive for a one shot unit if that's the case.

TL: DR you cant take grav guns on command squads only combi gravs.



*Edit FAQed* they can now all take special weapons

[Kaptain Badrukk]

It's in the first FAQ.
http://www.games-workshop.com/MEDIA_CustomProductCatalog/m3450050a_Space_Marines_v1.0_SEPTEMBER13.pdf

[krittoris]

just found it after i posted >< ty

edited post accordingly

[Spamthulhu]

If drop pods could be used by centurions then I would go cents. Delivery methods are so limited for the Cents that it makes them hard to use with grav cannons.

[Lord Krungharr]

I like the 5 man bike squad. A scoring unit is always a good thing, and while I don't play SMs at all, I'm pretty sure the bikers would be way cheaper than the Centurions, right?
And the bikers are much more versatile. Put a Biker Chapter Master with that Burning Blade and super-Armor or whatever with the bikers and they can shoot the Grav weapons, and then assault. Relentless is a super good USR to have.

[Steven Palmer]

not from sternguard def cause even if from pod-9 range with only 2 shots-bikes or centarions-Personally I say both bikes on big monsters an centorians on everything else, specially with tigiruis there on divination-total horror to anyone

[Thornblood]

I've played a few games now with the new dex and I'm enjoying the grav.

First I added grav by running ten sternguard with four combi-gravs, and gave the sergeant a grav pistol as well (he gets to keep his bolter). If your ultra unleashing the devastation doctrine the same turn as the grav half of the weapon can let u move and salvo. (I'm raven guard, but it's still an tasty move).

Next the vanguard sergeant got a grav pistol, as did the chaplain running with the squad. They have killed a few battlesuits between them.

Then the faq was released and my apothecary w as joined by four grav gunners- who underperformed because they were a priority target for my opponent. I run a marine horde- no vehicles, not many upgrades just boots o n the ground. It's worthy to note that the character that goes with the command squad didn't have to join them- (brought to my attention by shrike who can specifically take a command squad, but cannot under any circumstances deploy with them), so you can build a shooty command squad and let your combat hq join another squad.

Also, as a side note; my dark angels are built around invulnerable saves. If I was to run my vanilla marines as there allies, that grav gun command squad would be toting storm shields as well.

[TheyStoleMyName!]

As a White Scars player long before they were "good" bike squads are the obvious choice for me. They also fit into my central philosophy for 6th, which is "if you can take something on a scoring unit over a non scoring unit, or on a mobile unit over an immobile unit, do it."

[dirkspair]

i like them on bike for the simple reason that when facing targets with almost no armor you can still use the bikes bolters to good effect.

[DarkLink]

First I added grav by running ten sternguard with four combi-gravs, and gave the sergeant a grav pistol as well (he gets to keep his bolter). If your ultra unleashing the devastation doctrine the same turn as the grav half of the weapon can let u move and salvo. (I'm raven guard, but it's still an tasty move).

Nope, only Devestators get Relentless, and they can't take special weapons.

[Vangrail]

I love the centurions with grav cannons. Ive tried the bikes but ive never had luck with bikes.