Space Marine Tank Opinions?

[DrBored]

What's the general opinion on Space Marine tanks nowadays? I know mech is suffering a bit since the advent of Hull Points, but have people used things like the Predator, Vindicator, Stalker, or Hunter to any great effect?

I rather love the look of the Vindicators and Predators, and have about 300 points in my army to spend. The rest of my army is Tac squads with Plasma all in Rhinos, and a Termi Captain in a Redeemer with Assault Terminators, along with an Ironclad in Drop Pod and a Stormtalon. I'd love to overwhelm my opponent with tanks, like a flank of Vindicators on either side of my Land Raider. With the Ironclad in people's faces first turn, you'd think that most enemies would struggle to combat that much AV 13+... right?

[Wolfshade]

I continue to run Vindis, they are one of my favourites of all time. Though the short range is sometimes wearisome the S10 pie of death is always fun, (especially when not scattering on deepstriking termies, *mwhahahaha*)

Popping AV 13 is hard work if you are not planning on it, but they are still rhino chasis so the rear armour is paper thin :(

[ShadowcatX]

I've always thought the whirlwind was an underused and under appreciated vehicle, one to two of them can help swing some unfavorable matchups around pretty quick.

[Lord Manton]

I rarely leave home without my predator annihilator. It's got three lascannons, one of which is twin linked. I usually plonk it down where it's got a good view of the battle field and the 48" guns do the rest. From memory it runs at about 160-180 points.
Otherwise the vindicator is lots of fun. Hull mounted means it can move and still get a shot off, so you're likely to be shooting from turn 2 and the pie plate is deadly against massed troops.
I think the thing to remember with tanks is the psychological advantage they give you. Vindicators actually aren't very good. They can only fire 24" directly forward, and predators with lascannons seem to miss all the time (almost as much as melta shots). But opponents are scared of them more than anything else. They will deploy to avoid them which means you're starting to control their deployment. This is a very powerful thing.

Also, they look friggin awesome! Love me some tanks!!

[DrBored]

This is about how I feel about them. Sure, you could have a more effective Devestator squad or Centurion squad, but that's just more dudefaces. A tank is a TANK.

[Haighus]

What Chapter tactics will you be using? Iron Hands tanks obviously being tougher than tanks in other SM forces.

[DrBored]

What Chapter tactics will you be using? Iron Hands tanks obviously being tougher than tanks in other SM forces.

Even though the army is Space Sharks, I'll probably run Iron Hands, just because I love tanks so much. Will make a force that doesn't have a whole lot of damage potential at least very survivable in their Rhinos and that Land Raider. I'm thinking either two Vindicators or two Las Preds to round out the army...

[YorkNecromancer]

Vindicators = awesome.

But not because they kill stuff.

Because they're f***ing terrifying, and that terror is the value they bring. Because they're so absurdly damaging, an opponent just can't afford to ignore them. So, move them from cover to cover, keeping them out of LoS and force the enemy to either break off and deal with them, or to accept an absolute battering from them. No, they won't last long in a firefight, so you don't put them in one; just keep them as an 'any minute now...', ever-present threat so they just scream DISTRACTION!!! and your enemy will waste disproportionate amounts of firepower on them, leaving your actual threats relatively unimpeded.

The value of the Vindicator isn't in the damage it does, but in the damage it draws. Land Raiders are fairly similar, only less reliably, on account of how huge they are.

Heresy-era Predators are also utterly amazing, what with their super-autocannon, low points cost, and availability in squadrons. Scorpius Whirlwind also quite lethal.

[Tyrendian]

Vindicators = awesome.

But not because they kill stuff.

Because they're f***ing terrifying, and that terror is the value they bring. Because they're so absurdly damaging, an opponent just can't afford to ignore them. So, move them from cover to cover, keeping them out of LoS and force the enemy to either break off and deal with them, or to accept an absolute battering from them. No, they won't last long in a firefight, so you don't put them in one; just keep them as an 'any minute now...', ever-present threat so they just scream DISTRACTION!!! and your enemy will waste disproportionate amounts of firepower on them, leaving your actual threats relatively unimpeded.

and that's only half the story - yes, they will do their darndest to kill it - and at the same time to avoid it; ever seen one delete your entire Broadside squad because of bad cover rolls? after that you won't put anything near that Vindicator! Which gives the Marine player half a table's worth of free room to manouver (exaggerating a bit obviously^^)

[Dave Mcturk]

think shermans not tigers !

just take as many razorbacks with TL LAS as you can. defence line to give auto cover. pop away - two for the price of one predator !

[DrBored]

think shermans not tigers !

just take as many razorbacks with TL LAS as you can. defence line to give auto cover. pop away - two for the price of one predator !

True, though the only disadvantage is how much transport capacity they have, which means you either have to Combat Squad or take MSU, since they're only available as Dedicated Transport. If Razorbacks could be taken on their own, they'd be the most broken thing ever. I'd take a dozen with las/plas and storm bolters

[Mr.Gold]

I play CSM rather than SM. however i often use many tank/vehicles in my army. for example one option i have is: Daemon Prince (Flying, Axe of Blind Fury), Maulerfiend/Helldrake, Vindicator, Defiler, and 5 Spawn. all together they come under 1000 points...

[chriswhite]

I run three Las-backs, and a Predator w/twin-linked las. But I'm looking forward to adding a Vindicator and a Whirlwind...