Which Piece of artillery should i take that ignores cover;)

[lordcommisar684]

Ive been fighting tau and other xenos factions with my Dark Eldar and have no problem but when i fight them with chaos i have a really hard time. They hug cover like theres no tommorrow and i wana know should i bring a Manticore, or Any other good artillery pieces. Please comment:) cheers.

[treadiculous]

Hello,

The manticore is generally recognised as the best artillery available in imperial guard arsenals.

Mortars in large numbers are also excellent too, at least 6.

[WestRider]

If you're just going for Anti-Infantry, Girffons are generally a better buy. A pair of them comes in 10 points cheaper than a Manticore, can fire all game, reliably get 2 Blasts every Turn, are more accurate, and are more durable.

That said, they're also shorter-ranged, don't have the potential for 3 Blasts in one Turn, and they lack much of the duality that makes the Manticore so great, since they can't really threaten much in the way of Vehicles.

Also remember that any Barrage Weapon will be able to bypass Cover from Defense Lines and intervening Units*, but only the Colossus will Ignore Cover against Area Terrain.

*And even then, that's assuming it lands on the right side of the obstacle. If the center of the Blast ends up just in front of the source of Cover, guys behind it will still get their Saves.

[hendrik]

a stormsword!
i guess it all comes down to this, do you want pure sestructive power (manticore) or do you want to remove lighter threads from cover (colossus)

[Lord General Armstrong]

The generic 'old reliable', or Basilisk can ignore cover to a degree. Being barrage the enemy can generally only claim cover if they are in area terrain. It's cheap, effective, multi-purpose templates are nothing to pass up either, being able to destroy most armour (via hitting vehicle SA and rolling two dice for armour penetration then choosing the highest) and MEQs with equal contempt. Not to mention pinning and the fact that barrage is now the ultimate sniper in the game, but seeing as you are asking which artillery is the best, those last two points are offered by alternatives as well. The Basilisk offers a good S9 and a solid AP3, not as powerful as the Medusa yes, but it still has two advantages over it, barrage and an actual kit. (Generally contends with the venerable Leman Russ Main Battle Tank)

Griffins are the cheaper, more accurate version of the Basilisk, offering similar abilities with a large reduction in S and AP. (Intended to kill GEQs or light vehicles) Though you can get two of them for say, the same price as a Leman Russ Exterminator, which in occasion would be a better investment. (The Griffins not the Exterminator, though the Exterminator is also in the same ballpark. Its targets being similar GEQs, with the added benefit of offering mediocre anti-air and superior armour)

Colossus are good at killing MEQs and GEQs, though its price tag and a railroaded specialization could be its downfall. It's good at killing Marines in cover and little else. Its ability is marginally better than the Griffin.

All in all, a trio of Basilisks (or increasing these to squadrons of two) is probably the better option, seeing as its a dual-role and is cheaper to buy. (The others requiring Forge World or conversion) In the case of complimenting existing forces, a pair of Griffins, or two Masters of Ordinance are a better choice. Personally I choose the latter (they aren't always accurate, which is apart of the charm, at least in my opinion, they're also the cheapest option thus far as simply converting a few guardsmen could do the trick), as my Heavy Support contains three Leman Russes.

[Captain Zapp Brannigan]

I both love and loath the Basilsk at the same time. When I first started playing 40k I always knew that one day I would see the light and collect a Guard army and possess my very own Basilsk... Now I own three.

Touching heartfelt story aside. As much as a soft spot as I have for these artillery pieces their massive 36inch minimum engagement zone is a killer! It is crazy! Hell even in Vietnam the Aussies and Kiwi's were able to level their 105mm howitzers and fire them directly at the enemy-And it worked! Surely in another 38 000 years the IG would be able to produce a dual purpose artillery piece but alas no. Points for points value my mortars always trump my basilisks in the returns they deliver.

However this thread does appear to be geared towards wiping powered armoured, scary, naughty space marines off the face of the universe then definitely dig deep and go for the colossus.

I still prefer loads of mortars and opt for the sheer weight of firepower approach but then again each is to their own

[WestRider]

You do know that you can now fire your Basilisk inside the minimum range, right? You just don't get to subtract your BS, to represent the fact that the sights aren't calibrated for that.

[Captain Zapp Brannigan]

What is this madness??

You can definitely tell who is more into modelling and conversions than actual gaming. Still haven't picked up a copy of 6th Ed yet haha

Cheers for the revelation mate