Sponsons: 1 or two weapons?

[Deleted]

I've been playing for a bit, but still get confused about the sponsons for weapons firing and destroyed purposes.

The biggest dilemma comes with a Demolisher with PC sponsons. When firing, does each sponson count as 1 primary weapon or do both sponsons count as 1?

I've fired both my lascannon and sponsons as two primary weapons before. In this case both sponsons counted as one.

I've also taken hits and counted each of my sponsons as separate guns for weapons destroyed purposes.

I can't have it both ways, it's confusing enough for me, let alone my friends who I play with.

How do you all play?

[Deleted]

I think they are twin linked...

[telecustom]

The sponsons are twin-linked so on a weapon destroyed they are both gone.

[fatuous]

WHAT??? so does that mean that my exterminator should only be firing 6 dice of heavy bolter fire (hull HB, and HB sponsons), and re role the misses on 3 of them, that doesn't sound right to me, also if they are twin linked then they'll only ever be able to fire forwards.

Not sure on this one, gonna have to read up when i get home from work.

[Woz]

telecustom said:

The sponsons are twin-linked so on a weapon destroyed they are both gone.

Where did you get that from?

As far as I'm aware they are independant weapons that can fire on different targets.

Thats how everyone I know plays them. Using them as twin linked weapons means you can only fire at a target directly in front of the tank.

[telecustom]

They are bought together. If you want to fire both of them in the same turn, yes you have to shoot directly forward. The only vehicle that can fire it's weapons at different targets is a super-heavy (like a Baneblade or Titan). A LR must fire all it's weapon it intends to fire in that shooting phase at the same target. A good example of this is an entire squad must fire the same target. You can't have your heavy bolter fire at a different target then the rest of the squad.

The sponson HBs on the LR do use D3 each. But for firing purposes they must fire at the same target. This is why being immobilized is such a pain. It clearly limits the available targets to shoot at with all your weapons.

Sorry for the misunderstanding.

[sammy1979]

yeh but they aint twin linked two seperate rolls. with sponsons where does it say twin linked when you buy them, it don't there fired seperatly at the same target, as gtwo heavy bolters not twin linked @ all

[Deleted]

right not twin linked. a leman russ can only fire on one enemy squad a turn. the sponson mounted weapons count as two different weapons that must fire at the same squad if possible if not then one does not shoot.

[fatuous]

Ahhhhhh thank God, was getting worried for a minute then, cos that is how I've been playing it

They each count as a weapon for weapon destroyed purposes then yes?

[sammy1979]

should be thats how i play them as there seperate as you pay for them pts wise, but if its down to just your h/bolters on your russ its a decidedly bad day, some how i dont think a oponent would state h/bolters off if the battle cannon is still there,

[Deleted]

The big deal is not Heavy Bolters, but Demolishers equipped with Plasma Cannons. Counting it as 1 weapon enables you to move 6 inches and fire both plasma cannons at a target. Counting them as separate weapons means that you could fire 1 plasma cannon or 1 lascannon.

Usually my LR are destroyed before it is a Heavy bolter issue, but I have played a couple of games where I had to use the LR as a mobile HW platoon to shoot up enemy infantry after my opponent took out my battle cannon.

This past weekend we played that the sponsons were separate weapons. This meant that my Space Marine friend couldn't fire all of his Lascannons on his Ultra Land Raider if he moved.

[Deleted]

I have the same set-up on my demolisher. They are SEPERATE weapons (bought at one cost), and have SEPERATE fire arcs (see main rule book). The only time they can fire BOTH at the same target is if the target is large enough and to the front, as sponsons are listed as 180 deg arcs of fire from the SIDE of the tank they are on.

When they take a weapon hit, that would eliminate ONE sponson, thus giving you a DEAD SIDE.

IMO