Side Sponsons?

[Deleted]

Hello, I just aquired a FW leman russ and I was looking at theri website. On the website, none of their leman russes have the side sponsons. I plan on making a blitzkrieg like army with mass of tanks AND infantry but I dont know it the side sponsons would be a good way to put my points

I have looked at the other threads but none have reallly answered my questions on how effective they would be in a mass tanks = infantry army...


thanks

[Deleted]

well first off, the sponson upgrade gives you 2 hvy bolters for the price of one in a single infantry squad. They are great bang for the buck. I always take them. The only people who dont seem to not take them due to aesthetics.

Tactically, they still give the tank great firepower even when the cannon gets blown off.

I'd say keep them, but steer away from the flamer sponsons. Stick with the bolters. What FW tank did you get?

[kyron]

I also think you should use side sponsons. they give you alot of mobil firepower.

[Deleted]

Tank own infantry, so therefore have alot of anti-infantry firepower. Hull hvy bolter, sponson hvy bolters, plus a heavy stubber, well thats 12 shots that can be used instead of the battle cannon..from a stationary poistion.

[Commissar]

Yeah go for the bolters, they are your best as far as tactics go.
Flamers never work out on a Russ for some reason, I've never really seen em as all too successful.

[Deleted]

I got a DEATH KORPS OF KRIEG MARS ALPHA PATTERN LEMAN RUSS

I also have a question...hull mounted HB or lascannon?

[skizoman333]

personally, i went for the lascannon. the turret is good against both infantry and vehicles, but is a little unpredictable in where it hits. A lascannon gives you a direct shot, tho it is rolling on 4+ to hit. its useful if the battlecannon is taken out, and you still need a tank killer

[mardaddy]

Everyone has their own way of doing things - When I play a DH w/IG allies list, I end up using other forces for anti-tank roles, so the Russ can concentrate on elites or troops with high-toughness.

Heavy Bolters all-around; and I've had some decent success with it (especially against Orks.)

[Colonel Scipio]

grenadier said:

I always take them. The only people who dont seem to not take them due to aesthetics.

I'm with you there, I think they look really awful... but then again my tanks often end up swamped by infantry so maybe I should think a bit about tactics as well...

[Deleted]

Personally I put them ON for appearance, without them I find the Russ looks too tall and narrow, the sponsons give them a wider profile. Plus they do keep the tank potent when the cannon is gone, and two heavy bolters could deal a lot of damage against spread-out 4+ save enemies such as Eldar. Too bad I end up only fighting MEQs.

[angelusmortis]

skizoman333 said:

personally, i went for the lascannon. the turret is good against both infantry and vehicles, but is a little unpredictable in where it hits. A lascannon gives you a direct shot, tho it is rolling on 4+ to hit. its useful if the battlecannon is taken out, and you still need a tank killer

Thats the reason I take it too. Hull LC and Sponsons HB. You know the first weapon hit is going to be the BC, so it still leaves you with an AT/AP threat.

[Deleted]

Maybe this is a topic for another thread ...

Does the 180 degree arc on the sponson extend from the SIDE of the model or the CENTERline of the model.

Here's my delimna:

I have a demolisher with plasma cannon side sponsons. Based on the rules, they have to fire at the SAME target. No biggie ...

If the 180 degree is off the HULL, a target narrower than 5" could be hidden to the front or rear of a demolisher/Russ sponson ...

If off the center line of the model, it would seem that the verbage could be best suited to read that the sponson option gives you ONE 360 degree weapon of the sponson type ...

Or do I read this incorrectly ....?

[Deleted]

BGB pg 64 under "Vehicle Line Of Sight"

Use real LOS traced from the pivot point of the sponson.

You will also see that A Leman Russ's Sponsons can therefore dip inwards a small amount to give a situation similar to the top illustration on pg 64.

With my calculations of the distance from sponson to sponson (pivot point) being 85mm, and the 7 degree "inward" movement of the sponson (this puts the shot JUST missing the wall of the Russ), the two shots will converge approximately 34.4 cm directly in front of the Russ. This is about 14 Inches. So, in my eyes, 14" is the break where you can attack with both sponson on one point. I reality, you should be able to attack even closer due to the size of your target.

This situation is very dependent on the people you play though. Talk it over with them.

[Deleted]

Interesting point grenadier. Hehehe ... I particularly enjoyed your "approximately 34.4cm" part... Are you german, because that's pretty precise to be termed an approximation?

[fatuous]

lol gd calculations tho.

also remember that the sponsons are not always 180 degree fire arcs, it depends on the fire arcs on the actual models, and LRs sponsons are basically forward and side facing, they can not fire behind them.

On topic, yes heavy bolter side sponsons are well worth the points, with either a lascannon or heavy bolter on the hull, depending on the role u can for the tank.

The move and fire effectiveness will decrease with 5th ed change to defensive weapons (am offering up burnt eldar sacrifises that this doesn't happen), but you still get the benefit of having 2 more (3 if u take a pintle) weapons to be destroyed before weapon destroyed results count as disabled, etc.... which makes them worth while.

[Deleted]

Thanks guys ... for aesthetics, I mounted my sponson ports upside down (gives slanted roofs up top and flat floors), and I ended up with a 90 degree arc which do NOT face inwards on the side wall .. giving me a dead zone for my sponsons .. but this is covered by my las cannon ... I just wanted to be clear.

Thanks again for the input.