Are Predators worth using?

[NKWulf]

I am slowly building an army and was wondering if Predator Tanks were worth adding to it. 

[Brother Hellion]

Well it depends on what style of play your going for. Most players I've seen deploy an auto pred with lascannon side sponsons(?) for monster assassinations/long range tank sniping.  Or some take a quad laz pred. Rarely do I see one with heavy bolters, probably because there units that far better at killing mass hordes like the razorback or whirlwind. 

[Rune Priest Jbickb]

I have brought mine 5 or 6 times and I find it about on par with long fangs and filling a similar role. I have enjoyed them though.

[wilkco]

They do have good fire power however the downside I found with the predator is the plus one to hit after it moves so a lot of the time it becomes a bit of a bunker type item.

 

I prefer to take a unit of long fangs with las-cannons that can also get the rerolls as well plus it is easier to get into cover also you can throw them in a rhino if you want to move them quickly.

 

but it all depends on the games you are fighting and how your army is set up

 

Razorback's seem to be the better the choice due to being able to put laser or assault cannon and you are also able to throw in a small troop unit as well

[NKWulf]

thanks for the replys.  so it looks like its "players choice" lol.  ill most likely get 1 then and give it go along with my long fangs.  thanks again. 

[jerrys]

I guess another consideration might be target saturation: if all your other stuff is tough vehicles (e.g. rhinos and razorbacks and dreadnoughts or something), then the predator might be a good pick because the opponent only has so many lascannons, and his bolters will have nothing to shoot at. Whereas if you have all infantry, the long fangs might be better.

[Yoyo ninja]

Preds have their place. They have some advantages over Long Fangs (take more damage before becoming less effective, don't have to pay more points to make them more mobile), where as Fangs have some advantages over Preds (easier to get in cover, cheaper, re-roll 1s).

So as others have said, it just depends on what you are playing as to what you will be taking. Worth having the option (I like Preds, I have 3, I also got 3 units of Fangs ;) you can never have to many big guns!).

[Karhedron]

A quad-las Predator is 190 points (assuming we use the Codex points costs rather than the Index ones). For 230 points, you can get 2 twin-las Razorbacks which give you the same firepower, nearly double the number of wounds and can also transport squads for you if you wish. It's not that the Predator is bad, I just think that Razorbacks are better because they are cheaper and more flexible.

[NKWulf]

Thanks.  I'll look at the Razorbacks.   

[Kasper_Hawser]

Thus far, I think the Autocannon Predator is a fantastic bang for buck. Even with just heavy bolters, the range and threat metre is awesome, and may even be underestimated until they experience the 3 damage of the cannon. Granted its only -1 AP, but still it's very satisfying to see a 2 wound model go poof in one shot once he/she/it fails the save.

 

Laspredator I'm still put off by the cost, also in my list, my anti-tank is fulfilled by Flyer Stormwolf, so my predators are dedicated to anti-infantry.

 

To answer OP, yes they are worth it, but sadly the Codex Marines do it better by virtue of their Killshot Strategems (add 1 to wound rolls for all 3 nearby predators). Even CSM can use it better by using their version of Killshot.

 

But still awesome. Remember, for Lascannons, you could always roll ones and twos even if you hit and wound.

[NKWulf]

thanks for the respones.  I said screw it and got 2 boxes of Long Fangs, 2 Razorbacks, and 2 Predators.  lol.  

[Kasper_Hawser]

thanks for the respones.  I said screw it and got 2 boxes of Long Fangs, 2 Razorbacks, and 2 Predators.  lol.  

 

All good choices which you can't go wrong. Thankfully in this edition, all three remain very useful, just a matter of tactics and preference. 

 

1) Long Fangs are the most killy but vulmerable

2) Predators are more survivable and slightly more mobile but more expensive

3) Razorbacks are cheapest and mobile but least firepower. However can serve as emergency transports and objective campers.

 

Just make sure you don't go against the jerks who spam more than 5 slots of heavy support, elites, Fast Attack, flyers or God forbid, lord of wars. 

[Gherrick]

I think preds are worth their cost, better than vindi's, IMO. The 3W cannon can be very devastating.

[Stoic Raptor]

I think having four lascannons on a mobile platform is nice, but they just aren't enough like a "tank" for me.  It really needs Power of the Machine Spirit, and at least either a T8 and/or 2+ save to make it appealing to me.  Until then I'll stick with Long Fangs (or Centurions in chapters that allow them)

[Anarnii]

I’m thinking of Mortis contemptor rather than predator. Only 4 points different, same damage outputs, but the contemptor gets 2+ to hit and 5+ invulnerable save.