Anyone have success with landspeeders?

[karden00]

It’s all in the title.

Since 5th, I’ve had amazing success with these units. I have 7 of them, and would run tornado and typhoons as basically highly mobile gunboats. They could move modestly and still onload, say, two crack missiles and a multi melts shot, or if I was feeling particularly nasty, two multi melta shots. They generally enjoyed a high survivability rate, which always struck me as odd, seeing as they far more often than not really brought the pain.

 

I don’t really play anymore, may never play a game of 8th, at this rate. Does anyone still use these bad boys?

[Captain Idaho]

-1 to hit hurts mobility so they become pillboxes really. This, along with shorter ranged weaponry putting Land Speeders at massive risk, means we will mostly see just the Typhoon or dual Heavy Bolter versions.

 

I think those Land Speeders can be useful but they ain't cheap. It's this problem that is paramount. 2 Heavy Bolters costs 90pts and won't be moving much so why not take Devastators for cheaper? They can make use of Hell Fire shells too.

 

130pts for Typhoons but again you can get a cheaper Devastator squad with the benefits of Signum and Strategums and cover etc.

[MeltaRange]

I've messed around with them a couple times mostly in my blood angels.  I actually think that Datalink Telemetry can be useful when targeting things with a lot of minus to hit such as Alaitoc flyers and really just Eldar in general.  Also, it can make a Whirlwind on 1 wound shoot perfectly accurately! If you were to roll with 5 land speeders it would be very hard to avoid the stratagem going where you wanted it.  

 

I think it would be an interesting and fun army to have 6 speeders running around (maybe 3 typhoons hanging back and 3 running on the front lines as distraction) and maybe 2 whirlwinds in the back hanging out with a Lieutenant and a Dread.  You could either pop Wisdom of the Ancients to make everything re-roll 1s to hit and wound, or you could pop Datalink in certain circumstances.  The Dread could deter attacks on your firebase.

[9x19 Parabellum]

I love the idea of Datalink Telemetry but it costs so much to make it all work, on 2 units that are either overcosted or underperforming (or both). It is the quintessential throwing good money after bad money.  You're putting 180 points and a CP into guaranteeing...what...2d6 hits automatically hitting?  The land speeder will need to be very close putting it at super high risk to just get gunned down or assaulted, or both.

 

I'd rather pay 3 CP to upgrade a Chapter Master and just give my whole gunline rerolls to hit all the time.

 

But to answer the OP's basic question, I have not heard about anyone having great success with Landspeeders, no.  Mostly what I've read (and agree with) is that they are about 20 points, at least, overpriced.

[Ishagu]

The BS hit when they move, in conjunction with their high cost makes them quite unattractive, imo.

[Captain_Krash]

I find landspeeder storms to be quiet effective 

 

Krash

[justicarius6]

I find landspeeder storms to be quiet effective

 

Krash

I'm going to try experimenting with a heavy flamer storm filled with shotgun scouts and a combi-flamer sgt. just to see if it's any good at light infantry clearance. I'm not expecting great things but it's relatively cheap.

[9x19 Parabellum]

I'm actually running a similar LSS this Thursday against my regular buddy. Wasn't going to do the combiflamer though, just 5x shotguns, and heavy flamer on the LSS. Using it in conjunction with my new Whirlwind for Datalink Telemetry to see how it goes.

[Prot]

I really enjoyed them when 8th first came out. I played the combo for the Strategem with the Whirkwind a lot. (Keep in mind this was right after 7th when that ‘formation’ was pretty good)

 

I pretty much decided on the Typhoon variant but you have to keep is still unless your throwing Frag and heavy Bolters. The problem is massed distance firepower started to make them look really bad, really early.

 

In my opinion they really need better T or free move and shoot or something from the new FAQ as they are far outclassed now.

[Captain Idaho]

I'd say they shouldn't suffer the hit penalty for moving heavy weapons (no Space Marines vehicle should as they're just too few in number to have that problem like other races).

 

They should definitely have a 30pts points drop though. 70pts for a base model is absurd!

[Ishagu]

I'd say they shouldn't suffer the hit penalty for moving heavy weapons (no Space Marines vehicle should as they're just too few in number to have that problem like other races).

 

They should definitely have a 30pts points drop though. 70pts for a base model is absurd!

 

Lol that's still less than a single Centurion!

 

Man, this codex needs to get fixed!!

[Captain Idaho]

Of course but nothing in isolation ;)