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Thunderfire Cannon viability


Vorenus

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How does everyone rate Thunderfire Cannons after the new Codex?  I want to like them.  But they feel kind of "meh" to me.  They have excellent range (60"), they don't require line of sight, but only Strength 5 and AP -1, and the real problem for me is the 4d3 random shots.  I hate random shots.  They have two Stratagems that are relatively cheap that seem like they should help, one lets them shoot twice if they remain stationary and the other lets them fire a "Tremor Shell" that reduces the target's movement by half.  I'm trying to decide whether to take a Thunderfire Cannon in a 1000 point list, or to instead take a Razorback.  The Thunderfire is 5 points more expensive.  I don't have a lot of wiggle room in my list, so it's either take one or the other.  What are everyone's thoughts?  Are Thunderfires good now?  Or just meh?  

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One of the best units in the book, hands down.

 

They have access to two key stratagems - shoot an additional time (and at a different target) and tremor shells.

 

For 3CP - which granted is costly, you can halve the movement of two enemy units. This could be a horde running at you or a battle tank trying to get into position.

 

It's incredibly useful, and can stifle an enemy list on the very first turn of a game.

 

Also they have indirect fire - again, incredible useful. If not using the stratagems you can use one to pick off infantry units the opponent has out of line of sight.

Edited by Ishagu
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They're crazy useful and I agree with Ishagu that they're one of the better units in the codex. At 1k it might be an issue to squeeze one in but at any higher point level than that, they're never going to be a bad choice. Put one on a backfield objective and fire away, just like that they're decent but Tremor shells can single-handedly win you games, it's that good. Of course that's dependent on who you face but even without it they're solid. BS2+ shots that doesn't require LoS with extreme range will win you games on its own by blasting away that one last guy holding an objective etc.

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As posters above me have said, the ability to reduce the movement of TWO units is crazy good. With som luck/bad placement you can box in large parts of your opponents army. All this from 60" away hidden behind a wall/ruin. And as a bonus the tech-marine can repair a nearby vehicle. It´s all good :-)

 

But you get dimishing returns from having more than one TFC because much of its usefullness comes from the synergy of the two stratagems.

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The unit offers some really great utility that can not be found elsewhere in the codex and at a reasonable price. With the upgrade to WS2+ it doesnt have to be baby sat either with auras either. Finally just because you can spend CP for its utility effects doesnt mean you have to, the unit by itself can due some damage throughout the game and if you do need it to slow down a unit or two its there for your needs.

 

 

And as a bonus the tech-marine can repair a nearby vehicle. It´s all good :-)

 

 

 

To add to this, if you cant get a good piece of blacking terrain you can always use a vehicle to create your own, I often use this trick with a standard landraider and a hard corner. 

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Stick one behind a T8 rhino chassis, like a Stalker, to block line of sight to the Cannon, and have the gunner adjacent to the Stalker to repair it as it takes fire.

 

Your opponent will have to devote A LOT of firepower to dig out that artillery piece.

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And as a bonus the tech-marine can repair a nearby vehicle. It´s all good :-)

 

 

To add to this, if you cant get a good piece of blacking terrain you can always use a vehicle to create your own, I often use this trick with a standard landraider and a hard corner.

Stick it between 2 Whirlwinds, or if you're feeling spendy, 2 Land Raider Achilles (which each have a TFC mounted on them).

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The TFC is a perfectly suitable piece of artillery without strategems because of its relative low cost, hitting on 2+, and even saving on a 2+.It comes with a nifty Techmarine to boot, don't forget!

I would argue that you have superior options to spend your points on, but there is nothing wrong with these guys. I have three and they don't let me down. The Strategem support just pushes them over the top.

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Yes it's widely accepted the unit is very competitive now. Devastator Doctrine, 2 Strategums that work, decent BS and armour...

 

I think a pair of them in the backfield can cause a lot of problems.

Edited by Captain Idaho
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I plan on running a TFC and three Whirlwinds in my next game on tuesday, with an additional Techmarine babysitting the Whirlwinds. Just today I realized that the Devastator doctrine applies to all of them, so I think they should perform fairly well.

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I'd like to kit bash one. Anybody got some good ideas?

I used the guns from the stalker with the tracks from the Kataphron servitors

 

http://a64.tinypic.com/2exas5l.jpg

http://a67.tinypic.com/qrj5sn.jpg

[http://a64.tinypic.com/30jobpg.jpg

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I'd like to kit bash one. Anybody got some good ideas?

I used the guns from the stalker with the tracks from the Kataphron servitorshttp://a64.tinypic.com/2exas5l.jpghttp://a67.tinypic.com/qrj5sn.jpg

[http://a64.tinypic.com/30jobpg.jpg

Amazing, I was thinking of doing this, searched the web and came upon your sweet post. They look great!

 

Question, how does the tread size of the Kataphrons compare to the dimensions of the actual thunder cannon model? Is the footprint basically the same? (I’m getting back into the game and have not seen Admech on the table yet believe it or not!)

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I used the guns from the stalker with the tracks from the Kataphron servitors

Great idea!

But what does one do with the kataphron torsos then?

Could make servitors!
Yeah! And if not, can probably buy the Kataphron tracks by themselves at bits sites.

 

I am still wondering about the size comparison, I hope the Kataphron tracks are close in size to the Thunderfire cannon tracks.

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