Viability of Sabre Strike Tank

[First_Among_Brothers]

I’m wondering how people feel about the battlefield effectiveness of the new sabre tanks in a competitive/ semi-competetive setting. There are already some established opinions out there already:

https://www.goonhammer.com/horus-heresy-hot-take-the-legion-sabre-strike-tank/

And the relatively negative “is it :cuss " take right here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ufsfk722oXc

I’d kind of like to try a pair, though, in their anti-tank capacity (which seems like the only way worth taking them):

2x Sabre Strike Tanks w/ Neutron Blasters (170)

How does this match up with, say, any of the following four anti-tank options, which come in at more-or-less the same points total:

• 3x Javelins w/ Multi-Meltas (195)
• Lightning Strike w/ 2x Kraken Missiles & Battle Servitor Control (185)
• Contemptor Mortis w/ 2x TL Lascannons (185)
• Sicaran Venator w/ no Sponsons (190)

The Javelins are the most mobile, but then there’s armored ceramite. The Mortis can skyfire, but then its stuck on your own side of the battlefield. The Venator is awesome, but it only gets one shot and its gun isn’t that much better than the Neutron Blaster on the Sabre. The Lightning Strike is probably the most guaranteed to delete one big tank, but you have to wait till turn 2 and you’re vulnerable to interceptor. Plus, the sabre becomes hugely effective if it can outflank (Maru Skara, Horus, etc.) or in a list with some way of seizing the initiative readily (primarch).  So, how ‘bout them sabre strike tanks?

Edited December 17, 2019 by Slips
use the cuss emote instead of self-censoring.

[Unknown Legionnaire]

See here.

[dicebod]

One thing to think about for the Sabre - the Neutron Blaster is a bit of a trap compared to the Snub Autocannon.  With the Autocannon, you're missing out on AP and 1 point of strength, sure, but you're far more likely going to actually cause damage because of 3 factors:

• It's got 2 shots
• It's twin-linked
• It has sunder

One bad die roll on the Neutron blaster and you're SoL.  People complain (including myself!) about the unreliability of the Sicaran Venator, and that has 2 shots and Ordnance.  I'd argue that the best load out for the Sabre is the autocannon and a pintle MM, and at that point you're talking 180 points for the pair of two, shooting out 4 twin-linked S8 shots w/ re-rollable armor pen and 2 shot at 12" melta range.  Not too shabby, especially if you can get them into side armor.

[First_Among_Brothers]

Maybe it’s just an illusion of awesomeness, but I will admit that the Neutron Blaster has me excited bc of forcing vehicles to snap fire. So, let’s say I have 2 without multi-melt at 170 points. I play Sons of Horus—let’s say I field Horus and use the Long March RoW. I deploy them via outflank and reroll 1s to hit on the first turn, and I seize first turn on a 4+. So, let’s imagine a nasty vehicle that has a side armor of 13–in that situation, using both against the same target, I have a 5/9 chance to get one penetrating hit overall. As a Blood Bowl player, those are the kind of odds I would go for if it meant having a chance to make a huge first-turn difference. If there’s no Fellblade or Typhon to mess with, then maybe I have a smaller vehicle to go for, like some predators or something else with a side armor value less than 13, causing my odds of doing damage to go up dramatically.

 

I’m not saying this is the best thing ever—I’m trying to defend that Neutron gun in the right circumstances. With a list that tries to get a lot done on turn 1, I often worry about something like the Lightning coming to the party too late in turn 2 (*if* I don’t botch roll). The Sabre is there from the beginning, is cheap, and potentially will draw a lot of fire bc of the psychological effect of being able to force snap shots.

Edited December 21, 2019 by First_Among_Brothers

[Elzender]

First_Among_Brothers, do the benefits of the Long March affect vehicles as well, or only models with the Legiones Astartes: SoH rules?

[First_Among_Brothers]

“On the first turn of the game, a detachment using this Rite of War may re-roll all To Hit rolls of a 1” (Age of Darkness Legions 105).

[Brofist]

Yeah. The thing is, if they made the neutron gun too cheap or as strong as the venator version it would just be too good. As it stands a venator does a better job, but you can take more of these and they drive around while doing it.

[CajunJynx]

We have been proxying them in my local meta, they are really, really strong, like, top 3 target priority, if you let them run free on the table they will get their points back + every single game.

 

So far the snub autocannon and volkite variants are clear favorites, the neutrino one consistently underperforms.

[The Ironic Warrior]

Maybe it’s just an illusion of awesomeness, but I will admit that the Neutron Blaster has me excited bc of forcing vehicles to snap fire. So, let’s say I have 2 without multi-melt at 170 points. I play Sons of Horus—let’s say I field Horus and use the Long March RoW. I deploy them via outflank and reroll 1s to hit on the first turn, and I seize first turn on a 4+. So, let’s imagine a nasty vehicle that has a side armor of 13–in that situation, using both against the same target, I have a 5/9 chance to get one penetrating hit overall. As a Blood Bowl player, those are the kind of odds I would go for if it meant having a chance to make a huge first-turn difference. If there’s no Fellblade or Typhon to mess with, then maybe I have a smaller vehicle to go for, like some predators or something else with a side armor value less than 13, causing my odds of doing damage to go up dramatically.

 

I’m not saying this is the best thing ever—I’m trying to defend that Neutron gun in the right circumstances. With a list that tries to get a lot done on turn 1, I often worry about something like the Lightning coming to the party too late in turn 2 (*if* I don’t botch roll). The Sabre is there from the beginning, is cheap, and potentially will draw a lot of fire bc of the psychological effect of being able to force snap shots.

 

That's a great plan in theory, but they turn up turn 2 at the earliest and gain no benefit from the Long War. Horus giving them Outflank is dope though, and Iron Hands with Head of the Gorgon is really potent for them. I've found that the Neutron Blaster is a bit varied with it's hit chances, but the threat of it does more than the weapons it's armed with.

 

It MIGHT do nothing.

It MIGHT miss its shot.

It MIGHT fail to pen.

 

But at the same time, it MIGHT stop that 750pt Warhound from shooting for a full turn, and it might inflict the penetrating hit that explodes your Spartan with your Primarch and retinue in before it gets into range.

 

Use them as flankers and distractions, not as your main tank hunters and they will earn their points back in the problems they cause the enemy. Make them choose either the Sabre or something else in your line, and nudge them towards the Sabre being the better target. People overanalyze units based on how likely they are to hit or do damage (Mathhammer), and forget what happens when they do hit and what that might mean - yes it isn't as likely as the LT autocannon, but a shot getting through is infinitely more likely to have an effect on the whole battle compared to glancing a couple of hullpoints in my opinion.

[Theredknight]

The other lists that they could do well in are IH list with flanking tanks, and ironically, EC with Mari skara. Threatening the flanks with 2 of these at least would be painful. Try 2 units of 2 and it’s devastating I should imagine.