Help for noob and tanks

[Rodiger]

Hi, I am wondering if I need to buy the Astra Millitarum Start Collecting box? I have had a GC army half built and half on sprue for a while now, but I have never gotten round to playing with them in 40K yet.

 

Firstly, this will most likely be more of a modelling/conversion project rather than actually playing, (I don’t play competitively at all so I’m not looking for anything like that.) I plan to make them into the Bladed Cog as I have two units of Skitarii and a tech priest and I am excited about combining them all, I plan to convert the Skitarii too and use them as Neophytes.

In total I have all the models from Deathwatch Overkill, The Tooth and Claw set, two extra units of Neophyte Hybrids, the Atalan Jackals and the Goliath, as well as over 100 Genestealers.

 

Basically my main concern is that the guy I play with has a lot of tanks, whether it be Astra Millitarum or Chaos and I have no idea if there is anything in the army to deal with tanks. I used to play 40k back in 6th and 7th, I’ve had like 3 games of 8th and I don't really know much about how the modern version of 40k plays, I remember playing Dark Angels back in 6th and having nothing to deal with flyers, just a missile launcher with a flak missile, it wasn't fun for anyone and I don't want a repeat of that. So do I need to buy that start collecting box for dealing with tanks? It has a tank and a heavy weapons team, I think it looks cool for modelling and conversions, but if it isn’t necessary and other units can handle them, then I may not bother with it.

 

Thanks.   

 

[Rogue]

You're never going to be in a position to take on lots of tanks with firepower - the Cult is very flexible, and we can configure an army as a close approximation of a Guard force (especially with the Hivecult creed), but we don't get orders and doctrines and all that. So trying to outgun tanks is unlikely to work.

 

My suggestion would be to punch them to death instead, and our best weapons for that are rock saw acolytes and aberrants.

 

Rock saws are great - we can have two for every unit of five, and with Primus support they can be hitting on 2s, wound on 3s, AP-4 (so pretty much no save), and 2 damage a time.

 

Aberrants (of either flavour) can do the job too. Again, they really benefit from the Primus (and the Abominant, who can also smash tanks on a good day).

 

Remember that both acolytes and aberrants also have rending claws. With the right tools (Twisted Helix for +1 strength, or the +1 to wound psychic power; the Primus' +1 to wound ability) even claws will wound T8 on 5s, with 6s jumping to AP-4 again.

 

Or, go for a combination. I've had success with a group of Russes in the backfield, and two units of aberrants either pushing forward in cover, or Perfect Ambushing in - my opponent can either take on three battle cannons and a bunch of plasma, or hang back and get mugged by the aberrants.

[Rodiger]

Thanks for the detailed reply. It's good to know there is stuff for dealing with tanks without resorting to tanks, so no rush to buy the start collecting box, but it may be useful if I do.