# Tactics for SM Tarantula Sentry Guns



## xenobiotic

I'm mostly a hobbyist, I prefer building my miniatures, converting them and giving them the best paintjob I can in a specific situation with the fluff and concepts I have in my mind at the time. Sometimes I buy units simply because I like how they look, aesthetics are very important to me.

To that end I recently bought some Forge World Space Marine Tarantulas* and I have a plan to slowly add to that collection untill I have 3 of each type (for those whom are unfamiliar with the tarantulas they can have either twin-heavy bolters, twin-lascannons or a multi-melta).









The thing is, I'd like to be able to use them in some way in a planned Imperial Armour vanilla space marine list but I am uncertain how to use them efficiently.

So, my question is, does anyone have any experience using Space Marine Tarantula Sentry Guns to any degree of success and, if so, how did you use them?

For reference the list I'm slowly thinking of using looks something like this:
Tyberos the Red Wake + Terminators with lightning claws in a Caestus Assault Ram
Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought
Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought
Tacticals in Drop Pod
Tacticals in Drop Pod
Land Speeder Typhoon
Land Speeder Typhoon
Tarantulas
Tarantulas

*Current rules for the Space Marine Sentry Gun can be found here:
http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/Downloads/Product/PDF/i/IA2update28AUG.pdf


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## Vaz

They aren't really a successful unit.

BS2 Multimelta's is right out the window. Even at 15 points, hitting once in every 3 shots is a right pain, not to mention the limited range/traverse on the Heavy Bolters/lascannons ruins their effectivness. Also, armour 10 glance, and it's destroyed?

For 40pts, you can get yourself a Razorback with Heavy Bolter or Lascannon.

It can move, fire in any direction, and is resilient, as well as being a secondary transport for units.

For flavour measures - the Drop Pod and Caestus suggest that it's an insertion style army - the Space Marines use the Automated defences for point defence, and control of an objective following the attack, leaving Battle brothers free to commit to another attack, or fall back to a more defensible position - they are not going to be deployed with an attack.

I could possibly see them being carried by Scouts as they set up an OP to provide heavier firepower, but not Battle brothers who can carry that kit themselves, as well as move and fire. Of course - if you're using the BP+CCW Space Marines, then you might well find them suitable, but I can't help feeling a Deathwind Drop Pod will prove to be deadlier - Might want to have a look at the Datasheet which allows Drop Pods and Deathstorms to fall in order, Deathwind drop pods go in, then the Drop pods fall down to earth in the cleared area.


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## xenobiotic

Vaz said:


> They aren't really a successful unit.
> 
> BS2 Multimelta's is right out the window. Even at 15 points, hitting once in every 3 shots is a right pain, not to mention the limited range/traverse on the Heavy Bolters/lascannons ruins their effectivness. Also, armour 10 glance, and it's destroyed?


Actually with the updated rules in IA2 on the FW page they have a fairly decent (not superb) traverse and range - at least on the Heavy Bolter turret (and the Lascannon even if it suffers from cost deficiency). Granted they are still immobile and destroyed by glancing hits.



Imperial Armour 2 Rule Update from Forge World* said:


> Special Rules:
> Firing Modes: A sentry gun can fire in one of two modes. You must
> decide which mode the sentry gun will be set in before the start of
> the game. You cannot change the mode once you have decided, it
> remains in that mode for the rest of the game.
> • Point Defence Mode: The sentry gun is set up with a fixed fire
> arc, usually to provide covering fire over a particular area. In this
> mode, the gun will engage enemy targets up to 36" away which
> are within a fixed 90º arc.
> • Sentry Mode: *In this mode, the gun is set up to fire at any enemy
> which comes near, and will always turn to fire at the nearest
> enemy target within range to which it can draw a line of sight. It
> can fire all around.*


Emphasis is mine.

The only turret I can see which would benefit from Point Defence Mode is the Multi-melta which would actually gain range (still not twin-linked though which makes it lacking), on the other two types it's basically worthless with this rule set.



Vaz said:


> For 40pts, you can get yourself a Razorback with Heavy Bolter or Lascannon.
> 
> It can move, fire in any direction, and is resilient, as well as being a secondary transport for units.


I can buy the razorback argument, relying on them heavily in my Blood Angels list I know that they are very useful. I was mostly thinking about branching out to other choices available (with the added benefit that the tarantula turret can be used as a razorback turret as well).

I guess I was hoping there would be some use for them in objective missions, perhaps to annoy and harass the enemy, forcing them to use a whole unit to pop a 15 pts turret or leave it be.



Vaz said:


> For flavour measures - the Drop Pod and Caestus suggest that it's an insertion style army - the Space Marines use the Automated defences for point defence, and control of an objective following the attack, leaving Battle brothers free to commit to another attack, or fall back to a more defensible position - they are not going to be deployed with an attack.
> 
> I could possibly see them being carried by Scouts as they set up an OP to provide heavier firepower, but not Battle brothers who can carry that kit themselves, as well as move and fire. Of course - if you're using the BP+CCW Space Marines, then you might well find them suitable, but I can't help feeling a Deathwind Drop Pod will prove to be deadlier - Might want to have a look at the Datasheet which allows Drop Pods and Deathstorms to fall in order, Deathwind drop pods go in, then the Drop pods fall down to earth in the cleared area.


Interesting that you mention the Deathstorm. But when I look at them I'm not sure they are worth the investment... So hard to decide!

*Rules can be found here


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