# Baal Predator Tactics?



## Malferion

I just recently bought a Baal predator because i thought it would make a nice addition to my currently infantry and walker based army, but I honestly don't know the best way to use them. I was told to go with the twin-linked assault cannon and heavy flamer sponsons, so I was wondering if any heretics had ideas and suggestions on using Baal preds.
Thanks, 
Mal


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## OIIIIIIO

Why not have your cake and eat it too:

My Baal Turrets

I have run every variant of the Baal and I prefer the Flamestorm Cannon with HB Sponsons and outflank those bastards and burn them up.


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## Gettinggreener

Where I go for the twin linked assault cannon and, once again, outflank.

I love the fact you can roll up to side/rear armour and pretty much guarantee 3 hits with the twin linked, rending on 6's and neading 4+'s to glance (av10). Might not always be a pen, but a stunlock is almost as good in my mind. Plus its funny to watch the units disenbark out of the rear, fail a ld roll and while they are pinned fast move away. Ok, so you only get a 2 in 3 chance of getting the correct side, but it takes out those lonley gunline artillery pieces in my opponants IG units with ease. Plus when they come to shoot back, AV13 ruins their day.


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## Katie Drake

Twin-linked assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons is the most versatile loadout and generally performs quite well against just about everything. The flamestorm cannon turret can be okay, but I personally think that heavy flamer sponsons are useless crap and would never suggest that anyone take them.

As far as actual tactics, I don't suggest outflanking too often unless you have a very specific plan in mind. I don't even Scout mine a lot of the time since I tend to deploy them in front of the rest of my army, shielding the less resilient Razorbacks with the Predators' higher front armor value.

The problem with outflanking is that after arriving on the table and shooting/burning up a single squad the Baal Predator will _usually_ die immediately afterward. By using longer-ranged weaponry it's possible to keep your Predator(s) alive all game since you can stay out of range of the most dangerous anti-tank weapons like meltaguns and heat lances. It also makes it a lot harder for your opponent to assault your Predator also since you can always keep moving over 6" to make them hit only on 6s.


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## OIIIIIIO

Katie Drake said:


> Twin-linked assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons is the most versatile loadout and generally performs quite well against just about everything. The flamestorm cannon turret can be okay, but I personally think that heavy flamer sponsons are useless crap and would never suggest that anyone take them.
> 
> As far as actual tactics, I don't suggest outflanking too often unless you have a very specific plan in mind. I don't even Scout mine a lot of the time since I tend to deploy them in front of the rest of my army, shielding the less resilient Razorbacks with the Predators' higher front armor value.
> 
> The problem with outflanking is that after arriving on the table and shooting/burning up a single squad the Baal Predator will _usually_ die immediately afterward. By using longer-ranged weaponry it's possible to keep your Predator(s) alive all game since you can stay out of range of the most dangerous anti-tank weapons like meltaguns and heat lances. It also makes it a lot harder for your opponent to assault your Predator also since you can always keep moving over 6" to make them hit only on 6s.


Very true about the outflanking but the AP3 on the FSC is pure death to SM, which I face mostly.


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## Katie Drake

OIIIIIIO said:


> Very true about the outflanking but the AP3 on the FSC is pure death to SM, which I face mostly.


Typically against Marines you'd be torching something like a Tactical Squad in exchange for a Baal Predator. Is it worth the trade?


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## Sethis

It's worth it if your opponent is forced to revolve his battleplan around the Baal. A lot of people are so scared of that AP3 flamer moving on 12" from the board edge and shooting they will actively compromise their movement phase.

That said, the first unit I will drop from my 2k list would be the Baal. I really don't think they work all that well unless you run at least 3 Predators so that there's some kind of target saturation.


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## Flash

I quite often enter situations where outflanking is suicide. I personally don't use baal preds I go for the regular preds with auto cannon and lascannon sponsons. You can do alot more damage at a safer range, but they are still 'fast' vehicles being blood angels. Just my 2 cents. I know everyone will jump down my throat so just apologising in advance.


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## dbgoldberg323

Katie Drake said:


> Twin-linked assault cannon and heavy bolter sponsons is the most versatile loadout and generally performs quite well against just about everything. The flamestorm cannon turret can be okay, but I personally think that heavy flamer sponsons are useless crap and would never suggest that anyone take them.
> 
> As far as actual tactics, I don't suggest outflanking too often unless you have a very specific plan in mind. I don't even Scout mine a lot of the time since I tend to deploy them in front of the rest of my army, shielding the less resilient Razorbacks with the Predators' higher front armor value.
> 
> The problem with outflanking is that after arriving on the table and shooting/burning up a single squad the Baal Predator will _usually_ die immediately afterward. By using longer-ranged weaponry it's possible to keep your Predator(s) alive all game since you can stay out of range of the most dangerous anti-tank weapons like meltaguns and heat lances. It also makes it a lot harder for your opponent to assault your Predator also since you can always keep moving over 6" to make them hit only on 6s.


QFT.

Flamestorm Cannons are pretty useless, just like the ones on the Land Raider Redeemer. Sure, they are such a *HUGE* psychological threat, but against both scaredy-cats AND good opponents, they'll just shoot your flamestorms off the table.

I agree with Katie 100%, as it seems she also has tons of experience using Baal Predators. I use them in almost every game I play with my Blood Angels because A) they're so iconic and B) in the TL-Assault Cannon and Heavy Bolter configuration they are extremely useful.

I have lost count of how many games my Baal Predators have rended Land Raiders and wrecked them. And aside from the fact that Baal Predators are cheap, great anti-infantry, and great anti-tank, as Gettinggreener said they are also AV13.

As for scouting with them, you obviously shouldn't do it when you're going second unless you're going to head behind some cover. Dont' forget, that you can pop smoke during the scout move, so you can also be rather ballsy with them (no pun intended) knowing that you're still going to get that 4+ cover (though watch out for side-armor shots). If you're going first, keep in mind that you can't end your scout move within 12" of an enemy unit, and that not every scout move has to end right in front of your opponent's face. Use it to flank their army, get better positioning, or even just scoot forward a few inches to allow other vehicles/units to move freely in your actual movement phase.

Baal preds will forever be a part of my lists (unless I'm making a DoA or similarly themed list) and I'll always use the TL-Assault Cannon and Heavy Bolter configuration.

Good luck with yours!


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## Usaal

Forgive the pun but here we go
I run with 2 Baals in my games 
I will either outflank with the Flame storm cannon and make his heavy squads go poof!
or I use them as a wall to block my Death company Rhino on approch, then they split to cause flamer havoc and let the rhino deliver its payload in turn 2.
they can also Scout so you could move them up before the game starts as a wall, then move them up a bit more and shoot in the first turn and have the Rhino scoot up its full 18" in turn one to clear a large chunk of the board on turn 1 with the Baals as a nice cover line of shooty death.


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## LukeValantine

Outflank is a viable strategy, but only for the flamer heavy variety. Best to use the long range baal as you would a regular predator.


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## Luisjoey

a tank with scout...

OUTFLANK

that´s it! is a terrific strategy that could be a pain in others strategy.


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## Orochi

Take 3 and race them up the flank or charge down the centre with their Scout move to really pile on the pressure early on!


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## muldis

I use 2 Baal Predators with Flamestorm cannons, run them down the middle of the table, scares the hell out of my brothers chaos marines every time causing him to throw every thing at them, they don't last more than 2 turns but and can normally take a unit or 2 with them, but this gives my razorbacks and rhinos the time they need to drop there pay load and clear out, 

And the look on my brother face when I pop a rhino or predator with a flamestorm cannon on the rear armour is priceless


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## Malferion

I'm thinking I will outflank a baal pred to kill my brother's Long Fangs before they do too much damage, and I think both weapon configurations would work fine for that task but I'm not entirely sure.


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