# plasma sponsons or multi melta on an Lehman Russ Executioner?



## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

I suppose the title really says it all...I have a demolisher kit which I was initially going to assemble as an executioner with plasma sponsons for 5 plasma blasts per turn (4 if moving), but it occurred to me that multimeltas might be a good choice because while the plasma will devastate heavy infantry and light vehicles, it's fairly mediocre against tanks (it would probably not be my only tank in an army, mind, and a regular LRBT with hull lascannon and multimelta sponsons would probably take up the slack). Any guard veterans out there who can advise a newcomer?


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## Settra (Jun 5, 2010)

well im not a guard veteran but i would advise the plasma sponsons, simply becaus ein my opinion you trying to mak ethe tank do to many roles, make it a pure anti infantry, light and heavy killer. and have another tank to kill other tanks  i would also recomend specifying a perpose to whatever tanks you take, I.E a tank hunter, infantry killer, transport, heavy transport, covering fire, BIG target, ETC 

Hope this helps


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

depends on what your doing, really you should be moving around allot with tanks, not using them as some stupid bunker like GW thinks you should, so the sponsons in that case are a MASSIVE waste of points better spent on something else.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

An Executioner isn't a true one unless it has 5 Blasts...sometimes 3 Blasts won't cover well spread out Units, but 5 will.

MM's are best on Vanquishers, them been anti-tank platforms, although they are poor at that without Pask, but then far too expensive.

Or, put the MM on a Demolisher and use it for 'area denial' on a Flank...make them wary of moving Vehicles there.

I do agree about Tanks been mobile, just not necessarily 'every' Tank.


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## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

The Lumbering Behemoth rule means that sponsons aren't necessarily a waste: you can move 6" fire your turret gun and one other (so with plasma sponsons you get 4 blasts rather then 5). That said, most of my tanks don't have them (standard kit is LRBT with hull lascannon and heavy stubber: all can fire when moving 6"), and for anything -but- a LRBT I would never use sponsons (don't like the arc of fire, as well as the can't move to get full use).


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

HOBO said:


> I do agree about Tanks been mobile, just not necessarily 'every' Tank.


I prefer Blitzkrieg tactics, so every tank is mobile and aggressive, none sit back ready to get killed easily by assault troops or DS units, so sponsons for every tank is useless to me, and its a huge amount of points even for 1 tank.


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## Blackhiker (Dec 28, 2007)

Stella Cadente said:


> I prefer Blitzkrieg tactics, so every tank is mobile and aggressive, none sit back ready to get killed easily by assault troops or DS units, so sponsons for every tank is useless to me, and its a huge amount of points even for 1 tank.


Just so you know guard tanks can move and fire their main gun plus normal weaponry, so you will always be able to fire an additional gun, so the sponsons are worth it most of the time.


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## Daniel Harper (May 25, 2008)

I have to agree with Stella with sponsons, I don't carry any either. Mainly because the points will add up and aren't always used in game, there are better things in the codex.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

To each their own...Sponsons offer redundency so when the main Gun is destroyed the tank still has uses, and 'Lumbering Behemoth' has its uses.


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## vulcan539 (May 17, 2010)

I personaly take my LRBT with sponsons and only move them 6" a turn to gain full use of everything. then bunker down on a flank and cover my troops from there.
I see them as a seprate army from my infantry, there to support them, not win a battel with them.

But with anything in a guard army never specailise anything if you take one take two or three. makes it harder to disrupt any plains you have.


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## bitsandkits (Mar 18, 2008)

the new demolisher sponsons are designed so you can swap the weapons out , so no need to worry what you want to use.
im surprised no one mentioned that before now ???


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## Katie Drake (Nov 28, 2007)

I wouldn't take multi-melta sponsons on a Russ. They're far too slow to get into that 12" sweet spot against the vast majority of enemy vehicles. Either go with no sponsons if you're worried about keeping points down or pick up plasma cannon sponsons for a truly crazy number of plasma cannon templates.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

bitsandkits said:


> the new demolisher sponsons are designed so you can swap the weapons out , so no need to worry what you want to use.
> im surprised no one mentioned that before now ???


Well because He'd still want to know if it's Sponson MM's or PC's 
that suit the Executioner...plus a true 'treadhead' would rather have a Tank to represent each and every varient...none of this swapsies crap:laugh:..that's why I have 29 Russes, and no I'm not :crazy:


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## Vanchet (Feb 28, 2008)

I take sponsons on my Leman Russes solely because if I move I have the lascannon if I'm targeting tanks and the HB for infantry (or what's left  )


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

Blackhiker said:


> Just so you know guard tanks can move and fire their main gun plus normal weaponry, so you will always be able to fire an additional gun, so the sponsons are worth it most of the time.


I know, thats why I always have the hull heavy bolter/flamer/lascannon to fire along with the main gun


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## Sethis (Jun 4, 2009)

I like sponsons so that if you get an unlucky early "weapon destroyed" result you're not sitting around with a really expensive heavy bolter for the rest of the game. On the other hand if you're using them as cavalry then they will never shoot enough to get their points back.

Fundamentally it depends on the tactics you use for them, the only constant is that you should make sure that the sponsons complement the main gun.


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## dobbins (Sep 19, 2009)

I don't put sponsons on standard russes, they have a Lascannon hull and move and shoot and always last the game because people focus on the demolisher. My demolisher has plasma sponsons because its a bullet magnet and I need backups for when the D cannon is blown away, which usually happens. I take plasma over melta because at least if I miss the blast might scatter and still hit something (hopefully not my troops), when meltas miss and thats it.


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## Chumbalaya (May 17, 2010)

Stella is right. A static Russ is a dead Russ. You can use Lumbering Behemoth to fire the hull weapon.

The only tank worth taking Sponsons on Executioners for extra plasma loving. On pretty much any other tank, you'll want to keep moving. A weapon destroyed result is going to marginalize your Russ regardless of whether you tacked on 2 heavy bolters. It's far from useless though. A mobile AV14 wall can protect your other units, tank shock enemies off of objectives or clump them up into "please template me" formation, and generally cause a ruckus forcing your opponent to deal with the apparently useless tank.

Multi-meltas in particular are a terrible idea since you can't fire both on the move and only have BS3.


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## Blackhiker (Dec 28, 2007)

Well the main reason that I put the sponsons on all my tanks is firstly so that when a weapon gets destroyed i still have something to shoot, but also because quite often my tank will get immobilized first thing in which case it does become a pillbox. This usually happens often enough for it to be worthwhile for my tanks at least.


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## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

Thanks to everyone who's answered! While the sponson vs non sponson debate seems to be still raging, there does appear to be consensus that if you're going to have sponsons on an Executioner, they should be plasma.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

even though I still suggest no sponsons for cost, mobility and other reasons, if you really insist on them, then yes for an executioner you may as well take more plasma in the end


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## mahavira (Jan 10, 2010)

For the majority of my tanks I agree for mobility, cost, restrictive firing arcs (even if you're stationary there's no guarantee you'll be able to use both because only land raiders can split their fire) and aesthetics.


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## Stella Cadente (Dec 25, 2006)

plus its great when a russ with no sponsons squeezes between 2 buildings while a russ with sponsons rolls up and goes "bugger"


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## DeathJester921 (Feb 15, 2009)

mahavira said:


> I suppose the title really says it all...I have a demolisher kit which I was initially going to assemble as an executioner with plasma sponsons for 5 plasma blasts per turn (4 if moving), but it occurred to me that multimeltas might be a good choice because while the plasma will devastate heavy infantry and light vehicles, it's fairly mediocre against tanks (it would probably not be my only tank in an army, mind, and a regular LRBT with hull lascannon and multimelta sponsons would probably take up the slack). Any guard veterans out there who can advise a newcomer?


With plasma, it depends on the roll. I got a good roll with my devastator plasma cannon and it took out the tank where the lascannon didnt.

I'd go with more shots. Use plasma. It will help...a lot.


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