Assault Cannons vs. Missile Launchers on Terminators
Was debating last night on the relative merits of the assault cannon or the missile launcher for terminators. Both are heavy weapons.
ML 48" range and can be S8, AP3 but has only 1 shot.
AC has 24" range and is S6, AP4 but has 4 shots. What makes this interesting is that the AC is a "rending" weapon which means that if I roll a 6 to wound or penetrate, cool stuff happens. Against people, it becomes and AP2 shot. Against a vehicle it gets another d3 to add to its penetration.
This means that, regardless, the ML can engage at twice the range. The maximum penetration value of the ML is 14 which will only glance a Land Raider. The maximum penetration of an AC is 15 which will penetrate a Land Raider. The average penetration of a a ML is 11.5 which will penetrate most side and back armors, but not most fronts. The average penetration of an AC is 9.8 which won't penetrate anything. However, the ML gets 1 shot at that 11.5, while the AC gets, on average, around 3 (slightly less actually). Now the chance of NOT rolling a 6 is right around 83%. But the chance of not rolling a 6 on any of three dice is only about 57%. So figure 43% of the time the AC will get penetration values of 7 or above for a total hit of 13 or above. That DOES punch almost anything except a Land Raider. Further, 2/3 of that time you will glance or penetrate a Land Raider. That means about 37% of the times you shoot, you'll have at least 1 hit that will glance a Land Raider and 14% of the time, you'll penetrate it. The ML can only glance the Land Raider 17% of the time. The AC will penetrate it almost as often as the ML will glance it and the AC will at least glance it almost twice as much.
(Compare a melta weapon which at S8 + 2d6 will have an average penetration value of 15 and thus will penetrate about 50% of the time at least glance it almost 2/3 of the time. A melta though is not as much good for fighting a mob army.)
It seems like the AC is a better choice, but the lack of range still bothers me. Of course, the rest of the terminator squad is only going to have a 24" range and having the same range for your squads is important.
ML 48" range and can be S8, AP3 but has only 1 shot.
AC has 24" range and is S6, AP4 but has 4 shots. What makes this interesting is that the AC is a "rending" weapon which means that if I roll a 6 to wound or penetrate, cool stuff happens. Against people, it becomes and AP2 shot. Against a vehicle it gets another d3 to add to its penetration.
This means that, regardless, the ML can engage at twice the range. The maximum penetration value of the ML is 14 which will only glance a Land Raider. The maximum penetration of an AC is 15 which will penetrate a Land Raider. The average penetration of a a ML is 11.5 which will penetrate most side and back armors, but not most fronts. The average penetration of an AC is 9.8 which won't penetrate anything. However, the ML gets 1 shot at that 11.5, while the AC gets, on average, around 3 (slightly less actually). Now the chance of NOT rolling a 6 is right around 83%. But the chance of not rolling a 6 on any of three dice is only about 57%. So figure 43% of the time the AC will get penetration values of 7 or above for a total hit of 13 or above. That DOES punch almost anything except a Land Raider. Further, 2/3 of that time you will glance or penetrate a Land Raider. That means about 37% of the times you shoot, you'll have at least 1 hit that will glance a Land Raider and 14% of the time, you'll penetrate it. The ML can only glance the Land Raider 17% of the time. The AC will penetrate it almost as often as the ML will glance it and the AC will at least glance it almost twice as much.
(Compare a melta weapon which at S8 + 2d6 will have an average penetration value of 15 and thus will penetrate about 50% of the time at least glance it almost 2/3 of the time. A melta though is not as much good for fighting a mob army.)
It seems like the AC is a better choice, but the lack of range still bothers me. Of course, the rest of the terminator squad is only going to have a 24" range and having the same range for your squads is important.
Comments