Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Imperial Guard (section)

===Heavy Support===
{{anchor|unit_analysis_heavy_support_any_regiment}}
This is the meat and potatoes right here. In this slot you will find the absolute best tanks and artillery in the galaxy. Even the humble heavy weapons squad can lay down some serious hurt thanks to just how cheap they are. If you need something, anything, blasted to bits, this is where you can find the units to do it.

*'''Basilisk:''' Fluffy is back! The Earthshaker gun motor carriage smacks units up to twenty (!) feet away at with the same power as a lascannon (and the underwhelming D3 damage of a battle cannon), rolling 2d6 for shot count and taking the highest and ignoring LOS - and it's down in cost too, to 108 points base (after the heavy bolter, which you can pay to upgrade to a heavy flamer if you're an idiot). Against vehicles one Basilisk is as strong as 2.5 lascannons but its higher shot count compared to a lascannon also makes them reasonably effective against multi wound infantry. The Basilisk is brutal and very point-efficient, with the only problem being the Guard's BS of 4+ (and there's a stratagem for that). Welcome in any list. It is also "Webstore exclusive" - what a funny coincidence.  There is a bit of a cost disparity on this vehicle between points (108) and power rating (7), leading to the situation that it's better value for money under the former than the latter, as the "standard" power cost for it should be 5 or 6.
**Keep in mind that it is just a T6 vehicle so use the ignore LOS ability or see it explode.
*** A basilisk has pretty good survivability compared to your other options for long range firepower. Infantry squads are much more vulnerable against small arms fire, Leman Russes are just slightly more durable against some anti tank weapons while having a much higher cost, Sentinels are simply worse in every regard and Heavy Weapon Teams don't have any protection whatsoever.
*'''Deathstrike:''' Slightly more durable at T7.  Gone and buried are the days of Riptides laughing off a hit from an ICBM - ''nothing'' wants to be hit with this monster. 3d6 shots at 16' 8", ignoring LOS, and any hit inflicts a Mortal Wound. No save, no wound roll, no problem. Furthermore, any unit within 6" of the target takes d3 Mortal Wounds half the time. Smack the center of the enemy's army with this for 163 points after the compulsory heavy bolter and it'll make back its points with ease. Of course, you'll have to get the shot off first: you have to roll an 8+ on a d6 + the battle round number (so it can't fire on your first turn, then 6+, then 5+, etc).  Use Command Points to re-roll the die and force that 6 (in second turn) or that 5 (in third turn) roll. Better yet, use the Vortex Missile Stratagem and the Catachan Regimental Doctrine. With their respective effects combined, you'll be able to re-roll all of its failed hit rolls, one of the 3d6 for the shot number (''two'' with a command re-roll), improve its likelihood of nearby units taking damage, and any models not outright killed by the attack have a chance to suffer d6 '''more''' mortal wounds. With all effects combined (which you can get by stuffing it into a Catachan spearhead along with all your other tanks and reserving 4 CP for it) the beast will inflict 9.58 mortal wounds, with a further 1.72 mortal wounds to all nearby units...''on average.'' The high CP cost of this trick makes it situational, but ''boy'' can it sting.
**''Seriously consider'' this vehicle as a choice for your Salamander's Battle Buddy. Rolling the die to determine if you can shoot is not actually shooting, so you can do this at the start of your shooting phase to determine if the Deathstrike can fire, ''before'' the Salamander designates the target of its own buff. This avoids wasting that precious +1 to hit. With all 3 effects combined the missile will make an average of  11.3 (13.2 for StormTrooper missiles) or so mortal wounds (compared to 9.8 without the Salamander) on whatever you aim it at, with an additional 1.72 on nearby models. At this point there isn't a whole lot that actually requires this much pain, but it's a ''hell'' of a hit. Having just run the numbers on the primary target here, taking 1 DeathStrike and a Salamander targeting buddy comes out to 22PPW - just the DeathStrike comes out to 16.5PPW (Both with stratagem and StormTrooper doctrine, ignoring CP reroll on number of shots). You're still going to delete the target whenever you fire, but if you're trying to squeeze out the most possible bang for your buck... either skip the Salamander, go all-in on DeathStrikes (15.7 PPW with 3), or have a Basilisk or something around to benefit from the Salamander buff on turns the nukes aren't launching!
**Potentially a new distraction Carnifex; by turn three, one of two things should've happened. Someone who has been against one will make it a priority, and spend a few turns firing at it while the rest of your army chips away at their own high-value targets while receiving little in the way of return fire, OR a less-informed opponent will ignore it until it's too late for them to do anything.	
**The progression is can't fire turn 1, then 6+, 5+, 4+, 3+, and then you're into turns that might not happen, so you can't ever ''guarantee'' it will fire.
**This can take vehicle equipment, but all of the options are bad ones.	
**However, with the Tallarn Doctrine, this giant Everything hater can show up in any turn, and the rule does not state that it needs to be on the battlefield at the beginning to add the Battle round number to it's chance of firing off. You can only bring one, though, but still....
**This thing is drastically better against some armies then others. Against the Custodes and similar low-model armies, it's absolutely terrifying, but your average Ork or Tyranid player will probably just shrug it off
*'''Heavy Weapons Squad:''' The base cost of this unit is absurd, even after the Codex nerf! 18 points for a full squad of 3 heavy weapon T3 meat platforms, before weapons! Almost no fat between you and your Heavy Bolter, Lascannon, etc. That's 42 points for three Heavy Bolters! 54 points for three Autocannons! With the advent of squad-wide splitfire, the choice between these and putting them in Infantry Squads is more even; an HWS is more order-efficient but an Infantry Squad will stay alive longer (though heavy weapons don't benefit from orders as much now).  <s>The exact "overhead" you pay across these versus Infantry Squads is subtle, but aggravating, because Infantry Squad HWTs are only 4 points, rather than 6, ''and'' reduce the number of models you have to pay for;</s> an Infantry Squad HWT is formed from two guardsmen, each of which is 4 points, making it 8 points total. an Infantry squad taken just for its HWT is <s>36</s> 40 points + heavy weapon, while each HWT in this squad is 6 + heavy weapon, meaning the comparison is being forced to pay 34 points for a laspistol and 7 lasguns.
**Important to note that, due to Genestealer Cults suddenly being able to steal your Heavy Weapon Squads in addition to their own, the latest FAQ established that Heavy Weapon Squads, Krieg Heavy Weapon Squads and Elysian Heavy Weapon Squads (as well as their Brood Brother and Renegade counterparts) are all treated as the same unit for the purposes of the Rule of Three, so you'll need to find some other filling to fill out the remaining slots on your Stormlord. Filthy xenos, ruining the fun for everyone...
**Incidentally, you do ''not'' need a Commissar for these; any damage severe enough to make the squad actually lose more models than a Commissar would ''prevent'' (more than 1, followed by a 6 on the morale roll) will kill the squad entirely, and you don't need high Leadership to get off Orders now, either. The ''real'' downside of these is on the organizational level; you'll quickly max out your Heavy Support slots by taking these in significant numbers - 3 heavy weapon squads, and the Platoon Commanders to order them, is less than 250 points, and eats 3 heavy support ''and'' 3 elite slots!
**<s>3 mortars is 33 points, a piddling amount for the output you can pull off with them since they don't need to see their targets.  Very much worth considering, especially if you give them their own detachment and form a whole mortar company</s> mortars are now 9 points, making them less points efficient than heavy bolters, but still nice for shooting beyond LoS. Take four (or two-and-two with lascannons), grab two Company Commanders, and make the whole thing a {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} Spearhead for less than 200 points and you can have 4d6 S4 shots (rerolling hits, natch) from a defensible position as nice crowd-munching battle buddies. The bonus CP is just icing on this nice fire support cupcake.
**Weigh the decision about whether or not to take heavy weapons teams embedded into your gunline (instead of as separate units, like this) very carefully. Yes, these units are cheap and can be spammed, but any smart opponent is going to target them immediately. In an Infantry or Vet squad, these guys have up to 8 other models that have to get chewed through before they take a hit, and with Vet Squads, at least they get BS3+.  You can also take them in a Command Squad, but that's two Guardsmen not carrying special weapons, a vox-caster, a medi-pack, or a standard.
***When deciding whether to embed a heavy weapon in a gun line or heavy weapons team, consider the following: Heavy Bolters and Mortars are better off in a Heavy Weapons Team, as their higher volume of shots can get more out of re-rolls than single shots. Lascannons and Rocket Launchers generally benefit more from being embedded, as they are single shot (at least for Krak Missiles), more expensive, and offer long range anti-tank to a unit that is primarily medium-range anti-infantry. They also both like being embedded in Veteran squads, where the higher BS helps your chances of hitting that enemy tank. Auto cannons are either/or as their reduced points cost in Chapter Approved and all around versatility make them useful for  gunlines and spammable as HWTs. 
***Regardless of how they get onto the table, heavy weapons teams with mortars and lascannons are your most point efficient options, respectively, for murdering hordes or heavies from far away, although if you want to stay out of LOS like the mortars do, lascannon teams are best replaced by Basilisks.
*** Perhaps the best all-around option is the Missile Launcher. For one point more than the Mortar and five points less than the Lascannon you get a very respectable anti-horde and anti-vehicle option. It has one less Strength and AP than a Lascannon and can't ignore LOS like the mortar, but versatility means it will rarely have a target it isn't happy shooting at. You can get three in a squad for 48 points.
*'''Hydra:''' The original AAA is back in action! The red-headed stepchild of the Chimera-chassis Heavy choices, this is the only one a Master of Ordnance can't help you with. The Hydra can hit ground troops on 5s and {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}} units on 3s, and with its 6 feet of '''8''' S7 AP-1 D2 shots, it's a potentially good investment even if you didn't expect {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}} from your opponent. The power comes at a price, though: 108 points after the compulsory heavy bolter, up from 75. Fliers will learn to fear it, though; it puts out enough power to statistically guarantee damage versus most aircraft. There is a bit of a cost disparity on this vehicle between points (108) and power rating (7), leading to the situation that it's better value for money under the former than the latter, as the "standard" power cost for it should be 5 or 6.	
** There's a surprising number of units with '''FLY''', like jetbikes, jump troops, anything that used to be a skimmer in 7th, Monoliths, half of the Dark Eldar and Tau Army Lists... it's really quite staggering. Make sure you check the tags on your target's datasheet before opening fire, and do take a picture of your opponent's face when you inform them of this.	
** This will outperform a Basilisk against its chosen targets.... but needs LOS to do it, and against anything else, it won't do so well.  Since it needs LOS, and outside of {{W40Kkeyword|tallarn}} needs to remain static, it's in direct competition with your Heavy Weapons Squads; at cost, you can field 4 lascannon teams in HWSes (with 4 points left over), which will outperform it against the enemy air you were presumably worried about.
** If you're not adverse to using Forge World, consider taking two Sabre Batteries with Autocannons instead. For 18 points less and "only" 4 feet of range, they will do the same job as a Hydra, while for 2 points more than a Hydra, with an added searchlight, they will do 25% more damage against air and 50% more damage against ground.
** {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} Hydras become BS2+ (and reroll 1's) when you stack ''Overlapping Fields of Fire'' stratagem against a model with {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}}, as long as that model doesn't have the "-1 to hit" that lots of models with {{W40Kkeyword|FLY}} do, then it still hits on 3+. 

*'''Leman Russ Battle Tanks:''' Ah yes, the Leman Russ. Has long-held, and continues to hold, the title of sturdiest tank in the galaxy, point-for-point. For 137 points (Battle Cannon and Heavy Bolter included) a T8 W12 platform with a 3+ save will consume an ''enormous'' amount of firepower before dying. All Russes must take a hull weapon, either a Heavy Bolter, Heavy Flamer, or a Lascannon and may also take two sponsons (Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers, Multi-Meltas, or Plasma Cannons). Thanks to '''"Grinding Advance"''' the tank's turret weapons fire at full BS ''even if the tank moves'' and may fire ''twice'' at the same target if it moves under half its  its full speed. And if taken in a Spearhead Detachment it gains Objective Secured!
** The tank's hull weapon and sponsons should complement its turret's range and capabilities. Sponsons are, of course, ''optional'' in every sense of the word and it will typically be cheaper and more efficient to put heavy weapons into gunlines instead where they can benefit from orders. Exceptions to this rule include {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} (no penalty for moving), {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} (can re-roll shot volumes on heavy flamers and plasma cannons), and {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} (which wants to sit still anyway, making the lascannon and plasma cannons more appealing).
**A note on Doctrines: 
***''All'' weapons with a random number of shots benefit the most from being {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}}, which is pretty much all of the best turret options (battle cannons, demolishers, eradicators, executioners). If stacked with ''"Harker's Hellraisers"'' this effectively makes them better than {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} Russes as they can still move and re-roll 1's. Pair with a triple decker of heavy flamers and make horde players weep salty crocodile tears.
** {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} Russes re-roll 1's to hit if they didn't move in their previous movement phase, and they also benefit from their unique order '''"Pound Them to Dust"''' (which is still worse than '''"Brutal Strength"'''). Tanks with a fixed volume of shots like Punishers prefer to be {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} and Executioners also get a little more insurance against mortal wounds from supercharged plasma weapons. And then there's Pask...
***{{W40Kkeyword|Vostroyan}} made tanks have an extra 6" of range on ''all'' their weapons (except Heavy Flamers) benefiting Demolisher-variants the most. However, the (now 42") Executioner Cannon is the clear winner here because with '''"Firstborn Pride"''' not only does it hit on 3+ but it's also impossible for its plasma weapons to misfire! 
***{{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} Russes suffer no penalty to ''any'' of their heavy weapons for firing on-the-move, although they can't fire while advancing they ''can'' move-shoot-move or move-move-shoot. 
<div class="toccolours mw-collapsible mw-collapsed" style="100%">The Leman Russ can be divided into two categories. The four 'Battle Tanks' (Battle, Eradicator, Exterminator, Vanquisher) have more range but less firepower than the three 'Siege Tanks' (Demolisher, Punisher, Executioner). Generally speaking the best general purpose option is the Battle Cannon.<div class="mw-collapsible-content">
**''Battle Cannon'': Heavy D6 S8 AP-2 D1d3. The Battle Cannon has taken some big hits compared to past editions. Since losing its large blast template it only gets an average of 1.75 hits, though ''"Grinding Advance"'' buffs this to a less disappointing 3.5 and {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} can buff it even further. MEQ now get a 5+ save, but it is now more effective against TEQ. Surprisingly the cheapest of the 4 options...and easily the best. Though it faces stiff competition from its Demolisher cousins.
***Particularly since many of the other variant turrents have gotten points reductions:  now the Battle Cannon is THE most expensive turret option.  Still not a bad option, being the reliable, less gimmicky choice for main gun, particularly with Grinding Advance in play.
**''Exterminator Autocannon'': 5pts cheaper than a Battle Cannon which would be worth it for the (very slightly) improved rate of fire (outside of {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} and {{W40Kkeyword|Cadia}}, where it is ''worse''), except that its output is inferior against T4, T7, T8, anything with a 5+ or better save, and anything with 3 or more wounds. Obviously excels at dealing with 2W MeQ or anything possessing to-hit penalties that the battle cannons RNG output can screw you over against, and makes a damn fine impromptu Hydra if you get desperate. It isn't designed for taking on other Tanks, especially the ones with T8 (like Russes) which seems to be where a lot of its bad rap comes from in comparison to the Battle Cannon. Also, it's probably the best choice against Necrons, as it's more likely not to get saved against by Quantum Shielding.
***''Alternate Opinion'': The Exterminator really shines against units with 3+/4++ save, particularly T5 and 6(so about 3/4 of every armies FA choices) Furthermore you'll consistently put out a '''lot''' of firepower without the need of staying in range of a Tank Commander. It's not that the Exterminator is better or worse compared to the Battle Cannon, it's just designed for a different purpose. Put a lascannon, multimeltas and track guards on your {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} Leman Russ Exterminator and for 217 points you'll have a very good, '''mobile''' all rounder unit that can react to almost everything on the battlefield. It will still deal less average damage than a battle cannon, but it will do so more reliably.
***''Continued'': As above, this is a particular gun for particular targets. In most cases you’re better off taking one of the other options, but there are cases to be made for this one. The Exterminator excels against high-toughness multi-wound monsters and elite infantry, particularly Tyranid Monsters and Ork vehicles/nobs, against whom it generally performs better against than the “burst” damage of say a battle cannon. The Exterminator’s consistent shot volume and damage seems tailored towards these units, where you’re getting 4/8 shots instead of a potential 1/2. Also consider using on CSM and SM bikers (particularly scout bikers if you know people who use them) where the -1 AP and 2D can be a nasty surprise. 
**''Eradicator Nova Cannon'': Often overlooked. For 7 pts less than a Battle Cannon, you lose 36" of range and only hit at S6. In exchange you ignore cover bonuses, which gets you that guaranteed -2 to Armor save. This is perhaps the most specialized of all the Leman Russ options, so only consider bringing it against targets that depend on cover saves (Space Marine Scouts with camo cloaks, Eldar Rangers, AdMech with cover canticles, Poxwalkers, Vindicare Assassins, Imperial Guard, etc). Perhaps the best at straight-up murdering GEQs in cover (wounding on 2+ with no save), its extra 12" range edging out the Demolisher Cannon in this particular niche.
**''Vanquisher Battle Cannon'': The Vanquisher, a dedicated anti-tank cannon, is proof that GW is incapable of statistics, as it performs worse against heavy armour than every Leman Russ turret except the exterminator, though thankfully it has become one of the cheapest options after Chapter Approved, falling to 20 points (doing 0.93 wounds to another Russ; every other variant manages at least 1 wound). Sad thing is, if GW had given it a flat 2+ to wound against vehicles, S9 or flat 2D6 damage instead of 2D6 drop the lowest, it’d perform better against most vehicles than other Russes. ''Never'' take this in a tournament or if you're a win at all costs player. If you're playing for fun, or love the model and look more, it's entirely up to you.
***Even with its reduction to just 15 points in CA, it still may not be a competetive turret choice, except maybe on Pask or, at least, a Tank Commander.
*The three 'Demolisher' variants hit ''much'' harder at the expense of range; only one of them beats two feet, unless it's Vostroyan-made. Demolishers and especially Punishers enjoy heavy flamers, as these tanks will be close anyway. Make tar pitting them a costly move and ignore the damage they will inevitably take. 
**''Demolisher Cannon'': You can fit a ''man'' in that gun barrel! Statistically the best tank-buster of all Russ cannons; same cost as the Battle Cannon, but deals x1.75 the Damage against targets with enough Wounds to suffer it, on top of +2S and -1AP, making it far superior against T5 and T8 in practice. With 2 Multi-Meltas and a Lascannon on a {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} tank, this will munch through most enemy armour, if you feel okay chucking out 202pts for a BS4+/5+ tank. Thanks to the space marines new codex, demolisher cannons now pack a constant D6 shots, giving you the power to hammer any target with 2D6 shots at S10 AP-3 each doing D6 damage!!!! Will the imperial D cannon change in price? Only time will tell. Gunnery Experts + Spotter Details = 30" demolishers rerolling how many shots they fire. Best of Vostroyan and Catachan All secondary/sponson weapons will be +6" as well. 
*** Infantry will usually come towards the punisher, this thing has a tendency to make armor run away. 160 points currently gets you the cannon, heavy bolter, and track guards to at least get you in range as you weather opposing anti tank fire (yes, that large cannon barrel is a fire magnet).
**''Executioner Plasma Cannon'': A plasma cannon with nearly double the rate of fire, even before you use Grinding Advance to shoot twice and without a movement penalty, but only x1.33 the cost, and cheaper than a Battle Cannon, at the same price as a Punisher.  If you fire it on Supercharge - which you should - it will outshine the Battle Cannon easily, dealing more damage to W2 models at -1AP for 9.1% (2) fewer points.  That actually places this weapon in direct competition with the Demolisher Cannon, above - when Supercharged, the Demolisher's only improvement against most targets is +2S, which is of dubious utility, given that it costs 25% more and has 66.67% the range. Speaking of range keep in mind the Executioner is the longest range of the "siege tank" variants, at 36", nowhere near as good as the battle cannon, but a step up from the dangerously short range of the Demolisher and Punisher to a more middle of the road range where you can stay reasonably safe from enemy melta weapons while still laying down plasma fire.
***''Particularly'' compelling under {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}}, who can re-roll 1s to hit with it while also re-rolling shot volume - because the {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} doctrine is much better on 1d6 than 1d3, under them, this completely outstrips the Demolisher cannon against tanks under them.  {{W40Kkeyword|Cadia}} can pull the same trick, only worse (the tank has to remain static to do it), but they can also apply their stratagem to render the weapon completely safe on Overcharge.  If you're going the {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} route, combine with triple heavy flamers for 193 points and roll around murderin' shit, or with two more plasma cannons and a heavy bolter if you're willing to sit still and hope your enemies are within 36" for 180 points (192 with a lascannon); unlike {{W40Kkeyword|Cadia}}, you can also re-roll the shot volume on your sponsons.  Don't forget to use Harker if you're doing this, as he's much more efficient than Tank Commanders at keeping your tanks firing safely - you can even use a Tank Commander with the Dagger to Deep Strike Harker into position, if you need to.
***Under {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}}, mostly interesting because you can combine it with the admittedly less efficient plasma cannon sponsons and a heavy bolter for 180 points and roll around shooting at 36" at no penalty.
***{{W40Kkeyword|Vostroyan}} sacrifices a bit of mobility, but gives us access to 42" plasma cannons (and heavy bolters, if you want a bit more anti-infantry), and the Firstborn Pride stratagem lets us hit on 2+ and never overheat.
***Real Talk: outside of penalties to hit, this will only deal 0.583... mortal wounds to you, on average - 0.71 with the Catachan buff.  You should ''not'' be feeling scared to fire it, even without re-rolling 1s.
***Got a small points reduction in cost in CA, making it a whole 7 points cheaper than the Battle Cannon.
**''Punisher Gatling Cannon'': Tank-mounted BRRRT. Statistically, your best friend against infantry, but it lacks range and struggles against heavy stuff. With 3 heavy bolters (166 points), it can wreak impressive amounts of havoc for a single model, very good at clearing away t4 screens like shield drones and plaguebeares particularly on a tank commander.  
***Definitely a good idea under {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}}, where the sponsons won't mind at all moving the tank into position to fire, and you can order the tank to move like it means it.  You can also combine it with lascannons, multi-meltas, and plasma cannons freely under them, for the same reason.  Note that if you ''are'' moving away from heavy bolter sponsons, a lascannon is a better idea than a multi-melta for the hull weapon (especially since multi-meltas can't be taken as hull weapons), as it will outperform the multi-melta against a Land Raider even ''before'' you realize that if you've driven up next to infantry for the Punisher, good heavy targets might be farther away; likewise, the Plasma Cannons will do better if you're willing to supercharge, but without an accuracy buff like Yarrick or Guilliman along, both of whom will slow you down, that's a risky click.
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*'''Manticore:''' Slightly more durable at T7, the Guard's entry into the community of rocket artillery, and arguably the best. May not be squadroned, but don't be discouraged - it's gotten a MASSIVE points reduction, down to 143 after the compulsory heavy bolter, from 175. The Storm Eagle Rockets still hit like the proverbial meteor: Heavy 2d6, S10 AP-2 D1d3 with a range of 10 feet, ignoring LOS. Minimum range is gone, too - this may be your new best friend in the realm of artillery. Sadly, nothing good lasts forever; you only get four shots, and Overwatch ''does'' consume them, so make each one count!  Broadly speaking, worse output per point than a Basilisk against 2+ saves outside of T5/9/10, so a Basilisk is better against a Land Raider, but a Manticore is better against a Knight (until you run out of shots, of course).  By and large, a Basilisk is a superior choice.
*'''Wyvern:''' One of the latest additions to the Imperial Guard motor pool. Got swatted with the nerf bat. Its infamous Wyvern quad mortars generate more attacks than they did before, with 4 feet of '''4d6''' S4 AP0 hits that re-roll to wound and ignore LOS; costs 103 points, assuming you were sane and didn't buy the heavy flamer. For comparison, one of these will usually kill 4.15 GEQs or 1.75 MEQs, both better than a Basilisk, which will kill 1.86 and 1.55, respectively; what ultimately makes the Wyvern suffer is that you can just drop 99 points instead on 3 Heavy Weapons Squads with 3 Mortars each, and 9d6 shots will outperform 4d6 re-rolling wounds every single time.
** The Suppressing Fire and Pounding Barrage stratagems from an Emperors Wrath Artillery Company allow a single Wyvern to either halve a units move and advance distances, or fire twice. These two strats are well suited for a pocket wyvern and make having a single one supporting your Basilisks a very useful addition to your tank lines. These two strats alone can allow the Wyvern to protect the Basilisks from crucial charges that would otherwise tie up your heavy guns. 

=====Forge World=====
*'''Armageddon Pattern Basilisk:''' 15 points up on a standard Basilisk for an enclosed crew compartment, which nets you 1 more toughness and wounds. Makes your earthshaker more resistant to S7 and S12 attacks, and because of the way the wounding rules work, that's about it, though the extra wound is a nice topping on the cake. About as viable as the normal one if you have the model, but not exactly worth the extra money if you don't (nothing stopping you from using "counts-as" though).
*'''[https://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/PDF/Downloads//Carnodon_Datasheet.pdf Carnodon Battle Tank]:''' A Heresy-era fossil of a tank that's one third cheaper than a naked Leman Russ with its initial loadout and has the statline of a slightly weaker Predator. It is capable of taking highly specialized loadouts. For AT, take four lascannons. Multilasers are a good option to take out GEQs and the Volkite weapons are good against heavy infantry and can fish for mortal wounds on wound rolls of 6+. Bonus points for having better Volkite weapons than the Space Marines. And the Mechanicus. Nope, the cogboys aren’t salty about that one at all.
**Carnodons fill a similar role to the Guard's fast attack units. Tactics used for Sentinels and Hellhounds are more applicable to Carnodons.
**{{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} makes these guys pretty effective cavalry tanks. They can quickly redeploy to deliver whatever firepower the brought to bear.
** Volkite weapons may baffle most tech priests, but the damage they cause on the battlefield is plain to see. The Culverin has four shots, any of which cause D3 mortal wounds on a wound roll of 6+. The Calivers add another single mortal wound on any 6+. This setup with a heavy stubber runs you 110 points and has a minimum range of 30". The guns profile isn't bad either netting you 8 S6 AP-1 D2 hits. For this price 3 tanks at 330 points is affordable making them a startlingly efficient means of spamming mortal wounds while genuinely threatening far more dangerous enemies. 
** Clearly designed by C.S.Goto, because it has the potential to equip !!5!! Multilasers.
** The price drop on multi-lasers helped this light tank out. At it's cheapest only running 90 points. Point drop didn't effect the twin multilaser on the turret though so worth switching it up for the added 4 points. Still 58 points less than a naked Russ for a lot of light firepower. The pintle mounted multilaser is 3pts more than the heavy stubber, for +2S.
*'''Earthshaker Battery (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' The gun deck of a Basilisk, sitting pretty on a stationary foundation. As of Chapter Approved 2017, these guys are more expensive and less resilient than a regular Basilisk. The only saving grace is that it can technically still fire the Earthshaker while it is being swarmed by enemy assault troops.
**This is another discontinued model, but don't be discouraged. Simply take the part of your Basilisk that's not a Chimera (the cannon and T-shaped gun platform) and plop it on a suitable-looking base. Get creative so your opponent actually lets you use it.
*'''Crew-Served Gun Batteries:''' All of these deploy as one unit and then split into two - one unit of guns and one unit of crew. This means they can't be buffed with orders; any effect just buffs the crew, instead. The crew are essentially characters, thanks to wonky rules wording - they can only be targeted if they're the closest visible enemy unit. Furthermore, a gun model cannot fire unless a crewman is within 3" of it. 
**Be aware that the gun batteries have the {{W40Kkeyword|<vehicle>}} keyword. This allows them to receive buffs from Salamanders and Trojans! Yes, you can re-roll misses and hit on 3s with ''Earthshaker Cannons.'' Both buffs are ''not'' unit-wide, so you must pick one gun in the battery when doing this.
**''Note:'' If somehow the guns are destroyed, or you don't need them, you can walk the crew around behind something tough, like Bullgryns, and use these guys as untouchable lasguns! Clearly an exploit, but so laughably inefficient it can never really be abused; inform your opponent, imagine they're hammer dancing, and have some fun!
**'''Earthshaker Carriage Battery (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' The Earthshaker Cannon mounted on a Krieg-style wheeled gun carriage. Unlike the above, the crew is separate, and thus can defend the gun in melee. You get 4 crewmen a gun, which essentially means a full battery comes with a free Infantry Squad. ''And'' they can take orders, though re-rolling 1s won't work the miracles that ignoring all cover saves once did. With a slightly-lower-damage version of the lascannon's gun profile and an average of 2.24 hits to a lascannon team's 1.5 for a marginal increase in cost, it's more point-efficient than a lascannon team for tank-busting, and thanks to the high shot count and lasgun-armed crew, better at fighting crowds, too. Not bad.
** Forget about it. Chapter Approved has killed it to death. Now base cost for this poor boy without legs (tracks) is 105 + 16 points for 4 crewman. Stick with a vanilla Basilisk, that costs only 108 points and still can move, while also having a heavy bolter. I would still recommend running it simply for fluffy reasons and that the model looks amazing.
**'''Heavy Mortar Battery:''' The Heavy Mortar hits like a midway between a normal mortar and the Earthshaker Cannon. Unfortunately it takes after the latter in price - 72 points for a 3-man team and the gun carriage. Potentially viable if you've got the models, but nothing special. Also, the rules are poorly worded so technically the Guardsmen Crews have 'Explodes'. Trying to exploit this by charging them into enemy lines and chain-exploding them makes you [[That Guy]] and will probably also lead to a quick FAQ clarifying, as you already knew, that it was not intended to apply to the non-Artillery models in the unit.

**'''Heavy Quad Launcher Battery:''' Also known as the Thudd Gun. Invented by [[squats|a race of abhumans]] whose worlds were lost to the Tyranids sometime in the mid-M40s (it's not clear) and much beloved by Kriegers, 8th Edition's Thudd Gun behaves like a Wyvern's quad-gun, without the rerolls to wound (perhaps it doesn't use airburst ammunition?). It's also only 10 points cheaper as a Wyvern, sans the heavy bolter the latter gets with its Chimera mobile platform. Workable if you have it, not worth the money if you don't.
**'''Rapier Laser Destroyer Battery (Forgeworld Index: Astra Militarum):''' Got nerfed hard and went from auto-include to almost-nope. Twin-linked is gone but it still fires only one shot, so barring a static {{W40Kkeyword|Cadia}}n gunline to reroll 1s, there is no chance to reroll that 4+ except CPs (or a Trojan, see above), as the Rapier can't take orders any more. Still, the gun is S12, and ''if'' the shot hits, on a roll of 3-5 it does 2D6 damage, and on a 6 it's upped to 3D6 (so you ''could'' hypothetically one-shot a Land Raider, but it is highly unlikely) - the overall expected damage roll is 6.42, slightly better than 3d3 but slightly worse than 2d6. The price got almost doubled ,to 74 points for one gun and a crew of two. The rapier has 3 wounds now, but unfortunately is only T5. Mathhammer says it will only beat out a team of lascannons (of similar cost) against 2+ models, models of T6 and below, and 3+ models of T9 and above. Not worth buying, but if you have it, save it for the ''really'' tough stuff. 
*'''Griffon Mortar Carrier:''' The Griffon Mortar Carrier occupies the niche of cheap medium artillery support compared to the other big guns available to the Guard. The Griffon Heavy Mortar has a range of 48" and strikes at S6 with AP -1 and dealing D3 damage per wound...and unlike the Wyvern, this Mortar ignores cover saves. In previous additions, the Griffon used to have the ability to re-roll scatter, and thanks to the way the bombardment and artillery squadron rules worked meant that you could use it as spotter artillery for your bigger guns. These days however, much like its larger cousin the Basilisk, it rolls 2D6 and takes the highest to determine the number of attacks it makes. This all clocks in at a measly 78 points after purchasing the mandated Heavy Bolter, though this can be swapped out for a Heavy Flamer for extra charge defense and it can also take a pintle mounted weapon and/or Hunter-Killer Missile. Unlike the Medusa and Basilisk whose preferred targets are TeQs, MeQs and Vehicles, the Griffon is best used to rain hate on cover camping units with a 4+ save or worse, though it can also be used to hunt light vehicles and low save, multi-wound models thanks to its D3 damage. It doesn't re-roll wounds like the Wyvern, but since both mortars main targets tend to hide in cover, any time you would take a Wyvern, consider the Griffon instead. Probably not as competitive as either the Medusa or the Basilisk, but a solid artillery piece for the price. Tallarn Griffons can move and shoot, Catachan ones can re-roll attacks, Cadian ones can re-roll 1's to hit, and Vostroyan ones have 54" range. Note: Forgeworld no longer sells a model for this unit, but the conversions are super easy.   
*'''Colossus Bombard:''' ''Finally'' gaining the toughness of the Leman Russ chassis it's mounted on, the Colossus still ignores cover, though that doesn't do as much now. Downside, it costs as much as a Leman Russ, too. The mortar itself has gotten a HUGE range increase (In fact this might be a typo - ''240 inches''), and hits like a Heavy Mortar with slightly better AP. It fires twice as many shots, too. All in all, it's a damn fine artillery piece.
*'''Cyclops Demolition Vehicle:''' 40k's version of the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goliath_tracked_mine Goliath], a bomb on treads controlled by remote. Magos Cawl figured out how to encrypt the controller signal, so the operator doesn't have to walk around on the field next to it, but putting it in transports disrupts the signal...so you can't drop it out of a Valkyrie anymore. In exchange, it's ''much'' faster (10" move, though advancing prevents you from setting it off) and its payload is one of the few blast weapons in 8th edition that's ''actually'' a blast - you set it off in the Shooting phase, and it hits ''everything,'' friendly and enemy, within d6" like an Earthshaker shell. Oh wait, no, it actually hits ''much harder,'' rolling a flat 2d6 for shots instead of 2d6-take-the-highest, and ''it auto-hits.'' This is the single worst thing to roll into a deathstar of characters at the center of your opponents' army - no more Look Out Sir! to slough off the pain it can bring, and every unit within the effect radius is hit the same. It's not very tough, but it's small and easily concealed behind bigger, bulkier units, and at 40 points it can be a powerful disruptor of enemy formations.
**Note that this little ball of hate explodes on a '''3+''' when killed, and that's your die to roll. You, the Guard player, with the giant pile of command points. Take a reroll, hand out some mortal wounds, and get a glass for the tears of your opponent.
** Chapter Approved has increased its cost to 60 points from 40. Not a build-killer, but you'll need to work to make back its points now. 
**These bombs can take a {{W40Kkeyword|<Regiment>}} keyword now. {{W40Kkeyword|Armageddon}} is better for getting your bombs on target in 1 piece, while {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} makes them more reliable. {{W40Kkeyword|Mordian}} turns your little bombs into risky flanking buddies, although, tbh, Sentinels are better suited to this purpose, as far as cost is concerned. {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}} is really fluffy, but so easy to counter. The others, however, give nothing that this unit needs, although it is an easy way to set up Overlapping Fields of Fire for your {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} units. Vicious Traps does give this unit a kind of Overwatch, but isn't really worth it.
**Don't forget: these can charge. Use these guys to charge your opponent's melee screen units with limited shooting, and watch the beads of sweat on your opponent's face flow as he realizes that killing this thing in melee is as bad as letting it live.
*'''Hydra Battery:''' Four long-barreled autocannons on a stationary platform. Higher toughness but lower wounds and save than the mobile version. Shoots the same, at about 25% less points. Workable, but not exceptional.
*'''Leman Russ Family''': As of the recent FAQs, all the Forge World tanks also gain Grinding Advance. 
**'''Leman Russ Annihilator (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' In past editions, this was indisputably the most underwhelming Leman Russ variant. However, with the changes to the twin linking rules, compounded by Grinding Advance, it’s the only Leman Russ that has increased in firepower rocking, effectively, 4 bs4 lascannons. Against another Leman Russ, this thing will put out 1.94 wounds, matching the Demolisher but with more range. Expect to see this eclipse the “anti-armor” Vanquisher, which only puts out 0.94 wounds a turn against another Russ. In an edition where vehicles tend to stick around, loaded for bear (multi-melta sponsons and a hull lascannon), this tank has the potential to take out a vehicle per shooting phase.
*** With that cool new Grinding Advance rule, this tank became our one of the best options, matching even Demolisher in sheer amount of hard hitting hatred it can bring to our enemies, even matching Demolisher in his own field, while been miles away from the fight. Sadly, you can't put Pask in it...
**'''Leman Russ Conqueror (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' Actually pretty useful now. The Conqueror cannon has the same statline as a regular battle cannon, just with a 48" range. The co-axial weapon is only a storm bolter though, rather than the much more logical heavy stubber, but Forgeworld are bound to go derp somewhere. Actually while the Storm Bolter is shorter ranged (its max range is half the main gun's, rapid fire is 12) due to not being a heavy weapon it fires at full BS on the move, and it grants rerolls to hit with your Conqueror cannon if you fire on the same target, it doesn't even have to hit anymore. Especially good for {{W40Kkeyword|Mordian}}; slap a pintle mounted storm bolter on there and you'll be putting out 8 S4 shots hitting on 5s on overwatch.
*** When you do some math you will quickly realize, that this baby is one of the best Russ variants in the game right now. Reroll every (not only failed) shots on the main gun gives you MASSIVE powerboost, almost doubling your hits. Find the path to reroll that random attack D6 roll (Cadian's order or Catachan's doctrine) end enjoy tearing everything up to a land raider to pieces. Trust me, this tank gonna '''CONQUER''' your battlefield.
*** Chapter Approved lists the Conqueror as 122 points, the same as a Leman Russ Annihilator and dropping 10 points after the Forge World 1.0 FAQ. 
**'''Leman Russ Stygies Vanquisher (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' A slight improvement over the normal Vanquisher, and arguably forgeworld's attempt to fix that variant. They failed. The Stygies pattern comes with a co-axial storm bolter, and if it remains stationary, the main weapon gains +1BS. Like the Conqueror, shooting the storm bolter and the cannon at the same target grants rerolls to hit. With both bonuses stacking, this can pull off 1.66 wounds against another russ – meaning unlike the normal vanquisher it outdoes the battlecannon (1.17 wounds) but is still beaten by the annihilator and demolisher at 1.94 wounds a piece, which are more useful against other targets and offer better range and mobility (as the Stygies needs to be stationary at 24 inches to be fully effective).
***''Sponson/Hull Weapons'' - Heavy Flamers and Storm Bolters can be fired on the move without penalty, but only they and your turret gun have that benefit.  If you ''do'' take Plasma Cannons (or other options, like a Hunter-Killer Missile), don't expect to land many hits.
***As per the latest FAQ, the Stygies received yet another minor buff to try and salvage it. You can now exchange the Co-axial Storm Bolter for a Co-axial Heavy Stubber, which lets the tank function better as intended, that is, hold still and shoot at tanks from far away. The extra foot of range significantly boosts its threat radius and switching to a Heavy weapon is largely irrelevant, as you'd pretty much never get the Storm Bolter's additional shots and you probably won't be moving in the first place.
*'''Malcador Tank Family (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' Down(?)-graded from Lord of War to Heavy Support, the light-super-heavy tanks of the Malcador family have been smiled upon in 8th by the removal of weapon facing. This means the bizarre fixed-transfer casemate mount which the main gun sits in (and the fact that the sponsons can't train forward) no longer limits its shooting ability; also gone is the chance to break down every time it moves, apparently they finally fixed the engines on these things. The Demolisher cannons have Grinding Advance, as well. Note: The Valdor tank destroyer is still taking a Lord of War, so no spamming Neutron Lasers (not that you could spam a tank this size anyway).
**'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' The basic Malcador is a Russ on a steroid binge - 18 wounds instead of 12 (this is standard across all Malcadors), and it can carry autocannons or lascannons in the sponsons. Note that this Malcador lacks any type of Grinding Advance, you're still better off with regular Russes.
**'''Malcador Annihilator:''' The Malcador's version of the Leman Russ Annihilator. Two lascannons in that weird turret and a Demolisher cannon in the hull. Note that you can replace the Demolisher with a FIFTH Lascannon if you so desire but at 300 points it's somewhat(read:very) inefficient.
**'''Malcador Defender:''' ''Now we're talkin'!'' In a remarkable display of foresight, the Defender eschews the nerfed turret weapons of its brothers for an interwar-style turret fitted with ''five'' heavy bolters. Two more on the sponson mounts make for a bullet hose to rival the Stormlord - at 21 shots, it can chew through blobs for breakfast. It also adds 1 to its overwatch hit rolls. A demolisher cannon is still present on the hull for tougher targets. Send a trio of these with {{W40Kkeyword|Mordian}} tactics up the board in front of your Infantry to form a near impassable wall of Heavy Bolters for any opponent who heavily relies on hordes of footslogging infantry.
**'''Malcador Infernus:''' The Malcador's version of the...Hellhound? Apparently someone <s>saw the need</s> addressed the requirement to set entire city blocks on fire at once. This vehicle carries the Inferno Gun, which rolls 2d6 automatic hits with a strength and damage that resembles an Autocannon (with better AP). If that and the 16" range weren't enough the prometheum fuel can be swapped out for <s>Trooper Duffy's special soup recipe</s> a toxic sludge that wounds everything that isn't a vehicle on 2s, and has AP-3. It's a big pile of points and tends to violently explode, but it can be very fun to run! And if it does blow up, try to have it do so next to those heretics. It WILL hurt. Unlike its brothers, which are limited to Heavy Stubbers, Autocannons and Lascannons for sponson options, the Infernus additionally has Heavy Bolters and Heavy Flamers to pick from. Though, given the short range on the main gun the choice here seems obvious.
*'''Medusa Family'''
**'''Armageddon Pattern Medusa:''' Your only mobile source of the Medusa Siege gun.
***This one is an odd little box. What you get is a vehicle that wounds like a Manticore (S10) and is just as tough (T7), ignores armor like a basilisk (AP3) and has a similar point value (111), has the wounds and armor of a Leman Russ (12W and 3+save) but can fire without line of sight. So far so good. However, you trade all this for the lack of ability to fire after moving without a penalty to hit (and have a poor range of 36 inches), the lack of T8 to survive plasma and anti-tank firepower that is usually S7 and above, and worst of all, you score less hits than a basilisk, Manticore or most Leman Russes with grinding advance with your single D6.
***This means the Medusa is worse against almost everything. It deals inferior damage compared to other artillery pieces. And while you could argue the Tallarn doctrine removing the penalty to hit when moving turns it into a cheap chassis with a 36 inches range demolisher cannon equivalent equipped, the fact that the damage is d3 rather than d6 (like the demolisher) makes it a poor choice as well. It does, however, outperform the Basilisk against T9, T10, and T18. If it were to consistently get an above-average number of shots, however (via command re-rolls or taking the {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}} regiment), it would actually outperform the Basilisk rather consistently against T5+ as well, so still give it some consideration if you're up against TEQs or Death Guard.
**'''Medusa Carriage Battery (Forge World Index: Astra Militarum):''' The Medusa Siege Gun returns, mounted on a wheeled gun carriage. Got a few buffs - the standard siege shells are ballistic, and may be fired out of line-of-sight now, while the still-direct-fire Bastion-Breaker shells may be used without losing the ability to fire standard shots. The 36" range may chafe on an immobile platform, though...
*'''Sabre Weapons Battery:''' For 20 points base, you get 1 3W, T4 model with a 4+ save. While most of its "twin" options are nothing to write home about compared to two heavy weapon teams, which for 12 points cheaper gets you 3 more wounds at the expense of 1 point of toughness and 1 point better armor save on more models (which mitigates high damage hits). Furthermore, because orders only work on infantry instead of "non vehicle units" a la 7th, it can no longer take orders. 
**This went from being cheesier than a fondue convention to "meh". For what is now 40pts (Chapter Approved 2018), one {{W40Kkeyword|<regiment>}} infantry unit gains +1BS, and that's if the sabre is within 48" and both it and the buffed unit have line of sight. One unit also cannot gain from multiple defence searchlights. 
**Note that orders no longer state a unit must immediately take an action when ordered, so it's entirely legal to order your conscripts to set up a firing line, light up your target with a spotlights, and then give him a good old fashioned Cadian Burial.
**Mordians get the most out of this; the Volley Fire stratagem procs twice as often if you're spotting for the unit in question. Get a full blob of conscripts, put them under Rank Fire (command reroll that if you need to), pop the stratagem, and light them up. You'll hit on 4s, and the wording of the stratagem means any roll of 5 or 6 grants another shot. This improves the firepower of the unit to approx. 66% accuracy, or a 3+ roll. Not bad, for a bunch of untrained bodies! 
**Our lord and savior Forgeworld no longer makes a model for the Sabre. However, a proxy can be kitbashed pretty easily. Simply buy a heavy weapon squad box from GW, build them as lascannons, cut off the lascannon barrel so that the stump is flush with the gun shield, and glue on the front of a vehicle searchlight (found in pretty much every IG vehicle kit that no one bothers to put on). Voila! For a more elaborate version, you can use the spinning gun deck, control column, and crew from a Wyvern platform.
*'''Sentinel Powerlifters:''' For about the same price as a Bullgryn (and twice as many wounds, though you lose those awesome shield saves) these ad-hoc Dreadnoughts swing 3 times with built-in Power Fists(S10 AP-2 Dd3) that don't impose a -1 to hit. Guard WS hobbles it a bit, but it's fast and hits like a train. Also gets a scout move and smoke launchers to improve the chance of getting in close. Unfortunately they can't take HK missiles like the other Sentinel variants can, though this can be to thier benefit. Treat these as cheap passive-aggressive Distraction Carnifex's. Your opponent will most likely ignore them since they can't shoot(and the rest of your army can shoot...a lot), and until you start wailing on something noteworthy(at S10 you have a lot of choices too) they'll probably forget that yes, those are powerfists they have.
**That scout move is critical. If you deploy cleverly you can start the minimum of two feet from your intended target...and then Scout move towards it. Then move normally, and you have a 6" charge to make. Point at the nearest Tyranid and say it with me:[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j51DfrLHUek]
**I'm pretty sure the {{W40Kkeyword|Armageddon}} regiment is the only one these guys will benefit from.
**Keep in mind that you can use the Crush Them! stratagem with them, that way you add d6 inches to your movement '''and''' you are now hitting on a 2+.
*'''Stygies Family:''' These are Leman Russes in all but name - in fact, the Thunderer Siege Tank is a Leman Russ Demolisher with the hull gun stripped off and +1 wound - but that name matters a lot, since they can't take orders from a Tank Commander. Don't look away so fast. Orders or no, turret or no, it's still one of the most well made vehicles in the galaxy; the damage tables on these are surprisingly good, possibly justifying the points hike. Still  the Thunderer is 180 points, and tank hunter 160, while a Demolisher is under 140? Not viable right now. Even if the models are ace. Make good proxy demolishers?
**'''Stygies Destroyer Tank Hunter:''' A Leman Russ chassis with no turret and a Heavy Laser Destroyer Array for a hull gun. It's not twin-linked anymore, instead acting a bit like a small blast weapon - D3 shots at a Lascannon statline, except it rolls 2d6-pick-the-highest vs vehicles on damage. Unlike any other vehicle built on the Russ chassis, it must hold still to get its full BS. Easily overshadowed by the Annihilator in output, but much easier to conceal - remember that a tank in cover has a 2+ save. Furthermore, the 60" range means it almost never has to move, so you don't need to be bothered by the heavy penalty - and on average you get two shots. For 10 points over a Vanquisher it fills the role of a Russ tank hunter pretty darn well, beating out the Battle Tank on wounds versus T8 3+...barely. In practice, an exciting big gun to take out the enemy’s heavy hitters, but the law of averages drags it down with too little killing power to take anyone out. And I so wish it was that unit that knocks em out with a big lasrer, as it looks like it should. Give it strength 10 and a stunlock, or something.
**'''Stygies Thunderer Siege Tank:''' 10 points more than a Vindicator for one additional wound and 1 lower BS...which only counts when you're standing still, because ''this'' vehicle ignores the heavy penalty. Sadly not particularly worth it due to the general nerf to blast weapons, but can be a fun distraction vehicle or tank-buster nonetheless.
**The Index FAQ deliberately avoided giving this vehicle the buff given to all Leman Russ tanks, for whatever reason, while also making it cost 40 points more than a Demolisher. Take a Demolisher.
*'''Tarantula Battery:''' Surprisingly cheap compared to last edition (the primary cost is for the guns on it), but you still get the annoying targeting protocols. In fact, slightly ''worse'' now, since this thing will never shoot at Characters if there's another model closer...even if it's one of those 10+ wound Characters the rule wouldn't normally apply to.
** Chapter approved has doubled its point cost per model...