How To Kill Helldrakes (Works On Most Fliers):

[Caitsidhe]

There was a thread on Warseer that I tried to get going for people to talk about their tactics and methods of dealing with the rather imposing threat of the Chaos Space Marine Helldrake. While I do believe it is a powerful, effective tool, I do not believe it is unstopable or broken. It is my personal opinion that people just haven't caught up with dealing with Fliers in general and the Helldrake specifically. It changes the game for certain factions who simply aren't used to not getting their 3+ save. Let me repeat, I'm not saying the Helldrake isn't good at its job (probably the best) nor am I saying killing 1-3 of them is no sweat. I'm saying the things are here to stay and we might as well reconcile ourselves to finding the most effective ways of dealinging with them within our factions, allies, and/or imports from Forge world. There are also lots of tactics in general which make this viable.

I have my own tactics and primary choices for dealing with them but I want to hear from some of you first. That way I'm not just quacking in the night.

[Demonus]

most effective Ive seen against me is 3 x Oblits firing twin liked melta gun. plasma guns from behind also a good choice.

[Caitsidhe]

most effective Ive seen against me is 3 x Oblits firing twin liked melta gun. plasma guns from behind also a good choice.

That is actually one of my overlapping AA defenses. Three twin-linked shots is statistically going to hit once, and with Melta probably and good odds on a kill. Twin-Linked decent strength in volume period is very effective if you can get on the Aft.

[Sly]

1: 3x Land Speeder with 2x MM each, in a Codex where you can get a Divination Librarian (or ally). 6 TL MM shots, usually fast enough to get rear shots, is not what the Heldrake wants to sense behind it.
2: Tau allies. Twin-linked, Tank Hunter shots from the Quad-Gun (at BS5) plus 24 TL shots at S7 will take down 1 Heldrake each turn. That's 3 Broadsides + Missile Drones, Multi-tracker on them so you don't waste all of their firepower on one target (you could make them even nastier vs Flyers by changing that to a Velocity Tracker), and a Commander with the sensor suits and at least one Drone to fire the Quad Gun. And it's good against infantry/ground vehicles also.
3: Annihilation Barges. They average hitting against Flyers as if they were BS3 S7 shots, due to the Tesla "3 hits for the price of a 6" rule, and at only 90 pts each, they're a bargain for the firepower.
4: Storm Talon. With its all-around fire, once it gets behind the Heldrake, the Heldrake can't even Vector Strike it, and it can keep shooting it in the rear.
5: Lootas. BS 2, BS 1, big deal. Orks don't aim anyhow. On that topic, also the Warbuggies with tlRokkit are fast enough to get behind Heldrakes and twin-linked S8 shots against AV10 is annoying.
6: Spread out. It's far more dangerous when it hits 6 models with the Flamer instead of 4.
7: Terminators and Bikes. Bike squads lined end to end mean it can only Flame 3 at a time. Terminators are more worried about your Bolters than about your Heldrakes.

[Mr Mystery]

Other Flyers....

Thinks abouts it precious....it's arguably even more obvious than it seems....

Heldrake with Burninator is seemingly the most popular kit out, and understandably so. Burns pretty much anyone out of cover. But, short of Vector Strikes, (and being away from my rulebook right now, and not being that up on the rule I'm not all that sure you can Vector Strike a flier) your Heldrake can do precisely nowt to enemy fliers. Huzzah! Majority of fliers out there should be able to lockdown a Heldrake quite nicely, and with just a simdgen of good fortune, sent it crashing and burning from a single volley.

[Caitsidhe]

I agree. I listen to endless complaints about people saying they just can't kill the Helldrake, but suggest they just pick up (or convert) a dedicated air-to-air killer and they throw a fit. Helldrakes are air-to-ground attack vehicles. Their Vector Strike is the only weapon they have against other planes if they have gone the Baleflamer route. Most other Flyers are mounting three or more high strength AP-2 or AP-1 weapons and make short work of it.

[Denzark]

Other Flyers....

Thinks abouts it precious....it's arguably even more obvious than it seems....

Heldrake with Burninator is seemingly the most popular kit out, and understandably so. Burns pretty much anyone out of cover. But, short of Vector Strikes, (and being away from my rulebook right now, and not being that up on the rule I'm not all that sure you can Vector Strike a flier) your Heldrake can do precisely nowt to enemy fliers. Huzzah! Majority of fliers out there should be able to lockdown a Heldrake quite nicely, and with just a simdgen of good fortune, sent it crashing and burning from a single volley.

MM - wrong - VS works against other fliers; this is why my heldrakes ARE my anti air choice.

[Caitsidhe]

MM - wrong - VS works against other fliers; this is why my heldrakes ARE my anti air choice.

Helldrakes are "part" of my overlapping AA defense, but I would never rely on the Vector Strike for all of it. It requires you get to hit them before they hit you which of course is almost entirely random. Moreover, the Daemonforge effect CANNOT be used for Vector Strikes so how efficacious it is against higher AR fliers is limited.

[Mr Mystery]

MM - wrong - VS works against other fliers; this is why my heldrakes ARE my anti air choice.

Ah cool. Totally not up on Vector Strikes!

Even so, its a fortunate foe indeed who finds his Heldrake in position to both VS your flier, and dakka up a worthwhile unit!

As discussed, the Heldrakes predominant role of ground attack is its greatest limiter. If it spends most of the time dodging a fellow aerial predator, its strike opportunities are suitably curtailed.

[OrksOrksOrks]

2 Dakkajets on a Waaugh turn. Just rolls so many dice, with a reroll, that they go bye bye