Superheavies in Normal 40K - Would You Use Them?

[Renegade]

Not to the same degree in my opinion, simply because a Super Heavy can engage multiple targets each turn. And given their typical weapons loadout, they tend to be very good at taking out their biggest threats. Combine these two factors, and they can make the board very favourable very quickly.

There are probably only two or three armies in the game that don't have a hard counter to superheavies.
Necrons can glance or eat them to death, SM of all types and colours have Termicide, Lance weapon and haywire laugh at your superheaviy, and even Orks can manage to be dangerous.

Of course a lot remains in the hands of the skill and luck of the players.

[Sargejohnson]

Holy crap. I'm actually signed in!

I voted "sometimes".

My local gaming group, a long time ago, before Spearhead even came out, decided it would be fun and acceptable to bring out Superheavies in a normal game of 40k. Back then when they had their own unique damage table, it was a bit overwhelming. So we house ruled that if you took a Superheavy, you could do it, but you must exchange 3 Heavy Support choices for it. The other rule was, you had to bring your own templates for Apoc weapons (if you didn't your bin lid blast was dropped down to the normal heavy weapons template, your SH flamer became a normal flamer etc.), D strength weapons only worked against other Superheavies (otherwise S10), and you needed to have at least a photocopy of the SH damage table.

With the advent of 6e, and with Spearhead, we decided that Superheavies can have their own slot, as per Spearhead, and template rules/D weapon rules still applied. The reason behind this was because ALL vehicles got hull points, which work very similar to how the Structure Points worked. Also, never ever underestimate the power of annoying Las Cannons (or equivalents). Those can take a non-shielded SH down in no time at all. Even more funny when the tank blows up and wipes out half your own army.


In the end you got some cinematic style footage where the heroes of the day struggled with a seemingly unstoppable tank. (Death or Glory attacks were utilized. Which never happens in any other scenario) The battles raged hot and furious, and everybody was a winner at the end of the game. (not points wise, but fun wise) Ultimately ignoring a SH is like 3e Necrons and their nearly invincible Monoliths. Just ignore them, and take out troops and HQ. I suppose we could add a 2vp clause to destroying them now, that's actually a good idea.

To point out, at the initial use of SH's in non-Apoc games, more than half our active players also were moonlighting as tournament players, and now we are predominately the "beer and pretzel" players. It helps that our games are held in an actual pub. :P

[Cadian122]

It depends. I played a 3,000 apoc game the other week, and my Warhound did very little compared to the rest of my army (my opponent had no super heavies), but then I've been on the receiving end of D-weapons in a normal game, and they hurt.
However, there are plenty of super heavies that I think shouldn't be super heavies, e.g. the Macharius tanks, the Malcador tanks, the Valdor, Minotaur, Praetor, Crassus. If my opponent wanted to play a 2k game, and include one as a "Lord of War" unit, then I'd have no problem. I wouldn't have a problem with a Baneblade or Titan - as long as the D-Weapons were house-ruled to S10 (and allow a cover save) to stop the game becoming unenjoyable for the other player.

[Wolfshade]

Totally ignoring flyers is a viable counter though to them I believe? Is the same viable for Superheavies? If they've spent 500 points on a single superheavy tank and you spend the same on more troops choices are you potentially going to win on VP for actually doing what the scenario says to do even if you can't even hurt the superheavy?

I am not sure ignoring them is a viable counter. Consider if I had my entire army in storm ravens they would be your only target then on my final turn disembark the passengers onto the objectives.
Or imgaine I park my superheavy on/near the relic is there anything you could do to clear it out of their without dedicating a couple of turns to shooting?
This is especially so at the lower point scale. 3,000pts the effect of a big bad unit/vehicle wouldn't be too significant, at 1,000pts it is a game changer.

[Xarga]

I am not sure ignoring them is a viable counter. Consider if I had my entire army in storm ravens they would be your only target then on my final turn disembark the passengers onto the objectives.
Or imgaine I park my superheavy on/near the relic is there anything you could do to clear it out of their without dedicating a couple of turns to shooting?
This is especially so at the lower point scale. 3,000pts the effect of a big bad unit/vehicle wouldn't be too significant, at 1,000pts it is a game changer.

Yeah that's all true, though i honestly doubt they would be aloud in such small games. Like we've all said, there is bound to be restrictions of some kind and assuming the 25% rule carries over your 500point super heavy wouldn't be in any game smaller than 2000 points. Which is at the double FOC point. Though again i don't think we can all fully say weather it is a good idea or not until we see the degree of the restrictions in this expansion.

[Popsical]

I am not sure ignoring them is a viable counter. Consider if I had my entire army in storm ravens they would be your only target then on my final turn disembark the passengers onto the objectives.
Or imgaine I park my superheavy on/near the relic is there anything you could do to clear it out of their without dedicating a couple of turns to shooting?
This is especially so at the lower point scale. 3,000pts the effect of a big bad unit/vehicle wouldn't be too significant, at 1,000pts it is a game changer.

Ignoring them on objectives is impossible you are correct.

Even at 3000pts the current apoc rules for supers makes them absurdly powerful.
40k vehicles suffer effects of damage, supers dont. This swings favour massively in the super hev players favour.
Imagine your tanks being impervious to derogative effects, while the enemy suffers shaken stunned or weapon destroyed or immobilised results.
It is simply game winning.

[oni]

If GW wants to release a plastic Thunderhawk I'll be all about supper heavies, but until then I'll stick to the norm.

[Reecius]

More toys is more better!!!

[Big_Bad12]

I really like the idea, but there would need to be some SERIOUS balancing.

[Xenith]

Why not, it would make 40k fun again!

I remember playing a 3rd ed game of my 1000pt BA scout army vs a GW staffers FW baneblade (and just the tank). It was gruesome, but great fun as my sergeants valiantly died planting meltabombs on the thing.