Help my talos are nearly loose

Hi all, just a quick one. Have two talos and can't figure out what main weapons to give. What's does everyone kit there's with. Am thinking of staying away from heat lance. Opinions?

Ichor Injector and Splinter Cannon.

Splinter cannon, and spirit probe (convert the second into a Chronos and make a Dark Artesian formation   ).

Also, multiple talos's are called taloi.

I will see myself out...

What makes you want to stay away from the Heat Lance?

I am looking into picking up a Talos (going to include it in a DA), but my list is fairly light on AT, so the plan was to kit it out with a Ichor Injector and the TL Heat Lance. Is that a terrible idea? Seemed like it would be more multipurpose than Haywire.

Jimsolo wrote:

Ichor Injector and Splinter Cannon.

What he said

Hi thanks everyone. Was looking through and what I see is heat lance T6 which means penetrates on a 5-6. And if pen then it comes into play, with +2 on pen table. Haywire blaster seeems to just frazzle those pesky vehicles. For AT I have x3 raiders with dark lance, all with squads of 10 kabalite warriors with a dark lance and blaster, then a ravager and 5 trueborn with blasters ( play a lot of tau and space marines). By the way kabalites with dark lance have saved me last three games.

I think the logic of the splinter cannon is it's a threat from a longer range and keeps the talos relevant for more turns. They are quite slow so getting into heat lance range is tough until the midgame at least. Also, if you're close enough to get into range to use the melta shot you're close enough to charge it. The talos is a strong unit that can just shred most vehicles in CC.

Dark artisan, where and what is this thing I hear whispered in the shadows?

Korona wrote:

I think the logic of the splinter cannon is it's a threat from a longer range and keeps the talos relevant for more turns.  They are quite slow so getting into heat lance range is tough until the midgame at least.  Also, if you're close enough to get into range to use the melta shot you're close enough to charge it.  The talos is a strong unit that can just shred most vehicles in CC.

My plan was to equip the Haemonculus in the DA with a WWP, so getting to where I'm going should be all that big an issue. Does that change things a bit, or is it still better off with the SC?

Grumpy eldar wrote:

Dark artisan, where and what is this thing I hear whispered in the shadows?

It is a formation located in the Haemonculus Covens supplement for DE. If you use battlescribe, make sure to add in a detachment for some Heamonculus goodness.

Muhahaha... *voice trails into silence*

Dark Artesian is a formation from the Covens suppliment. It allows a Chronos (brings FnP up to 4+), a haemunculus (who can equip a WWP or agonizer. etc) and a talos all to join into 1 unit. This unit than DS onto the battlefield (using the Haemi's WWP), flame a squad (using the Chronos's S3 AP3 flamer), then take a round of enemy fire before charging into a squad and running them down (it has Fear, and Freakish Spectacle for -1 LD). Very deadly and highly recomended.

The reason I keep the splinter cannons are for economy. Generally you are shooting at infantry (to make use of the Chronos flamer), so AT would be wasted. Also, you really want to be in CC, so I usually forgo the shooting all together just to run that extra 2-3".

Excellent. Thanks, I will now be buying the haemonculus covens book too . The dark artisan, what slot does that go into?

1/ The Heat Lance is fantastic.

2/ Spirit Probe on a Cronos, because the Dark Artisan is amazing.

3/ THe plural of Talos is TALI.

How are we justifying the awesomeness of the heat lance? Because for vehicles isn't haywire better? Or is it a generally good all rounder?

I used heat lances on both my DA and CTC and I honestly liked them quite a bit, I'm switching over to hwb for a game and seeing how I like it.

I much prefer the Heat Lance, ok you've got to get to half range for full effectiveness, but s6 + 2d6 is better than s8 and 1d6. I much prefer that considering any Dark Eldar army SHOULD be fast moving and be able to get to half range on the Heat Lance easily.
PLUS AP1. Higher chance of great damage.

I agree. I like to run my CTC with a cast of players for crusader, combined with scout it shouldn't be too hard to get into melta range in a turn.

Ok, but I'm I right in thinking that to penetrate with heat lance you need 5-6 on most vehicles. Where with haywire just need to hit to cause damage, unless you roll a 1.

Dnt get me wrong I can see the merits of the heat lance too, but just thinking of efficiency.

Well within melta range that's a 5 or 6 on 2d6.

Lets math it!
Assuming the shot hits:

vs Land Raider (or Leman Russ on the front):

Blaster glances on a 4 penetrates on a 5+. On a penetrate, +1 on table to destroy. So 1:6 chances to destroy.
A final total of 5.6% chance of destroying on a single shot.

Heat Lance at half range (9") glances on a 6, penetrates on a 7+ (5:11 chance of penetrating). +2 on table to destroy, so 2:6 to destroy.
A final chance of 15.2% to destroy on a single shot (at half range).


Ok, the Blaster has a range benefit, but I much prefer the power.


Note: the HL chance of penetrating is shown as 3:11, because there's only 11 possible results on a 2d6 roll. You can't roll a 1 on 2d6.

Don't forget the heat lance does have lance as well as melta. Meaning it never needs more than a 6 to glance.

Amended!

I knew I was doing SOMETHING wrong there, but my brain just didn't see it......


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But as a quick additional average to account for not-half range, lets half that chance score.

Thats still a 7.6% chance of destroying your target!

(not accounting for To hit rolls). Heat Lance wins!

I am nearly in the heat lance court, but with the haywire blaster, as I read it,, so long as you hit, do not need to roll to penetrate just roll on vehicle damage table? I'm sure that's right? Right?

Wait I see, yes in the math. This only for destroying, where haywire has a 5 in 6 chance of doing something to a vehicle (crew shaken). So haywire, more likely to take vehicle out of action and heat lance more likely to completely destroy.