Skyreaper Weapon Platforms (Long-ranged fire support)

I always like playing home-made units in friendly games, and stumbling upon a picture of the Eldar
Weapon platform a few days ago, I got an idea for a Dark Eldar equivalent.. I play-tested a unit of 3 of them (using proxies) yesterday in a 1K battle and they really served me well. Managed to vaporise a 6 man unit of termies on turn 2, that was really satisfying (since I usally have a lot of problems trying to kill those).

Anyway that's how it works; A unit of 1 to 3, costing you a HS slot, each one of them at 35pts without
weapons added. Special kind of movement, fairly slow, but the increased range helps. Weapons are
Twin-linked. The stats represent the 3 Cabalites operating the platform (T3, W3, A3.. etc). It's got a 5+
armour save and a 4+ cover, representing the shielding. The increased firepower means that it must suffer somekind of drawback, so I thought it could be easily represented by the fact it would risk iminent explosion if it suffered any kind of damage; The Unstable Engines rule takes care of that.
In short i'm quite proud of the way it came out. Critics would be appreciated, so tell me what you think.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Skyreaper Weapon Platform: ...... 35pts

Each Support Weapon consist in 1 Weapon Platform
and 3 Kabalite Warriors. They have, in a whole, the profile below;


WS4 BS4 S3 T3 W3 I5 A3 LD8 Sv5+


Unit: 1 - 3
(Infantry)


Equipement:
- CC Weapon
- Splinter Pistol
- 1 Weapon of your choice listed below;

- Twin Linked Shredder ......................... +15pts
- Twin Linked Haywire Blaster ................ +20pts
- Twin Linked Splinter Cannon ................ +20pts
- Twin Linked Heat Lance ....................... +25pts
- Twin Linked Desintagrator Cannon ....... +35pts
- Twin Linked Dark Lance ...................... +35pts


Special Rules:
- Night Vision
- Power From Pain
- Special Antigrav Movement*
- Support Fire*
- Unstable Engines*
- Support Shields*


- Special Antigrav Movement:
The Weapon Platform may move of 6" in the movement phase and shoot
at half range during it's next shooting phase, or not move at all and shoot
at full range. It may also choose not to shoot during the shooting phase
and instead move an extra 6".

- Support Fire:
Any weapon chosen as equipement for the Weapon Platform has it's range
increased by 12". The Platform may never assault in the assault phase.

- Unstable Engines:
For every wound the Platform suffers due to enemy fire or attacks, you must roll
a D6: On a roll of 1, nothing happens. On a roll of 2 to 5, it suffers an additional wound,
(You must not roll for unstable engines purposes because of this). On a roll of 6,
the Platform suffers instant death.

- Support Shields:
The Platform benefits from a 4+ cover save.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Not a bad idea, however not a that fluffy one - Dark Eldar aren't very much for using such relatively slow platforms, when compared to the skimmers.

That aside I like it, I have a weak spot for weapon platforms

Thanks !
Like Saintspirit, I think the only real problem with this unit is the contradiction in fluff. While this bothers me a bit when I think about it, those platforms could still be really useful gamewise in my opinion. I also thought of skyboards as bases, but I think they're just a little to small to do the job, but of course that would cost you a LOT less, and anyway I'm open to any ideas !
If anyone has any thoughts about the special rules (if they are too buffed, or reverse.. etc) let me know !

I think I know the pic(s) of which you speak...





The last one is my favorite. It makes me think of a Talon-like craft, without any transport ability but mounting a heavy cannon or maybe something akin to a twin-linked dark lance.

I can see these things flying around with Reavers. Actually, I am inspired to try and make a conversion for it.

I was thinking that this would be an upgraded Talon-type vehicle. It would be fast and agile and carry a big punch. Sort of a step between a Talon and a Ravager.

(Vaulkhere):

Yeah I guess it does sound like the more logical choice !
But it's just waaaay more fun to come up with inexistent combinations
rather than copy-paste already existent ones, well, anyway that's how I personnaly like to approach games developing. But I totally agree with you that using the actual eldar weapon platform rules is what makes the most sense.

(Zarkalus):

Those pics are amazing. Your idea of a super-fast/heavy weapon boost unit, while slightly deriving from an actual "platform", is pretty cool ! If you plan on making one of those, be sure to share !

Yes those pictures are amazing, had them myself for a while and been trying to work out how to use them.
Gun platforms are harder to work Fluff-wise, though one could imagine them being sumat that is found in the Dark City itself and very occasionally being brought to large raids where the lightning speed we normally rely on is less important or is already being covered. The fluff states Venoms as being able to navigate some of the small arterials of the webway, and it is fact that all our vehicles do reach a battle via the webway, so I have an image of a cluster of raiders and venoms pouring from a larger wwp with say three or four of these drifting through afterwards and becoming a rearguard for the portal itself.
Unfortunately the necron annihilation barge fluff is pretty much exactly what these things would probably be similar to - bar being actually ever fully stationary fixtures.

I like the stats above as in unit of 1-3, though should they be vehicles rather than infantry?
Reasoning being they're more like self contained vehicles/mobile weapons rather than the eldar ones that are two chaps escorting a big gun. Also then we're not the artillery unit type or infantry.

Also some interesting shields rather than high armour?
It being our shtick and all.

Random other thoughts, aerial assault & deep strike dropping them into high atmo or them coming through high atmo wwp and then descending on grav motors until they can blow holes in things at low altitude?

Archon Zarkalus wrote:

I think I know the pic(s) of which you speak...





The last one is my favorite. It makes me think of a Talon-like craft, without any transport ability but mounting a heavy cannon or maybe something akin to a twin-linked dark lance.

I can see these things flying around with Reavers. Actually, I am inspired to try and make a conversion for it.

I was thinking that this would be an upgraded Talon-type vehicle. It would be fast and agile and carry a big punch. Sort of a step between a Talon and a Ravager.

Wow, these are amazing, am wanting to do a more heavy weapon friendly Kabal, may have to see if I can build the bottom one

This has been inactive since 2011. *PLEASE* stop necroing threads - Cavash.