40K: Meet the Deadliest Tank in the Galaxy
OH, guess who’s back and looking for trouble – the not so humble Rhino!
Today is storytime…
Once upon a time many editions ago, there was a thing called Rhino Walls. Back then in the time before the thunder-lizards, Astartes aspirants didn’t want to grow up to be Terminators, or Captains. They wanted to grow up to be the most important people on the Grimdark’s battlefields – Rhino drivers!
I’m sure you old timers remember the hey-days of the “Precision Rhino Racing Team”. Back then folks would use handfuls of Rhinos to form moving walls for a variety of purposes. They provided a moving fortress, mobile line of sight blocking cover. They would tank-shock enemies off of objectives, open up gaps to allow friendlies to fire out, then close back up to block incoming assaults.
It was ridiculous and highly irritating.
But you should expect some of that to return, because in 8th Edition, Rhinos are a pain in the butt and can win you games. Here’s why:
Rhino Basics
So the key stats to look at are: M:12″ T:7 W:10 Sv: 3+
101 Rhino Uses
Here’s just a few uses of the amazing Swiss Army Rhino:
It’s Tough. Sure, any army can easily take down a Rhino. But it no longer explodes when exposed to harsh language. You will have to actually try to kill it and devote a decent amount of firepower. 10 wounds a 7 toughness and a 3 up save won’t just roll over and die.
It’s Cheap. 4 Power Level, or 70 points is pretty cheap – so marines can afford to load up on these.
It’s Mobile. Units are moving much faster in 8th on a tabletop the same size or smaller than you are used to. A 12″ move and no reason to slow down means the Rhino can get where it needs to easily by turn 2-3, either to jam up your army’s line of sight, or to get occupants where they need to be.
It Shuts Down Tanks. One of the odder concepts in 8th to get your head around – remember that tanks can charge and take part in the Fight Phase. Then note that unless you have some kind of special rule, a unit within 1″ of an enemy model has to Fall Back to be able to fire weapons. If it falls Back, it gives up it’s ability to Advance, Charge, or Shoot later than turn. So if you hate that pesky Land Raider blowing up your army – do this:
- Step 1 – Rhino charges the Land Raider (it’ll probably live with unreliable overwatch fire)
- Step 2 – Land Raider Falls Back 10″ (giving up a turn of shooting)
- Step 3 – GOTO Step 1
Honorable Mentions
Luckily the Rhino isn’t the only mighty dirt cheap vehicle looking to come back to the tabletop in a blaze of glory. It may be the “sweet spot” however with it’s nice mix of durability, cheapness, LoS-blocking size and ubiquity. Here are a few contenders for the throne:
Golliath Truck, M12″ T6, W10, Sv4+ (more expensive, but it’s beeefy in size)
Chimera, T7, W10, Sv3+ (more expensive, but more models can fire out)
Taurox, M14″ T6, W10, Sv3+ (smaller, blocks less LoS, but faster)
~All hail the Rhino – master of the tabletop!
