Warhammer 40K: Space Marine Unit Guide – Battle Tanks – PRIME
Today let’s continue our in-depth look at the massive roster of Space Marine units and how to use them. Today we talk Heavy Support!
If you haven’t heard, Space Marines have a brand new (well OK, newish at this point) Codex with a truly staggering amount of units. Such a massive roster (and that’s just the units in the main codex) can be overwhelming. Luckily Marines are overall a fairly forgiving army. Still, skill is required to make an excellent list. We looked at Marine HQs and Troops, and some elites and more elites and, Throne, even more elites, and fast attack, and infantry fire support units, today let’s continue our deep dive into the army and its datasheets, taking a look at the massive roster and how to best use them.
Predator Destructor 
The Predator Destructor is an anti-heavy infantry/light vehicle Space Marine Tank. It is based on the basic Rhino hull, and shares base stats with it and other tanks like the Whirlwind. For weapons its has a rather nice Predator Autocannon, with Heavy 2d3 48 “, S7 AP -1 D 3. This weapon has a good rate of fire and damage but is a bit lacking on S and AP. In addition to its main gun, it can take a pair of either heavy bolters or lascannons, a storm bolter, and a hunter-killer missile.
The Predator is one of those tanks that’s been a bit left behind by time. While it was once solid, it’s now a bit under-gunned compared to more recent units. With D3 its main gun is pretty solid at taking down light vehicles, and can hurt multi-wound models. However, without blast, its shots are very random. When armed with heavy bolters the tank might have a role as a relatively cheap anti MEQ/Terminator unit. Its big drawback however is low AP all around, meaning that against the units it really wants to be targeting they will still get a good save. It might not be the worst tank in the army, but you have a lot of better options.
Predator Annihilator
The Annihilator is an anti-tank variant of the Predator. It is armed with a twin Lascannon. It can also take a pair of either heavy bolters or lascannons, a storm bolter, and a hunter-killer missile.
This is just a horrible tank, and is massively undergunned. In its classic loadout with 4 lascannons, it’s outclassed by almost any other Marine anti-tank unit. Lascannons, simply put, are really bad right now, and a unit that uses them exclusively is one you should leave at home.
Gladiator Lancer
The Lancer is one of three variants of the new Gladiator tank. This version acts as a ranged anti-tank unit. With movement 10″ it’s slower than most Marine tanks, but with T8 and 12 W a little tougher than other similar tanks. It has the expected BS 3+ and a 3+ save. Its primary weapon is a Lancer Laser Destroyer, which is Heavy 2, 72″ range, S10 AP -3 D D3+3. In addition, it is armed with a pair of storm bolters, which can be exchanged for fragstorm grenade launchers. It can also take an ironhail heavy stubber, an icarus rocket pod, and auto launchers. It’s Aquilion Optics give it +1 to hit with its Lancer laser destroyer.
Overall the Lancer is a bit of a lackluster anti-tank unit. While the Laser Destroyer is powerful, and fairly reliable at both hitting and doing damage, with only two shots it just lacks real damage output. At 230 pts it’s not a cheap unit at all, and only has a max anti-tank damage of 12, lower than a 55 pt Attack Bike. Meanwhile, its other guns are light anti-infantry guns that don’t match well with its main weapon, nor are they powerful enough to make it good at fighting infantry. Overall this tank is an overpriced mess and should be avoided at all costs.
Gladiator Reaper
The Reaper is an anti-infantry variant of the Gladiator tank. It has the same base stats as a Lancer. Its primary weapon is Twin Heavy Onslaught Gatling Cannon. In addition, it has a pair of Tempest Bolters which are Rapid Fire 4, 30″ range, S4 Ap -1 D1. It can also take an ironhail heavy stubber, an icarus rocket pod, and auto launchers.
At 230 pts base the Reaper isn’t cheap, but it’s an extremely potent light infantry killer. Upgraded with a heavy stubber the tank can put out 44 shots, all of these are at least AP -1. While the tank’s guns don’t have super high S and are all D, this won’t stop it from blasting light infantry units and hordes off the table. It will struggle more with MEQ, but has enough shots to still be useful. Anti-infantry isn’t what Marines struggle with, and you might be better off just taking a 10 man unit of Intercessors for the points, but if you really want a strong dedicated anti-infantry unit, this is an amazing choice.
Gladiator Valiant
The Valiant is a close-ranged anti-tank variant of the Gladiator. It shares the same stats with the rest. It is armed with a twin Las-talon and a pair of multi-meltas. It can also take an ironhail heavy stubber, an icarus rocket pod, and auto launchers.
For straight damage output, the Valiant is the best anti-tank tank Marines can field, which is one of the reasons the Lancer and the Annihilator aren’t good choices. Those units have a max anti-tank damage output of 12 and 24 respectively. The Valiant meanwhile has a max anti-tank damage output of 56. That’s more than that of an Annihilator and over 4 times that of a Valiant. It’s more expensive than either true, but not anywhere close to twice as much. Its main drawback is a relatively short range of only 24″ combined with a 10″ move. However on the smaller 9th Edition tables, this isn’t a huge weakness, it just requires some planning. Get this guy close to pretty much any vehicle in the game and it will remove it. In addition with 8 shots, it has enough firepower to double at taking down heavy and super heavy infantry. It’s a great unit to support with a Techmarine, giving it +1 to hit. It’s not the most points efficient anti-tank unit in the army, both Eradicators and Attack Bikes have a higher point for point damage output, but it is powerful. If you want your anti-tank firepower in tank format this is best option for you.
Vindicator
Vindicators are a Space Marine siege tank. They are based on a modified Rhino hull and share stats with those type of tanks with the exception that they are movement 10″ and have T8. They are armed with a Demolisher Cannon. They can take a Vindicator siege shield, a hunter-killer missile and a storm bolter.
The Demolisher is another one of those under gunned tanks that doesn’t have a strong role. While the demolisher cannon is capable of high damage output, it’s very unreliable, with both d6 shots and d6 damage. With just the one gun that matters, the tank is simply too unreliable, with the really worthwhile targets, such as 10 man units of Custodian Guards being very rare. This is a tank that will promise you the moon, or one-shotting a knight, and disappoint you every time. Leave this old boy at home, it’s earned a rest.
Join us next time for the Heavy Tanks
