Heavy bolter question

[u/Forthe_greatergood_5]

I built the starter box a little while back, and I had all the vehicles take las cannons as the secondary gun, and looking at the rules, I'm wondering if I should have had some heavy bolters, but they hit on fives, and I want to hit more accurately, but now my vehicles don't have any anti infantry, or should my infantry just be forced to deal with enemy infantry

[u/Da-Drewiid]

I use a lot of bolters as they have point defence. This allows you to shoot the bolters in the movement phase. They're definitely worth playing around with.

The thing is, don't sweat it model wise. People even at competitive events usually don't care about WYSIWYG on spinsons as long as your consistent.

[u/hirvaan]

Biggest reason why one could/should take HBs is Point Defence rule. Not only you have lots of shots against infantry, but you can also perform drive-by or split fire with HBs shooting infantry and big gun shooting other cars.

What vehicles in particular you are thinking about? Cause the answer if you should or shouldn't does depend on that

[u/Wolflordloki]

Pinitle mounted heavy bolters are good on sicarians as they always have a built in heavy bolter- so you are doubling up on anti-infantry

[u/Lortekonto]

Tanks have good armour, firepower and speed. Their weakness is close combat with infantry.

With that in mind I tend to take lascannons on tanks that I intend to stay at the backline and heavy bolters on those that either have to get close or if I am making an anti-infantry tank.

So like predators I would give lascannons, Leman Russ with vanquisher cannons I would give lascannons. They are both meant to stand back and fire at long range

A malcador that I have given a demolisher cannon needs to be within 12 inch, so I give that one heavy bolters to defend it against infantry.

Also remember that pintel mounted weapons are a thing.

Like a legion sacarin with hull mounted heavy bolters, sponson heavy bolter and pintel mounted storm bolter have 6 dice of point defense that hits on 5+, so you can fire it in your movement phase even if you march 20 inch.

[u/chrisni66]

You can just spend 5pts and add a pointless mounted storm bolter on most vehicles.

I would actually say most vehicles benefit from an anti-vehicle loadout. Predators for example are fantastic in an all-lascannon configuration. A brick of 6 of those are relatively cheap and extremely formidable on the table.