Manticore Launcher Tank

2018-05-06T07:15:12Z

2600:8800:7B80:1A00:E5D4:863E:3DC3:DD91:

[[Image:ManticoreRL.jpg|right|thumb|[[Fist of the North Star|You are already dead]].]]

''[[Imperial Guard|The Guard]] has a Manticore. Your [[Tyranids|numerical]] [[Orks|superiority]] is [[Rage|irrelevant]].''

The '''Manticore Launcher Tank''' is one of the most subtle options the Imperial Guard has, being able to deliver as much firepower as an entire [[Basilisk Artillery Gun|Basilisk]] battery from a single unassuming vehicle. It is built on the versatile [[Chimera]] chassis, with a Manticore Missile Launcher attached to its back.

The main reasons that the Manticore isn't more widely used are that it is difficult to load (so it is extremely vulnerable once its missiles are all launched) and a finicky machine to operate -- the [[machine spirit]]s of the tracking, guidance, and launch systems are as temperamental as they are advanced. As such, they are limited in deployment to artillery regiments for the most part, as they are furthest from the front lines and most likely to have the [[tech-priest]] expertise required to maintain them.

== Tabletop ==

The Manticore's Storm Eagle rocket is a thing of delight at 2d6 S10 AP -2 causing d3 wounds each. Like the Wyvern and Basilisk, it benefits not only from indirect fire, but also from the master of ordnance's +1 to hit boost. A single manticore is a genuine threat to a huge number of targets, and remarkably doesn't break the bank at 125 pts + upgrades (135 pts base post Chapter Approved). The only downside is its limited ammunition, and perhaps less than stellar AP.

Like a number of New Guard munitions, the Manticore is a strong all purpose attacker causing ladles of grief to anything. The Manticore will routinely earn its points back in with its opening salvo.

The limited ammunition and randomness of each salvo make the Manticore perhaps less reliable for anti-infantry duty than, say, a Leman Russ Punisher, but it's not unheard of for a battery of Manticores to destroy the bulk of an enemy's forces in the first or second turn with a lucky dice roll or two. Expect the enemy to focus everything on its destruction, even to the exclusion of all else, and make sure that he doesn't get there.

==CREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!==
A player in a major tournament in New York managed to pull off several bits of undiluted win when using [[Creed]] to Scout Manticores against [[Ork]] players, enabling them to perfectly get line-of-sight with the enemy army and fire off a barrage. This is widely considered [[Necrons|cheese]], but remains absolutely hilarious and is something that ''needs'' to be witnessed, if only once.

==The Rebellion Begins==
Due to the Manticore being an insanely overpriced model - even by the staggering standards of [[Games Workshop]]'s notorious tendency to charge an arm, leg, and testicle for its miniatures - players have resorted to increasingly-clever methods for representing Manticores on the tabletop, the most common way being to either mod a [[Chimera]] APC, which costs about half as much, or to go the full Monty and using decidedly non-Games-Workshop miniatures in order to represent them on the tabletop. Considerable amusement and much [[rage]] from certain [[Neckbeard]]s have ensued.

[http://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Astra-Militarum-Manticore Note that it costs no more from GW per model] than a [http://www.games-workshop.com/en-FI/Imperial-Guard-Leman-Russ-Battle-Tank Leman Russ] does, at least in Europe.

Some of the more infamous ones are shown below.

==Gallery==
<gallery>
Image:ManticoreSoviet.jpg|One of many mods of a [[Chimera]]. This one weds a rocket pod from a toy MLRS to a Chimera chassis. It works.
Image:Whirlwindicore.jpg| A fairly clever Manticore made from a Chimera and a [[Whirlwind]].
Image:Katyushacore.jpg| <strike>This one is reaching. </strike> It's a Katyusha rocket launcher, modded to look more [[Vostroyan]] or [[Valhalla]]n.<strike> Kind of clever.</strike>A totally awesome scratch-build. 'Kind of' my arse.
Image:DefSnake.jpg| A [[User_talk:Jaimas|certain]] [[Tau]] [[Gue'vesa]] player is known to use this [[AT-43]] miniature to represent Manticores, though painted and modded to look more [[Weeaboo|Tau-ish]].
Image:BadManticore.jpg| How not to convert a Manticore. In case you're wondering, that's the handle end of a fucking tennis racket the rockets are mounted on. A fucking tennis racket.
</gallery>

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[[Category:Warhammer 40,000]]
[[Category:Imperial]]
[[Category:Vehicles]]
[[Category:Imperial Guard]]

Basilisk Artillery Gun

2018-05-06T07:13:45Z

2600:8800:7B80:1A00:E5D4:863E:3DC3:DD91:

[[Image:Basilisk.png|thumb|right|It's almost as fuckawesome as the [[Baneblade]].]]
:''This article is about the [[Imperial Guard]] artillery tank. For the creature, see [[Basilisk]].''
{{topquote|Artillery adds dignity to what would otherwise be a vulgar brawl.|Frederick II of Prussia}}
{{topquote|Though my guards may sleep and my ships may lay at anchor, our foes know full well that the big guns never tire.|[[Lugft Huron]]}}
{{topquote|SHATTER. THEIR. SKY!|Basilisk commander from Dawn of War 1, about to fire the [[rape|earth shaker round]].}}

The '''Basilisk Artillery Gun''' is the iconic [[Imperial Guard]] self-propelled artillery piece. It is based on the versatile [[Chimera]] chassis, and it carries a massive [[Earthshaker]] cannon. It dates at least as far back as the [[Great Crusade]], where it was used by the artillery batteries of the [[Space Marine]] Legions and Imperial Army; though they were too slow for the slimmer, faster post-[[Codex Astartes]] Space Marines, they could move at just the right pace to keep up with an [[Imperial Guard]] siege operation.

Of course, given its tremendous range, it doesn't need to move very fast to keep pounding the enemy, and it's not supposed to be at the front line -- rather, the Basilisk crews get told where to shoot, they launch great quantities of shells in that direction, and then they move away before they get hit by counter-battery fire.

== Variants ==
; Standard Pattern: You know'em, you love'em. The OG Basilisk with the famous gun shield. It is by far one of the most iconic vehicles from the Imperium of Man, let alone the Imperial Guard and stands equal with the [[Leman Russ Battle Tank]], [[Baneblade]], [[Land Raider]] and [[Rhino]] as most famous tank.
; Armageddon Pattern : Because [[Armageddon]] is a <s>desert world</s> irradiated, poisonous shithole, they developed a Basilisk pattern that fully enclosed the entire tank, sheltering the loading mechanism (and, coincidentally, the loader and gunner) from the harsh environment.
; Basilisk Magnus : A variant of the Basilisk fielded by [[Vance Motherfucking Stubbs]]. It's like a regular Basilisk, except it can strike targets anywhere within the Imperial Dussala Precinct base, fires an absurdly powerful Earthshaker shell, and has styrofoam for armor. However along with the 100 [[Baneblade]]s, Stubbs lost the targeting matrix for the thing and so it requires a spotter every time it shoots. Its size compared to the turret and crew suggest it would also be as well proportioned for mounting on a Macharius tank chassis as a normal Earthshaker is on a chimera chassis. Dis gon b gud.
; Legion Basilisk : Before the [[Codex Astartes]] reforms, the [[Space Marine Legions]] operated some artillery of their own, including the Basilisk. The gun shield and crew compartment looks beefier, and the engine exhausts run out the sides of the tank.
; Vanaheim Pattern : It's the same as the original Basilisk, with a less goofy-looking gun shield which offers additional protection for the gun crew from both the front and sides. Although its overall protection is not to the extent as that of the Armageddon Pattern or the Legion Basilisks.

<gallery>
File:OG_Basilisk.jpg|Standard Pattern Basilisk.
File:armageddon-basilisk.jpg|Armageddon Pattern Basilisk.
File:Legion_basilisk.jpg|Legion Basilisk of [[Iron Warriors]].
File:Vanaheim_Basilisk.jpg|A Imperial Guard Vanaheim Pattern Basilisk.
</gallery>

== Tabletop ==

The Basilisk's Earthshaker has the longest finite range of any Imperial Guard weapon (exceeded only by the infinite-range [[hunter-killer missile]] and [[Deathstrike missile]], and the I.A. 300 inch range [[Manticore Launcher Tank|Manticore Missile]], but apparently no-one ever includes those), able to drop an S9 AP3 large blast anywhere within 20 feet (which is pitifully small when scaled up to real-world dimensions...but so are all 40K weapon ranges). A single IG army can have up to nine of these monsters (three per Heavy Support slot, times three Heavy Support choices) for just over 1000 points, which will rapidly turn the entire field into a moonscape. It only gets worse in [[Apocalypse]] games, when the force organization chart limitations are lifted and units start getting vaporized from across the room.

In recent history, the Basilisk has been something of an awkward middle child between the powerful Manticore and the Infantry shredding Wyvern. The Manticore launcher will provide more destruction lb for lb if you just want to plonk 1 ordinance on the field, whilst mortars are far cheaper than the Earthshaker. In 8th, the Basilisk truly shines as it is meant to be played: in groups. An economy of scale with 3 of these boys will cost just over 300 points, but every turn you will destroy at the very worse a Leman Russ, and at the very best a Baneblade. The Basilsk must take a support role, aided with a Master of Ordinance and a cup of hot cocoa, to make your army suited to dealing with whatever your oppoenent may throw at you. MEQs, tanks and even terminators can not afford to scoff at a (2D6 pick highest) S9 AP-3 with D3 damage (just don't expect to wipe out blobs with a single one).

In ''Second Edition'', where it first appeared, the Basilisk featured epic levels of [[RAGE|bullshit]] since it rolled a D3 for damage to vehicles even if it ''didn't'' penetrate armour, and since the template usually hit every location on the vehicle it was statistically likely that anything hit by a Basilisk would be crippled or destroyed even if all AP rolls failed. Thanks to the preliminary barrage rule, it also got to fire a battle cannon round (somehow) before the game had actually started.

Thanks to the new "Emperors Wrath Artillery Company" out of the Mont'ka book, Basilisks can now accept Smite at Will (Split Fire), Suppressing Fire (Pinning), and Fire on My Target ([[Rape|IGNORES COVER]]) orders. All of these are hilarious under the right circumstances, but another special rule opens the door for truly unprecedented levels of [[Rape]]. Any unit with a vox can designate an enemy unit within 18" that has LOS. All attacks from artillery units within the formation are twin linked against that target. Deep striking Scion artillery spotters anyone?

==[[Dawn of War]]==
These babies were in dawn of war 1 and BY THE EMPEROR they are awesome. They are one of the "must get units" for the imperial guard faction because they makes up guardsman's shitty early game when they don't have more models and plasma gun upgrade and they are one of the reasons people plays imperial guards (the others being BANEEEEEBLADE and commissar). They are best at blow up infantry blob and scatter them like frigging marbles for the guardsmens to finish them up. Most importantly, their earth shaker round deals a fuck load of damage to ANYTHING.

==Notable Basilisks==
; Fluffy : The personal attack vehicle/pet of [[Commissar Dan]]. Being the retard that he is, he uses the thing as a front line assault tank instead of a full-time artillery piece.

== Why A Basilisk is The Best Place To Be In The Whole Goddamn Imperium ==

* You're ten miles from the front lines and whatever [[Grimdark|fanged horrors]] or [[World Eaters|berserk]] supersoldiers are invading the [[Imperium]] this week.
* You get to fire a MASSIVE fucking gun and blow shit up. It's one of the best artillery weapons in the galaxy, able to mow down whole swathes of armies in minutes. Thus, the [[Tyranid]]s numerical superiority is irrelevant.
* If your regiment is commanded by [[Creed]], you're one of a select few that knows how it is possible to deploy a dozen pieces of mobile artillery inside an impenetrable [[Ork]] stronghold.
* All the [[Commissar|commissars]] (save [[Ciaphas Cain|one]]) are also at the front lines, seeing as that is where the business of executing cowards is most want{{BLAM|'''*BLAM*''' A Commissar's duty is upholding morale, not wanton execution!}}
* You can probably even get away with complaining about the [[High Lords of Terra]] and their general not giving a shit, seeing as there are no senior officers, no [[Inquisitor]]s (since you're probably in a depopulated area far away from Inquisitorial interest), and no fucking [[Commissar|commiss]]{{BLAM}}
* You're not at risk of being blown up when your commander tells the artillery to shoot right in front of his own troops. Though you will probably hear their screams over your vox-unit, and any complaints about your orders will get you {{BLAM}}'med.
* Canon says you're going to go deaf, but whatever right? Hearing problems are the least [[grimdark]] thing in the entire setting. Or just stuff your ears with wads from your [[Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer|Uplifting Primer-]]{{BLAM}}
* Not just anybody can drive one of these, therefore you are not as expendable as other Guardsmen, and Commissars are less likely to shoot you if you start fleeing (which is frankly what you '''SHOULD''' do if the enemy comes close to your art{{BLAM}}

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Manticore Launcher Tank

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