Today we’re going to take a creepy crawlie look down into one of the lesser used Legion choices for Horus Heresy; the Tarantula Sentry Battery!
The Tarantula Sentry Battery is an interesting option for the Legions that could catch your opponent of guard if utilised well I feel.
Unit Stats
Rapier: WS BS S T W I A LD Sv
Special Rules
There are a couple of special rules that are crucial to understand so that you can get the best out of these buggers.
Firing Mode: You have to select the firing mode of the sentry turrets at the start of the game, this cannot be changed during the game. Your two options are:
Point Defence Mode: Fires in a fixed 90 degree arc with a range of 36″
Sentry Mode: Fires in a 360 degree arc but only 18″
Automated Artillery: This rules relates to the targeted enemy units by the sentry. The weapon load out of the tarantula turrets will define what their preferred targets are. This is summarised below:
Flamers/Heavy Bolters/Rotor Cannon: Will target the nearest non-vehicle unit
Lascannon/Multi-melta: Will target the nearest vehicle or monstrous creature
Two things that are explicitly stated are that in the case of the lascannon and multi-melta, it will still target an immobilised vehicle if it is the closest to the turret in its arc of fire. It also states that if you have mixed turret load outs; e.g. heavy bolter and lascannon, then they will target their respective preferred targets. Effectively granting split fire.
If preferred targets are not in range then you will just shoot the closest enemy unit.
Equipment
The standard load out of the tarantula:
Twin-Linked Heavy Bolter – 36″ S5, AP4, Heavy 3, Twin-linked
As you might already have guessed, you get quite the choice of options for the Tarantula…
Options
The Tarantula sentry battery comes with several possible options for the weapons system and all have their place:
Twin-linked Heavy Flamer – Template, S5, AP4, Heavy 1, Twin-linked
Two Twin-linked Rotor Cannons – 30″ S3, AP6, Salvo 3/4, Twin-linked
Multi-melta and search light – 36″ S8, AP1, Heavy 1, Melta
Twin-linked Lascannon – 48″ S9, AP2, Heavy 1, Twin-linked
The above options you can mix and match in the unit. But you also have the option to switch out the entire units armaments for Hyperios Air Defence Missile Launchers:
Hyperios Air Defence Missile Launchers – 48″, S8, AP3, Heavy 1, Skyfire, Interceptor, Heat Seeker
Heat Seeker: Allows re-roll to hit and to pen
Additionally you can switch one of the Missile Launchers for a Hyperios Command Platform that grants the unit Split-fire. This is automatically engaged with no need for a Ld test.
Finally you also have the option of giving each unit of guns a single upgrade:
Forward Deployment: The unit has the scout special rule.
Concealment: The unit has the shrouded special rule until it first fires, then it loses it.
Utilisation
How you equip the tarantula sentry battery will depend very much on what you are lacking in your army and also what your local meta is like. If you are lacking ranged anti-tank and face lots of vehicles then obviously lascannons are a good way to go.
The important thing to employ here is the firing mode mechanism and where you deploy your turrets. I think granting them scout is an excellent investment as it forces your opponent to second guess where the eventual position of the turrets will be.
Used correctly in conjunction with the available table terrain, you can use the turrets to funnel your opponents forces away from these lines of fire and this should condense the army into smaller firing lanes, or it will allow you to engage them in close combat with you getting the charge off as you have dictated the area of engagement.
Obviously you cannot rely on your opponent following this rationale so always have a back up plans should they either take your turrets out or just choose to weather the firing line.
