Iron Hands are looking to be a real bruiser army with nigh unkillable machines next to the right characters. Check out four great units to use with them.
Iron Hands vehicles next to the right characters and Stratagems make them almost unkillable machines of destruction. Check out some of the biggest combos we’ve seen so far off of the previews!
The Backbone Unit: Iron Hands Leviathans
Iron Hands Leviathans are a T8 14 W 2+/4++/6+++ monstrosity that can overwatch on a 5+. Slapping some storm cannons on these boys and rolling three deep might not be too far-fetched of an idea.
Looking at the new Doctrines for Marines, Iron Hands favor the Devastator Doctrine the most with this rule. Calculated Fury lets anyone rolling with a Heavy Weapon while the Devastator Doctrine is active ignore any penalty for moving and firing AND reroll 1’s.
That means Devastators and Hellblasters just became A LOT more mobile. But the real shining star here is the storm cannon Leviathan. On top of counting its wound profile as double for degrading AND a 6+++ FNP, they now ignore heavy. That means that those 24″ storm cannons just got a +8″ threat range at no penalty. The cherry on top is that they can also re-roll hits of 1 by themselves.
Remember, the Devastator Doctrine also gives Heavy Weapons an additional -1 AP bringing your storm cannons up to -3 2 flat damage. These will more than likely be the slow juggernaut of the army and they’re expensive floating around 300 pts a pop. So what’s a good option for spammable firepower?
Firepower Spam: Iron Hands Razorbacks
The trick for Razorbacks is to kit them with assault cannons. While there’s no real bad option, you’re probably getting the most versatility of assault cannons over las cannons or heavy bolters. With that said, those Razorbacks are a Dedicated Transport which means you can bring as many as you want. The assault cannons on the razorback pump out 12 shots at S6 -1AP 1 damage.
However, thanks to Calculated Fury, You can move your full distance with these guys, dump 12 shots at your normal ballistic skill, AND reroll 1’s. Don’t forget that those assault cannons also get a bonus AP (now at -2AP). But it gets even better.
Malkaan Feirros: The Iron Father
Without getting into Feirros’ combat abilities, his rules make him look like he was made to stand next to Razorbacks all game. He puts out a 5++ invulnerable save aura as well as some other neat tricks.
He can also select an Iron Hands unit to have their BS moved to a 2+. That means that your razorback can get its full move and dump 12 S6 AP-2, 1 damage shots on a 2+ and reroll misses. And if one manages to walk away still running after getting shot up, Feirros can auto-heal it back 3 flat wounds instead of D3.
The same can be said for the more mobile Stormtalon gunship. Carrying two assault cannons on its nose, you can still only take three of these in a game. However, you’re also able to put these guys just about anywhere you want to on the map. You might not get the protection from Feirros but you’ll ignore heavy and reroll 1s by yourself.
All in all, Iron Hands are going to be rolling out the heavy weapons in a way that we’ve never seen before. What do you think the best unit for the army will be? Do you like the idea of a Razorback gunline? Or do you prefer triple storm cannon Leviathans? Let us know in the comments of our Facebook Hobby Group, and sign up to get your free hobby updates newsletter (with discount coupon codes) each morning as well!
About the Author: Wesley Floyd
Wesley Floyd
Job Title: Staff Writer
Joined: 2018
Socials: @RealmbrushPainting
About Wesley Floyd: Wes has been in the Warhammer hobby since 2015 and joined the Spikey Bits writing team in 2018. He is known for his satirist takes on trending topics and imaginative yet amazingly affordable hobby solutions to painting Warhammer miniatures.
Imperial fanboy, tabletop fanatic, and the self-proclaimed King of Sprues. He knows for a fact that Mephiston red is the best-tasting paint and is the commission painting equivalent of a Wendy’s 4 for $4. If you like what he writes and want to contact him or have your tabletop minatures painted (to a mostly okayish standard), message him on Instagram.
