Here is another in the continuing series of pimping work for others around the net. A few weeks ago I asked Stillfrosty to write a Tactica about Thunderfire Cannons. He is a recent convert to its greatness and I wanted to know how he got to that point. So he decided to write a three-part tactica about the little gun that no one ever sees. Here is some excerpts and links to his blog that is about all things White Scars…

What has changed my opinion?

As with the most competitive Warhammer 40k players out there, there was a time where I thought that Thunderfire cannons were utter garbage.  I believed what the internet had to say about them, because I never saw anyone use them, and those who did use the unit did it wrong.

In addition to this, I personally over looked the unit as being too fragile, not being able to contribute much to the table, and with the rest of my army, being White Scars, they stood out like a sore thumb due to the lack of mobility.  But recent events have converted me into a believer.  Thunderfire cannons are not a point sink as the majority of stated opinion would have you believe…
Part 1

 

What does the Thunderfire have to offer?

The Thunderfire has a lot of unique features which can be a useful addition to almost any army or strategy.
Bolster defenses.  Bolster defenses is the ability to “fortify” ruins and these ruins would receive +1 to their cover save.  This ability used in tandem with scouts with camo cloaks and now those scouts have a 2+ cover save.  Not too shabby!  If the cannon is in terrain it now benefits from a 3+ cover which will greatly increase its survivability…

Part 2
So how do I use this D*** thing?

This is something I just started playing around with.  Simply because it is not a unit that you just slap into your army and expect it to do well.  There needs to be some thought behind army list construction and applying this unit.  Things to consider are does your army have the capability to open up tanks from long range so this unit can hit the juicy insides and stay out of assault, how important is controlling maneuverability to your army, and do you have units that can benefit from bolster defenses ability…
Part 3