The thing that makes it great in my opinion is the lucifer pattern engine exclusively employed by the honorable Blood Angels. This makes the tank more expensive for the space vampires than basically for any other chapter but it also makes it fast. Its speed makes more then up for the short range of its gun. You can have this guy move 12'' and still shoot 24'' that is a 36'' threat range not counting your deployment zone. The vindicator has a front armor of 13 which makes it pretty durable and with the bad ass looking siege shield it doesn't even have to worry about dangerous terrain. Take a storm bolter just to have a chance of not losing your demolisher cannon on a weapon destroyed result. Even if the cannon gets destroyed tank shock the crap out of enemy troops, until the tank is wrecked or blown up you can get some use out of it.
Sure Predators and Stormravens are other very good choices to take as heavy support but especially in friendly non competitive games (which is the most fun to have in 40k in my opinion) you should never dismiss this fast gun platform.
J.D.
