[Archive] Steam Carriages - As bad as they look?

Archive [Archive] Tactics, Strategy & Battle Reports
1

Kronus:

My first thoughts about steam carriages weren’t great ones. Like many people I see practically no merit in moving artillery pieces about once the battle has begun. However I note that a steam carriage has some other notable bonuses that weren’t readily apparent. High elevation to ensure clean line of sight, count as being in hard cover and being behind a obstacle in assault.

I am now seeing new benefits in it but what I want to know is it worth the 25 point investment?

2

theforgefather:

I think that they look cool, even if they would be more suited to being on a railway track. I have no idea whether it might be worth it, because I havent got the tamurkhan throne of chaos book

3

BeeZharr:

Do you not think the extra protection it confers is worth the points? I think mounting a war machine on the steam carriage makes it more difficult to shift, your opponent won’t be able to easily pick them off.

4

Time of Madness:

Lets put it this way. If the steam carriage ability came free with all the war machines I still wouldn’t use it.

The idea behind war machines is to shoot as much as possible. If you spend a turn or two on the carriage that is less turns shooting.

It might have made sense if the war machines range was reduced. For example if the magma cannon only had a 12 inch range then it might be worth using the carriage. But as it currently stands all the war machines have decent range and I can’t find any good uses for the carriage ability.

Time of Madness

5

Kronus:

Lets put it this way. If the steam carriage ability came free with all the war machines I still wouldn't use it.

The idea behind war machines is to shoot as much as possible. If you spend a turn or two on the carriage that is less turns shooting.

It might have made sense if the war machines range was reduced. For example if the magma cannon only had a 12 inch range then it might be worth using the carriage. But as it currently stands all the war machines have decent range and I can't find any good uses for the carriage ability.
Time of Madness

Time of Madness
Thanks for the response but I can not help but think I got a different answer to the question I asked. I fully appreciate the 99.9% of the time you dont want your artillery moving in game with 00.1% being the unusual situation where your train (assume you took one) is in a position to pull it out of combat.

Ignoring the ability to be pulled I want to know if hard cover and being considered behind an obstacle merits an additional 25 points in itself. I suspect it does not but my curiosity nags at me.