I don't think that the focused shot should have increased range - Cobras are supposed to be stalking war engines and ripping them apart from close range, not sniping from afar. The proposed longer ranges (especially 3 and 4) cause a much bigger issue for Overwatch pop-ups than we have at the moment. D-cannon weapons are extremely powerful but short ranged - this has been a consistent design element across Wraithguard guns, Support platforms and the Cobra main gun.

I like that the current testing stats offer different advantages against different types of war engines:

Small (low DC) engines are less likely to have shields, so the "ignores shields/powerfields" rule has no effect.

Large (high DC) engines have many more damage points, and will need multiple Cobra shots to take them out.

Like Glyn, I don't see any reason why it should be better at killing large WE compared to smaller ones - if you need to take down large Titans, field multiple Cobras.

Are those 1-4 options still with the ignore shields Greg? I'm unclear. If you're dropping ignore cover from it then 30cm 2BP MW OR 30cm TK3+ (D3+1) Ignore Shields would be fine - titans will often be in area terrain anyway. I'm not keen on any of them though - I'd prefer keeping ignore cover and dropping it to TK4+. The warp rift seems like a powerful effect that terrain wouldn't help much from.

I don't think 30cm range is a problem or something that should be changed. It makes it's use risky, sure, but it nicely balances out the power of the weapon. It can move 25cm and activate late in turn for added safety.

Sorry, I must have missed that. Waiting until january is no problem and I'm with you on getting the Biel Tan stable before moving on to the "smaller" craftworlds.

PFE100
Please could you restate your stats, as they are a little unclear especially on the TK element.
I think you mean something like the following, but am not entirely sure if I have got what you meant

Cobra D-Cannon . . . . . . . 30cm 2BP, FxF, MW
OR
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .45cm MW4+ TK1+(D3) FxF, Ignore Cover and Ignore Shields

This is quite a step away from the barrage mechanic. One big departure from normal E:A principles is the split ranges 30cm and 45cm depending on type of shooting, is there any particular reason for this?
(In practice the stats will heavily favour using the TK shot over the barrage template in all but extreme situations)

Also don't bother with 60cm, that is way OTT as Morsala says.

These options will definitely need testing, probably to a greater extent than other changes because of the potentially significant effect on the game. With stats like this at 45cm range, the Cobra has a chance of doubling and shooting at targets in the enemy deployment zone, killing any WE or titan up to 4DC; BUT it becomes much more lethal if it is able to sustain. A pair of these will also make superlative Blitz guards, especially if guarding the Blitz in a corner on OW - possibly too good??

Personally, I had hoped that we might first test the original stats at 45cm, and only if these proved inadequate then consider other options like splitting the weapon stats as above . . . .

Fair enough, though personally I prefer having a single range with the dual modes as that is less confusing as well as being more internally consistent. Even where both modes are 45cm, I still think the TK mode will prevail especially where it is a 3+ shot rather than a 5+ shot.

And thanks for clearing up one of the intended stats, please could you restate the other 45cm option.

By TK (+2) I presume you mean that a hit causes 3 TK damage. Personally I much prefer the slightly more random version of TK 1+ (D3)
This does not make hitting a Warhound an auto-kill while also potentially causing up to 4 TK hits on something larger.

I also prefer the random damage - TK(2) has no chance of killing a scout titan; TK(3) auto-kills them. I'd much rather stick with D3+1 as it gives them risk of failure combined with potential rewards if they go after harder targets.

I've been doing a bit of testing with the new Cobra stats (options 1 and 2) - not full games, just duels between different formations at this stage. So far, I'm not a fan of the 45cm range on the focused shot, particularly when combined with the 3+ to hit: it's just too easy to take down lighter War Engines. As Ginger points out, the extra 15cm makes a big difference when doubling to reach across the table, and it also lets them put devastating Overwatch shots into units that need to approach within 45cm - particularly Warhounds.

In many respects, Warhounds are the perfect prey for Cobras: they are unlikely to kill a Cobra in one or two rounds of shooting (~1.2 damage when firing the Plasma Blastgun and Vulcan Mega-bolter, then ~0.6 damage with the Mega-bolter in the next turn). In return, the Cobra stands a good (2/3) chance of destroying the Warhound with a single hit, averaging more than one hit across those two turns. Warhounds are a bit quicker, but Cobras can more easily take advantage of cover to block LOS.

Of course, Warhounds do a lot of things that a Cobra can't - but they're a commonly fielded target that Eldar players will often face.

My gut feeling is that the Cobra D-Cannon focused shot either needs shorter range, less accuracy or lower damage (possibly two of the three). Of those options I'd much rather see the gun keep its teeth at the cost of shorter range, keeping the same 30cm range as the dispersed shot.

30cm, MW4+, TK(D3+1), ignoring shields (and potentially adding IC) still allows them to be a major threat, but they aren't as much of a sure thing - particularly if they double to get the first shot off, or to use Hit & Run. They still have a good chance of taking out a Warhound or equivalent with two turns of shooting - but if they double in either turn, there's a good chance they'll fail to kill their target and get taken out in the following turn.

does ignore shields apply equally to all types of shields? holo/shadow/void/power/deflector?

_________________
NetEA Space Marine, Imperial Fists and Blood Angels Army Champion

NetEA Red Corsairs Army Champion

My hobby/painting threads

Army Forge List Co-ordinator

That is a good Question in the light of the newer variants

I think we went too far with the Cobra. It's not such a big thing -It's just a SHT, not a titan, etc. Every other race has something similar -it has it's own unique flavor with the 30cm range, I lived with it perfectly, and used it in pairs a few times. Sometimes they worked, sometimes not.. Some extra punch feels right, but not with the more lethal 45cm range upgrade. The Cobra needs a different style f play, it's a fire magnet, with decent close range firepower. Even a 30cm 2BP, FxF,TK(1) IC/Shield might work well. Kill everything in range, that's how a D-cannon should work.

The best is to keep it as a close range weapon of mass destruction, as it is since it's appearance in 40k