And that lack of vehicle upgrades is the penalty you pay for  the ability to choose deployment options. In practice it tends to severely limit the number of formations that can do this, and often means paying for a Landing craft to retain flexibility (at extra cost again).

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Sir Hemry Newbolt

The only vehicle upgrades I've seriously considered are Razors and Hunters.
It's true that if I want the deployment flexibility I can't take these, but it's not as severe as it sounds.

Take my Tactical with Supreme Commander I can-

-Deploy as Garrison in overwatch.
-Put it in a Thunderhawk.
-Attach Rhino's to it.
-Drop Pod from the Strike Cruiser.

I'm not sure how it severely limits the formations that can do this, beyond the obvious fact they need the 'Plus Transport' ability- all it does is limit your Hunter/Razor amounts.
No Landing Craft is required either, not sure where that came from, a Thunderhawk will suffice.

Well, Epic uk tourny wise if I take an army with a thunderhawk, landing craft, strike crusider and tactical formation with 5 razorbacks and 1 rhino, a hunter, 2 dreadnaughts and a SC (and is the BTS) I can:

Deploy as normal
Be carried with vehicles in the landing craft - but I have to  not deploy the rhino (or a hunter or a razorback etc)
Garrison - by not deploying a rhino and razorbacks (I can deploy one hunter if I wish or not bother)
Load into a thunderhawk - by not deploying any vehicles and one dreadnaught
Drop pod - by not deploying any vehicles

Note any vehicles not deployed cannot be used for this game, the formation would still be the BTS though as its point value stays the same and half strength and what it needs to break is determined by whats deployed, not what paid for.

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Not a fan of dropping stuff I've paid pts for, I'm too tight-fisted.

Don't get me wrong, I have a Landing Craft (Thunderhawk Transporter model) and it can be a powerful asset- as shown in this 4k game.

I was just countering the argument that this Drop Pod/Rhino/Hawk/Foot versatility is severely limited and requires a landing craft.

My 3k list lacks a Landing Craft but has 4 formations (2 Tactical, 2 Dev) that can do all 4 things (though not all at the same time)- if you can squeeze in a Landing Craft, more power to you.

Chris the Epic-UK rule is:

Superior tactics – The Space Marine army is a highly flexible and tactical
army; it concentrates on tactical deployment rather than superior numbers.
Before each game the Space Marine player can choose whether formations, that
have the ‘plus transport’ aspect, deploy in Rhinos, Drop Pods or on foot. If the
formation has any units unable to deploy in Drop Pods then that option cannot be
selected.

Yup, adding Razorbacks, Hunters or other AV prohibits the tactical formation from using Pods.  Basically the options are as follows:-

1) Add a single Dreadnought Which still allows the greatest deployment flexibility, dropping the dreadnought or vehicles as appropriate to March on; Garrison; Drop pod; use a Thunderhawk or Landing Craft.

2) Add Hunter, Vindicator and up to two Razorbacks and still use the Landingcraft or march on. This effectively prevents the use of Pods, Thawk or garrisoning because of the cost of discarded vehicles.

3) Add two Dreadnoughts and still be able to Garrison, Drop Pod or Landing Craft (with vehicles). This effectively prevents marching on and might discourage the use of a THawk because of the cost of discards

4) Adding both Dreadnoughts and vehicles really limits you to using the Landing Craft for an assault in which you intend to sacrifice the Dreadnoughts for subsequent mobility - but it is a really beefy assault.

For added zap, buy only one Dreadnought and fill the remaining 4x spaces in the  landingcraft with an assault formation (Note assuming the SC and Chaplain as well, at 1150 this is a real nail-biter if deployed against moderate AA).

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"Play up and play the game"

Vitai lampada
Sir Hemry Newbolt

You sure?
Landing craft assault load above (no SC) (Tacs, Razor, hunter, Dreadnaught, Assault, Chaplain) 1025
4x3+FF
4x3+CC
1x3+MWCC
1x4+CC
1x4+MWCC
6x4+FF/CC
1x5+FF
4x6+FF/CC
9 5/6 hits
1 1/6 MW hit
+1 inspiring

Landing craft stuffed full of assault marines and chaplains 1025
4x3+FF
12x3+CC
3x3+MWCC
10 2/3 hits
2 MW hits
+3 inspiring
Though of course you don't have a fully deployed tactical formation running around afterwards. You can install 6 vindicators though for 300

I would think the vanila Tac loadout was a good one, 950 before characters
4x3+FF
12x4+FF/CC
6x6+FF/CC
9 2/3 hits
Lots of mobility afterwards.

Oh BA LC
Terminators, 2 dreds, Chaplain, 6 Vindicators 350+350+100+350 1150 (could take another chaplain or a librarian).
4x3+FF
4x3+CC
5x3+MWCC
2x4+CC
4x4+MWCC
6x4+FF/CC
6 1/3 hits
5 1/3 MW hit
+1 inspiring

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If using E-Bay use this link to support Tac Com!
'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913
"Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography."
General Plumer, 191x

You missed the cost of the Chaplain off,so makes it 1200 points.
Hope these LC's don't run into nightwings on CAP and get criticalled.

Agreed, I used to have a similar all egg's in one basket with my BTS and some Dev's carried by a Landing Craft.

Uber-Oblits caused a critical as it flew in turn 1...

That was not a good day, 1/3rd of my army and my BTS shot down by one Fearless, Invulnerable, Reinforced, swiss-army knife unit.

Yup, Obliterators are the ultimate Mary-Sue.  

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One of my pet hates for similar reasons,   and the fact that in their current guise (Inf), they are virtually impossible to surpress. They make the Landing Craft assault a little risky in the UK tournaments (where BL are nearly always present), because this means there is a 75% chance of a hit and 1/6 chance of it going critical - - - or nearly a dead cert where my dice are concerned   .

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"Play up and play the game"

Vitai lampada
Sir Hemry Newbolt

On a random tangent loosely connected to pet hates- I think the Warhounds Critical is quite pathetic compared to the lethal effect on comparable War Engines (Thunderhawks, Shadowswords, etc).
It's a bit of a joke- "Oh, you got real lucky and hit him in a vulnerable spot....he wobbles a little."

I agree the Warhound should have the standard Battle Titan critical hit table.

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I'd like to see all Warhound class Titans (ferals etc.)crits changed to include,also takes an extra hit (save allowed) as well as staggers.

Thats why you really need the strike cruiser in case you run into such flakful armies

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If using E-Bay use this link to support Tac Com!
'Abolish red trousers?! Never! Red trousers are France!' – Eugene Etienne, War Minister, 1913
"Gentlemen, we may not make history tomorrow, but we shall certainly change the geography."
General Plumer, 191x