Having recently watched "Fury" with some friends, we immediately set about badgering our GM to run a Tanker Game. he's up for it, and we start here in a few days. However, what does each specialization offer to a tanker crew?

Heavies make great gunners for a tank. Medics are essential in any Only War game. Sergeants are disappointing in Tanks. Weapon Specialists are alright but best acting as infantry screen.

Commissars are surprisingly great. Build them up as a fear canceller type and your tank crew end up immune to Fear.

Operators and Techpriests should have fairly obvious value.

Psykers can sometime outdo the tank. Stormtroopers are fantastic all-purpose combat and infiltration characters.

Ogryns and Ratlings you will struggle with a touch though the latter is easier.

Ever want a scene of awesome? have a priest with Thunderous Castigation stand on the tank. Suddenly the Tank has Fear (2).

thanks, that helps a lot. How here's another question: What's the viability of Tanker Characters outside of the tank? I ask this because I know my GM, and I know he's going to throw us in situations where staying in the tank is suicide.

Depends how they're equipped essentially. With the exception of the Operate skill, anything you can use inside of a vehicle you can use outside of a vehicle.

The problem most tanker regiments suffer from is a debilitating lack of armour.

Not great, armour is severely lacking and potentially lack of weapons. However if they can run as fast as others, think light on their feet and be sure to utilize all available resources and cover, they should be essentially viable. I mean in WW2 tankers made it through to Dunkirk for absolutely miles, sometimes under pursuit or having to sneak away. A tanker who escaped an SS 'death barn' springs to mind.

Pick your weapons WISELY.

My players put the biggest, nastiest guns they could on their tank for anti-armor, requisitioned additional ablative armor, then loaded it down again with a bulldozer. The thing moved at a crawl and it was easy as all get out for some Ork Nobz to swarm up the tank's sides and rear, force open the hatch and drop a dozen Stikk-bombs inside.

Worked out in the end, though. I was able to repurpose their old tank into a boss fight when they had to duel it in its Looted form with their new players.

thanks, that helps a lot. How here's another question: What's the viability of Tanker Characters outside of the tank? I ask this because I know my GM, and I know he's going to throw us in situations where staying in the tank is suicide.

Tanker characters outside the tank are as good as any other IG squad. It's mainly about cohesion and synergy. Find each others' strengths, get details about the terrain from the GM, and go from there.

Standard combat looks like this (minus enemy actions):

Sergeant: Get them Order! / Command buffs heavy gunner.

Heavy: Full auto at the biggest baddie.

Operator: Can I go in the tank again? Please? I feel exposed! Fine, Overwatch on our flank.

Psyker: Smite at- (rolls doubles). Oh... (Rolls 99 on Psy Phenom)

Sergeant: (Unholsters his pistol) Do we have a problem, Psyker?

Psyker: Ummm...

You know. The usual IG squad.

I had some questions about how a tank-crew campaign would work in Only War , with its focus on infantry squads. Check out that discussion here:

http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/106349-actual-tank-based-campaigns/

So our GM was stupid and got himself bedridden sick, and I'm taking over until he gets back. I was looking over the notes he put down for our tanker campaign, and one of the things he came up with was the idea of an Operator running the tank, and the rest of the characters doing infantry work that helps the tanker. I like this, but i'm having some issues coming up with how to make this work in a way that makes it fun for everyone. some of the things I found in his notes (and a few I came up with myself) are:

Playing an artillery Regiment, taking Mechanised infantry and using a Basilisk instead of a Chimera. Operator and the Heavy run the Basilisk, while the rest of the Squad's Job is to make sure that no one else gets at the Basilisk while its pounding the enemy.

Playing a specialized tanker corps, where the Tank is supported by snipers taking out Anti Armor Infantry, and Shock troops following the tank to do mop up operations. play an armored regiment, but spend bonus points on better gear for non tank based characters.

Playing a Siege Tanker Corps. Tank is used as a mobile shield to help advance the front line. Take Siege Regiment, and then get the Vanguard option. take a Standard Leman Russ instead of the specialized chimera

thoughts?

As adeptus-b noted: I've posted some extensive house rules for running a tanker regiment in other threads. Feel free to look it up! It is located here: http://community.fantasyflightgames.com/index.php?/topic/106709-vehicles-and-comrades/#entry1101559 Post #12.