Thats about the most awkward and situation variable question I can think of matt
and does a new gamer really want to experience the horror of mathhammer? (and imprecise mathhamer at that)
i'll start and someone else can refine it.
Inches since thats how
GW works,I'm going to irgnore cover when its inconvieniant because its too hard in so many factors, so for now we'll pretend that they are *behind* cover not *in* cover.. the whirlwind shoots over the cover piece, the typhoons move around it to shoot.
5" diameter,=(simple version) pie r, squared= 19.625 inches square (upto 48"inches away)
3" diameter,=(simple version) pie r, squared= 7.065inchs square
typhoon x2= 14.065 +(3/6x4) 2 shots (up to 48"s away)
thunderfirex4=28.26 inches squared. (up to 60"s away)
But more than that, I might be able to work out some silly maths about general hits based on perfect formations out in the open..but this is actually easier just from knowledge big template will get 3 (placed on central model, conga line 2" inch in each direction (*just*) catches his neighbours) small template will get 1 (max coherency is wider than the radius of the template.
But no one (bar tim) works on perfect coherency, you can bottleneck yourself getting through impassable terrain (or staying an inch away from blockers) or tank shocks, you can find yourself cowering in a small piece of cover.etc.. there the multiple small blasts work out much better because you can place it over the greatest cluster multiple times, where as the big blast will get the core models once +the peripheral ones (which didn't need to cover hug due to majority rules and are much more spread out=less of them).
(smudged all together is tricky too maths says they are each infantry base is 0.785"s squared, but I'm sure I got a chunk of that wrong, also being circular there are always gaps ..in reality a small base can get 10 models (if on the shoulder of the central model), and I can't be bothered to get out my case to work out what the big one can get).
Deadliness on the to wound..
well
14.065 typhoon is str 4 ap6..(most rubbish)+2str5 ap4 shots hit the target. (Most units will use their normal save)
19.625 whirlwind is str 5 ap 4 (pretty hard core against 4+ (and worse) saves hiding behind a tank in this scenario they get no save).
28.26
TFC is str6 ap5 (because the ignores cover is almost always worse being only ap6 it never comes out).In this scenario everyone is going to take their regular save pretty much (since the 5+ lot will just take the 4+ cover save they would have had anyway.. but 30 ish str6 wounds is a lot of saves to make)
But the units have so much un mathable stuff (costing of reinforcing a ruin and having a 3+ cover save always for the
TFC, the manuerability of the typhoons and role as blocker.. one glance using the idiot artillery rules making the
TFC useless, putting 2 typhoons together and stacking squadron wounds into the wounded guy, going up against bloodangels and being able to hit them at str 4 and make them difficult terrain/bikes unable to turbo boost potentitally (long shot) wreck a landraider...
I declare this to be
the least mathable question..(after why did the chicken cross the road?) so as I said..