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I've been in a long debate with myself and other SM players on which Heavy Weapon is the best all around choice for a Tactical Marine Squad. I wanna settle this once and for all so please take your pick.

Whichever one is free. Each have their place and no weapon is better per se. They just have different strengths.

I would suggest moving this to tactics.

I think it would be the rocket launcher (or lascannon) because bolters can't kill heavy tanks

ML. BUT!!! If you have 10 points at the end of your list, then the lascannon is better. Therefore I voted lascannon, but its only better if there are points to spare. If you can use the 10 points to do something more efficient, then go for it. Lascannons are pretty low cost for tacticals though.

Missile Launchers are more flexible, because if you are making an all comer list, they could take on hordes

I like heavy bolters against orks, but when fighting tough things, nothing beats ye old missle launcher or the one, the only, Monolith wrecking, Lascannon. Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta on a marine. Ever.

JSK-Fox wrote:I like heavy bolters against orks, but when fighting tough things, nothing beats ye old missle launcher or the one, the only, Monolith wrecking, Lascannon. Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta on a marine. Ever.

Agreed!

I'm glad you allowed multiple selections because there are really two answers IMO. If in a drop pod I actually like the Multi-melta because it's free and you only miss out on one bolter shot since he has a pistol too. And chances are you will be within 24" of something valuable you want to melt if you live through to next turn.
In a support role the Lascannon gets my vote because the enemy is unlikely to chew through 4 or 9 marines just to get one heavy weapon

One rocket is not all that great. The lascannon is an automatic glance on raiders. The strength of heavy weapons in tactical squads is each one can target a separate unit. I see heavy bolters and rockets as being the best for Devs since they can saturate a target with their firepower. One shot with a plasma cannon is too variable and the multi-melta is too short ranged.

All of the Tactical heavy weapons, except perhaps the heavy bolter, have their uses, and I can see cases in which I would want to be equipped with each. Even the heavy bolter has its uses, though usually the situations in which it is superior to the others do not arise under normal gameplay conditions. Generally speaking, though, the ML should probably be the default Tac weapon. There's a reason that Tactical Squads come with it in the box, after all.

ML is best but I like using MM and lascannons every once and a while

it really depends on your list and what you need your Tacs to accomplish.


the Tac lascannon is the cheapest Lascannon the Marine codex has.

Plasma Cannon is good if you need a flexable anti-meq/horde option.

the Missile launcher is the bare minimum. don't have a specific need? just slap the Missile in there.


the Heavy bolter is ok anti-infantry, but it isn't the best.



the Multi-melta is


at least its free so isn't utterly worthless. it's just all but worthless.

Missile Launchers and Plasma cannons.

The way I run my Tac squads is with a ML and a Meltagun, add a drop pod and a Librarian with Lamer (S5 AP3.) Great against Space Marines and tanky armies.

Tac HW is one of the cheapest way to field a Lascannon, and no, 1 ML is not good against hordes. 5 MLs are good against hordes, but not 1.

Because Plasma Cannons are also hard to field, this is a good unit to get it with too.

Well the question is, how many Tac squads do you use?
IMO
More than 2- Lascannons

I run three but I go with ML idk
THIS IS GETTING TO DEEP!

Dracos wrote:ML. BUT!!! If you have 10 points at the end of your list, then the lascannon is better. Therefore I voted lascannon, but its only better if there are points to spare. If you can use the 10 points to do something more efficient, then go for it. Lascannons are pretty low cost for tacticals though.

There's no way this guy's assessment could have been more correct.

True true

Missile Launcher in my view. It's flexible (so fits with the main point of Tactical Marines), and it is very effective when you have quite a few. Just having the odd one here and there isn't very useful. You really need atleast double figures of shots from them a turn in my view. But those could be Frag or Krak, so you have the diversity there =D

Oshova

I like the Missile Launcher, but if I have the points I have a few Plasma Cannons painted to throw in.

It's better against infantry than frag missiles, and I have enough melta in my army that I don't particularly miss the Krak Missiles against tanks.

ML all the way. So your ork opponent decided to send his 20 boys around the huge hill on the other side of the map, and your staring 10 nobz in the face? Krak missle. Your waiting for his mawloc to redeploy and the Termigaunts are just sitting in open terrain? Frag. But when that Mawloc shows up, shove a Krak down its throat. Nothing is more versatile than the ML. Although it doesn't horde as well as a plasma, and it doesn't AT as well as a Lascannon, in a pinch it can fill both those rolls in a single game. AND ITS FREE!

*these are extreme exaggerations of course, but they illustrate the point that a ML can do two things in one game, while no other weapon can.

ML. For the simple reason that you can switch between anti-tank and anti-infantry shots every turn. Tactically superb

It depends on the rest of your army, and the role they are going to play. Seriously.

Multimelta? Costs no points and is a great freebie on a forward moving squad. Getting tank shocked? Multimelta guy takes the duty of death or glory. It's also heavily underrated and has great synergy with the plasma gun.

Missle Launcher: Jack of all trades for a jack of all trades unit.

Plasma Cannon: Tactical bolters usually shoot troops, and the plasma cannon is a great anti-infantry gun. Underrated. You don't need many...but the threat of one makes players spread their units out. How many people remember that you can't rally if your squad is out of coherency?

Lascannon: Less good than it used to be, but still a decent weapon.

Heavy bolter: No one takes the heavy bolter...it sucks in this edition.

Grunt_For_Christ wrote:

JSK-Fox wrote:I like heavy bolters against orks, but when fighting tough things, nothing beats ye old missle launcher or the one, the only, Monolith wrecking, Lascannon. Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta on a marine. Ever.

Agreed!

Disagreed, Logan Grimnar sitting in a drop pod with long fangs w/Multi melta can do gak load of damage, and technically they are still marines

The way I see it, if you're taking on hordes, you're gonna be moving into rapid fire range or assault range, so heavy bolter is moot. It sucks anyways. I'm sorry, it really doesnt do its job. On the same note, frag rounds aren't any better IMO, but it does have better range.
Multi-Meltas? Nope. If you can get in usable range for a Multi-Melta, your opponent has done something very stupid.
Lascannon takes the cake by far for me. 10 points is the cheapest lascannon you'll ever get, and a HW is most likely for taking vehicles.
Missile launchers and Plasma Cannons have their uses too. I do like Plasma Cannons alot, but they just have such short range that they really arent practical. Missile Launchers are free and effective for low AV vehicles.

I said Lascannons, cuz Speciallisation is the name of the game in 5th edition.

Wings of Light wrote:

Grunt_For_Christ wrote:

JSK-Fox wrote:I like heavy bolters against orks, but when fighting tough things, nothing beats ye old missle launcher or the one, the only, Monolith wrecking, Lascannon. Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta on a marine. Ever.

Agreed!

Disagreed, Logan Grimnar sitting in a drop pod with long fangs w/Multi melta can do gak load of damage, and technically they are still marines

This poll is for Tactical Squads, not long fangs

Yeah but JSK-Fox said "Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta in a marine. Ever." So in relation to that statement the Long Fangs statement can stand. =]

Oshova

Oshova wrote:Yeah but JSK-Fox said "Never in your entire life should you put a multi-melta in a marine. Ever."

While I would say that you should never put one on a Marine, I think it's a fair point.

The effective range is too short for my liking.

Why is everyone bitching about the multi melta?? Its actually very effective if used correctly. Its definately better than the lascannon,and its free.