Switch Theme:

Grav vs Melta  [RSS] Share on facebook Share on Twitter Submit to Reddit
»
Author Message
Advert


Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you:
  • No adverts like this in the forums anymore.
  • Times and dates in your local timezone.
  • Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance.
  • Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely.
  • Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net.
If you are already a member then feel free to login now.




Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter






Dimmamar

In a Tac squad, or Bike Squad, where you can get two (one special, one combi- on the sarge), which one is better?
Note: this is not in a command squad, where you can take 5. The benefits of five grav-guns probably outweigh those of five meltas, at least in a TAC list.

Melta
Pros
Can pen vehicles
Wounds everything on a 2+, except Wraithlords/knights, GUOs, and other Iron Arm MCs.
ID on anything T4 or below.
Ignores armour
Cons
Shorter range
Fewer shots

Graviton
Pros
Many more shots
Equal with melta at wounding Termies
Better at wounding Wraithlords/knights, GUOs
Cons
Terrible at wounding most everything else
Cannot pen vehicles
Can never ID anything

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, anything else to add?

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/11/03 21:17:22


LVO 2017 - Best GK Player

The Grimdark Future 8500 1500 6000 2000 5000


"[We have] an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay." 1 Peter 1.4
"With the Emperor there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1.17
“Fear the Emperor; do not associate with those who are given to change.” Proverbs 24.21 
   
Made in us
Monstrous Master Moulder




Cleveland, Ohio, USA

I don't take grav on tac squads. They're salvo.

I'll take them on bikes all day though.

They are my bulwark against the Terror. They are the Defenders of Humanity. They are my Space Marines, and they shall know no fear. 
   
Made in gb
Gangly Grot Rebel



Scotland

They compliment each other on bikes. You want to use both really. The real question is grav vs plasma....

I'm a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus.
 
   
Made in us
Battlefortress Driver with Krusha Wheel






Grav on bikes are great, because anything like kroot or orks that the grav wont handle, your twin linked bolter will. That being said, I still take a meltagun squad, If you face elder with 4+ wave serpents and no melta or any anti tank you will be wrecked.

warhammer 40k mmo. If I can drive an ork trukk into the back of a space marine dread and explode in a fireball of epic, I can die happy!

8k points
3k points
3k points
Admech 2.5k points
 
   
Made in ca
Enigmatic Chaos Sorcerer





British Columbia

 Orock wrote:
Grav on bikes are great, because anything like kroot or orks that the grav wont handle, your twin linked bolter will. That being said, I still take a meltagun squad, If you face elder with 4+ wave serpents and no melta or any anti tank you will be wrecked.

Aren't melta guns some of the worst anti-tank available against serpents? Seems you'd want volume of high str shots to get through the holo-fields and kill it through hull points. Especially as pens almost never stay pens.

I'd think Grav guns would be better as well as even a single immobilized result seriously hinders it's defenses.

 BlaxicanX wrote:
A young business man named Tom Kirby, who was a pupil of mine until he turned greedy, helped the capitalists hunt down and destroy the wargamers. He betrayed and murdered Games Workshop.


 
   
Made in us
Monster-Slaying Daemonhunter






Dimmamar

Yep, I'd agree: against Serpents, massed Grav guns is the way to go, as you'll only need three 6's to kill it, and the Grav has lots more shots.

However, my question is about TAC lists, not about tactics for taking down a particularly nasty build of Eldar.

LVO 2017 - Best GK Player

The Grimdark Future 8500 1500 6000 2000 5000


"[We have] an inheritance which is beyond the reach of change and decay." 1 Peter 1.4
"With the Emperor there is no variation or shadow due to change." James 1.17
“Fear the Emperor; do not associate with those who are given to change.” Proverbs 24.21 
   
Made in us
Never Forget Isstvan!






if your playing salamanders then melta are the way to go, cause vulkan twin links them.........


Any other chapter tactics and i think Grav guns on bikes are better.

In a drop pod list, meltas are probably better.

JOIN MY CRUSADE and gain 4000 RT points!
http://www.eternalcrusade.com/account/sign-up/?ref_code=EC-PLCIKYCABW8PG 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Steelcity

You never want to use salvo weapons on non-relentless models so the choice is pretty easy for tactical squads.

You get 3x the number of shots with a bike all at max range (because the salvo rule was very poorly thought out) so that is a great option. Other units can carry your meltas.

Keeper of the DomBox
Warhammer Armies - Click to see galleries of fully painted armies
32,000, 19,000, Renegades - 10,000 , 7,500,  
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Connecticut

 Elric Greywolf wrote:
Yep, I'd agree: against Serpents, massed Grav guns is the way to go.
Your better bet against Serpents is to go with assault. Melta bombs and krak grenades will kill a serpent a lot faster and cheaper than any melta guns you can stick in a squad.

Hey look! Bikes can move 12" and then assault 6" reliably. That's an 18"-20" threat range around any bike squad for any wave serpent.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/11/04 01:06:18


 
   
Made in us
Been Around the Block




 Elric Greywolf wrote:
Yep, I'd agree: against Serpents, massed Grav guns is the way to go, as you'll only need three 6's to kill it, and the Grav has lots more shots.

However, my question is about TAC lists, not about tactics for taking down a particularly nasty build of Eldar.


You'd actually only need 2x 6's to wreck a wave serpent; if a vehicle suffers 2x immobilized results the second one causes an extra hull point of damage. So 1 + 1 + 1(bonus) = 3
   
Made in no
Boom! Leman Russ Commander






Oslo Norway

And grav allows no coversave to vehicles either, so they are actually fairly efficient against serpents.

   
Made in us
Battlefortress Driver with Krusha Wheel






 Illumini wrote:
And grav allows no coversave to vehicles either, so they are actually fairly efficient against serpents.


I tried telling that to a player, he got all kinds of butthurt. Also he wouldn't allow me rerolls on my grav cannons because "how can it reroll failed pens if it dosent glance or pen".

warhammer 40k mmo. If I can drive an ork trukk into the back of a space marine dread and explode in a fireball of epic, I can die happy!

8k points
3k points
3k points
Admech 2.5k points
 
   
Made in no
Boom! Leman Russ Commander






Oslo Norway

He has a point, tank hunter won`t allow rerolls for grav weapons. However, the grav amp says your reroll to determine the effect against vehicles - it doesn`t mention anything about penetration, so there is nothing to debate there

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/11/04 17:46:15


   
Made in us
Big Mek in Kustom Dragster with Soopa-Gun





Nebraska, USA

Grav amp is purely for dev cents though (to my knowledge anyway, i didnt see anything that could take it besides them) and quite frankly grav cannon dev cents are kinda dumb. They will walk forward for 2-3 turns (depending on terrain) without running before they can shoot something they actually want to shoot, and by then they can be in some serious pain since they lack any invuls.

Not sure if i'd ever use grav guns. Im against list tailoring and in my meta its kinda 50-50 on whether or not youre against a high armor save army or not.

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/11/05 06:32:51


An ork with an idea tends to end with a bang.

14000pts Big 'n Bad Orkz
6000pts Admech/Knights
7500pts Necron Goldboys 
   
Made in us
Dark Angels Librarian with Book of Secrets






Connecticut

 Illumini wrote:
And grav allows no coversave to vehicles either, so they are actually fairly efficient against serpents.
Last I heard that was still in big debate. Have the RAW crew won out on that?

The real question is -- how are tourneys ruling it?
   
Made in no
Boom! Leman Russ Commander






Oslo Norway

Havn`t seen the debate, and I can`t see how it can be a debate, the rules are clear. One opponent didn`t believe the no coversave and the 2 hullpoints on second shot thing in my last tourney, but by going through the relevant rules with the TO and my opponent, I had no problems.

   
Made in at
Slashing Veteran Sword Bretheren






EDIT: Ignore what I say below. This is the product of me not having read the salvo rule properly. I used to think its "stand still = fire max amount of shots; move = fire smaller amount of shots as per profile"


I fail to see why Grav Guns shouldnt be taken on tac squads. Yeah, if they move you get 1 shot less, but are your tac squads moving ALL the time? Are they? Maybe there's that one squad with a heavy weapon sitting there and guarding an objective.

And if that squad has a Las or Plasmacannon, something you used to take to compliment it was a plasmagun, right? 1 shot at 24", 2 shots at 12"

The Grav Gun with its 3 shots at 18" is a compromise and safer too (no overheat) - sure it doesnt have the reach of the plasmagun, but at 12"-18" it is thrice as effective, and at 0"-12" 33% more effective than the plasma gun, so deep strikers beware. Your squad's bolters can finish off those things the grav gun struggles against.

And if you are moving? At 0-12" it is just as good as the plasmagun, and at 12" to 18" twice as effective as the plasmagun. Always ignores armor, just like the plasmagun, but while the plasmagun wounds most things on a 2+ save monstrous creatures (where it begins to struggle, i.e. 3+, 4+, 5+ etc) the grav gun wounds anywhere between 2+ and 6+ depending on what you face. Those things that it wounds on a 5+ or 6+, your bolters can take care of anyway (exception to this are daemons, but their inv. save has been reduced to 5+ now; Ogryns are the other things that come to my mind, but nobody takes them). So while the plasmagun shines against terminators and other infantry, but struggles against MCs, the gravgun shines against terminators and MCs, but struggles against other infantry, but thats what youe boltguns are there for.

This message was edited 3 times. Last update was at 2013/11/05 15:45:41


2000 l 2000 l 2000 l 1500 l 1000 l 1000 l Blood Ravens (using Ravenguard CT) 1500 l 1500 l
Eldar tactica l Black Templars tactica l Tau tactica l Astra Militarum codex summary l 7th ed summary l Tutorial: Hinged Land Raider doors (easy!) l My blog: High Gothic Musings
 Ravenous D wrote:
40K is like a beloved grandparent that is slowly falling into dementia and the rest of the family is in denial about how bad it is.
squidhills wrote:
GW is scared of girls. Why do you think they have so much trouble sculpting attractive female models? Because girls have cooties and the staff at GW don't like looking at them for too long because it makes them feel funny in their naughty place.
 
   
Made in se
Honored Helliarch on Hypex




 Illumini wrote:
Havn`t seen the debate, and I can`t see how it can be a debate, the rules are clear. One opponent didn`t believe the no coversave and the 2 hullpoints on second shot thing in my last tourney, but by going through the relevant rules with the TO and my opponent, I had no problems.


I'll try to give the teal deer argument for allowing the save, without starting an argument. As written in the core rules and your codex, grav guns don't explicitly allow cover saves. However, the Dark Eldar FAQ allows vehicles with invulnerable saves to use those saves against effects immobilizing effects (specifically, dangerous terrain). Therefore, we have precedent for allowing vehicles to make saves against results that neither glance nor penetrate. Obviously, cover saves are not allowed during dangerous terrain tests, but these weapons don't test for dangerous terrain, nor do they have the ignore cover rule. Since we know vehicles can use saves against things that neither glance nor penetrate, the cover save should apply.

Sorry for derailing the thread. And no, I don't think tank hunters would work on grav guns. Since there's no FAQ precedent to rule otherwise, RAW does apply. Naturally, the grav amps have specific language to grant rerolls, anyway.

On topic: I would strongly advise against fielding grav weapons on your tactical squads. Bikes are a fine platform for them already, and the army should have some of each. There's too many targets where actual penetrating results are attractive, particularly necrons. (Open-topped AV13 vehicles giving +1 on the damage chart with quantum shielding? Yes, penetrating hits are useful here.)

This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/11/05 13:16:34


 
   
Made in us
Fixture of Dakka





Steelcity

 Sir Arun wrote:
I fail to see why Grav Guns shouldnt be taken on tac squads. Yeah, if they move you get 1 shot less, but are your tac squads moving ALL the time? Are they? Maybe there's that one squad with a heavy weapon sitting there and guarding an objective.

And if that squad has a Las or Plasmacannon, something you used to take to compliment it was a plasmagun, right? 1 shot at 24", 2 shots at 12"

The Grav Gun with its 3 shots at 18" is a compromise and safer too (no overheat) - sure it doesnt have the reach of the plasmagun, but at 12"-18" it is thrice as effective, and at 0"-12" 33% more effective than the plasma gun, so deep strikers beware. Your squad's bolters can finish off those things the grav gun struggles against.

And if you are moving? At 0-12" it is just as good as the plasmagun, and at 12" to 18" twice as effective as the plasmagun. Always ignores armor, just like the plasmagun, but while the plasmagun wounds most things on a 2+ save monstrous creatures (where it begins to struggle, i.e. 3+, 4+, 5+ etc) the grav gun wounds anywhere between 2+ and 6+ depending on what you face. Those things that it wounds on a 5+ or 6+, your bolters can take care of anyway (exception to this are daemons, but their inv. save has been reduced to 5+ now; Ogryns are the other things that come to my mind, but nobody takes them). So while the plasmagun shines against terminators and other infantry, but struggles against MCs, the gravgun shines against terminators and MCs, but struggles against other infantry, but thats what youe boltguns are there for.


This is why salvo weapons are bad on non-relentless models.. people don't understand why they're so awful. It's not a rapid fire weapon, you don't fire once at max and twice within half. IF you move at all you fire at HALF range *and* at the lowest # of shots. It is not "half range and max # of shots". Therefore if you move grav weapons fire twice at 9" inches not 3 times at 9 or twice at 18. I think if more understood how salvo actually worked there would never be a question of why it was such a poorly worded rule.

Never use salvo on non-relentless models if you can avoid it!


Keeper of the DomBox
Warhammer Armies - Click to see galleries of fully painted armies
32,000, 19,000, Renegades - 10,000 , 7,500,  
   
Made in at
Slashing Veteran Sword Bretheren






Right, I stand corrected sorry.

2000 l 2000 l 2000 l 1500 l 1000 l 1000 l Blood Ravens (using Ravenguard CT) 1500 l 1500 l
Eldar tactica l Black Templars tactica l Tau tactica l Astra Militarum codex summary l 7th ed summary l Tutorial: Hinged Land Raider doors (easy!) l My blog: High Gothic Musings
 Ravenous D wrote:
40K is like a beloved grandparent that is slowly falling into dementia and the rest of the family is in denial about how bad it is.
squidhills wrote:
GW is scared of girls. Why do you think they have so much trouble sculpting attractive female models? Because girls have cooties and the staff at GW don't like looking at them for too long because it makes them feel funny in their naughty place.
 
   
Made in us
Shas'o Commanding the Hunter Kadre





Richmond, VA

Grav v Melta, always melta

Grav v Plasma, always grav

The only reason to take grav instead of melta is your oppoent is a biomancy spamming fool. The next update to nids will make that far less common, so prepare accordingly, cause guard are on the way.

Desert Hunters of Vior'la The Purge Iron Hands Adepts of Pestilence Tallaran Desert Raiders Grey Knight Teleport Assault Force
Lt. Coldfire wrote:Seems to me that you should be refereeing and handing out red cards--like a boss.

 Peregrine wrote:
SCREEE I'M A SEAGULL SCREE SCREEEE!!!!!
 
   
Made in gb
Rough Rider with Boomstick



Wiltshire

 juraigamer wrote:
Grav v Melta, always melta

Grav v Plasma, always grav

The only reason to take grav instead of melta is your oppoent is a biomancy spamming fool. The next update to nids will make that far less common, so prepare accordingly, cause guard are on the way.

I'd disagree with the above.
I think it comes down to the platform.
On bikes:
Grav vs. Melta - Grav.
Grav vs. Plasma - Grav
Grav vs. Flamer - Depends on the role you want for the unit. More likely Grav though.
On foot:
Grav vs. Melta - Melta.
Grav vs. Plasma - Plasma.
Grav vs. Flamer - Flamer.

Note to the reader: my username is not arrogance. No, my name is taken from the most excellent of commanders: Lord Castellan Creed, of the Imperial Guar- I mean Astra Militarum - who has a special rule known only as "Tactical Genius"... Although nowhere near as awesome as before, it now allows some cool stuff for the Guar- Astra Militarum - player. FEAR ME AND MY TWO WARLORD TRAITS. 
   
Made in us
Shas'o Commanding the Hunter Kadre





Richmond, VA

Grav shoot the same amount of shots as plasma after moving, so grav not getting not puts it in the preferred category. Just because everyone says "grav on bikes" doesn't mean that's what you need to do.

Desert Hunters of Vior'la The Purge Iron Hands Adepts of Pestilence Tallaran Desert Raiders Grey Knight Teleport Assault Force
Lt. Coldfire wrote:Seems to me that you should be refereeing and handing out red cards--like a boss.

 Peregrine wrote:
SCREEE I'M A SEAGULL SCREE SCREEEE!!!!!
 
   
Made in at
Slashing Veteran Sword Bretheren






 juraigamer wrote:
Grav shoot the same amount of shots as plasma after moving, so grav not getting not puts it in the preferred category. Just because everyone says "grav on bikes" doesn't mean that's what you need to do.


On foot? Only upto 9 inches.

On bike? They can move and still shoot thrice upto full range.

2000 l 2000 l 2000 l 1500 l 1000 l 1000 l Blood Ravens (using Ravenguard CT) 1500 l 1500 l
Eldar tactica l Black Templars tactica l Tau tactica l Astra Militarum codex summary l 7th ed summary l Tutorial: Hinged Land Raider doors (easy!) l My blog: High Gothic Musings
 Ravenous D wrote:
40K is like a beloved grandparent that is slowly falling into dementia and the rest of the family is in denial about how bad it is.
squidhills wrote:
GW is scared of girls. Why do you think they have so much trouble sculpting attractive female models? Because girls have cooties and the staff at GW don't like looking at them for too long because it makes them feel funny in their naughty place.
 
   
Made in gb
Rough Rider with Boomstick



Wiltshire

 juraigamer wrote:
Grav shoot the same amount of shots as plasma after moving, so grav not getting not puts it in the preferred category. Just because everyone says "grav on bikes" doesn't mean that's what you need to do.

As the guy above said.
You might be getting 2 shots, but only at 9". The plasma can still fire one at 24" or two at 12". Big difference.

Note to the reader: my username is not arrogance. No, my name is taken from the most excellent of commanders: Lord Castellan Creed, of the Imperial Guar- I mean Astra Militarum - who has a special rule known only as "Tactical Genius"... Although nowhere near as awesome as before, it now allows some cool stuff for the Guar- Astra Militarum - player. FEAR ME AND MY TWO WARLORD TRAITS. 
   
Made in us
Fireknife Shas'el





United States

 labmouse42 wrote:
 Illumini wrote:
And grav allows no coversave to vehicles either, so they are actually fairly efficient against serpents.
Last I heard that was still in big debate. Have the RAW crew won out on that?

The real question is -- how are tourneys ruling it?
Via what magic does the Grav-gun/cannon ignore cover?
   
Made in no
Boom! Leman Russ Commander






Oslo Norway

In short, it ignores cover on vehicles because it does not roll armour penetration, it rolls for an effect.

Against other stuff, it rolls to wound, so they get cover as normal

   
Made in us
Fireknife Shas'el





United States

 Illumini wrote:
In short, it ignores cover on vehicles because it does not roll armour penetration, it rolls for an effect.

Against other stuff, it rolls to wound, so they get cover as normal
Gotcha. I thought it was against everything, which made me confused.
   
Made in se
Honored Helliarch on Hypex




But as I mentioned earlier, there's an FAQ that allow vehicles to take saves against "effects", irrelevant of whether it comes from a glancing or penetrating hit.

I'd allow the cover save, but I acknowledge that the debate is ongoing. I'd appreciate if others would extend the same courtesy, rather than implying consensus where there isn't any.
   
Made in no
Boom! Leman Russ Commander






Oslo Norway

Where I play, there is consensus on the no cover for vehicles. Unless it is overthrown by a FAQ, RAW, you cannot save against it with vehicles. If anyone want to play it differently, that is up to them, their opponent or their TO.

   
 
Forum Index » 40K General Discussion
Go to: