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I am wondering if it would be a good idea to include PFs with small squads of marines like 5-6 that have nice heavy weapons (las or plas cannon). They are stand and shoot types of units but what happens if they gett assaulted? I figure equipping them with a PF will help to deal with fast assaulters that whether the storm of fire from the plasma cannon blasts. Or would the points be better spent on more heavy weapons or maybe a PW for these units? I really like the models that have a fist, and am just wondering if they would be playable?

Mixing functions is not typically a good idea (there are exceptions obviously, or units that mix functions by default)

The points you spend on power fists are probably better spent on either more guns or dedicated counter assault that you can hide (I vote more guns).

They would still be playable sure, just probably not optimal. Any time you played an army that was also mostly or all shooty, or an army where their assault troops aren't really that worried about power fists (like some horde armies) the power fists would be a waste of points, even as a deterrent.

I've been 'surprised' by power fists once on a devastator squad.

Ate my lictor...the sarge really had a power fist. lol

Other than that, what lambadomy said is true--try not to mix and match shooty + CC.

Sound advice, makes good sense. The episode with the lictor is what my line of thinking was which would have justified them. I suppose if I were to run a PF it would have to be with jumpers. There's just something about the look of a marine without a helmet weilding a PF, a very sharp looking model! Thanks for the replies.

I'll agree with the others. I'd say only do it after you're completely satisfied with what's already in your list and army and still have the points for one. If that's the case. Go for it. If not, you're just asking for trouble.

I've always liked putting Powerfists in every squad, even my Devestators, and found it to be effective. I am however biased if for no other reason than it's an army theme, and I'd probably waste my points on it even if I didn't like it, just to look cool.

You're always going to want some close combat, there's different ways to include it.

I have personally never put them in dev squads, nor would I ever.

Tacobake wrote:You're always going to want some close combat, there's different ways to include it.

I have personally never put them in dev squads, nor would I ever.

But.. But he's got the old BA pointy Power Fist! What better way to make sure your mates can tell exactly what you want them to shoot with their las cannons than pointing it out with a really big hand?!?

I could potentially see putting one in the backfield if you have multiple shooty squads back there. Maybe if you had one tactical squad with a lascannon among two or three Dev squads. The tac squad could then act as a counter-assault to get lictors and things off your devs.

But usually it's better to just have a dedicated counter-assault unit (assault marines, or just an IC) and leave the shooty units to keep shooting. This is often a good use for your mandatory HQ in a shooty army.

Another compromise you could do is to put a power weapon in 2-4 of the squads you think are most likely to get engaged in CC and just make sure you shoot the really nasty stuff before it reaches CC.

With the New DA and BA codexs a PW or PF is a must. You have the combat squad rule so you can put a your Special Weapon and Heavy Weapon in one squad to deal out punishment and use the other squad to hold of assualt or go and get objectives. But for SM armies it is best not to mix and match because they don't have this tactical ability. Just have a dedecated CC unit and hold them back.

It's a wonderful combination, that makes the units all- purpose, big gun/big fist. Great at shooting/ great in hand to hand. The idea is sound....
However, against orks with nob & PK, you will loose out.
A Nob will kill your few marines quickly. In return you purchased an expensive way to kill 6pt. orcs.
Against Tau, you will never use your PF, so it's a waste of points.
BUT BUT BUT, the unit does become all-purpose, and when you need a big gun, you got it. When you need a PF, you got it. And that's when its totally worth the points.

Powerfists always. In every squad. In every season.

You won't always be able to control what the enemy does or where he goes. You won't always have the luxury of placing your own Dev squads where they are most protected.

But a Power Fist can always damage any unit in the game if it comes a knockin'.

Power Fists can be a good idea in Tac squads, but IMHO if your Devs ever find a need for that Power Fist, you are neck, possibly even over-your-head deep...

It's very common for a Dreadnought to plop down next to a Dev squad via Drop Pod. It exits on the opposite side of the pod so it can't be shot - and then it moves and charges the next turn.

A squad with a powerfist will be well armed against this threat. A squad without one is most likely down for the count.

true but what's the point of having that fist except in the situations that marines have a drop pod dred. I have only ever seen one played, and have played lots of marines, so why do something that's a waste for a highly uncommon threat?

Space Wolf scouts would be another good backfield assualt, and if the 5th edition really has all scouts coming in from any board edge it might be good insurance.

i'd just take a power weapon then. against scouts you really don't need a PF, now that's just a waste of 5pts. even then i probably wouldn't take it. they have 4+ armor, do you really need power weapons/PF's to cut through that? no not really

Bastirous666 wrote:true but what's the point of having that fist except in the situations that marines have a drop pod dred. I have only ever seen one played, and have played lots of marines, so why do something that's a waste for a highly uncommon threat?

Your experience may be atypical. I've seen many drop pod dreads both in my local area and at the GTs I've seen. I'd say about one in four marine armies I've faced utilizes them. But there's even more reasons. What about high toughness units delivered via transport? What about two-wound enemy infantry or Ork Nobs on Bikes? Independent Characters?

There are many times when the enemy can get high AV or high Toughness units into assault with your Devistators/Havoks. Sometimes there is nothing at all you can do to prevent it. A power fist can punish the enemy greatly when they do this. Even more important, it can deter them from trying it at all. Thus, even when the power fist in my Havok squad is never swung in anger - it is still doing an invaluable job.

i will disagree with every fiber of my being. try setting up sometime so that the dred doesn't have many places to drop in. culster your anti tank together, but space them out around 8-13" to shot the crap out of anything that comes into their fire lane and may threaten them. from what your telling me it's usually small units of big guys. well your 6 man las/plas squads together can take any one of those down. and where are your CC troops when this happens? why aren't they close enough to help out? marines mainly use CC troops as counter charges, or small assault force to the enemy flank, while the main force is all shooting. If your units are all able to be picked apart easily by a lone dred or some bikes, then your definitely not playing right. that situation should come after the man battle line has already crumbled and your CC troops are already dead. yes the drop pod is one you can't do great against, but deploy as said above 8-13" apart that way if the dred tries to drop anywhere near a squad he will be exposed to another on the back side of the pod. there are many easy ways to counter these things with a normal list, your just looking for the easiest way to throw points at the problem and say fixed...well it's wasting your points for what could be more marines