Plasma Pistols for HQ

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**Tacobake**

I don't take them, personally; at 15 points you can spend the points someplace else.

Still, you never know ....

**MinMax**

I like my Space Marine HQs where they belong: Close Combat. A pistol's just +1 Attack, to me.

The only HQ I'd ever take with a Plasma Pistol is the Master of the Forge, who has one in his Servo-Harness. Which also happens to be Twin-Linked. And free. Throw in a twin-linked flamer (Thank you, Vulkan) and he's ready to rock!

**BoxANT**

Well, with a multi wound character, they are less likely to kill themselves with a plasma pistol...

It is not a horrible waste of points imho, all they need to do is frag 1 marine to get their points back.

**Razerous**

but but.. they could kill themselves with it. You could kill 3 marines with it.. but then loose you HQ to the same weapon, then you'd be down on points.

Leave plasma weaponary to tau/eldar & dredenoughts.

**Tacobake**

how do you like these apples?

buddy failed too many armour saves.

I think they have better shooting options now, for example hellfire rounds or combi weapons + Thunderhammer/ Relic Blade. Or a bike. Chaplains and libbies are only BS4 now, anyway.

**king-newmic**

i think its a little bit expensive to use plasma pitols but if your trying to fill em' out with points then go ahead. at least they can almost certinaly survive the gets hot roll with their 3+/2+ armour sv. plus it never hurt to pack a little more firepower;D

**Lordhat**

I've pretty much stopped using plasma in 5th. Flamers are free, and anybody who can carry a pistol is generally too expensive to risk that one fatal shot. Even if it does overheat and the wound doesn't kill the model, I've seen quite a few situations where I won combat simply because my IC still had a single wound left. If you have 15 points to spare buy digiweapons and melta bombs.

**imweasel**

I would much rather take a power weapon than a plasma pistol...

**Black Blow Fly**

A plasma pistol can be fired several times over the course of a game. I agree that with BS4 it's not a great investment for a chaplain or librarian. If my captain is on a bike I will use hellfire rounds and the twin linked bolters. It is helpful to cap an enemy model before the charge Into a tough unit so I can definitely see why some players use them.

G

**pavonis**

It really comes down to about a 5% chance of taking a wound every shot they make with 3+ armor save, artificer armor reduces it to about 2.5%.
(16.6% of rolling a 1 * 33% of failing an armor save)
My personal view is I want my opponent to work for every wound of one of my HQ models because they are the ones that I need to handle their HQ's and plasma pistols is like allowing them to target my HQ rather than the unit they are joined to. I'd rather give it to a red shirt in the unit he joined or at least a lower cost model.

And believe me, I have done the calculations and plasma pistols are worth their points. Especially the plasmagun with rapid fire or a good count on the plasma cannon.

**Black Blow Fly**

Plasma is always deadly when taken in mass quantities. Plasma cannons are notorious in the realm of all things related to death. The thing I have to consider now is that meltas are the best thing versus armor in general.

G

**Altanis**

I inherently distrust plasma guns (the only unit in my army that use a plasma weapon are my devastators) ever since the first time I used one it killed its user.

**Lowinor**

Altanis wrote:I inherently distrust plasma guns (the only unit in my army that use a plasma weapon are my devastators) ever since the first time I used one it killed its user.

Heh. One of the two losses my 3.5e Chaos list got were primarily due to me having four Plasma Guns kill their owners in the *same* turn, all shooting at the same Terminator squad on my flank...

As for the actual topic of the post, the big issue is HQs are primarily set up to be in assault -- but with 5e rules, I'm not so sure the conventional wisdom of "don't spend points upgrading shooting attacks on assault-based characters" is as true as it once was, just because assault characters are less likely to be stuck in combat and prone to getting more charges in 5e. Still, it ends up being +15 points for, effectively, one shot per charge -- still not great.

**wuestenfux**

I'd never give them to one of my HQs.
He may shoot it once and could be hurt.
For the same costs you get another Marine.

**perplexiti**

I sometimes take them, I like the strength and AP.

My Wolf Guard pack leaders all have pistols or combi-plasmas, with the runic charm gives a little bit of protection against those overheats.

hehe my guard army on the other hand still has a lot of plasma and the bearers of those weapons die on a regular basis to overheats.

**Dashofpepper**

Must agree, not worth it.

**Deadshane1**

Personally, I rather think they might be worth it. I'm equipping hero's with PP and Power weapon. Decent at HtH, decent at shooting, excelling in neither.

My Chapter Master is paying for Artificer Armour so I really dont have to worry about PP blowback.

I'm looking at it from a different angle. I'm considering the PP shot another casualty in HtH combat which effectively boosts my CM's attacks (and the chaplain's too) back up to 6. Sort of a creative way of looking at the performance of the PP.

On veteran sergeants I wouldnt suggest them since an overheat can kill your sergeant.

....this is just me and something I'm experimenting with. I honestly wouldnt argue the wisdom of it since its a risky experiment. Just thought I would weigh in.

**Nurglitch**

They're great for Chaos Sorcerers with Warptime. 2+ to hit, and a re-roll both to hit and to wound.

**Alpharius**

Deadshane1 wrote:

I'm looking at it from a different angle. I'm considering the PP shot another casualty in HtH combat which effectively boosts my CM's attacks (and the chaplain's too) back up to 6. Sort of a creative way of looking at the performance of the PP.

You know, I never looked at it like that!

Nice one!

**Hollismason**

Pretty sure FnP works versus plasma; that said I mostly put my command squad on bikes and give them 4 flamers.

**Democratus**

FNP works versues the "Gets Hot!" rule. It doesn't work against hits from Plasma weapons.

**Polonius**

I think plasma pistols can be useful. I run sicarius, and he comes with one standard. it's a nice tool to add to the kit. Of course he has a 2+ save and FNP, but it's still nice. S7 is enough to ding most vehicles, and the AP2 makes it killer against anything else.

The real question, then, is why are you taking a basic captain at all?

**Wehrkind**

I think they are sometimes ok, but rarely.
The combo of Plasma and Power Weapon is alright. You get a decent lead in attack before you enjoy the +1 attack is assault. You do not get this benefit if you are doing a counter charge into an ongoing melee, however.
With a Relic Blade or Powerfist, I would be more inclined to use a combi-melta, however. Cheaper than the pistol, and it lets you pop a vehicle or one shot a multi-wound T4 fellow when needed.

**Deadshane1**

Thats pretty much my approach to them Wehrkind. I guess I'm not the only gullible one here!

**BoxANT**

Well I like to run with Cato Sicarius who has a Plasma Pistol, 2+ save and FNP.

**Tacobake**

The Power Weapon/ Plasmapistol is not bad, and may be what you are looking for, but you could still go LC/ Combi-weapon or Relic Blade/ Combi-weapon. I think I am going Storm Bolter/ Bike + Hellfire or Combi-melta/ Combi-plasma, myself. Combi-plasma is a nice choice, especially with termi armour.

**Lordhat**

A storm bolter on a bike doesn't really net you much at all though. One extra shot at 24" is a VERY situational asset on something as fast and maneuverable as a bike.

**Tacobake**

I mean with the TL Bolters, just to be awesome. If you can do it.

**wyomingfox**

In most cases, I would rather take the storm shield, nothing like an improved iron halo on the cheap. The only case I could see in giving an HQ an PP would be a Chappy/Wolf Priest since he already has a 4+ invulnerable and a PW; thus the PP would give him a +1 attack. But as a SW player, I hardly ever field a Wolf Priest to begin with.

**glon52**

I'm 50/50 with it and only on a captain. I'm toying with the idea of a CPT w/PP & PW(or Sicarius), Apoc and 4 vets w/PG mounted in a Razorback.