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It says the Space Marine Sergeant can replace his bolter AND/OR boltpistol with a chainsword.

Does that mean he can hold a boltgun in one hand and a chainsword in the other?

I suppose he could, but seeing as a pistol also counts as a close combat weapon, you wouldn't gain anything with it. But hey, if you think it looks cool.

But the chainsword does count as a CC weapon

You can have bolter + chainsword. You get two shots when rapid firing (or 1 shot to 24") but cannot shoot on the charge and loose the +1 attack for two CCWs.

This isn't a bad option for squads that are going to be shooting more than fighting.

A more common one is Bolter + Powerfist since the fist wouldn't have got an extra attack from the pistol anyway.

lifter wrote:But the chainsword does count as a CC weapon

Yes, but as I said, so does the pistol. And the pistol can shoot, while that is going to prove difficult to do with a chainsword. So you gain nothing while losing the ability to shoot and assault.

The combination of a bolt pistol and chainsword would give you an extra attack and the ability to assault after shooting, while losing the extra range and rapid fire capabilities of the boltgun.

Or the above mentioned combination of powerfist and boltgun if you still want to shoot with a boltgun, and want a more powerfull close combat attack instead of the extra attack.

Wouldn't Powerfist + Bolt Pistol give all attacks as a powerfist, plus one at normal initiative for the Bolt Pistol?

The rules for powerfists say that you can only get a bonus CC attack with it by using another power fist.

I would have thought that referred to a bonus Powerfist (high str) attack. The single bolt pistol attack would be resolved at normal initiative and strength like all other troop attacks, wouldn't it?

Nope, you can't have two different types of attack. If you have a powerfist, all your attacks are powerfist attacks. Boltpistol & Powerfist grants +0 attacks.

fearrespect

you would not get a attack with the pistol with a fist because you must have 2 fists to ever do that and a single close combat weapn never gives a bonus
attack which the pistol without a chainsword 2nd pistol or something allong those lines would not give an attack- but with powerwepons besides a fist, a thunderhammer, or lightning claw you do get a bonus attack at the same strength and ap as the power weapon