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Hi, i'm new to Tau, Dakka, Warhammer 40k etc... I just picked up my first box of units (firewarriors) and I was wondering what the general concencus was on the weapon choices. I seem to see alot more pulse rifles than carbines, but I am wondering what the tradeoffs of each weapon are. Thanks.

The big advantage of the Rifle is it's ability to fire twice at 12"

The advantage of the carbine is that it's an assault weapon, useful if your FWs are on foot, as it allows them to move back and fire. Granted most people here will tell you that unmounted is not the way to play FWs at all. (They also pin, but that's only useful when combined with marklights against low leadership armies)

If your just starting the game, I'd start with rifles.

Thanks for the help, Im probobaly going to go with the rifles because of the range advantage. I plan to put my firewarriors in troop transports as well.

Rifles are better at everything.
They are get more shots, they are longer ranged, they even look better.
They have an effective 18" rapid fire range, or 30 inch standing range.

Pulse have an effective 24" range, 1 shot no matter what.

If you want to be that close, the Pulse rifle is better for it's ability to get two shots.

Firewarriors should always be mounted, and no, you don't want to get that close.

Pulse Rifles get more shots at 0"-12" any time, but only 18"-30" if the unit did not move, .

Pulse Carbines get more shots at 12"-18" if the unit did move, which they will be doing if they dismount to shoot, and the Carbines are pinning weapons.

The extra 6" is important for two reasons, despite the fact that the Pulse Rifle would get 100% more shots at a closer range:

1. Surviving infantry will not be able to assault the unit in the next turn. This is good.

2. The survivors will have to move to use rapid fire weapons against the unit, hence have to decide about whether to break position and possibly leave cover or enter a crossfire situation.

In addition, the Pulse Carbines' Pinning ability combines really well with the ability of each Marker Light token on a unit to impose a -1 penalty to any subsequent Pinning tests. This is good if you are facing anything that is fast-moving, as little that is fast-moving is also fearless. Against Fearless units, use the Marker Lights to improve the number of casualties.

Not to say that it isn't a good idea sometimes to close to an entire unit of Firewarriors to within 12" of an enemy unit to get those extra shots, but just that for maximum tactical effect you should at most have one Rifle squad for every one Carbine squad. The Carbine squads play the frontline and hunt enemy units in conjunction with any Pathfinders, Suits, and Piranhas, the Rifle squads play tactical reserve and capture objectives.

Nurglitch wrote:Firewarriors should always be mounted, and no, you don't want to get that close.

Not entirely true. A hybrid mech/gunline does very well.