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A friend and I had a question of if something could feasibly work. If you have a unit with a plasma cannon in close combat, and the unit looses said combat, why can't the plasma cannon perform an overheat and try to take out some enemys. It would work like the Tau battle suit self destruct option, but have the stats of a Gets Hot misfire. The downside would be that you would lose a plasma cannon, but it could really do some damage.

I just wanted to know if there is anyone else who thought this would or could work as a rule.

For one plasma gunners don't try to make them overheat on purpose...

I know that, but if they are going to fall back, why not?

CaptainLag wrote:I know that, but if they are going to fall back, why not?

Becuase for the most part living beings wish to stay alive and don't care to sacrifice themselves. Tau being brainwashed communists see a 'good thing' in taking out the bastards for the greater good.

Why can't you set up lasguns to explode as well when Guardsmen are swept in combat or run away from it?

Game Balance. The assumption is prob. that there isn't enough time to properly set things up to explode on your terms when you are making a 'tactical retreat'...

So if you do it for plasma cannons, there are alot of weapons out there that would become candidates...and that would just be too much of a pro to use them instead of being a more balanced risk/reward weapon.

Why not just use grenades? Most units that have access to plasma weapons also have or have the option of frag grenades. While an exploding plasma weapon can be destructive, I don’t think it surpasses the damage done by a simple grenade.

SPARKEYG wrote:

CaptainLag wrote:I know that, but if they are going to fall back, why not?

Becuase for the most part living beings wish to stay alive and don't care to sacrifice themselves. Tau being brainwashed communists see a 'good thing' in taking out the bastards for the greater good.

We are talking about the same space marines, here, genetically modified supersoldiers whose only role is to fight and die for the emperor?

That said, while the marine would sacrifice his own life, he wouldnt sacrifice the lives of his brothers, so wouldnt risk the shot in combat.

Maybe if the plasmagunner were the only model in the unit left.

CaptainLag wrote:A friend and I had a question of if something could feasibly work. If you have a unit with a plasma cannon in close combat, and the unit looses said combat, why can't the plasma cannon perform an overheat and try to take out some enemys. It would work like the Tau battle suit self destruct option, but have the stats of a Gets Hot misfire. The downside would be that you would lose a plasma cannon, but it could really do some damage.

I just wanted to know if there is anyone else who thought this would or could work as a rule.

Grenades could also get this rule, and most vehicles (large ammunition stores), melta, flamethrowers, etc. etc. etc.

It's overcomplicated, wrecks game balance, and all-in-all...why stir up a hornet's nest?

Che-Vito wrote:

CaptainLag wrote:A friend and I had a question of if something could feasibly work. If you have a unit with a plasma cannon in close combat, and the unit looses said combat, why can't the plasma cannon perform an overheat and try to take out some enemys. It would work like the Tau battle suit self destruct option, but have the stats of a Gets Hot misfire. The downside would be that you would lose a plasma cannon, but it could really do some damage.

I just wanted to know if there is anyone else who thought this would or could work as a rule.

Grenades could also get this rule, and most vehicles (large ammunition stores), melta, flamethrowers, etc. etc. etc.

It's overcomplicated, wrecks game balance, and all-in-all...why stir up a hornet's nest?

Why stir up a hornets nest?

to add depth to the game. 40k has become more and more simple over the years.

If rules were written properly and thought out for all different types of weapons and scenarios it would be just another part of the game. and would add a new level of depth and complexity that this game requires.

SM using frag grenades when going down:
Let me direct you to the Movie Marine rules...it was done there.

Ya, that would be cool,
but on the same note:
The space marine could just prime all his grenades and explode,
or detonate his melta bomb.
Or a guy firing a rocket launcher could just aim for his own feet, killing him and everybody in the small blast radius.