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Which is best on an assault oriented IG vet. sqd?
What are your oppinions?

I like my shotgun vets. I have twice used them to good effect out of a valk. Valk zooms to objective, shoots up squad holding it. Next turn vets pop out of valk, shoot a mess of melta/shotgun attacks, then charge in and power fist survivors.

I figure even on foot you won't be standing and shooting much even if they are counter charge, so you might as well scoot around for good placement and basically double your Str3 attacks for the turn you charge.

Well, Lasguns are Rapid Fire, so you can't Assault with standard Infantry units.

Shotguns have half the range - though they are an Assault 2 weapon with the same strength.

So, if you're planning to a) move and b) assault, then shotguns are the better option in just about every situation.

I tend to like shotguns. This has to do this the fact I have some old IG Assualt troops with Twin Las Pistols or Las Pistol/Chain Sword. The Shotgun makes this at least seem close.

it really depends on what role I want them to serve to be honest.

Plasma vets have lasguns
vets with heavy weapon team lasguns
valk/vendetta vets with melta or flamer shotguns
and demolition vets shotguns

If your going for assault, then shotguns are the way to go.

I don't think it makes much of a difference, really. I mean, if you're going to be anti-tank, then you're going to want to assault with krak grenades or meltabombs, but that's not going to be a problem as the only sensible weapons choice is an assault weapon (meltagun). Likewise, if you're bringing plasma guns to kill marines, the last thing you're going to want to do is get them into close combat, thus negating the point of the shotgun.

I guess if you bring 3x flamers and a sarge with a powersword, then it would make sense to bring shotguns over lasguns, as both your special weapons and your puny-strength close combat attacks are both going to be actually good against light infantry.

In any case, I think I'd be loathe to risk my 3x SW BS4 power tool by bashing it into close combat. The only reason I'd take shotguns is because they're much, much cooler (and, really, there's not much of a difference between the two).

my melta vets have shotguns. Plasma vets have lasguns.

Ailaros wrote:
I guess if you bring 3x flamers and a sarge with a powersword, then it would make sense to bring shotguns over lasguns, as both your special weapons and your puny-strength close combat attacks are both going to be actually good against light infantry.

Yes denying your charge is always a fun thing to do

Shotguns for meltavets, las for plas

alarmingrick wrote:my melta vets have shotguns. Plasma vets have lasguns.

I third this notion.

But in the end, I don't think it particularly matters. If they were even 1 point to get shotguns I would never select them. Sine they are an even swap, whatever. The squad will 90% of the time be shooting at hard targets that neither las or shotgun can touch. The other 10% I doubt it will much matter.

Fwiw, since 5th edition I rarely charge anymore with my "lone" IG units. Lone meaning 10 men squads that aren't designed for combat. (and none of them really are) Combats are so decisive that often you're just killing your squad for no reason (charging MEq) or giving them a free consolidation move (GEq - horde stuff). I like to make my opponent work a bit to kill my guys and burn the limited play turns they have to do so.

Nothing like a 55 point PIS w/ flamer/GL just stand in front of a big point unit that has to waste 1/6 of its total game turns to kill it. And god help if the opponent fluffs his rolls!