Melta vs plasma guns

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**Warrior 50**

Cuda, you must be having some good luck. I liked the Gernade Launcher because it was a frag weapon in most cases and Krak when necessary. I just could not get them to hit with any regularity. Same is true of my mortar teams, but that was fun dropping 3 templates on an infantry heavy army. However they don't do anything against tanks.

Anyway I am going to use more plasma guns, even if my guys self destruct when the shoot.

Warrior 50

**The Happy Anarchist**

Posted By orchewer 08/09/2006 1:00 AM
After seeing frag grenades from 4 grenade launchers in a command squad decimate 6 Chaos marines in a turn, I don't see what's so bad about them. Especially since the original poster is going into a COD tournament, the templates will help against things in cover, denying them a cover save that can be easily put to use against a plasma or melta gun.

The only way that is possible is if you are using Frags.

Even then, it is extraordinarily unlikely. So unlikely that to use it as a reason to include GLs is foolish in the extreme

**Will**

Is it better to have 4 melta guns in a suicide command squad or 3 melta guns with a vet squad?

Currently I have 2 vet squad with 3 plasma guns and 1 vet squad with 3 melta guns and 1 command squad with 4 melta guns.

**Centurian99**

4 melta suicide command by a nose.

**foil7102**

Three melta vet squad by a nose, your 4 man command squads need flamers or plasma.

**bigchris1313**

Three melta vet squad by a nose, your 4 man command squads need flamers or plasma

Can't agree. The 4 man command squad can go any of the three routes: vehicle killer (melta), MEQ killer (plasma), or horde killer (flamer). Why does the 4 man squad need flamers or plasmas over meltas? I don't follow at all.

**H.B.M.C.**

Grenade Launchers and Missile Launchers have their place in smaller games

No. They really, really don't.

where you have to shave points and where you don't have enough squads to field Lascannons *and* Heavy Bolters. They're cheaper all-purpose weapons.

In smaller games where you cannot afford Lascannons and HBs, you'll often find that you don't need Lascannons either. How many Monoliths do you face at 750-1250 points? Land Raiders? No. The Autocannon is the best weapon for these smaller games. 2 S7 shots are better than 1 S8 shot vs vehicles, and its the same cost. The Plasma Guns stick around because the AP2 is useful for the odd Terminator/TMC that you might see in smaller games, and its only 2 points more than a GL.

So no, they're not cheaper all-purpose weapons. They're junk. In smaller games you take the equivalent prices and statistically superior Autocannon.

BYE

**foil7102**

BS4 vs BS3. and the price of the squad as a whole,

1)You would never put flamers in a vet squad as this waste their bs4, In addition 3 flamers are as good as 4 vs most enemies, and even more so if you are deep striking them. "arange your guys after a deep strike and fire 4 flamers at one target, most of the time it can not be done due to your own troops being in the way" Plus three flamers in a command squad is a cheaper unit than three flamers in a vet squad. So command squads get flamers.

2)Plasma 3 bs4 = 4 hits on average, 4 bs 3 = 4 hits on average. This really is a wash, but I perfer to put plasma in the command sqauds due to my reasons in the next example.

3)Melta 3 bs 4 = 2 hits on average, 4 bs = 2 hits on average, This would on the surface look like a wash as well, but you have to remember that melta guns are Assault 1. Sure most of the time this would not really have much of an effect, especially with a suicide drop unit, but there have been times I have assaulted after firing in order to keep the squad alive a little longer this happens more often when I infiltrate, but hey. Add to the fact that the vet squad can get a powerweapon to bring it up to the same cost as the 4 melta vet squad you have an interesting option that can suprise a lot of opponents. Your charging me with guard???

**The Happy Anarchist**

I would put Plasma in the command squad because they can sit back offering Leadership bonuses while firing, and if your plasma misfires, you only lose 1/4 instead of 1/3 of your guns.

**Will**

So what would you guys suggest for 3 vet and 1 command suicide squads?

**H.B.M.C.**

4 Meltas in the Command Suicide Unit. One of the Vets should be 3 Melta. The others can be what ever you like, two more units of 3 Melta, or two units of 3 Plasma. I guess it depends if you really need that many Meltaguns. How many Armoured Companies do you face on a regular basis?

BYE

**Will**

Not many.

The current set up for the 4 squads is 4 melta suicide command squad, 3 melt vet squad, and 2 vet squad with 3 plasmas. I also have 5 lascannon, plasma gun armed infantry squad.

I was just curious to what others thought of as good set ups.

**H.B.M.C.**

If I take Vet Squads it is usually with Meltas. I tend to use most of my Command Squads as Leadership Bubble makers, and therefore arm them with either nothing, or between 2 and 4 flamers.

BYE

**Will**

Agreed. I have 2 HQs for 5 squads.

Do you lack anti tank fire? Why all vets with melta guns? I know it all depends on what types of armies you typically face, but in general how much anti vehicle firepower is enough.

**foil7102**

Do not think of the melta as an anti-tank gun. Think of it also as an anti-multiwound t4 gun. My melta vets usually spend more time assasinating space marine characters than they do popping tanks.

**Will**

I don't see how that can be possible very often. If any enemy unit is closer than the IC, then they are safe from range attacks.

I guess that meltas are a lot better against T6 models.