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I just bought my second commander, and was wondering which Combi weapon is the best.
IMO:

Combi-flamers suck. You pay 10 points to fry 3 grots instead of the usual 2.
Combi-meltas are really good, but lack the range and anti - anything not a vehicle/HQ.
Combi-plasma is the best against TEQs, but can kill you just as much as it can kill them, and unlike the melta, it has a tough time busting a dread, not to speak about LRs.

Looks like you've just answered your own question.

I guess it depends on the application.

If you expect to be fighting a horde, take a flamer, if you expect to be fighting lots of heavy infantry, take plasma, if you anticipate lots of vehicles, take melta.

simples.

If ya uz an ork, da answa be simple, da flama cuz it can roast a group or be used ta rip da armour off of da space marine dum enuff to charge mez.

I tend to Give Termiantors Combi-Plasma so I can take advantage of Reletless
I take Combi-Meltas for Assualty Units that I am planing on Anti-Tank Work
As for the Combi-FLamer????

You'll be thankful of that flamer if you get some pesky lictors skulking about in cover. Combimeltas are useful as they allow you to assault after shooting, but can be pretty redundant in certain armies.

Stick the second nozzle on a bit of wire so it is interchangeable and try them all out.

A combi-plasma is greatly mitigated by having artificer armor on your captain. A 2+ armor save is great against Gets Hot! rolls. Alternatively, the Apothecary in your command squad gives you FNP against failed armor saves against overheats.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of any of the combi-weapons on any unit. I just don't fancy spending the points on a one-shot weapon with crappy range. If I were forced to takeone, though, it'd be the combi-melta. It's an assault weapon, so you can use it to peel open a transport, and then charge the goodies inside. The trick is getting into range of said transport without getting yoruself blasted back to the Dark Age of Technology.

2 squads of Sternguard (one combi-melta squad, one combi-plasma squad) in Razorbacks can work quite well. Cos they can hop out, take out a vehicle, then take out the troops. While the Razorbacks give them covering fire, and act as cover from 2 angles. =p

Combos FTW! =D

Oshova

TheRhino wrote:A combi-plasma is greatly mitigated by having artificer armor on your captain. A 2+ armor save is great against Gets Hot! rolls. Alternatively, the Apothecary in your command squad gives you FNP against failed armor saves against overheats.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of any of the combi-weapons on any unit. I just don't fancy spending the points on a one-shot weapon with crappy range. If I were forced to takeone, though, it'd be the combi-melta. It's an assault weapon, so you can use it to peel open a transport, and then charge the goodies inside. The trick is getting into range of said transport without getting yoruself blasted back to the Dark Age of Technology.

I don't think you can charge the unit inside the transport as you just shot at the transport and would be charging a different target to the one you shot.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Combi-meltas are the best unless your army is already too good at anti-tank ( I'v never actually seen that before) then take a combi-plas.

If I could find a buch, I will probably put them on my Wolf Guard

You can charge the unit that came out of the transport, if it's the unit that blew up the transport

Combi-flamer is great if youpurchas a Command squad and give them all flames and throw a couple of LC into the mix.

Combi-Melta is good against vehicles with the above set up, except with Melta guns and PFs.

Combi-plasma same as above except no LCs or PFs.



BTW: you can't take a Combi-weapon AND terminator armour because you trade in your bolter and everything else for the TDA, Power weapon and Storm bolter. you can't exchange the same weapon in for 2 different items.

Warlordron'swaagh wrote:You can charge the unit that came out of the transport, if it's the unit that blew up the transport

No you can't.
Transport count as seperate units.
You have to charge the unit you shot a in the shooting phase.

VikingScott wrote:

Warlordron'swaagh wrote:You can charge the unit that came out of the transport, if it's the unit that blew up the transport

No you can't.
Transport count as seperate units.
You have to charge the unit you shot a in the shooting phase.

If you wreck or explode a transport in the Shooting phase, you absolutely CAN charge the disembarked squad. It's written clear as day in the BRB.

TheRhino wrote:

VikingScott wrote:

Warlordron'swaagh wrote:You can charge the unit that came out of the transport, if it's the unit that blew up the transport

No you can't.
Transport count as seperate units.
You have to charge the unit you shot a in the shooting phase.

If you wreck or explode a transport in the Shooting phase, you absolutely CAN charge the disembarked squad. It's written clear as day in the BRB.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^What he said.
Now the important part is 1. Is your opponent smart enough to put his now vulnerable troops close enough to be assaulted? 2. Did he do number 1 on purpose? 3. Did he put them too far away to assault? (i usually do this even with my melee armies, so i can get a round of shooting in, unless last round then i do number 2, to sucked my opponent into a fight he can't win). 4. Remember if it blew up, not it's a crater difficult terrain, with out nades your going last, plus difficult terrain test to make it that far.

Every Sergeant in my army gets a combi-weapon of the same type used by his squad's special weapon gunner. Two special weapon shots are much better and much more reliable than one.

Combi-flamers can be fun versus horde armies. If paired with a flamer and a rhino, you can do a drive by with two flamers and then next turn jump out and mop up.

That said, I mainly take combi-plasmas, because they are only 5 points for sternguard. I use two in each squad usually. As for modeling it, I've been using old-school auto-pistols underslung on the front of bolters. Since it doesn't look like a melta or a plasma, I can call it whichever I need for that game (I always take all of one or the other).

Kolath wrote:As for modeling it, I've been using old-school auto-pistols underslung on the front of bolters. Since it doesn't look like a melta or a plasma, I can call it whichever I need for that game (I always take all of one or the other).

I do similar but with shaved-off melta/plasma barrels. If you pin them or magnetise them you can change and people won't have any call to have a go at you in serious games.

somecallmeJack wrote:If you expect to be fighting a horde, take a flamer

I love this advice since I am an Ork player, it tempts people to get close and that is where I want you.

against orks i figured that a 10 man Sternguard squad with 8 combi-flamers and 2 flamers will Kill an average of 20 orks with those flamers if they hit 4 boys per flamer. they can assault and mop up the 10 boyz who are left when done.

Of Combi-flamers: You will usually only ever get 1 shot off with a flamer anyway so the combiflamer doesn't hurt as bad with the 1 shot per game rule. Combi Flamer with regular flamer is always a good choice(even though you pay a premium for the Combi, the Std flamer was free) Also you can assault after firing the Flamers and all your marines pistols, that much Str 4 AP5 generally puts quite the hurt on most armies. Also remember that those flamers ignore Cover, and Marines come with frag grenades standard so take out them weedy snipers or other shooty light infantry in cover. and OP: if you are only hitting 3 grots with your flamer you are not getting into the right position before firing, it is your tactics, not the flamer that has failed.

Of Combi Melta: Cheaper than a full Melta gun, very useful in a tank hunter squad. just remeber that the whole unit is effectively "fire and forget" you take out the enemy tank and then the unit dies to massed fire or gets assaulted. Keep the unit cost to a minimum.

Of Combi Plasma: The same price as a standard Plasma gun; but you only get one shot, make that shot count and be sure you are within 12". Always Pair it with a Standard Plasma gun and maybe a Plasma Cannon as well. At least that way you are not stuck with the decision to fire or not due to the assault restrictions.

Grey Templar: SW terminators CAN take Combi weapons it is an option in their codex; And a generally fairly good option if you are making Tactical terminators out of your WG; Combi-whatevers(generally not meltas as they are too expensive for suicide troops) and Frost blades/power weapons.

Warlordron'swaaagh: Ork Combi-flamers are Scorchas, not burnas, they never act as Power weapons(but they do get the 1-shot heavy flamer, which is far better than the Kombi-rokkit).

@Kommisar Kel: i belive we were talking about Vanilla marines. Apnu42 mentioned giving it to his Terminators. i assumed he mean his Terminator captains as he never mentioned Wolves.



announcement!: to all people. unless the question specifically mentions a certain codex most people will assume you are talking Vanilla marines. if you bring rules from another codex up please say so.

Melta and plasma i think personally. I use a spam of them with my sternguard.

When I do combi-weapons I use flamers. If my weapon is only going to be fired once, I want guaranteed hits. Missing with 4 out of 5 combi-meltas from terminators sucks. Flames only need to roll wounds so they have a higher likelihood of doing something.

waasssdddd wrote:I just bought my second commander, and was wondering which Combi weapon is the best.
IMO:

Combi-flamers suck. You pay 10 points to fry 3 grots instead of the usual 2.
Combi-meltas are really good, but lack the range and anti - anything not a vehicle/HQ.
Combi-plasma is the best against TEQs, but can kill you just as much as it can kill them, and unlike the melta, it has a tough time busting a dread, not to speak about LRs.

Personally I don't use combi weapons. I've never liked them. I've never owned a model with one. And I honestly don't think I've ever used one....my opinion, don't bother with them.

General_Chaos wrote:

somecallmeJack wrote:If you expect to be fighting a horde, take a flamer

I love this advice since I am an Ork player, it tempts people to get close and that is where I want you.

True, but if thats a flamer/combi in a rhino, and the orks powerklaw the rhino, then the marines are going to put that combiflamer to effective use If they blow the rhino in the shooting phase its a whole different story...

Fetterkey wrote:Every Sergeant in my army gets a combi-weapon of the same type used by his squad's special weapon gunner. Two special weapon shots are much better and much more reliable than one.

QFT, this is how i use combi's 99% of the time. Especially useful for when your non combi meltagun misses!

Flamers suck. allways. period.

I use combi-melta the most. It's a small help if ever the enemy pops a dread or LR in front of your unit.
combi-flamers: I hear they're good on bike squads for fast moving flame templates. Really good for roasting snipers in cover.
combi-plasma: If ever I use these, its on independant characters, just in case a MEQ characters happens to be in my way.

Mostly though, I don't use combi-weapons because imo they're a waste of points, unless they're on sternguard.

well, when you'r facing TEQ plasma is the best
flamers suck in all situations (the humble bolter is much better)
melta is good against armour (that's a shock)

waasssdddd wrote:Flamers suck. allways. period.

Dang, I better go sell my Sisters of battle army

Seriously unhelpful.

Flamers are very useful, it keeps certain annoying units off your back/clears out chaff horde nicely (ork boyz, little bugs, guardmens, kroot, ect). You need more than one to make them really start to show their value, so SM have some issues with taking them. Stupid 1 special weapon for each squad rule. Sternguard have more important weapons to carry. LoTD have more important things to take, and they are usually too expensive.

As for combi weapons, I never take them except as points fillers when nothing else will fit. Not useful much of the time, and the cost is rather high for a one shot. In fact I usually take HK missiles before taking any combis weapons.

i'm playing for 2 yrs, and have a flamer in each of my tac squads. never killed a single grot nid etc.... IMO they suck