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I have been thinking recently about adding some Combi Weapons to my SoB squads and have been wondering if they are worth it or not. The only ones I would consider worth it are either Combi-Plasma or Combi-Melta, with a possible Combi-Stake Crossbow for the coolness factor. But generally are Combi Weapons worth it? The thing that really turns me off about them is their one-shot-wonder factor. Am I just hung up on their main drawback or do people really find having that Combi Weapon has made a difference and wouldn't go to battle without it? Also am I wrong about the apparent uselessness of a Combi-Flamer? General discussion about Combi Weapons and their effectiveness is welcome, specifics applying to SoB doubly so .

combi weapons are almost always worth it. many special weapons will only shoot once over the course of the game anyway because combat is so short ranged and brutal. Even 1 extra rending flamer or melta shot can be decisive.
AF

Always worth it if you can fit it in the points ! Also extra chance for a big kill.

Def worth it, combi weapons are still a fairly hidden effective trick in 40k

Flamers, IMO, are the Best combi-weapon. Garunteed to hit and flamers usually only get one shot anyway.


if you give a 10 strong SoB squad 2 flamers they should kill 8 orks(4 from flamers)

give one a combi-melta and that number go up to 9(6 from flamers)


this assumes you only hit 4 orks per flamer and roll 100% average with your dice for bolters and flamers.
IIRC SoB have a faith power that allows you to reroll hits(or maybe wounds?)

Combi-melta is similer. you get another melta shot so if your squad has 1 regular melta, Statistically, you should hit with one. if your squad has 2 Meltas and the combi its that much better


Combi-plasma is the least useful, IMO, but isn't a bad spend.


Combi-weapons are good because you only gain something. you don't lose a weapon. you still have the bolter afterwards.

I think you should use the combi weapons to reinforce the weapons the squad is already carrying. ie buy a 3rd flamer, 3rd plasma or 3rd melta. mixing weapons in a squad is a bad idea you always want to have maximum effectiveness against your chosen target. flexibility is nice no doubt but specialization is what wins games.

Is this a Take On All others army list ? Are you going to trade out units when you see who you will be fighting aginst.

Lots of orks or vehicle heavy SM/ IG.

That is the key to all army lists, to be prepaired for anything.

I don't like combi weapons for the SoB, they are 15 pts (for the good ones). Many times I shot the 1 shot and badly needed more.
BUT they do come in handy. I can see then used If you have lots of points leftover/set aside.

I would use bolter/melta. You want it to do what your units are lacking.

I went aginst a LRC, even with 3 exorcist sending about 25 shots did it finily go down. I was set up aginst orks, Lots of heavy flamers.

I have used Bolter/stake crossbow aginst a psyker army.
I am not sure how a old codex a plasma gun works. The codex was before the Gets hot rule.
I would go for Bolter/melta to help out with vehicles and other armor. They are also good at instakilling IC.

Combi-flamers are a nice way to thin out some troops that get too close or flame some guys in cover. They make a sense since you rarely use a flamer on a unit more than once in a game any how since CC usually happens after that when your that close.

Combi-meltas are almost better when you don't use them since it makes opponents think twice about getting too close to the unit carrying them if there is a chance you could smoke their tank.

Thank you all for the replies. This would be for a take all comers SoB list, but also for general takes on Combi Weapons.

I like combi-weapons a lot, I give one to evvery sister Superior who hasn't got an Eviscerator.

Combi-Flamers are the bread and butter - you'll never be unhappy to have it. I cannot say enough nice things about combi-flamers.

I don't use combi-meltas, but they seem a non-terrible idea in principle.

I have one combi-plasmagun in my army, which I built from greenstuff and an Eldar starcannon for the hell of it. It's actually pretty good. It pops rear armour in a workman-like way or adds an extra sting Vs marines. I've never lost her to Gets Hot either.

Combi-flamer all the way.

Sisters excel at shooting. I've been too often one template short of making sure my target did not assault me next turn and tie me down.

A lot of people out there will take the standard build of Heavy Flamer / Meltagun and either a Combi Melta or Flamer on the VSS depending on the task at hand, but I've come to think of it as a waste. If your going to be shooting at vehicles, you might as well just take two meltaguns to begin with and have the other squad behind apply three flamer templates.

I do like the Combi-Flamer in general.
For a single shot weapon, I rather have something that doesn't miss.

Unless it's Combi-Weapons en mass, then the others get a leg up.