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Hello Dakka.

I just got myself a squad of devestators. Now, my question is: How are they best equipped, ie which heavy weapons?
I thought full missile launchers could work but I am not sure....

Full ML is the best way to run them, it still doesnt make them a good choice tho

Not sure I agree with the ML thing, on codex marines. If you want missiles, they're free in tac squads and typhoons are just awesome.

If I was taking devastators, I would gear them towards a specific role, perhaps anti-infantry with HBs. Those are cheap and sort of useful.

Plasma Cannons are always a good choice.

The problem with 'nilla devs is that pretty much any weapon can be found on better mobile choices.
Heavy Bolters: Dual HB speeders or Attack Bikes
Lascannons: AC/Las Preds, Sternguard. If you plan on combat squading the tac Heavy Weapon can be upgraded.
Multi-meltas: Rofl, Speeders and Attack Bikes
Missiles: Typhoons
Plasma Cannons: This...might work. The only other thing that can take them are Sternguards, tacs AND DREADS. (Props to tedurur. )
Honestly, this would be the only thing I would take with devs. Simply because this actually brings something to the table that is hard to find elsewhere.

Almarine wrote:Not sure I agree with the ML thing, on codex marines. If you want missiles, they're free in tac squads and typhoons are just awesome.

If I was taking devastators, I would gear them towards a specific role, perhaps anti-infantry with HBs. Those are cheap and sort of useful.

The HB is an extremly poor weapon. It costs the same as a ML and they do anti infantry almost equally well. however, the HB totally lacks any sort of flexibility as opposed to the ML that can insta gib T4, punch trough transports and 3+ saves ect ect.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Oscarius wrote:The problem with 'nilla devs is that pretty much any weapon can be found on better mobile choices.
Heavy Bolters: Dual HB speeders or Attack Bikes
Lascannons: AC/Las Preds, Sternguard. If you plan on combat squading the tac Heavy Weapon can be upgraded.
Multi-meltas: Rofl, Speeders and Attack Bikes
Missiles: Typhoons
Plasma Cannons: This...might work. The only other thing that can take them are Sternguards or tacs. Honestly, this would be the only thing I would take with devs. Simply becuase this actually brings something to the table that is hard to find elsewhere.

Dreads can take PCs just fine mind you

Well, colour me pink and throw me down a cliff, lookie there.

Lets go eliminate!
so no HB's,missiles,and lascannons as there are better choices on vehicles/other squads
This leaves only the plasma cannon and the Multimelta , but the latter one (IMO) is better on tac squads

The only thing I fear for with plasma cannons is the gets-hot rule...

Nah..I like ML on dev squads, makes them flexible......

There is no harm in having more guns!!!! Having said that, there is no requirement to having 4 HWs on the dev squads..as more could be overkill...there are times when I fit just 3 HW on the squad....if I need to save on points...I feel dev squads need extra marines just as ablative wounds anyway...

You should equip them with Predators. Joking aside, 4 Missile launchers should work best. Not as good as Long Fangs but you get your point-breaks elsewhere...

I think that devestators are an ok unit, as mention earlier there are other units that can do what they do at a lower cost. But a full 10 man squad with 4 missle launchers using combat squads to split up is a decent option. (Dont forget about the signum)

either 4ml or 4 Plasmacannons! Depending on the role you want them to play and what other means of fire support your amry has!

I think ill stick with plasma cannons then.
I will have to live with the fate that every once in a while,one will explode in their face...

doing the PC math

5 man squad w/ 4 PCs

shoot 12 PC shots

2 get hot

2/3 cause a wound


6 turn game - 2/3 x 6 = 4 deaths

in a perfect world the sarge would be all that is left at the end of turn 6 - so long as no one shot at him

Per shot you have a 1 in 18 chance to fry your dude. That isn't too bad imo. For 4 Plasmas shooting every turn all 5 turns that is 1 exploded cannon on average.

Plasma cannons then.
Thanks to everyone for their opinion.

theduncan wrote:doing the PC math

5 man squad w/ 4 PCs

shoot 12 PC shots

2 get hot

2/3 cause a wound


6 turn game - 2/3 x 6 = 4 deaths

in a perfect world the sarge would be all that is left at the end of turn 6 - so long as no one shot at him

Let's try to fix this a wee bit.

5 man squad w/ 4 PCs

shoot 12 PC shots over 3 turns.

2 get hot

1/3 cause a wound.

6 turn game - 2/3 x 2 =roughly 1 death

I think you first started by having 12 shots, as it's easy to divide by 6, but then forgot that it's over 3 turns. But how you gave a 3+ save 2/3 chance of failing, that I don't understand.

theduncan wrote:doing the PC math

5 man squad w/ 4 PCs

shoot 4 PC shots

2 2/3 scatter

roll 2 dice for each scatter to see how far they scatter

5 1/3 dice rolled

16/18 1s rolled

3+ save

16/54 of a wound

6 turn game - 16/54 x 6 = 96/54 - 1 42/54

Sorry, for some reason I thought PCs were Heavy 3 . Here it is edited.

You roll an independent dice for plasma cannons to determine gets hot, it is not based on the weapon scattering or not.

The basic math for it is...
It takes 3 statistical wounds to kill a marine. (3+ save)
A plasma cannon gets hot 1/6 of the time.

It takes 18 plasma cannon shots to get through the 3+ (on average) and kill the marine.

With 18 shots required, a single cannon will kill 5/18 a marine a game over 5 turns of shooting. Adding them together it is 20/18 or roughly 1 dead marine from Gets Hot!

Plasma Cannons are better on Ven Dreads imo. So much mroe accurate and the Gets Hot rule is suspended. PCs are reliable anti-MEQ, but against anything else it falters pretty badly (you need to have the hole land on the actual vehicle to get the full S7, and against hordes, a ML Frag round is enough).