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I can't seem to figure out any real reason why you would take a plasma pistol over a plasma gun...ever. I play CSM, so all my units automatically have a c.c. weapon and bolt pistol, and since plasma pistols and plasma guns both cost the same in my codex, I'm having a hard time figuring out why this is even an option for me...can anyone help me out here?

Not got my codex to hand, but Im pretty sure that pistols are seperate from guns so you can upgrade say your champion with the pistol and still give the regulars a plasma gun.

If you're playing Chaos, probably not. In every other army, it's nice to have that AP2 and the extra attack to put down a termi BEFORE you get into close combat with him. And since Plasma guns are rapid fire, not assault, that's one more shot you get before jumping into the fray.

To take a shot and then charge? Plasmaguns are rapid fire, so there is no charging after shooting, unless you're relentless.

Well with the pistol you get the extra close combat attack, but if you have all 3(bolter, bolt pistol, extra CCW,) there really isn't much of a reason. Liike Lonecoon said, you can shoot and still assualt, but uness it's like a raptor or berseker, it's not all that nesecarry.

What about in different armies? And what do you think about the points cost? Is it really worth it to be buying Plasma pistols when you could be loading up on more Plasma guns? Somehow I don't think so...

TBH I'm not a big Plasma fan. I pimped my Zerkers with a few and due to some horribly bad rolling lost 2 men before I even got into combat. That put me off.

I start to feel that way too sometimes, and then I remember the only other good option is to take a Meltagun, and I'm too scared of Eldar to lose that much range...

daedalus wrote:To take a shot and then charge? Plasmaguns are rapid fire, so there is no charging after shooting, unless you're relentless.

I thought this was the case? Rapid fire weapons disallow assaults

That's what he said...

Gibbsey wrote:

daedalus wrote:To take a shot and then charge? Plasmaguns are rapid fire, so there is no charging after shooting, unless you're relentless.

I thought this was the case? Rapid fire weapons disallow assaults

Indeed. That was my guess as to why one would take a pistol instead of the RF gun.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

UberhAxTHC wrote:What about in different armies? And what do you think about the points cost? Is it really worth it to be buying Plasma pistols when you could be loading up on more Plasma guns? Somehow I don't think so...

I give my C:SM assault squad 3 plasma pistols. It's expensive and probably not worth it, but terrifying when they get close.

I could justify them for any MEQ squad, and maybe an Inquisitor. They lose some punch on a IG sarge, especially since you either need them for leadership marshalling in the case of Vets, or for power weapon/melta bomb guys in the case of blobs. I use Al'rahem though, but that's because he's two wound. The only other thing I'd put one on for IG is a Company Commander. I give my CCS carapace, so they have a 4+ already, and he's a multiwound model, so I might as well.

Plasma Pistols is universally used for assaulting squads to soften up the targets as Daedlalus pointed out. However if the target does warrent a Plasma Pistol shot, it tends to either have much more heavy armor after the one trooper dies, or place the one wound on something with a low armor save. For the same cost as a Plasma Pistol, most codexes will give you a Power weapon, which is much more effective in what it can kill compared to a Plasma Pistol, without the risk of frying the owner (A Power weapon tends to be available to the sarge or champ of the unit, so it's a base of 2 power weapon attacks. These units tend to have a second CCW too, bringing it up to 3. Finally they will be charging in this case, as otherwise the PP is unusable, so they'll be at another +1, bringing to a total of 4 attacks). A PP is ever so slightly more accurate, and stronger, but with the volume of attacks, that's kinda rendered moot, especially when you ahve the potential to kill much, much more, as well as get ride of abalative wounds through normal attacks made by your squad. Plasma Guns, however, are good in drive-by shooting squads, since you wont be able to charge after getting out of a rhino anyways.

I'm not necessarily sold on the "soften them up with shooting before assault" idea, with plasma pistols or not, given that it can be tragically easy to shoot yourself out of assault.

Really, plasma pistols seem more like a luxury good for when you have 10 points to throw around and you want to make a plasma death squad that little bit more killy. Yes, it's not as good as a plasma gun, but once you've taken up all of the special weapons slots, there isn't another way to add another plasma gun, now is there?

For the price of two pistols I could throw in another berzerker and an icon. I'd rather have the extra wound in the unit and 4 attacks at str 5 on the charge than the possibility of blowing up a body and wasting that expenditure.

Plasma death squads would seem more appealing if things are not hiding in their METAL BAWKSES XD. While a Plasma gun can get the job done, a Melta gun can do it better without the operator getting potentially fried.

And cheaper too!

Chaos Lord: I'm sorry Horgrath, we don't need your plasma gunners anymore. I've outsourced infantry killing to the melta-gunners."

CSM: DEY TOOK MAH JERB!!!!!

UberhAxTHC wrote:What about in different armies? And what do you think about the points cost? Is it really worth it to be buying Plasma pistols when you could be loading up on more Plasma guns? Somehow I don't think so...

That's just it. No other army has the option of one or the other.

Typically, only sergeants and HQ's can take plasma pistols. They aren't allowed plasma guns.

Only your run-of-the-mill marines or IG can take plasmaguns. They aren't allowed plasma pistols.

This isn't much of a debate. You can only have one or the other.