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+5 for a flamer, +10 melta, +15 plasma.

I think flamers for range and effectiveness are costed about right. Meltas, seeing you have to make such a target of yourself are costed about right for all the power that that one shot can do. My question is plasma.

1. Rapid fire - fire it and the whole squad cannot charge.
2. Comparing to a sterngard - +5 points for the strength of the shot.
3. Get's hot, 1 in 18 shots will end up with a dead marine. Ouch.

My arguement would be that plasma rifle and plasma pistol for that matter are way over costed at +15. I am thinking it should be about +10 or even +5 but I think at that price, it would get spammed. What are your thoughts?

The price for Plasma weapons is fine; if anything, pistols should maybe go down to 10pts but other than that, they're fine as they are.

At s7 ap2, you're wounding on 2's, inflicting ID on GEQs, and ignoring armor saves across the board, all on a portable platform that can reliably de-mech squads in light transports.

Melta weapons have inherent risks that you have to play around, just like plasma, but on assault platforms with few other options, a plasma pistol or 3 can really come in handy.

I'd say it's fair because you have a ~chance~ to kill 2 Terminators instead of 1, or just 1 at a longer range. It just doesn't show how powerful it is as much because Marines can't take loads of them like IG can.

The point value is fine. "Gets Hot!" should apply to plasma guns only when firing two rounds per shooting phase as per their Rapid Fire rules permit, and/or only when both dice come up a 1. As it is, "Gets hot!" is completely excessive.

Everyone uses Meltas instead so no, I don't think they are fine.

Gets hot isn't the issue, its that Plasma is only good against MEQ. Against hordes and vehicles, its almost useless. It should be cheaper if people are going to use it.

They're still cheap in the BT codex! My plasma pistols are 6pts I think. No more than ten though

I personally think it should go down to ten, as there is a risk of accidentally killing yourself while using one.

There won't be a balanced point cost. Last edition plasma reigned supreme, now in coverhammer/mech-hammer, melta weapons have taken their place because A) They're cheaper B) They're better suited for destroying vehicles and C) Shooting anything in cover will have same effects as if you did it with a plasmagun, only a better chance of killing a multi-wound MEQ or a vehicle if cover saves are failed.

If we lower plasma prices now and then 6th comes along and makes plasma the don again, it'll become undercosted and people will whine even more.

It's best to leave it at a solid price and let the the editions decide on the effectiveness as opposed to having to try and mould prices around each addition and alienating older codices even more.