Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I've never played in a tournament but I'd like to model my army in such a way that if I ever decided to, I could.

Melta Bombs are a great little upgrade, costing only 5 points, that are frequently included in army lists when you have a few points spare. Hence, some games you use Melta Bombs on your characters / Sergeants, and other games you don't. So what should I do about modelling them? Do Melta Bombs have to be displayed on the model if I have included them in my list or can I say they are in his backpack / pouch?

In friendly games I'm confident nobody would mind, especially if you took the trouble to point it out at the start, but what about in tournaments?

Opinions from any tournament veterans?

* Apologies if I've put this in the wrong forum. *

I've never had anyone ask about them, and I find people don't usually mind if these aren't modeled.

For some reason the fact that they're "grenades" has them exempted from the wysiwyg radar of most people, since I find hte majority of players don't model frag/krak grenades on all of their marines either.

Just make sure it's on your list and you let your opponent know beforehand which models have them.

Just my opinion!

I've never heard anyone say anything about melta/krak/frag grenades----ever.

Think on this---how often have you seen Grey Hunters or Chaos Space Marines properly equipped with bolter, bolt pistol AND close combat weapon? No worries dude.

As with anything tournament related, just make sure you communicate what each model has so it's not a surprise.

The 5th edition rules define them as grenades, so they're an exception and you don't have to model them.

That being said, I voted "yes", simply out of nostalgia. This was the subject of one of the first EPIC YOU MAKE DA CALL RULES BATTLES I ever saw, back in 1999, because 3rd edition did not specifically call them grenades, so the local league's interpretation was that they DID need to be represented. A couple of folks seriously freaked out. That was before any company was selling plastic bitz. GW sold metal ones cheap back then, but there wasn't a metal meltabomb bit.

I voted know because I don't think I have ever seen anyone model them on their models to be honest and I always think of them as grenades anyway and I never cared if someone didn't model those.

I remember those days

I made round 'anarchist' bombs like you used to see all the time in cartoons (cannonball with a fuse) and put them on a pin that i could push into the base as a marker, with the word 'Melta' written on the side.

People got a laugh out of it, and it got around the wysiwyg nazis. These days i use them to rep bigbommz for my deffkoptas.

If all your guys had melta bombs, then just mentioning it would be fine. If only some had them, I'd prefer them to be modelled.

"But daedalus, you WYSIWYG nazi!", you exclaim, and normally I'd agree, but I've been playing horde guard. At the last tournament I went to, I had a 20 man blob that only had one melta bomb. This blob had otherwise identical sergeants.

I had to do something to denote which one was which, otherwise it would dissolve into a "Whichever sergeant was in base contact had the melta bomb, of course" situation.

In case you were wondering, I did stark red canister bombs attached to their belts made from GS. Immediately identifiable and only one person asked about them, just to make sure.

If im in close combat I just say oh so and so has this and he has that ect.

GT game: as long as its in your list, i'm completely fine with melta bombs not being on a model as long as its easy to identify which model has it. As an Example, most GT goers who have melta bombs on a Sgt / champion, its pretty easy to pick out the sgt. That guy with the awesome axe in the army has a melta bomb? Rock on. Plus i've likely kept track of those little biddies that like to blow up my tanks.

Pick up game: I don't care at all. Just tell me before we start.

Many thanks for all the responses!

Looking at the poll results I don't think I'll go to the trouble of modelling Melta Bombs on my characters / Sergeants but instead just make sure I communicate effectively to my opponent who has them and who doesn't. In my army it's very easy to distinguish who are the Sergeants etc. so I shouldn't run into too many problems.

What I could do, as a backup plan, just in case I end up playing against a "WYSIWYG Nazi" (thanks for the phrase daedalus), is to paint up a handful of Melta Bombs taken from the Assault Marine sprue which I could then simply blu-tac to the bases of the relevant models.

Thanks again.

orkyben wrote:Many thanks for all the responses!

Looking at the poll results I don't think I'll go to the trouble of modelling Melta Bombs on my characters / Sergeants but instead just make sure I communicate effectively to my opponent who has them and who doesn't. In my army it's very easy to distinguish who are the Sergeants etc. so I shouldn't run into too many problems.

What I could do, as a backup plan, just in case I end up playing against a "WYSIWYG Nazi" (thanks for the phrase daedalus), is to paint up a handful of Melta Bombs taken from the Assault Marine sprue which I could then simply blu-tac to the bases of the relevant models.

Thanks again.

The main thing is communicating effectively is subjective and some people who don't believe in WYSIWYG feel "that dude there has it. remember it." is effective.

Personally, I use colored electrical tape on the edge of my models bases for squad designations (as orks all look alike) A 1cmm orange or yellow or red strip along the edge of the base of every model in the unit shows who is in what unit clearly in addition to any model markings. It may be clear to me, but opponents may have issues.

Electrical tape is nice because it doesn't really ruin anything, especially on the base edge. You could use something like red electrical tape for meltas. "all models with a red edge on the base have meltas in their pockets."

That would be clear and visible and accomplish the same as blue-tac. And if only one piece of gear was being represented with the marking, it wouldn't need a color code or anything.

At least there is actually a bit for them! As is usual with GW tho they never give you enough to model the entire squad.

I'm a stickler for WYSIWYG, and I don't care about them. Just make sure your opponent knows who has one. Nothing like the surprise of Tank Shocking a squad to find your tank exploded. Having them modeled doesn't count as making sure your opponent knows either.

AgeOfEgos wrote:
Think on this---how often have you seen Grey Hunters or Chaos Space Marines properly equipped with bolter, bolt pistol AND close combat weapon? No worries dude.

All of those are basic equipment every model in said squad comes with, not an optional upgrade. [/Devil's advocate]

I would say no.

When was the last time you saw a SM/IG player with grenades modelled on?

I say yes because it is optional wargear. I put a small magnet on the bottom of a meltabomb so I can attach it to my bike sergeants rear fender. You can also slip a small magnet under the infantry's base. That way it's not "on" the model, but on the base.

daedalus wrote:If all your guys had melta bombs, then just mentioning it would be fine. If only some had them, I'd prefer them to be modelled.

"But daedalus, you WYSIWYG nazi!", you exclaim, and normally I'd agree, but I've been playing horde guard. At the last tournament I went to, I had a 20 man blob that only had one melta bomb. This blob had otherwise identical sergeants.

I had to do something to denote which one was which, otherwise it would dissolve into a "Whichever sergeant was in base contact had the melta bomb, of course" situation.

In case you were wondering, I did stark red canister bombs attached to their belts made from GS. Immediately identifiable and only one person asked about them, just to make sure.

I made mine from tiny fly fishing hooks likewise covered in green stuff other than the loop at the top. I used string to then make a bandoleer form them and slung it across my guys bodies as needed.

Put one on the sergeant, to mark which squads have 'em. Most boxes only come with one.

Even if they were modeled, who would notice? They are soo tiny, the opponent would HAVE to pick up the mini to see them.

As long as they're listed on paper I'm ok with it.

I prefer WYSIWYG the most, but as long as my opponnent is clear with me about the melta bombs and the models that have them. im ok with it.

I've heard this about grenades not having to be modeled but can never find that. Can some one please point me to where I can find this out as it would help me settle issue, thanks.
(The reason I ask is there's a guy who complains at my LGS when players don't put frag/krak on their SM. >.<

Grimtuff wrote:

AgeOfEgos wrote:
Think on this---how often have you seen Grey Hunters or Chaos Space Marines properly equipped with bolter, bolt pistol AND close combat weapon? No worries dude.

All of those are basic equipment every model in said squad comes with, not an optional upgrade. [/Devil's advocate]

He was talking about them being actually MODELLED onto the model. He's saying that most of the time the model only has a bolter on it.

Its a legitimate point about upgrades vs options but **technichally** spahess marines should have pistol and bolter. It's probably holstered. Then again space marine's armor is probably more intricitly decorated.
Technically the purity seals should have passages of gothic on them...

At the end of the day its a game of toy soliders. I think that since most games are played with 'open knowledge' it shouldn't be a problem.

Ignore

lucasbuffalo wrote:I've heard this about grenades not having to be modeled but can never find that. Can some one please point me to where I can find this out as it would help me settle issue, thanks.
(The reason I ask is there's a guy who complains at my LGS when players don't put frag/krak on their SM. >.<

Hrm. It may be a leftover memory from a previous edition, or it may be in one or more of the codices.

There is a more general note under the IC rules on page 47, which says that, generally speaking upgrades must be shown, but that players may wish to change stuff (powersword v. ccw & presence of meltabombs are the examples) from game to game, and that "most opponents" have no problems accomodating this as long as you're clear about it.

Just wondering, but are there plastic meltabombs that can be glued on models?

Assault Squads have them. Seems like I remember seeing them somewhere else also.

I have to go with the consensus on this one. Grenades so rarely get modeled on to a mini, that it's really not an issue for me. If someone wants to say that a model is carrying a meltabomb or other grenades in a pouch, in an armored compartment, up his urethra, wherever, that's a-okay by me. Some of the people I've played with just paint a grenade on the model red, orange, yellow, or some other color that stands out just so they remember to account for the meltabombs in their points-totals and remember that they have them when they assault a vehicle. Nothing's worse than forgetting you've got meltabombs when you're trying to crack a Russ!

Monk1junk1 wrote:

Grimtuff wrote:

AgeOfEgos wrote:
Think on this---how often have you seen Grey Hunters or Chaos Space Marines properly equipped with bolter, bolt pistol AND close combat weapon? No worries dude.

All of those are basic equipment every model in said squad comes with, not an optional upgrade. [/Devil's advocate]

He was talking about them being actually MODELLED onto the model. He's saying that most of the time the model only has a bolter on it.

Your point being?

All of the above mentioned things a CSM/GH comes with as standard, so there is absolutley no way to dispute the model does not have these things, in spite of the fact of it going against WYSIWYG. However, Meltabombs et al do not come as part of your standard equipment (unless you're a Fire Dragon) so to using GH/CSM not having their BP+CCW modelled is a false analogy.

loner wrote:Just wondering, but are there plastic meltabombs that can be glued on models?

They look like little oval-ish cylinders with a handle on top, like this:


Most kits only come with one or two, if that. They are rather unwieldy and hard to find space for on a model, too. The only way I've seen it done is to glue it into a marine's left hand, with them holding onto the handle, which then makes you give them a holster for their pistol.