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 was wondering if anyone new the functional difference between these two bolters. According to some 40k roleplay stuff a storm bolter is effectively a double barrel bolter that fires twice the rounds of a normal one. Does anyone know of a mechanical difference? or why there is a need for a separation of the 2 variants?

The combi bolter is another name for Twin Linked bolter, it is literally Two Boltguns strapped side by side.

Used by the Space Marines since before the Horus Heresy, the Combi-Bolter is a similar weapon to the Imperium's more advanced Storm bolter. While the Storm Bolter is a single weapon, the Combi-Bolter is essentially two Bolters strapped together.

While the stormbolter is a gun designed to be like this

The Storm Bolter is a compact double-barreled version of the Bolter.

Basically, the twin linked is two boltguns, essentially strapped together Combi-Bolter style, while the stormbolter is a bolter designed with double barrels in an double firing position.

So it's in all senses just a more efficient design?

do you hear the voices to wrote:So it's in all senses just a more efficient design?

Yep, though the combi-bolter is actually far better at closer ranges than the stormbolter, while the stormbolter is rather effective at close to long range. (Thus, standard boltgun profile for twinlinked, but the amount of dakka it shoots out means it has a better chance to hit) While the stormbolter is an assault weapon able to shoot 24" without rapid firing, with a better grip allowing for assaulting with it.

If you have Relentless / vehicle platform, they're basically equal.
Combi-bolter is better at close range and storm bolter is better at long range, like Zebio said.

Up to 12"
Storm bolter gets 1.33 hits
Combi-bolter gets 1.78 hits
So 0.45 hits more at close range for combi-bolter.

12 to 24"
storm bolter gets 1.33 hits
Combi-bolter gets 0.89 hits
So 0.44 less hits at long range for combi-bolter.

Chaos Terminators have a better close ranged weapon because they reroll with their 2 shots and can assault afterwards.

Fluffwise, Combi-bolters were simply a precurser to Stormbolters(hence why loyalists don't have them anymore)

The Storm Bolter is a better all around gun, because you can shoot its full shots at max range, and sit and fire at the enemy till they get close, then you can fire twice more and assault.

In old rules you could rapid fire stormbolters as well

Brotherjulian wrote: In old rules you could rapid fire stormbolters as well

Which old rules, 2nd?