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So two weeks in. What are peoples favorite power weapon and how they work?
Like why take a power axe when you can get a power fist?

I may be wrong, but if a character has a power weapon option I don't think that includes power fists. Separate rulebook entries.

They are, But what im saying, If the STR of an axe if +1 but its x2 for a power fist, and they both hit and I1 then why tak an axe.

Well in most cases in the SM codex for example, Powerfists cost 10 points more than power weapons. So that is why. If the cost is justified to you then fair enough.

Axes, more swings and cheaper cost, small boost to str
Power fists, less swings, more expensive, large boost to str and instant death possibility.

The question is, what do you need in your list? Extra strong TEQ killing or slightly stronger TEQ killing

Depends on who you are fighting. For instance, power mauls seem to be quite awesome for low toughness armies like Dark Eldar. AP4 is enough in most cases, and making a marine's attack S6 against their T3 means only one wound needs to go through unsaved against a lot of their characters.

Well, for some codexes, like guard, we can only take powerfists in a select few spots, and almost nowhere where we need them (blobs for example, unless you play DKoK)

We can bring power weapons, and that's it. So for us, power axes and mauls are both a huge deal, since both help a ton. Power axes give us extra strength, and let the power weapons hit later, letting us place the characters further back to prevent them being challenged. Power Mauls let us take S5 guardsmen (!!!!!) so we're able to wound most things on 2's or 3's, which is handy in its own right. The only one that isn't really that awesome is the power sword, and I can see myself taking at least one per blob as insurance against powerfist sarges. "Oh, you want to challenge? Ok, let's see if sarge lives past crazy guardsman with a sword"

The axe is 10 points cheaper than a fist in most codices. Two fists cost 50 points, for 45 I can get three axes instead. If we pop these on a space marine veteran unit with two attacks and an additional CC weapon I am getting three attacks a piece or four on the charge. Four attacks on three models is 12 attacks on the charge. Those fists are getting all of six attacks total. Unless you are fighting MCs, hunting vehicles or dealing with T4 multi-wound targets the fists result in less damage in a lot of cases. The axe is for hunting single wound units with 2+ saves and it seems very good at that. The strength boost allows it to multi-task against high toughness targets as well. It is a flexible little weapon.

The power sword wrecks anything with a 3+ save, does it at initiative and can do it in protracted battles. It is the basic workhorse against everything save models with 2+ saves. It is great at picking out fist-sergeants in marine armies and makes for a great challenge weapon for units that will be dealing with squads like that. If they accept you mitigate damage from the fist or prevent it before it strikes, if they do not accept then they waste the fist for a turn.

The maul is great against anything without a 2+ save and due to the strength boost it outperforms the sword against 2+ save models or units with invulnerable saves of 4+ or better (the base strength of the sword ends up losing a lot of potential wounds in these cases). Against anything with a 4+ or worse save it is patently superior to the sword in every way. Oh and concussion is a great little debuff if it goes off. This is mostly an infantry shredder that can be used on med. save MCs and in a pinch it can still duel well because it scores a lot of wounds for units to fail.

The lance is probably the most specialized of the bunch and deals poorly with protracted combats. Ideally you want this thing on units that will be breaking units on the charge. Cavalry units, jump pack assault units, bikers and the like who get a lot of charge-bonuses like Hammer of Wrath will love these. The strength boost gives you a nice punch in the first round and can work well with melee boosters like Chaplains. These should be mounted on units who are always expecting to get the charge. Because in subsequent rounds they are the worst power weapon of the bunch.

I'm really liking the differences between all the weapons and I think it will be interesting to see if people mix or specialize because of it (I know my Company Veterans have a really mixed set of power weapons, should be interesting in play).

Huskblade anyone?
Cut upart even the toughest of armor with a one wound kill.

Huskblade is still an awesome weapon, but it is AP3 now.

What?
I dont have new rules yet...
Explain?

Power weapons no longer ignore armour, they have different AP stats and bonuses based on what they are modeled as. A huskblade is obviously a sword, so it would be considered AP3.

Is there any up side to it being a sword rather than an axe or hammer?
Thanks by the way, i realize im asking dumb questions because i dont have the rulebook.
Also, anywhere i can download rules on ipad?

Axes are +1 strength, AP2 but are unwieldy and so drop you to I1. Mauls/Staves are +2 strength, AP4.

I can't imagine any DE player willingly dropping themselves to I1, but maybe the maul could work for you. I don't play DE so maybe someone else can give a better answer.

Warscythe hands down....+2 strength, AP1 and 2D6 armor penetration in one package.

Well, I play guard blobs, and in those units, we have 4 guys that can take power weapons in a 31 man blob (counting commissar) Guard blobs are designed to put out firepower, survive, and be annoying as feth to kill in close combat, requiring truly specialized CC units to kill them in a single charge without getting bogged down.

Only problem is, our characters are guardsmen, and only one of them even gets WS 4, the rest have regular guard stats. So, the various types of power weapons really stand out here. I'll probably end up with 3 axes, and a sword in my blobs, with the sword on a regular sarge. This way, I've 12 attacks on the charge at AP 2, S4, and 4 at AP 3 S 3 that will strike at initiative, perfect for psyching out a PF sarge. He either has to accept, and risk the hit killing him before he even swings, OR, he can back out, which is even better, because then he doesn't get to swing at all.

I have been looking at mauls, but I just don't see much besides power armor where I play, and probably won't use them. They would be perfect against orks, nids, guard, basically anything but marines. The AP 4 doesn't matter against nobs for example, and allowing you to hit first (if it's anything with halfway decent iniative) would be huge. It's basically a big choppa with an ap value, and probably worth the price in most codexes. The problem is, unless you know you're not fighting MEq, or don't see it much, they're not that great to take, unless you just really love wounding on 2's at regular initiative.

That all said though, I love the difference with the power weapons now. There's actual thought behind it, and I have a feeling it'll be a strategy in itself just how you distribute them in a unit that can take several of them (like blobs )

Warscythes rock are probably the best power weapons, expecially if you have Obryons Warscythe (possible 10 hits if I remember right), I'm so glad 2+ is now useful against most power weapons.

EDIT: What does a staff of light count as, Power Stave?

As a DE, I'd probably just stick to agoniser or a venom blade for armies with Sv2+ IC/character, I'll just blast them with my darklight while my cc units deal with Sv3+ units. Huskblade would only come into play if there are enough IC that I have a good chance in killing.

I really can't see myself dropping myself to I1 with a miserable S+1, they wound me at 2+ and ID, I wound them at 4+ and savable by invulnerable + FNP... Thanks but no thanks, I'll just use my pathetic cc units to tarpit shooting units and things while I just boringly blast everything away with darklight.

And, thanks, GW.

So, on topic: For me, unusual power weapon > power sword > power axe > the rest.

Orblivion wrote:Power weapons no longer ignore armour, they have different AP stats and bonuses based on what they are modeled as.

That's not true for all weapons. Long live the Bonesword!

I'm going to go with Runic staff at the moment.

As near as I can tell its a complex force weapon. So that makes it AP3, force, with special rules that allows wounding deamons on a 2+ and a 24" 4+ psychic power counter.

warscythe gets my vote at +2str and AP2 or 1 or w/e it is now, and you get to swing at normal initiative (usually a 2 but meh, w/e, still above all other AP2 weapons

DragonRider wrote:

Orblivion wrote:Power weapons no longer ignore armour, they have different AP stats and bonuses based on what they are modeled as.

That's not true for all weapons. Long live the Bonesword!

Boneswords aren't power weapons. I specified power weapons, and in fact this thread is about power weapons.

Serge-David wrote:Warscythes rock are probably the best power weapons, expecially if you have Obryons Warscythe (possible 10 hits if I remember right), I'm so glad 2+ is now useful against most power weapons.

EDIT: What does a staff of light count as, Power Stave?

Unusual power weapon, I think.

Now go do some maths on warscythe lychguard against TH/SS termies. Then do more maths after you added Nemesor's FC to the unit. And finally make troll face at the assault armies who can't as reliably deal with I1 termies in cc.

I assume this means besides a chainfist, because it wins

Baronyu wrote:

Serge-David wrote:Warscythes rock are probably the best power weapons, expecially if you have Obryons Warscythe (possible 10 hits if I remember right), I'm so glad 2+ is now useful against most power weapons.

EDIT: What does a staff of light count as, Power Stave?

Unusual power weapon, I think.

The Staff of Light was never a power weapon to begin with so it's just a big stick in close combat.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Lobukia wrote:I assume this means besides a chainfist, because it wins

Sorry, Warscythe > Chainfist.

Zathras wrote:

Lobukia wrote:I assume this means besides a chainfist, because it wins

Sorry, Warscythe > Chainfist.

Arguably. Chainfist grants the ability to instantly kill T4 (assuming you're S4, but I don't think anyone with less than that can get one anyway). Sure, the Warscythe swings first at +2 S, but it's not enough to instantly splat T4 Characters.

POWA CLAWS!

The way everyone on dakka obsesses over power axes, you guys must play against a lot more deathwing than I do.

Testify wrote:The way everyone on dakka obsesses over power axes, you guys must play against a lot more deathwing than I do.

I've never even bothered fighting anything with 2+ armor in CC. It's better to just take it down from long range until they either break or are too weak to pose a threat.