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.

Just curious why the community hates the lowly power lance so much.

Personally I think it is the most tactical, and definitely the best one against necrons and frequently eats marines. Especially if you have furious charge, your assault threat range becomes a zone of death to the opponent.

I think it's a trade off for randomness. Sure, on the charge it's very good. But off the charge it sucks.

Given that getting a charge is partly down to luck, people tend to go with something they can count on in all circumstances. E.g. a power sword is good on the charge and off, and if you put yourself in harms way you can be pretty sure you'll end up in combat somehow, where the power sword will be useful.

It's just another example of why things like the old Khorne Deamon Weapon, or vindicators, or Weirdboys are not considered particularly great. Things with a reliance on luck to be devastating, but otherwise can be pants tend to just be extra (unneeded) risk. In a game with dice rolls determining most everything, a constant ap3 weapon is nicely reliable.

The only 2 lances I know of are the IG horsmen and the shining spears...

As a IG player, the hate is on because of the single use, and the crappy models that come with it. Damn every time I look at them I shiver and cry.... But that could be overcome with some good conversions.
But the points invested VS the use of said unit is poor. Yes you may kill some marines, but not all of them, and in the end you are left with a burnt stick and another bunch of rather pissed off MEQs.

Also IG is ( mostly ) a ranged army, so unless you are spaming them they will just get shot down.


AS for shining spears, from what I gathered, they are just way over-priced.

So it's not the weapon itself the problem, more the units that have access to them

Hope that helped
Cheers

You can model a power lance on any unit with an undefined 'power weapon' by the way

 lunarman wrote:
You can model a power lance on any unit with an undefined 'power weapon' by the way

Never thought of that one ! But you are right, why did that never cross my mind ?
So SM bikers and thunderwolf cavalry could technically have them... interesting.

I give them to a squad of vanguard veterans. Graduated it is just for fun, but whenever they charge it is just hilariously devastating.

 rabid1903 wrote:
I give them to a squad of vanguard veterans. Graduated it is just for fun, but whenever they charge it is just hilariously devastating.

Sounds like tons of fun I want to stick one on my commissar just for comic relief

hmmm....and since we were speaking about Slaanesh in another thread....Power lances...Slaanesh Marines...

...what?

I've advocated lances on vanguard, death company and bikes. Off the top of my head I can't think of anything else where they shine.

As it stands, the haters for lances are your min max list makers. You can make a great list with lances in it, it just takes some thinking, and not copying internet or tourny lists.

Yah I guess I can see why min/maxers wouldn't like them.

I just plan on kitting out my 5 man vanguard squads for fun. 2x lances w/ bolt pistol, 1x twin lightning claws (sgt), 1x axe w/ bolt pistol, 1x twin infernus pistols (because why not).

Or something like that. Either way, they are a really fun weapon to have if you play tactically.

I might put some in fast options. I would think of them as great in cases where I know (pretty sure) I'll get the charge and that I won't care about follow up rounds of combat. Bikes and jump troops sound like the perfect candidates.

The reason that power lances are generally shunned is that in order to be at their best, a unit with power lances has to be able to charge nearly every turn. This means that they either have to A) Have hit and run, or B), be reliably able to take out a unit in a single game-turns worth of combat, either by causing it to break or just wiping it out. Both types of units are rare, and the ability to take a large number of power weapons on them is even rarer. That being said, units that are able to take a lot of lances can completely ruin some opponents on the charge.

Hmm, I'm going to second lances on bikes, of all kinds. It just seems cool.

In fact, after reading this thread, I will now model my khornate bike squad champion with a power lance!

If they have FC Power Spears are nice. 30 JP Death Company with a power lance and pistols would be nice. Str 6 AP 3, 4-5 attacks on the charge...

 Deadshot wrote:
If they have FC Power Spears are nice. 30 JP Death Company with a power lance and pistols would be nice. Str 6 AP 3, 4-5 attacks on the charge...

That would wipe out 3 Trygons easily. Actually probably 3 full Carnifex broods if you could fit them.

30 Str 5 Hammer or Wraths, 150 Str 6 AP 3 attacks at Int 4, hitting majority ofthings on 4+ or 3+, and having 3+ and FNP to boot would wipe anything short of 10 Terminators, As would anything with Str 8 AP3-1 attacks, and a 2+ save. Even then its a Stretch.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Chuck Lemartes in for gaks and giggles. Rerolling hits and wounds :trollface:.

The problem with that then becomes "how much did I pay for that unit just to squelch 8 guardsmen?'

 Vaktathi wrote:
The problem with that then becomes "how much did I pay for that unit just to squelch 8 guardsmen?'

Its worth it. Don't tell mr its not. It shall kill any enemy without fail on the charge bar Termies.
Besides, how funny is it when you barrel into an enemy and your opponent says "I'll just move those out of you way. Go on, consolidate."

 Vaktathi wrote:
The problem with that then becomes "how much did I pay for that unit just to squelch 8 guardsmen?'

There is no such thing as overkill.

Good luck getting all 30 in btb from the charge for HoW - remember its only models in btb at I10 that make the attack

nosferatu1001 wrote:
Good luck getting all 30 in btb from the charge for HoW - remember its only models in btb at I10 that make the attack

Ok, I know. Don't be a spoil sport. Its more for the mental image than practicality.

Ahahahaha. When I read Power Lance then Necrons I thought of that new Named HQ with a lance. Forgot his name.

Power lances suck because they're only good on the charge - which is a problem because most assault units don't want to destroy the enemy immediately, they want to do it during the opponents' assault phase so they don't get shot at. Now your best chance with the lances is to kill a bunch of enemies and then hope they don't break and then somehow force a bunch of armour saves on whoever's left next round... which, of course, isn't reliable. I'd much rather take the other 2 main options.