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Sorry I'm new, idk if this is the place for this question.
Is there any purpose for a plasma pistol in a squad of CSM or Raptors, etc.? Meltaguns are higher strength, lower AP, and safer to use. Why is a plasma pistol more expensive? At first i thought its because a pistol counts as a ccw in combat, allowing for bonus attack, but then I realized in a unit of regular CSM, a meltagun and additional CCW are still cheaper than a plasma pistol. Can anyone explain this? Am I missing something obvious (or not obvious)?

Cause if they were cheap then everyone would get two. Then it would be CHAOS! gunslingers would be running around everywhere! oh wait it already is chaos...

Seriously though partially this and partially due to the fact that plasma pistols are sorta the same price everywhere even if that price doesn't always make sense.

Because 40k doesn't make sense in a great many situations. I honestly can't think of a reason why it would be more expensive.

If you fire a melta gun you can't assault(the entire squad that is). If you fire a plasma pistol you can assault. So different weapons for different situations.

If you plan on having a highly mobile gun squad, melta gun. If you want an assaulty force, plasma pistol. Melta guns go for the basic Marine squads while plasma pistols are more suited for raptors. Puzzle piece a Can fit in slot b, but works better in slot a. If your taking raptors and want to use them in assault, plasma pistols. Taking marine squads? Melta guns.

Thatguyhsagun wrote:
If you fire a melta gun you can't assault(the entire squad that is). If you fire a plasma pistol you can assault. So different weapons for different situations.

If you plan on having a highly mobile gun squad, melta gun. If you want an assaulty force, plasma pistol. Melta guns go for the basic Marine squads while plasma pistols are more suited for raptors. Puzzle piece a Can fit in slot b, but works better in slot a. If your taking raptors and want to use them in assault, plasma pistols. Taking marine squads? Melta guns.

False! lets provide the melta's profile to disprove this assumption:


Assault weapons can be fired and the unit that fired the assault weapon can still charge in the same turn. This is why the question was prompted: meltaguns has higher str, penetrates vehicles easier, you can still charge, and its cheaper, but you dont have 1 extra attack. The only advantage the plasma has is it counts as a ccw, but it is too expensive for the advantage it has.

Except a meltagun is an assault weapon, so you can still charge after you shoot.

Because a plasma pistol doesn't take up a special weapon slot, and it's generally issued to characters (who can allocate the wound on a to hit roll of 6).

Yes, this is a really lame excuse for its pricing and it really should be at least 5 points cheaper. But in the scope of things, it's hardly the most egregious point value blunder in the game right now.

Corollax wrote:
Because a plasma pistol doesn't take up a special weapon slot, and it's generally issued to characters (who can allocate the wound on a to hit roll of 6).

Yes, this is a really lame excuse for its pricing and it really should be at least 5 points cheaper. But in the scope of things, it's hardly the most egregious point value blunder in the game right now.

Amen, i will never bring devastators for that reason: the terrible pricing disparity between tacs and devs. Really, since he devs are supposed to bring heavy weapons, shouldn't they have cheaper heavy weapons than tac marines?

If Plasma Pistols were 10 points, I'd bring them more often. 5 points, I'd bring them on every sergeant with a power weapon. at 15 points, they stay on the sprue. Perhaps I'll model a few for apocalypse games, but that's it.

The point is for their probably to high price is that they give you an additional attack in cc. For Chaos thats no big deal as we can get this and a Meltagun for 3 points less, but for a SM Sergeant who gets an attack and a ranged attack thats way better than a Bolter if he is in range and as you normally want to double tap or the enemy is trying to assault you anyway you will end up in that range. So for them it's actually worth thinking about it, probably not worth 15 points but at least the consideration.
So it looks the price just got copy-pasted from the older books, not really considering their usefulness in the current Meta.

As a gimmick point: If you really like using your Bolt Pistols, you can shoot both the BP and the PP in one shooting phase. This is the only reason I could imagine taking one over said Meltagun tough. But I don't like Cowboys, so who care?

I run PP on all of my champions. They tend to be quite useful. 1 plasma shot can do a lot vs. TEQ and MCs. It's hardly ever a case of wanting to assault or not. More often I simply want the extra shot.

 kronk wrote:
If Plasma Pistols were 10 points, I'd bring them more often. 5 points, I'd bring them on every sergeant with a power weapon. at 15 points, they stay on the sprue. Perhaps I'll model a few for apocalypse games, but that's it.

Hah, they are in the SW codex and a Wolf Guard can take 2 to boot! Run him as a squad leader and then he gains precision shots.

Remember that while you can take the extra ccw you ave to do it for the whole squad... Not cheaper anymore!

 Massaen wrote:
Remember that while you can take the extra ccw you ave to do it for the whole squad... Not cheaper anymore!

No. The option is for any, not all.

1st, Plasma pistols can only go on champs, and Meltas can only go on troops. So you can never replace one with the other.

2nd, if you already have a Melta, a PP will simply increase the squad firepower.

But the 5 pt's!

Right, well thats because on a 6 to hit, you pick who dies. HW guy, sergeant, farseer (ID), etc. Melta's can't do that for Chaos ever. You also gain the +1A. Combined, it's worth 5 pts.

Also Noise Marines
Noise Marine assault squads with FNP, CCW's, Doom Siren+ PP and Psword. Preferably with a LR with Dirge Caster.

Here the PP helps, isn't redundant, and is mitigated by the FNP banner. It add's an AP 2 shot and provides some AV. The unit has no options for Meltas.

Now, I agree that they're gak, but for different reasons.

Chaos needs the low level IC's like sergeants alive so we can eat them in challenges and mutate into Daemon Princes. Precise shot might hurt in that specific case.

Furthermore, the combi plasma will fire about as many shots is a lot of cases for 5 pts less and you still get precise shot. If you can hold off to be inside half range this is the best way to go. If you blow it on a longe range shot, the PP is probably a better bet over the course of a game (unless you run gun line).


TL;DR- Precise shot and +1 A are worth 5 extra pts, and Noise Marines synergize well with them.

Actually you can take a Plasma Pistol for your first special weapon in the stock CSM squad. Obviously Raptors get them too and on them they are even worse as the Raptors even keep their Pistols when they get a special weapon but not if they get the PP. So no dualwielding here.

On Champs they are kinda ok as they're the only special weapons the Lords/Champs have access to with more than one shot. After some games I'm really considering leaving the DV Lord just as he is (He will get wings of course to hang out with the Raptors) and not converting the PP into the Burning Brand.

Your NoiseMarine Champ is costing quite a few points with Doomsiren, PP and Power Sword - considering he'll suicide challenge the first guy that gets into base2base. Can he even fire Doomsiren and PP in the same turn?

I'd rather save 10 points and get a combi-plasma, instead. An Aspiring Champion in a CSM squad already has the bonus attack from an extra CCW, and trading his bolter for a combi-plasma obviously doesn't affect this.

The plasma pistol makes slightly more sense on a power armor wolf guard, where choosing a combi-weapon means losing a bonus attack. But even at 10 points, it's still a questionable investment.

 deathholydeath wrote:

 Massaen wrote:
Remember that while you can take the extra ccw you ave to do it for the whole squad... Not cheaper anymore!

No. The option is for any, not all.

You are correct indeed! I assumed it was all or nothing...

 Sunoccard wrote:
I run PP on all of my champions. They tend to be quite useful. 1 plasma shot can do a lot vs. TEQ and MCs. It's hardly ever a case of wanting to assault or not. More often I simply want the extra shot.

If this is all you're worried about, the PP is virtually worthless to you. Just save 5pts and take a combi plasma gun and get 2 shots when you need it. Also if you're not assaulting after fireing your pistol I hope the job got done because you're getting assaulted in return.

The only time I see a PP being worth it is on Kharn.

Plasma Pistols just suck
They such on Independent characters, they suck on champions, they suck on Raptors, and they suck on Bezerkers.

it could be worse though, it could be a Blast Pistol


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 minigun762 wrote:
The only time I see a PP being worth it is on Kharn.

I see your Kharn and raise you mephiston

in the GK codex I can give a guy a plasma gun for 10pts, or the sme guy a plasma pistol for 15pts...


IDK why its more pts either...

the same would make sense, but not more