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Sternguard run around with pimp-ass bolters, while terminators, the Imperium's mightiest warriors, cruise around with glorified pea shooters. Why don't they just give the better guns to the better, heavier armoured soldiers?

It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

I have a feeling that giving termies specialist ammo like the sternguard would make the latter redundant. Why take sternguard when you can have a unit that is more durable, has better effective moving range, and has a power weapon (usually fist) on all models? This would make termies a death star unit, and might not work very well. However, I'm seeing a possibility that, for a points cost, an upgrade could be taken. Would get expensive fast, but that would be interesting to try out. I may test this when I get the chance.

Stormbolters are peashooters?

I wouldn't mind if Terminators got special ammo, but damn would they be expensive then.

 BryllCream wrote:
Sternguard run around with pimp-ass bolters, while terminators, the Imperium's mightiest warriors, cruise around with glorified pea shooters. Why don't they just give the better guns to the better, heavier armoured soldiers?

they're called combi-weapons.

Welcome to CSM. Nonsense like that was purged from their ranks long ago.

 Super Ready wrote:
It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

Particularly when your other hand is covered in a weapon capable of crushing a tank.

How are terminators better warriors than sternguard? They come from the same unit, the equipment they use to do their job depends on the job they're doing that day.

Game balance is the only logical answer.

We have given a lot of rules a facelift however, and our main Deathwing player can use 2 specialty rounds in his command squad for a price. It's not OP, but I guess that conversation is for proposed rules.

Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

I guess it's what the Codex Astartes says. Veterans shall not have special ammo when using Terminator armor, but may use it if deployed in standard power armor.

Rumbleguts wrote:
Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

Psybolt ammo doesnt affect psycannons. Logically dont you think S8 AP4 Heavy 4 Psycannons with Rending on Relentless terminators with Force Weapons would be a bit ridiculous?

Rumbleguts wrote:
Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

Psycannons do not get psybolts. They already have psybolts, hence the "psy" in their name.

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

Rumbleguts wrote:
Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

Psycannons do not get psybolts. They already have psybolts, hence the "psy" in their name.

Tbh i'm think he might mean that a psycannon is like an upgraded assault cannon due to similar stats but +1 str and easier to use while moving for normal troops.

I'd like to think its based more on mechanics than balance.

Do Sternguard with storm bolters have special ammunition?

Despite being described and modeled as two bolters glued together the SB is more like a machine gun, it shoots a lot and relatively indiscriminately. The Bolter is a rifle, capable of fast suppressive fire or steady aimed shots. In my mind Sternguard represent the latter when using special munitions.

 Super Ready wrote:
It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

They could technicly do it just like normal troopers do today. My dad told me that when they wanted to set fire to something , they just loaded they ak's with incindery ammo every 5th or 3ed bullet depending on how much they wanted stuff to burn and how much special ammo they had with them.

They also got so they can change clips automatically. Atleast in the roleplaying games so wouldn't be too hard for a terminator to se the same. But for game balance i think it's fine the way it is.

Rumbleguts wrote:
Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

S8 psycannons are a thing now?

Fenric wrote:

 CthuluIsSpy wrote:

Rumbleguts wrote:
Play Grey Knights. They can all upgrade their bolter type ammo (which also affects their psycannons at no additional cost) at 20 points for the unit, so 2 points per man for a 10 man squad, of terminators.

And their "regular" troops are stock with storm bolters and force weapons.

But I'm not bitter.

Psycannons do not get psybolts. They already have psybolts, hence the "psy" in their name.

Tbh i'm think he might mean that a psycannon is like an upgraded assault cannon due to similar stats but +1 str and easier to use while moving for normal troops.

No, he didn't. I bolded the part where he said that psycannons can get psybolts.

 Super Ready wrote:
It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

That is what the servitors are for.

 DeathReaper wrote:

 Super Ready wrote:
It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

That is what the servitors are for.

Except on the battlefield they aren't going to be able to load, not to mention the fact that Servitors are finicky unless controlled by those with instructions for them..Like Tech-Marines.

 ZebioLizard2 wrote:

 DeathReaper wrote:

 Super Ready wrote:
It's not the bolters that are special, it's the ammo. I imagine its a royal pain in the backside swapping out mags in a dual-fed gun every other moment whilst clad in the thickest armour known to man...

That is what the servitors are for.

Except on the battlefield they aren't going to be able to load, not to mention the fact that Servitors are finicky unless controlled by those with instructions for them..Like Tech-Marines.

And ofc, Terminators can fight in places where the poor servitors would die just from exposure to the environment.

Nope, I made a mistake. Only bolt pistols, bolters, stormbolters, heavy bolters, autocannons, assault cannons, and hurricane bolter are affected. I had forgotten that psycannons cannot be upgraded with psybolt ammunition, it probably does come standard with it, but I don't see that in the fluff.

Don't psycannons fire psychically charged projectiles?

BladeSwinga wrote:
This would make termies a death star unit,.

Termies aren't a deathstar unit?

Well, for an in-game reason, I'd guess because it's really hard to swap out magazines with a powerfist. Sternguard carry multiple magazines of specialized ammunition and switch them out for the targets. A powerfist is entirely too large and clumsy to swap out a magazine, which is one of the reasons why Terminators carry Stormbolters with massive box magazines.

Beyond that, I'd just say game balance. If Terminators could take special ammo they'd either be so expensive that nobody would ever use them, or so good that nobody would ever use Sternguard. It gives Sternguard a dedicated role that's markedly different than Terminators, and I'd like to see it kept that way.

 BryllCream wrote:
Sternguard run around with pimp-ass bolters, while terminators, the Imperium's mightiest warriors, cruise around with glorified pea shooters. Why don't they just give the better guns to the better, heavier armoured soldiers?

pick any number of reasons.

(1) game balance.
(2) try and swap out magazines when your other hand is a powerfist.
(3) they lost the STC file.
(4) they've never had them before - its always been standard issue bolter rounds.
(5) who needs all these ammo types? they're there for the special effects only- I've got a powerfist to do the real hurting!
(6) give them to termies, then what makes sternguard special?

I don't think the sternguard are swapping out clips. If you look at the models it's more likley that they have several different types of ammo in those boxes, and they use a fire selector to which type of ammo to fire.

and OT, because Terminators are supposed to be assault (close combat) troops, and sternguard are ranged support. Basically, the terminators have the storm bolters to spray their enemies with large quantities of ammo while charging in, to keep the enemies pinned down. Why waste all that valuable special ammunition when it is just being used to saturate an area and regular bolt shells do just as good a job of it? It makes a lot more sense to give it to units who's role it is to take down enemy units using ranged weapons and need to adapt to changing combat circumstances.