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.

Why does no one use them?

I can understand the want for MEQ to utilize Power swords with their average stats...for guard to use Power Axes with their lower Initiative...but Power Mauls and Lances seem to be ideal weapons for high intiative low strength models.

Personally I am looking at a maul or lance for my Swooping Hawk Exarch.

Do any of you put mauls or lances in you army?

I use mauls on my Death Cult Assassins, combined with either an axe or sword. The problem with Axes on normal guys is that there are so many MEQs, and unless you can swap out for lower AP when you are facing them the high strength isn't often worth it. With that in mind, the maul can be awesome.

If I don't want to use an axe for the sake of sacrificing initiative, I almost always use a Maul. They are almost universally better than the power sword.

Wielded by a WS 4 T4 model with 2 attacks, Against 3+ save models with T4 and no invul they are about half as effective as Power swords, at T5 they are 2/3rds as effective, at T6 they are equally effective.

Against any model without a 3+ save, the Maul is better (and doubles out T3)

against a 3+ save model with a 5++ save the maul is almost equivalent, and if that model has a 4++, the maul is slightly better.

I use them all the time.

For my Blood Angels my Company Master uses a Power Lance/Spear. Unless I am Assaulting Terminators [and I just don’t do that] the initial I5 S5 AP3 Attacks lets him win most Challenges.

With my Space Wolves I use both.
Thunderlord: Power Lance/Power Axe, this gives me a lot of S6 Attacks.
Thunderlord: Power Maul/Frost Axe, this gives me a lot of S7 Attacks.

I have a number of my Wolf Guard with both Power Mauls and Power Lance/Spears.
This is my Njal’s Bodyguard.
1x Frost Blade
3x Power Swords [One with Cyclone]
2x Power Mauls [One with Cyclone]
2x Power Spear/Lances
2x Power Axes

My Nurgle biker champion uses a spear because I can always get the charge and cause some serious damage in a duel. My nurgle biker sorc uses a force staff (aka maul) for some str6 attacks combined with his hammer of wrath to also cause some good damage. So yeah, they are good and I like to use'em.

Honestly, these days Power Mauls and Power Axes (rarely) are the only Power Weapons I use.

Power Mauls are better than Power Swords against everything but MEQ (it is better at TEQ as it's more likely to wound).

Power Axes can reliably take out TEQ, but not much else thanks to I1

And Lances... well they just suck.

I also have my Guard Squads set up with a Commissar with Power Maul and my Platoon Leader/Sergeants with a Power Sword [These are WYSIWYG Metal Figures]. They give me the option of Inflicting wounds or ignoring 3+ Saves.

Spears on vanguard vets can be pretty handy, especially after the hit furious charge took. As long as you have a priest nearby you are getting +2 to str on the charge at I5, which is great with all those attacks. You can wipe out MEQ in seconds. An expensive unit, sure, but pretty effective.

The power maul is the TAC choice. The axe always strikes last and the sword is a specialist weapon only good for 3+ saves. The maul is always helpful.

The lance is poorly conceived

 WhiteWolf01 wrote:
Spears on vanguard vets can be pretty handy, especially after the hit furious charge took. As long as you have a priest nearby you are getting +2 to str on the charge at I5, which is great with all those attacks. You can wipe out MEQ in seconds. An expensive unit, sure, but pretty effective.

My though on that:
Vanguard Vets [Storm Shields] {Jump Packs?]
Sarrge: Rellic Blade
Rest: Power Spears
And of course the Battle Cry:
"FOR SPARTA"

 Anpu42 wrote:

 WhiteWolf01 wrote:
Spears on vanguard vets can be pretty handy, especially after the hit furious charge took. As long as you have a priest nearby you are getting +2 to str on the charge at I5, which is great with all those attacks. You can wipe out MEQ in seconds. An expensive unit, sure, but pretty effective.

My though on that:
Vanguard Vets [Storm Shields] {Jump Packs?]
Sarrge: Rellic Blade
Rest: Power Spears
And of course the Battle Cry:
"FOR SPARTA"

So then...these guys maybe? (my own creation, thus my own experience with the spears)

 Exergy wrote:
The power maul is the TAC choice. The axe always strikes last and the sword is a specialist weapon only good for 3+ saves. The maul is always helpful.

The lance is poorly conceived

At first the Power Lace Spear look bad, however if used properly it can be an quite effective. Mostly for Dealing with 3+ Characters in Duels; My Company Champion usually takes out whatever is susceptible to a Challenge. I have found though a Second Power Weapons of some sort helps also to deal with the 2nd Assault Phase.
Example:
The Blood Champion Assaults [and the rest of the Honor Guard] a Marine Squad, he will get 4 [5 with the Banner] Attacks vs. the Sergeant. These will hit on a 3+, Wound on a 3+, AP3 Attacks, most likely killing the Sergeant outright, while the rest of the Honor Guard deals with the Squad. This will also work for most Characters.

I think they should have given it a +1 to Initiative, but it is a very uesfull weapon.

I've been simplifying my PW logic.  Currently I'm giving weapons, if any, based on beating a mirror match. So basic CSM champion gets a single claw to maximize odds against another basic MEQ squad leader.

That said,  the most common upgrade I'm handing out is melta bombs.

You think a Maul or Lance is worth using on my Swooping Hawk Exarch?

10 points is a steep price if I don't think I'll be using it every game.

 ductvader wrote:
You think a Maul or Lance is worth using on my Swooping Hawk Exarch?

10 points is a steep price if I don't think I'll be using it every game.

would go with the Power Lance and Hit and Run.

Considering hawks should never be in melee, it would be a wasted upgrade. However, if i had to chose one i would take a maul simply because it may be better to use a maul vs AV10 rear rather than a haywire grenade. Hawks will die in melee vs anything that locks them, so its not like a power weapon changes anything.

Well I do have Baharroth in the unit...while this doesn't make assault a great option...it increases the likelihood of it happening.

I thought about using them on helliarch, S4 on a charge, S5 with S+1 drug/FC, S6 with both, as hellions aren't meant to be charging TEQ anyway, so I figure that would work quite well, and they also get the boosted hit-n-run with Baron... But as 6th ed hits, I went for beast pack instead... Might try it with an unit of wych/succubus may be...

I don't think lance is as bad as some people made it out to be, it all depends on the purpose of the unit and the army you're playing as/against. As DE, I'd prefer to keep my high initiative, and since I'd hardly use my assault units to fight 2+ units, an AP3 weapon that gives +1S on charge is better than an AP2 weapon that gives +1S in exchange of low initiative, I just have to hope/make sure that when I charge, I'll win combat!

Eldar and BA seem to be the best places for a Power Lance.