How to make Plasma Cannon Devastators work?

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**minigun762**

I've always liked these guys but they seem to occupy a narrow niche in an FOC slot that is normally used for tank busting.

**the_scotsman**

Use plasma servitors if you're hurting for FOC?

Can't you take them as basically "equipment" for a tech marine?

**Poly Ranger**

Don't do that - no need.

Techmarine + 2 servitors with plasma cannons = 110pts

Inquisitor + 3 servitors with plasma cannons = 85pts

Extra plasma cannon servitor, can then also take servo skulls which can help the scatter. Can also add lascannon/multimelta/heavy flamer apes, plasma gun acolytes and 3++ crusaders to the squad. Also it doesn't take up any allies slot.

**Fellstrom**

You have lost of other slots where you can take tank killers. Podding sternguards or ironclad, melta land speeders, tactical squads with missile/lascannon, razorbacks with lascannons. There are many other ways. Just modify rest of your army to fill that slot they take.

**Poly Ranger**

Remember though you are paying 45pts more for a single extra pc blast if you go devs over Inq servitors. Also means you won't have to modify your army much... just find 85 spare points. Also - if you buy a psyoculum, if you shoot at a psyker you will hit 53/54 times with each blast (auto hit with bigger based characters). There is no better accuracy in the game.

**DanielBeaver**

I rather like them, especially if I'm using Imperial Fists CTs (which gives them tank hunter, turning them into moderately useful AT) or Ultramarine (for one turn of Relentless). In particular, I find them more useful as a jack-of-all-trades weapons than the Missile Launcher, if only because it's AP2 and it forces your opponent to spread out his models (which does has value). The Get's Hot rule is not a big downside for Power Armor, as you're only losing a dude every 18 shots.

They do suffer from being a generalist weapon - they just won't do as much damage as other devastator weapons would against their intended targets.

**ninjafiredragon**

DanielBeaver wrote:
They do suffer from being a generalist weapon - they just won't do as much damage as other devastator weapons would against their intended targets.

I disagree, they are great at what they are meant for. Anti heavy-meduim armored troops. In fact, they are the best heavy weapons for killing troops in general I would say. The only thing they arent great for is anti tank, which isnt their intended target.

**BrotherOfBone**

They fill a very valuable niche, if you ask me. They absolutely destroy any infantry they hit, and they can also be used to snipe characters. They also basically provide all the AP2 you'll need in your army (bar anti-tank) and they have a small unit footprint, so they're easier to hide in cover.

**minigun762**

Would it be wasteful to run them in a bastion or bunker with the ammo dump?
Reroll those pesky 1's?

**throwoff**

I think the gets hot would still occur, as I understand it the reroll rule applies to missed shots, it does not negate a gets hot roll.

**Leth**

throwoff wrote:
I think the gets hot would still occur, as I understand it the reroll rule applies to missed shots, it does not negate a gets hot roll.

Gets hot says that if you have the ability to re-roll hits, you get to re-roll gets hot.

**cuss**

Since plasma cannon is a blast the get hot roll is separate from the roll to hit.

**Hammernator**

But you still get to re-roll it as per Gets Hot rules in BRB

**buddha**

If you play vanilla marines then grav centurions just perform the same role better. If you just love the models then add coteaz from the inquistion codex. 1) he creates a no-go zone to deepstrikers and with divination has a decent chance to get ignores cover which boosts them to insane. However, coteaz to grav cents also does the same thing but better so YMMV.

**UnadoptedPuppy**

Buffmander?

PC devs have the ability to delete most units in a single volley.

**Anpu42**

Yes Plasma Cannons do horrible things to most Armies. I run a 2k list with 33+ Plasma Weapons, including about a half dozen Plasma Cannons. Most armies just melt away.

**Zuul**

Anpu42 wrote:
Yes Plasma Cannons do horrible things to most Armies. I run a 2k list with 33+ Plasma Weapons, including about a half dozen Plasma Cannons. Most armies just melt away.

I winced when I read this.

**barnowl**

Was thinking about this this evening, as I run UM and Calgar. PC or MM dev in drop pod actually come abit cheaper in a Pod than PC/MM Sternguard and with the Devastator tactics hit just as hard may be harder thanks to one guy getting a BS5 and heavier weapons.

IF you happen to already run Calgar, then these guys will become an instant fire magnet, as no one wants that kind of firepower mobile a second turn in there back field.

**Anpu42**

Zuul wrote:
Anpu42 wrote:
Yes Plasma Cannons do horrible things to most Armies. I run a 2k list with 33+ Plasma Weapons, including about a half dozen Plasma Cannons. Most armies just melt away.

I winced when I read this.

And the reason I went 33+ is I am not counting all of the Combi-Plasmas with my Sternguard as only 1/2

2000 Points - Codex: Space Marines Roster

Spoiler:

I does well with a lot of missions, but Maelstrom Missions will make this one a difficult one without Combat Squading.

**minigun762**

Would it be better to split the plasma cannons up and pair them with plasma guns? Run them in MSU Crusader squads maybe.

**Anpu42**

minigun762 wrote:
Would it be better to split the plasma cannons up and pair them with plasma guns? Run them in MSU Crusader squads maybe.

That depends on many things:
>Your Opponent
>The Mission
>The Terrain Set Up
>Your Army List