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Ok, I don't know if there were discussions on this topic already, but I've run into a problem while making a loadout for the ruststalker princeps:
By default he has a transonic razor and a chordclaw and none of those are specialist weapons, so he would get +1 melee attack due to having 2 melee weapons. However, if I wish to add a dataspike to his loadout the dataspike itself has specialist weapon rule, which states: A model fighting with this weapon does not receive +1 Attack for fighting with two weapons unless it is armed with two or more Melee weapons with the Specialist Weapon rule.
So, I can already see an argument point here - there are two ways to interpret this wording:
1)Fighting with means using this weapon in combat, so you lose +1 attacks only when attacking something with the dataspike (which compensates itself due to dataspike special rule, but that's a different story)
2)Fighting with means having this weapon equipped, because, well, technically you are still fighting with having this weapon in your loadout. This means you are losing +1 attacks in any case, which sounds kinda wrong - I'm buying a weapon to lose attacks? What?
Now, you can refer to the fact that the rule does seem to differentiate fighting with and being armed with a weapon in favor of the first option, but I can still see why this wouldn't convince some people.
So, what's you opinion on this, guys?

Have you read the Dataspike rule that the Prehensile Dataspike has? It clearly answers you question for you.

The dataspike rule only says that a model with dataspike gets an additional dataspike attack at initiative step 10. But what if I wish to use the chordclaw as my melee weapon? Do I still lose +1 attacks for 2 not specialist weapons, even thought I'm not actually using the dataspike and have no control over dataspike rule activating? Can I choose not to make this attack at I step 10, so I wouldn't get the penalties?

No. It says when the model makes its Melee attacks, it makes an additional attack with the spike. Its not really a selectable weapon to use, all it does is provide an extra Attack at I10 and using the profile given.

So I still lose 1+ attacks for 2 non-specialist weapons, since I basically have to make an attack at initiative step 10 with the dataspike and it has specialist weapon special rule?

See now this raises a question - how are using the dataspike rule without using the dataspike? If its a melee weapon, don't you need to be using it to have access to the special rules?

It says When a model equipped with a weapon that has this special rule makes Melee attacks, it makes an additional attack with this weapon at the Initiative 10 step. This does not grant the model an additional Pile In move.
So I guess it just stabs a guy on it's own? This seems kinda weird.

Liberal_Perturabo wrote:
It says When a model equipped with a weapon that has this special rule makes Melee attacks, it makes an additional attack with this weapon at the Initiative 10 step. This does not grant the model an additional Pile In move.
So I guess it just stabs a guy on it's own? This seems kinda weird.

Right the special rule requires you to only be equipped, but (like some of the Harlequin weapons), you would have to actually use the weapon in combat to use the special rule.

This reminds me of another weapon; the Axe of Blind Fury from the vanilla chaos space marine codex.

It lowers the bearer's BS by 1, which, if we go with the 'only comes into effect while using the weapon's statline in combat' line of thought means it would never actually lower the bs of the model at a meaningful point in time.

 Happyjew wrote:

Right the special rule requires you to only be equipped, but (like some of the Harlequin weapons), you would have to actually use the weapon in combat to use the special rule.

Well, doesn't it technically count as being used at initiative step 10? I mean, the rule specifically says that a model gets to attack with this weapon, rather than a model getting a simple S User AP5 attack

Liberal_Perturabo wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:

Right the special rule requires you to only be equipped, but (like some of the Harlequin weapons), you would have to actually use the weapon in combat to use the special rule.

Well, doesn't it technically count as being used at initiative step 10? I mean, the rule specifically says that a model gets to attack with this weapon, rather than a model getting a simple S User AP5 attack

If so, then Multiple Weapons prevents you from using a different weapon to attack with.

 Happyjew wrote:

Liberal_Perturabo wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:

Right the special rule requires you to only be equipped, but (like some of the Harlequin weapons), you would have to actually use the weapon in combat to use the special rule.

Well, doesn't it technically count as being used at initiative step 10? I mean, the rule specifically says that a model gets to attack with this weapon, rather than a model getting a simple S User AP5 attack

If so, then Multiple Weapons prevents you from using a different weapon to attack with.

Oh, I just realized I ignored your statement about getting access to special rules via choosing to use a weapon, sorry about that.
So it would seem that you'd only get and extra initiative step 10 attack when choosing to use a dataspike as your weapon.
It also seems to make more sense, because I can't imagine the intention for writing a rule for it being permanently forcing a model to use it all the time.

Liberal_Perturabo wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:

Liberal_Perturabo wrote:

 Happyjew wrote:

Right the special rule requires you to only be equipped, but (like some of the Harlequin weapons), you would have to actually use the weapon in combat to use the special rule.

Well, doesn't it technically count as being used at initiative step 10? I mean, the rule specifically says that a model gets to attack with this weapon, rather than a model getting a simple S User AP5 attack

If so, then Multiple Weapons prevents you from using a different weapon to attack with.

Oh, I just realized I ignored your statement about getting access to special rules via choosing to use a weapon, sorry about that.
So it would seem that you'd only get and extra initiative step 10 attack when choosing to use a dataspike as your weapon.
It also seems to make more sense, because I can't imagine the intention for writing a rule for it being permanently forcing a model to use it all the time.

I forget the full arguments behind it, and I agree. Otherwise, a number of weapons don't work as intended (such as the Axe of Blind Fury, or weapons that grant the bearer Fearless).

Edited for Derp.