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.

How much Multi Meltas, and Combi-Meltas is enough for a "good rule" for a 1850 type of list? Where does it begin to be overboard? Does maximum Melta negate the need for long range heavy support?

At the moment I have in my (in-theroy) list and please assume I like to field Scouts, Sternguard and Landspeeders as Imperial Fists

6 Combi-Meltas and 6 Melta Bombs on 6 Units of Space Marine Scouts

2 Multi-Meltas on Landspeeder Storms

3 Combi-Meltas and 1 Melta Bomb on Sgt on 2 units of Drop Pod Sternguard Vets

2 Multi-Meltas on 2 vanilla Landspeeders

Thank you for your input

A lot depends on who you expect to see across the table. Melta is really needed for heavy/super heavy armor. For MC/GMCs you probably want grav instead.

You also run into density problems. It takes about 4 melta shots to reliably crack a tank. “Reliably” being a very subjective term. Things like your sternguard are good, because you are getting basically that in one squad. For things like the c-meltas on the scouts, you either need to be lucky, or cram them all around the target. Which might not even be physically possible.

If your melta is fast enough I could see it replaceing long range fire, but wouldn’t reccomend it. The advantage of things like LCs is they can reach a huge section of the table. For melta you need to spend time redeploying. For things like MMs on speeders (or bikes) you can cover a decent amount of ground, but it often isn’t enough. I like to keep a mix of both in my lists

Imp Fists get good Devs of you want some long range AV. If you want to keep with the units you listed, I might take a pair of TML/HB speeders. Not quite as good as a 4xLC tank hunting dev squad, but the pair of speeders can project fire all over the table, and can zip forward to take advantage of side armor shots.

Overall I think you have a decent volume of melta. Might be a little high, although dispersed poorly. I’d probably take a chunk of it off of the scouts, and boost the sternguard to 4-5 combis each. Are you basic speeders each double melta? Or just a singe. Doubling up makes them much more reliable.

I'd say you are overdoing the melta. Personally I like storms for shooting infantry so I never give them melta. Then the only places I really like melta is on sterngard (as they have the means to kill anything else with their ammo). Double melta speeders aren't bad ether and attack bikes are pretty good too. fact remains for me is - melta isn't actually that great for killing tanks - plasma does it better for the most part unless you are vs armor 13+ (which is really just imperial knights) and a melta stern squad in a pod will handle that easy.

tldl
You have too much melta IMO. Get some grav and plasma.

Thanks for the feedback about the meltagun-overload. I may shave off 4 of the combi-meltas on the scouts and put into the Sternguard.

Is paying up for 10 devastators worth it to combat squad them and have 2 units of 5 with 2 las cannons? Or should I just go for a 5 man squad?

 womprat49 wrote:
Is paying up for 10 devastators worth it to combat squad them and have 2 units of 5 with 2 las cannons? Or should I just go for a 5 man squad?

I’d not bother. 2 heavies is not doing much in today’s world, odds are you want to shoot all 4 at one target anyway. Adding bolter boys makes the squad a little tougher, but also way more expensive per shot.

Not worth it IMHO.

I'd go 5 man - The only time I add ablative wounds to dev squads is when I run a skyhammer annihilation force with 4 grav cannons in a single squad - it gives you the ability to combat squad and destroy 2 targets or force the enemy to kill 6 marines before they get a heavy (that really matters when its a 35 points grav cannon). With the Las cannons I think you are better off just keeping as a 5 man - they are cheaper and with 48 inch range gives you relative safety and low target priority. Set up in ruins and should have several turns of las fire.

I play sisters of battle so trust me when I say that if your list has less than 36 Melta shots in it (1000 pts obvi, any higher and we're getting into some REAL shooting) you have less than half the amount of melta you need.