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.

I'm putting together a new squad of vets to add to my Dark Angels, and I can't decide. Do I go 3x combi-melta/melta gun/multi melta, or combi-plas/plasma gun/plasma cannon? I'm leaning towards melta, but plasma is awfully tempting. My plan with them is basically to just to pod in and waste something valuable, sternguard style.

I'm currently running a Greenwing force (Lions Blade, 2x Demi Company and a naked scout squad). My Devs are Grav and ML, and I run my Tacs with 2x melta, plas, and grav. Additionally, I run a Command squad tooled for CC.

So, what to do? Any input would be appreciated.

Plasma, easily. Anything at AV13+ you got Grav for.

The exact opposite of what the previous guy said. Shooting grav at some vehicles can be quite effective yes, but only if they care about immobilized. Put 2 grav cannons into a squad of wyverns in cover and see what happens.

Grav is universally incredible, but excels at killing organic stuff and rendering transports and walkers inert.

Melta is great for offing stuff grav can't hurt well, artillery and other vehicles that don't care about being immobilized (even with rerolls you still are going for 6s after all) T4 multiwound models like Khorne dogs. Also, you will run into an imp knight eventually and you'll defo want melta then.

Plasma is dogsh**. It is less effective against everything with a 4+ or better save than grav, it's less effective against most ID-able multi would models than melta, it's worse against vehicles than melta and it's only marginally better against demon units with no armor saves an single wounds (it's best target) than BOLTERS All for the low low prices of murdering your own models most of the time.

TL: DR: Heavy grav, decent melta, F*** plasma.

4 plasma shots are going to do more to kill a Wyvern than 2 Melta shots.

 Bi'ios wrote:
I'm putting together a new squad of vets to add to my Dark Angels, and I can't decide. Do I go 3x combi-melta/melta gun/multi melta, or combi-plas/plasma gun/plasma cannon? I'm leaning towards melta, but plasma is awfully tempting. My plan with them is basically to just to pod in and waste something valuable, sternguard style.

I'm currently running a Greenwing force (Lions Blade, 2x Demi Company and a naked scout squad). My Devs are Grav and ML, and I run my Tacs with 2x melta, plas, and grav. Additionally, I run a Command squad tooled for CC.

So, what to do? Any input would be appreciated.

Don't take Veterans?

If you must, then melta, since grav will kill anything you need plasma for but superheavies probably need melta.

ERJAK wrote:
The exact opposite of what the previous guy said. Shooting grav at some vehicles can be quite effective yes, but only if they care about immobilized. Put 2 grav cannons into a squad of wyverns in cover and see what happens.

Grav is universally incredible, but excels at killing organic stuff and rendering transports and walkers inert.

Melta is great for offing stuff grav can't hurt well, artillery and other vehicles that don't care about being immobilized (even with rerolls you still are going for 6s after all) T4 multiwound models like Khorne dogs. Also, you will run into an imp knight eventually and you'll defo want melta then.

Plasma is dogsh**. It is less effective against everything with a 4+ or better save than grav, it's less effective against most ID-able multi would models than melta, it's worse against vehicles than melta and it's only marginally better against demon units with no armor saves an single wounds (it's best target) than BOLTERS All for the low low prices of murdering your own models most of the time.

TL: DR: Heavy grav, decent melta, F*** plasma.

2 grav cannons into any 3HP vehicle at BS4 kills them, on average. 10 shot, 6.667 hits, 1.11 6's, then another 0.925 with the grav amp re-roll and it's dead.

Grav at vehicles isn't even bad, it's one of the reasons why grav is broken.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
4 plasma shots are going to do more to kill a Wyvern than 2 Melta shots.

That's why he's taking vets with 3 combis and a special (and wasting his time with the heavy for some reason). 4 meltas should be reasonably confident of slagging a non-superheavy, either through HP or exploding. Even with 8 plasma shots, you're not going to be super confident against AV12 if your drop scatters badly.

Plasma or melta used to be an interesting trade off that got killed off by the abysmally designed GRAV weapons

 Drasius wrote:

 Bi'ios wrote:
I'm putting together a new squad of vets to add to my Dark Angels, and I can't decide. Do I go 3x combi-melta/melta gun/multi melta, or combi-plas/plasma gun/plasma cannon? I'm leaning towards melta, but plasma is awfully tempting. My plan with them is basically to just to pod in and waste something valuable, sternguard style.

I'm currently running a Greenwing force (Lions Blade, 2x Demi Company and a naked scout squad). My Devs are Grav and ML, and I run my Tacs with 2x melta, plas, and grav. Additionally, I run a Command squad tooled for CC.

So, what to do? Any input would be appreciated.

Don't take Veterans?

If you must, then melta, since grav will kill anything you need plasma for but superheavies probably need melta.

ERJAK wrote:
The exact opposite of what the previous guy said. Shooting grav at some vehicles can be quite effective yes, but only if they care about immobilized. Put 2 grav cannons into a squad of wyverns in cover and see what happens.

Grav is universally incredible, but excels at killing organic stuff and rendering transports and walkers inert.

Melta is great for offing stuff grav can't hurt well, artillery and other vehicles that don't care about being immobilized (even with rerolls you still are going for 6s after all) T4 multiwound models like Khorne dogs. Also, you will run into an imp knight eventually and you'll defo want melta then.

Plasma is dogsh**. It is less effective against everything with a 4+ or better save than grav, it's less effective against most ID-able multi would models than melta, it's worse against vehicles than melta and it's only marginally better against demon units with no armor saves an single wounds (it's best target) than BOLTERS All for the low low prices of murdering your own models most of the time.

TL: DR: Heavy grav, decent melta, F*** plasma.

2 grav cannons into any 3HP vehicle at BS4 kills them, on average. 10 shot, 6.667 hits, 1.11 6's, then another 0.925 with the grav amp re-roll and it's dead.

Grav at vehicles isn't even bad, it's one of the reasons why grav is broken.

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
4 plasma shots are going to do more to kill a Wyvern than 2 Melta shots.

That's why he's taking vets with 3 combis and a special (and wasting his time with the heavy for some reason). 4 meltas should be reasonably confident of slagging a non-superheavy, either through HP or exploding. Even with 8 plasma shots, you're not going to be super confident against AV12 if your drop scatters badly.

If you scatter badly, your Melta is more useless. Plasma enabled use outside of 6".

If you need to deliver Melta, just use Bikers or Speeders.