Handedness

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**Jimsolo**

So, in 40k, there's quite a number of models who fight with a pistol and melee weapon.

Here's my question: which do you think would go in the dominant hand? The pistol, or the melee weapon?

**greyknight12**

It's much easier to shoot with your non-dominant hand than swing a sword with it. Hence GoT spolier ahoy !

Spoiler:

but you see spies in movies shoot with either hand all the time

**Swastakowey**

Ranged in off hand, melee in correct hand.

Ever tried playing with nerf guns and light sabers the other way around? Its very hard to block darts and parry other light sabers with the wrong hand. It is easy to shoot with the wrong hand however.

**Jimsolo**

greyknight12 wrote:
It's much easier to shoot with your non-dominant hand than swing a sword with it. Hence why Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) worries he'll be forever ineffective as a king's guard but you see spies in movies shoot with either hand all the time

Inigo and Westley are both snickering.

**LumenPraebeo**

A true warrior 40,000 years in the future learns to fight ambidextrously, on any surface, in any atmosphere, in any position, including upside down and dodging lava droplets under you from burning your head off, while running for your life from a ticking time bomb with laser fire flying all around you.

**Spetulhu**

Pistol in dominant hand. If you have to use the melee weapon you've already made some grave error.

**Farseer Anath'lan**

Spetulhu wrote:
Pistol in dominant hand. If you have to use the melee weapon you've already made some grave error.

If you're relying on the pistol you've made a grave error.

Most models have pistol in left, melee in right. By todays standards that'd be pistol in off, melee in stronger hand. Of course, there is the possibility that all the races in the universe have become dominantly left handed.

**BrianDavion**

Space Marines at least are noted as being ambidexterious

**changerofways**

Jimsolo wrote:
So, in 40k, there's quite a number of models who fight with a pistol and melee weapon.

Here's my question: which do you think would go in the dominant hand? The pistol, or the melee weapon?

Well if you could help it i'd imagine you'd have your pistol in your main hand and then when you suspect close quarters fighting is afoot switch them.

If you want to be prepared for anything, go for sword in main hand, because you don't need your best accuracy in battle, just fire at the dude. You don't lose too much accuracy, where as fighting off handed with a sword is nigh impossible.

But then, I suppose the galaxies best soldiers are trained to fight with both hands. This whole thread, it could be debated, is moot.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

BrianDavion wrote:
Space Marines at least are noted as being ambidexterious

Yes, this.

**TheCustomLime**

Use both hands to fire your gun so you'll hit something.

**jhe90**

You forget space marines power armour.

That alone means they can use both arms with equal strength, speed and capibilty.

**liquidjoshi**

I think it would come down to firer's preference. Personally, I'd have the sword in my dominant hand and fire the pistol in my off hand. I imagine it varies from fighter to fighter.

**troa**

Depends on how they're trained to shoot and fight. Shooting actually works off which eye is dominant, not which hand, which can be different. Regardless, you can train yourself to be effective switching, it would just take awhile (which presumably you'd have if you're training). It's a matter of retraining muscle memory.

That being said...My guess is dominant hand goes melee, other hand goes pistol.

**Alexi**

Pistol in main hand to get as many kills as possible at range then switch to use precise stabs and slice and bludgoen with off hand

**Exergy**

Farseer Anath'lan wrote:
Of course, there is the possibility that all the races in the universe have become dominantly left handed.

or were never right handed to begin with...

Necrons appear to all be right handed though, surely something the C'tan took extra care for.

**Farseer Morlengal**

In my brief experience doing Martial Arts, Shifu asked me which hand is dominant then stated every move-set I learn will be with my non-dominant hand/ foot/ side. Strengthen your weakness. And once you pick something up off-handed, you can naturally just switch hands (still don't understand why). Since then, it's just comfortable for me to wield melee in my off-hand, especially since I tend to favor ranged combat (in Nerf fights, being the nerd I am). I imagine most armies in would employ a similar strategy of learning everything with both hands.

liquidjoshi wrote:
I think it would come down to firer's preference. Personally, I'd have the sword in my dominant hand and fire the pistol in my off hand. I imagine it varies from fighter to fighter.

However, I agree that it probably varies from fighter to fighter.

**kinratha**

I feel like i would change depending on the situation. if I'm charging something/someone ill have the sword in my dom hand. if im guarding something then ill have the gun in the dom hand

**AegisGrimm**

In the American Civil War they expected melee to still be important, so it was standard for officers to wield their saber in the dominant hand. Right-handed holsters (as in, left hip- grip pointing forward)were somewhat uncommon, becuase pistols were automatically meant to be on the right hip and drawn for use with the left hand. Holdout from the fact that the days of melee combat were not long before that.

**Thorgrim Bloodcrow**

I'm no expert but from what I've seen of 40K battlefields in the artwork and everything. I think you could just have your ranged weapon in your non-dominant hand and fire indeterminately and you're pretty much guaranteed to hit something on the other side of the field. Especially considering that half the things you'd face out there are about as large as a house. I think there's an old analogy about a barn and it having a broad side.

**Melissia**

jhe90 wrote:
You forget space marines power armour.

No, I just don't give a gak. The topic did not mention Space Marines, and really, they're irrelevant anyway.

I would think melee main hand, pistol off-hand is more common. The dominant hand would probably have a bit more strength to use the melee weapon with. That said, it'd be better to wield two melee weapons or one rifle than melee/pistol.

**Steve steveson**

Pistol in off hand every time if you have two weapons.

A pistol is really not effective at anything you would class as "range". The effective range of a pistol is only about 50m maximum, realistically for most people 30m. If anyone is within that range you do not have time to swap hands, and whilst with training you can overcome some of the issues with handedness your much better using having more control over the sword, where fine control and more strength helps, and the pistol shooing in approximately the right direction than the other way round.

**Banzaimash**

Ranged in the off hand, melee in the dominant; I suppose it takes more skill to swing a sword than point and shoot with a pistol, so the dominant hand would be best suited to wielding the melee weapon.

**Happyjew**

I say other.

Ranged weapon in the lower hand slots, melee weapons in the upper.

TMCs are fun for just this reason. Now if only Tyranids had pistols...

**greyknight12**

As someone who has shot pistol competively it's more about your dominant eye than hand. Whereas I think you'd want your strongest side to be hitting someone with a sword.

And touché Jimsolo, well played.

**Ailaros**

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/595068.page

For me, it's melee in dominant hand, pistol in off-hand, but it's easy for me because my dominant eye isn't the same as my dominant hand.

If they were, I'd keep the pistol in my dominant hand. I'd probably be doing a lot of shooting, and less close combatting. As in, I'd be able to get off several shots before I'd need to get in my first swing. I'd rather those shots be more accurate so I'd be less likely to get into close combat in the first place.

Yeah, I'm going to be less deft with my off-hand, of course, but it's not like you're going to be parrying a chainsaw sword attack from an ork or MEq anyways. They're just going to crump you. Or worse, be a version of eldar and just completely outfight you even if you were swinging with your dominant hand, so either way, you're sort of just screwed.

Plus, you can still use a hand gun from sword engagement ranges. Once again, I'd want to have the longer ranged weapon in the more accurate hand. Just makes more sense as far as killing someone before he eviscerates me is concerned.

If I was really that concerned about always fighting with my dominant hand, I'd likely throw my pistol at the last second (which would definitely need my dominant hand), and then switch while he's getting distracted by being hit in the face with a hand gun.

**Jimsolo**

Ailaros wrote:
http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/595068.page

For me, it's melee in dominant hand, pistol in off-hand, but it's easy for me because my dominant eye isn't the same as my dominant hand.

If they were, I'd keep the pistol in my dominant hand. I'd probably be doing a lot of shooting, and less close combatting. As in, I'd be able to get off several shots before I'd need to get in my first swing. I'd rather those shots be more accurate so I'd be less likely to get into close combat in the first place.

Yeah, I'm going to be less deft with my off-hand, of course, but it's not like you're going to be parrying a chainsaw sword attack from an ork or MEq anyways. They're just going to crump you. Or worse, be a version of eldar and just completely outfight you even if you were swinging with your dominant hand, so either way, you're sort of just screwed.

Plus, you can still use a hand gun from sword engagement ranges. Once again, I'd want to have the longer ranged weapon in the more accurate hand. Just makes more sense as far as killing someone before he eviscerates me is concerned.

If I was really that concerned about always fighting with my dominant hand, I'd likely throw my pistol at the last second (which would definitely need my dominant hand), and then switch while he's getting distracted by being hit in the face with a hand gun.

Yeah, that post was what inspired this poll. Thanks for finding it for me!

**Ailaros**

Technically, that other thread started an hour and a half before this one did...

Anyways, as this is the background forum, I'm a little curious about left-handed models in BL books, fluff, etc.

**Pyeatt**

Swastakowey wrote:
Ranged in off hand, melee in correct hand.

Ever tried playing with nerf guns and light sabers the other way around? Its very hard to block darts and parry other light sabers with the wrong hand. It is easy to shoot with the wrong hand however.

^This... I approve

**morpheuschild**

Jimsolo wrote:
greyknight12 wrote:
It's much easier to shoot with your non-dominant hand than swing a sword with it. Hence why Jaime Lannister (Game of Thrones) worries he'll be forever ineffective as a king's guard but you see spies in movies shoot with either hand all the time

Inigo and Westley are both snickering.

hahahahahaha! this^.

**Jimsolo**

Ailaros wrote:
Technically, that other thread started an hour and a half before this one did...

Anyways, as this is the background forum, I'm a little curious about left-handed models in BL books, fluff, etc.

Background seemed appropriate. I made this thread to see if the majority of people agree with me. (For once, they do!) Which would mean that two out of the five assault marines, and all Dark Eldar wyches, are left handed. So that I could happily take the news to the other left-handed thread.