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So what is your preferred power weapon, assuming you had all the bitz necessary to model any you wanted? I'll stick to the power sword - a decent jack of all trades.

I go power sword, for style for than anything else.

axe>maul>sword

obviously it depends on what you are putting it on - say for a champion with an invo save - give him the axe.

Probably Sword, Lance is outclassed by Maul if you stay stuck in, Maul is AP4 so not the best. Axe has best AP but why are you not paying more for a PF or TH if you're going last anyway?

 Frozocrone wrote:
but why are you not paying more for a PF or TH if you're going last anyway?

because it costs 10 points more AND you lose 1 attack as well.

No love for the spear?

Swords are classic, and I like them for that. And while their advantage is in a very niche situation (MEQ) you see a lot of them, so it’s worthwhile.

I do like the maul though. But mostly because it’s the weapon of choice for chaplains and librarians. I know librarians don’t need to use a force staff, but they look cool doing it. On my list of things to do is kitbash a few together for sergeants and VVs.

I see the apeal of axes, and use them from time to time for purely mechanical reasons. But I don’t like them.

 Frozocrone wrote:
Probably Sword, Lance is outclassed by Maul if you stay stuck in, Maul is AP4 so not the best. Axe has best AP but why are you not paying more for a PF or TH if you're going last anyway?

I agree with you here - PF is almost always better - but sometimes you just don't have the points - or don't want to draw attention to a unit. The +1 attack bonus from the axe is real nice.

I love my mauls.

i just think they look cool

Second pref is the Power fist and Power Axe.

Swords are the bar standard so i dont really care that much.

Depends on the army..with my Dark Eldar/Eldar I prefer lances for the style and hunting aspect it carries.

I don't use a single one in my marine army, Tau don't have them..

Power Maul it is for the priest in my Sisters of Battle though, S8 Smashing is sweeet~


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Or S5 with Ap2, but those priests are a special case after all

I'd go with power maul

Axe is poor mans power fist - its like a power fist until you fight a MC and its 5 or 6 to wound it, plus the MC will go first and kill you.

Sword is meh - problem with it is usually 4 or 5+ to wound.

Maul is nice cause 2+ to wound everything, insta death on toughness 3 characters, can wound MCs on a 4+, attacks at inititative, no armor saves for Orks, Tyranids etc who use alot of 4+ saves.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If you go with a power sword you might as well go with a lightning claw - reroll to wound is statistically better than +1 attack

I don't go with a lot of power weapons myself, if any, short of my Commissar Lord. It is a waste of points on anyone else.

I prefer the maul, the strength boost helps and the AP value is decent.

I would go sword if they were something more than just AP3. sure, I don't mind still having to roll 5s and 6s to wound, it's not like you're the one having to make rolls instead of me.

Axes are...ok, init 1 sorta hurts, but when your army is S/T/I 3, you're striking last anyway, if you ever strike at all.

Inquisitor Jex wrote:
I don't go with a lot of power weapons myself, if any, short of my Commissar Lord. It is a waste of points on anyone else.

I prefer the maul, the strength boost helps and the AP value is decent.

I would go sword if they were something more than just AP3. sure, I don't mind still having to roll 5s and 6s to wound, it's not like you're the one having to make rolls instead of me.

Axes are...ok, init 1 sorta hurts, but when your army is S/T/I 3, you're striking last anyway, if you ever strike at all.

I think the sword would of been interesting if they had like a 6+ perry save like in fantasy

Inquisitor Jex wrote:
I don't go with a lot of power weapons myself, if any, short of my Commissar Lord. It is a waste of points on anyone else.

I prefer the maul, the strength boost helps and the AP value is decent.

I would go sword if they were something more than just AP3. sure, I don't mind still having to roll 5s and 6s to wound, it's not like you're the one having to make rolls instead of me.

Axes are...ok, init 1 sorta hurts, but when your army is S/T/I 3, you're striking last anyway, if you ever strike at all.

If you play IG and want to equip your comissar lord, wouldnt an axe make more sense than the maul? Sure, -1S, but 4 isnt too bad and you get AP2 instead of AP4

Depends who you have it on and who you are playing. For example, there is little point on a blade encarmine axe on Sanguinary guard if fighting eldar as you will wound most things on a 2+ anyway with a sword and Eldar doesn't have a 2+ outside of Karandras (off the top of my head). If in a guard blob however, axe wins everyday since there are enough to avoid being challenged out and Guard need that +1s.

I've been considering recently taking vanguard with lances (proxy), the ones from the BA detachment with free power weapons and sticking Dante and a priest in the squad. Gives them 4 ws5 st6 ap3 attacks on the charge with hit and run and fnp. Dante and 2 axes dealing with ap2. Running the other squad as combat squads with 3 sword and 2 axe in each with a sprinkling of SS and MBs amongst them all.

It really depends on what I am doing in my preference of power weapon.

Black templar sword brethren? Maul. If I roll a 6 to wound in a challenge I get rending which means I basically get a discount thunderhammer.

White scar veteran sgt on a bike? Lance. looks cool, gets AP3 which is most likely what he will be going against and with hit and run the lowered effectiveness is actually a bonus because it helps keep me in combat through my opponent's turn.

Legion of the damned sgt? Axe. He's already slow and purposeful so a smart opponent will charge the squad to tie it up so three attacks at AP2 when he gets charged with a 3++ means he will hopefully live long enough to be able to swing back and get himself clear.

I prefer the maul, reason being that I usually give it (in force weapon form) to Sorcerers rolling on Biomancy, and S9 AP2 at initiative is really brutal.

Killing Power Armor guys really isn't all that difficult, and there are much better options for killing Heavy Infantry.


FWIW though, the only power weapon I'll actually pay points to put on a model is a Power Fist. Everything else - it depends on whether or not the model comes with it (like Sorcerers with Force Weapons, or Huron and his axe).

I Like fielding my Blood Angel Librarian in Terminator Armour with a Storm Shield a Force Axe. It makes him fantastic in challenges with a 2+, 3++ and an instant death ap2 weapon at str 6 on the charge.

 Sir Arun wrote:
So what is your preferred power weapon, assuming you had all the bitz necessary to model any you wanted? I'll stick to the power sword - a decent jack of all trades.

This has been discussed at length numerous times



The Maul is the best TAC choice, it always increases your damage, often substantially

The Sword is a specified 3+ armor weapon. If fighting anything other than 3+ armor without an invuln, you would probably rather have something else. That said there is a lot of 3+ armor out there.

The Ax is a specified 2+ armor weapon. It makes your strike last. When fighting thins not in 2+ armor, you would probably rather have something else. That said, 2+ armor is the kind of thing you might want to spend 15 points to help you with.

The Lance is very situation, requiring you charge and only really great against 3+ armor guys. Otherwise you would rather have a maul.


I got for a mix of mauls and axes usually. Unless the model is really cool looking.

It's a mix up of sword and maul for me. However, like Nuggs above me, I generally only pay for Power Fists/Thunder Hammers (because Smashfucker).

Sword. AP3 is usually good enough. AP4 never is in my game group. AP 2 doesn't suck, but going last sure does!

 Desubot wrote:

Inquisitor Jex wrote:
I don't go with a lot of power weapons myself, if any, short of my Commissar Lord. It is a waste of points on anyone else.

I prefer the maul, the strength boost helps and the AP value is decent.

I would go sword if they were something more than just AP3. sure, I don't mind still having to roll 5s and 6s to wound, it's not like you're the one having to make rolls instead of me.

Axes are...ok, init 1 sorta hurts, but when your army is S/T/I 3, you're striking last anyway, if you ever strike at all.

I think the sword would of been interesting if they had like a 6+ perry save like in fantasy

That would be real cool. like an additional FNP save?

on my bike squads with hit and run, the only power weapon is the power lance. Because knights.

Ravenwing w/ power lances has always performed well for me haha.

 Xenomancers wrote:

 Desubot wrote:

Inquisitor Jex wrote:
I don't go with a lot of power weapons myself, if any, short of my Commissar Lord. It is a waste of points on anyone else.

I prefer the maul, the strength boost helps and the AP value is decent.

I would go sword if they were something more than just AP3. sure, I don't mind still having to roll 5s and 6s to wound, it's not like you're the one having to make rolls instead of me.

Axes are...ok, init 1 sorta hurts, but when your army is S/T/I 3, you're striking last anyway, if you ever strike at all.

I think the sword would of been interesting if they had like a 6+ perry save like in fantasy

That would be real cool. like an additional FNP save?

Well Personally i would change the game and make invul saves exactly like ward saves in fantasy to help out terminators in this game. but in reality it would be a simple 6+ or a 1+ to existing invul only in CC or something dumb like that.

Whatever Gamesworkshop blumming well want you to use.

My Dark Eldar went power lance crazy, my Succubus had a power lance, my Reaver Jetbike Champion had a converted Power Lance, even my Hekatarii had Power Lances just because Dark Eldar used them so well.

Now? I can only use the sword. Why? Who in hell knows.

Well, I main Eldar and Dark Eldar, so in many cases the Power Weapon in question is already selected.

Of the choices listed: I prefer the Axe, especially if there are ablative wounds, or extra characters in the squad.

Although the Power Fist / Claw really is better.

I like the Sword. AP3 at initiative is very good. The others are good too, but are more situational and depend on who's carrying them and who they're fighting.

Although the initiative of the others is nice, the +1S can be invaluable vs tough armies, MC, and ICs. Plus, AP2. MMMMMMM.
Yes, avoid challenges, but it is especially good when mixed with other at-initiative CCWs.

It really depends. On a Sister of Battle, the axe is better than the sword in every way against most enemies, since you're going last anyway and S3 AP3 isn't that effective.

On anyone who can smash, the maul wins because AP.

The axe is actually better than a PF in situations where both wound on a 2, and the axe gets an extra attack for cheaper.

I'm always torn between a maul/staff and an axe on a sorc. On one hand, a maul lets you strike at ini and is better than anything else vs 4+ save and stuff with good invuls. On the other hand, an axe almost guarantees a kill against most things but you go last which is not great for a 2-wound 3+/4++ model.

Game testing shows that they're around the same in general and will depend on your foe. So, take whatever you like the most aestetically, i guess.

A sword is better than a LC on 1-attack models, equal to a LC on 2-attack models and worse on models with more attacks. So, if you have something like a VV with a sword - don't rush replacing it with a LC. Lance is theoretically not bad for fast guyz preferably with hit and run. But in actual games such guyz are rarely kitted for mellee, come stock with some sort of weapon or need something heavier than a lance.

Let's count the outcome of a lance vs a LC on a charging vanguard vet.

Lance - 4 attacks, LC - 3 attacks

vs t3:
lance - 2+ to wound - 3.333
LC - 3+ to wound, shred - 2.667

vs t4:
Lance - 3+ to wound - 2.667
LC - 4+ to wound with shred - 2.25

vs t5
Lance - 4+ to wound - 2
LC - 5+ to wound, shred -1.667

vs t6
Lance - 5+ to wound - 1.333
LC - 6+ to wound, shred - 0.917

vs t7
Lance - 6+ to wound - 0.667
LC - 6+ to wound, shred - 0.917

vs t8
Lance - 6+ to wound - 0.667
LC - can't wound

So, we see that Lance is mostly a bit better than a LC on a charge. But the fact that it looses it's effectiveness significantly when you're charged or in a second round, turns most people off as other power weapons are simply more forgiving.

I'm thinking power lance isnt too bad on a model with the mark of khorne since it has counter attack + rage so thats a lot of initial damage.