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Rather than being a one use a game ability like it used to be, it's more like a Smash attack where you make a single attack.

Weapon is naturally S+2, AP3, "Melee, Concussive, Smite."
Smite: "When a model equipped with this weapon makes its close combat attacks, it can choose instead to make a single Smite attack. If it does so, roll To Hit as normal but resolve the Attack at Strength x2, AP2."

Does that mean Sx2 AP2 as it's own new weapon profile, or on top of the benefits of a Mace of Absolution? Basically, does this mean I'm making a S8 AP2 hit, or a S10 AP2 Concussive hit?

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You're still attacking with the weapon, so I don't see why you wouldn't also benefit from the +2 from the default profile of the weapon. For what it's worth, the manager from the local GW hobby center in Las Vegas was who gave me that take on the weapon and the other 6 people down at the shop at the time also agreed so it's how we play it locally apparently. Just curious on Dakka's take.

There's also the point it was S10 last book, and it'd be written the way it currently is to make it so you could potentially lower the power of the attack by way of maledictions or whatever other shenanigans are out there that lower strength of units. Doesn't make a lot of sense to just be a single power fist strike when you could bring a regular ol' terminator to do that for less points.

a powerfist that strikes at initiative and concussive mind.

That's how we are playing it too.

It doesn't say that you replace the weapon profile, just that you double your strenght. Same thing as smashing with a MC, you still get to use your weapon.

Instead.

Normal attacks are full number s+2 ap 4(assuming normal powet maul) applying 2 weapon bonus attack and charge bonus when applicable.

Making the smash attack is done instead of normal attacks and is simply, as stated by above posters, a single power-fist attack without unwieldy.

I should hope the weapon is no more than a power weapon in cost; and then isn't worth it on a termie captain/any chaplain(unless maybe 5 points just because: different)

 Kommissar Kel wrote:
I should hope the weapon is no more than a power weapon in cost; and then isn't worth it on a termie captain/any chaplain(unless maybe 5 points just because: different)

It's not available via the wargear lists, it's exclusive to Deathwing Knights. Given that they all have storm shields, the unit comes in at less than an equivalent unit of Deathwing Terminators with TH/SS, but with some additional special rules.

I would play it as a S8 Ap2 attack with concussive. I see it as telling you what the new statline is for wounding. They don't mention concussive as that wouldn't matter in terms of wounding.
This is purely HIWPI though. Besides, they could have just said S10 ap2 if they wanted to make it S10.

Or +6s like it used to be.

If it is S+2x2 (combining the rules in the special rule with the profile) what is it's Ap? The Ap2 has no more (or less) permission to override the usual Ap than the Sx2 has to the normal S profile...

Roknar wrote:
I would play it as a S8 Ap2 attack with concussive. I see it as telling you what the new statline is for wounding. They don't mention concussive as that wouldn't matter in terms of wounding.
This is purely HIWPI though. Besides, they could have just said S10 ap2 if they wanted to make it S10.

I wouldn't assume the concussive. HIWPI is either S8 AP2 or all at S6 AP4, concussive. But if it were your Knight, and you wanted concussive, I'd let you have it and happily use it for my knights next game. Which would you rather have? I just don't see -1A being a decent trade off for an at initiative thunderhammer. It's entirely possible that fluff- they trade the concussive power to overcharge the STR/AP and RAI balance the at initiative stick of death by taking away the 1A AND Concussive.

Roknar wrote:
I would play it as a S8 Ap2 attack with concussive. I see it as telling you what the new statline is for wounding. They don't mention concussive as that wouldn't matter in terms of wounding.
This is purely HIWPI though. Besides, they could have just said S10 ap2 if they wanted to make it S10.

As I said, if it was just S10, that would mean there's no way to lower it's power through debuffs. A 1 strength model attacking with an S10 attack still hits at S10.

This way, it functions in a manner that still allows for debuffing. Now if you sap a strength off the terminators, it'd be S8 (assuming you run it the way we do here) instead of S10.

@jokerkd: It was never +6S. It used to simply grant them S10 AP2.

To everyone:

It does not give us a new weapon profile. It just gives additional rules to resolve the weapon at. It doesn't say "instead of the base weapon profile" so we're left in limbo between is it in addition to the weapon's base rules or a complete overwrite, which, I should have known better than to present this on Dakka because there's a bunch of people who'll be buttheads about it rather than simply stating their opinion on how they'd play it.

Thanks for responding. Will utilize these opinions going forward.

You should recheck your 6th ed codex. It has a separate profile at +6s ap2.

The reason they no longer have a separate profile line is because they needed to add the part about only having one attack. So they changed it from a profile line to a special rule

 SRSFACE wrote:

Roknar wrote:
I would play it as a S8 Ap2 attack with concussive. I see it as telling you what the new statline is for wounding. They don't mention concussive as that wouldn't matter in terms of wounding.
This is purely HIWPI though. Besides, they could have just said S10 ap2 if they wanted to make it S10.

As I said, if it was just S10, that would mean there's no way to lower it's power through debuffs. A 1 strength model attacking with an S10 attack still hits at S10.

This way, it functions in a manner that still allows for debuffing. Now if you sap a strength off the terminators, it'd be S8 (assuming you run it the way we do here) instead of S10.

@jokerkd: It was never +6S. It used to simply grant them S10 AP2.

To everyone:

It does not give us a new weapon profile. It just gives additional rules to resolve the weapon at. It doesn't say "instead of the base weapon profile" so we're left in limbo between is it in addition to the weapon's base rules or a complete overwrite, which, I should have known better than to present this on Dakka because there's a bunch of people who'll be buttheads about it rather than simply stating their opinion on how they'd play it.

Thanks for responding. Will utilize these opinions going forward.

So are you playing S10 Ap5 (Ap3+Ap2) or S10 Ap- (as AP is undefined 2&3)?

FlingitNow is making a good point.

jakejackjake wrote:
FlingitNow is making a good point.

Doubtful. Dude has been on my ignore list for like 2 years so I wouldn't even know if he did.

Indeed what Flingitnow said has no sense at all, but i suppose he was ironic.

Spoletta wrote:
Indeed what Flingitnow said has no sense at all, but i suppose he was ironic.

So what do you play the Ap at? If you say 2 then you're saying the weapon is S8 as the Ap has exactly the same ability to over write as the Strength does.

 FlingitNow wrote:

Spoletta wrote:
Indeed what Flingitnow said has no sense at all, but i suppose he was ironic.

So what do you play the Ap at? If you say 2 then you're saying the weapon is S8 as the Ap has exactly the same ability to over write as the Strength does.

Once again, refer to the Smash rule. In that it is specified that the higher VP of the rule overwrites a lower VP of the weapon. It is even in brackets so it's not something specific to the smash rule.
This is the same, the rule imposes a VP that is higher than the weapon. That is not what is being discussed, the point of the discussion is if the x2 AP 2 is a weapon profile or not. I tend to say no, since when a weapon has 2 attack modes they both get their own profile (riptide weapons for example).
Take the pyrovore as an additional reference, that girl has the same ability of forfeiting all his attacks for a single S5 Ap2.
In this case the codex gives you a printed weapon profile and the wording used is "A single attack using the following profile:" by contrast Smite reads "A single attack resolved at Sx2 AP2"

Smash has nothing to do with Smite unless you have a quote that Smite references Smash?

The reason the AP is important is it is governed by the same rules as the Strength. So either the Ap over writes the profile AP and thus so does the strength. Or they both add to the profile which clearly breaks AP.

So either S8 Ap2 or S10 Ap unresolvable. I know which camp I'm in.

While I agree with your final premise, that one has to apply the same logical function on both halves of the profile (for lack of a better term- let's not argue it's not a profile I need something to call it, and that's close enough for this) Smash is analogous for persuasive but not binding precedent.