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So the Deathwatch Overkill 40K rules opened the door for Sternguard Special Ammunition being available on other platforms than just bolters and combi-bolters by including Special Ammunition Bolt Pistols. What I am thinking is to take that a step further.

Bolt Pistol variations of the Special Ammunition are half the normal range of each Special Ammunition round and have Pistol instead of Rapid Fire. That makes all of the other ones easy to figure out.

Storm Bolter variations of the Special Ammunition would have all the normal ranges of the regular Bolter Special Ammunition, but would be Assault 2 instead of Rapid Fire. This makes the 5 point upgrade for the Storm Bolter actually worth it, since as of right now, the regular Bolter is much better due to Special Ammunition and lower cost.

Heavy Bolter variations of the Special Ammunition would be as follows:
Dragonfire bolt - 36" Range, S5, AP4, Heavy 3, Ignores Cover
Hellfire round - 36" Range, S2, AP4, Heavy 3, Poison (2+)
Kraken bolt - 45" Range, S5, AP3, Heavy 3
Vengeance round - 27" Range, S5, AP2, Heavy 3, Gets Hot

Basically, the Strength and AP are adjusted up and down to meet the Heavy Bolter's fire. The Range on the Kraken and Vengeance are increased and decreased by 25%, much like the Bolt Pistol and Bolter versions of the same rounds. The Strength and AP of the Kraken and Vengeance rounds are a bit of a sticking point for me. I adjusted them to match the increased strength of the Heavy Bolter, but it might make them a bit too powerful. The Kraken Bolt becomes very good, being able to wreck MEQs at long range. Vengeance Rounds are even better as they wreck TEQs and MCs. I suppose it would lead to Sternguard actually taking HBs, but I am afraid they would take two in every squad.

There's already Hellfire Shells for heavy bolters, and they function completely differently. That said, I wouldn't mind if they added 30k ammo variants to Heavy Bolters as some upgrade cost. Being able to take Banestrike ammo or Molecular Acid shells would be amazing.

But, yes, I think special issue ammo being available to a handful of other units (terminators for starters) or still available for sternguard upon utilizing storm bolters would be a good idea.

I say 3 pts/model and the entire squad must take it if anyone does. 5 pt upgrade for characters. Fair?

I was just thinking of having these profiles just be fore Sternguard. However, I could see them being a 5-point upgrade for characters. That is essentially what Deathwatch Cassius pays for his special ammunition pistol. I don't think any other infantry besides Sternguard need them though. It is their claim to fame.

I guess I shouldn't have said "other squads" so much as simply just Tactical Terminators. They desperately need a buff for shooting and as they are 1st company and therefore just as much a veteran as any Sternguard, it'd make sense. It'd buff their shooting without needing to reissue the entire model kit, too. A lot of other proposed buffs to terminators would essentially make every single squad currently assembled a bum model.

 SRSFACE wrote:
I guess I shouldn't have said "other squads" so much as simply just Tactical Terminators. They desperately need a buff for shooting and as they are 1st company and therefore just as much a veteran as any Sternguard, it'd make sense. It'd buff their shooting without needing to reissue the entire model kit, too. A lot of other proposed buffs to terminators would essentially make every single squad currently assembled a bum model.

I can see that. I am not opposed to Tactical Terminators getting a buff. Sternguard Ammo would be a good way to give it to them.

Ideas for Pistol, Storm and Heavy Bolter versions have been floating around for years. Here was my take on it from 2012

Pistol Hellfire

12"/X(1)/AP5/Pistol, Poison 2+

Kraken
18"/4/Ap4/Pistol

Dragonfire

12"/4/AP5/Pistol, Ignores cover

Vengence

12"/4/AP3/Pistol, Get's Hot


Stormbolter

Hellfire
24"/X/ap5/Ass 2 Poisoned 2+

Kraken
30"/4/AP4/ Ass 2

Dragonfire
24"/4/ap5/Ass 2 Ignores Cover

Vengeance
18" Str 4 AP 3 Ass 2 Gets Hot


Heavy Bolter

Hellfire Shells (already exists)


Heavy Kraken Armour Penetrating Shells
Rg 48" Str 5 AP 3 Heavy 3

Dragonfire Shells

Rg 36" Str 5 AP 4 Heavy 3, Blast, Ignores Cover

Vengeance Mortar Rounds
Rg 30" Str 5 AP 2, Get's Hot, Heavy 3, Blast

I'd like to see them as an upgrade for Characters and Terminators. Would be a good boost for the already-lacking Termies.

While mechnically, I agree that both stormbolters and HBs need some love, and special ammo is a good way to give it to them, the fluff part of me hates the idea.

Special ammo is supposed to be rare and precious. Hand made shells in very small quantities, reserved for the most expert marksmen in the chapter so each one can be used to maximum effect, every shot counting.

Stormbolters are spray and pray weapons, hosing shells downrange. Heavy bolters are not much better. Suppression fire or just pouring rounds into unending hordes. I don’t see them being issued special ammo.

That said, giving all bolt weapons in sternguard squads special ammo would make stormbolters something other then a trap choice and maybe breath a little life into the humble HB.

So I did some more thinking after reading One Bullet. The story featured a Sternguard marine. He kept a tally of each special ammunition round. He only ever had a handful of each. So the HB is probably not the best idea. I am still in favor of the Storm Bolter getting Special Ammo functionality for Sternguard since the SB doesn't really have a higher rate of fire so much as it has less kick. Mechanically, it makes the 5 pts worth it. Bolt Pistols definitely should have Special Ammo since they have a very slow during rate.

Fluff could say a storm bolter has a selector, switch to single shot and a small magazine of special ammo.

So it can go from pray and spray regular bolts to firing a single well placed shot.
Best of both worlds..

 jhe90 wrote:
Fluff could say a storm bolter has a selector, switch to single shot and a small magazine of special ammo.

So it can go from pray and spray regular bolts to firing a single well placed shot.
Best of both worlds..

Works for me. One of the Sternguard in the Crimson Fists novel uses a selector switch on his Bolter to switch between ammo types, a Storm Bolter could do the same.