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Unless my memory is off, Tactical Squads could take 2 special weapons back in 4th edition (I believe there was a chapter tactic that allowed this). However, come fifth edition, this option was lost. And then come 10th edition (i think. or 9th), Tactical squads can now take 2 special weapons again.

Was a lore reason ever given for this?

Technically the Codex Astartes.

In the days of Legions, with vastly greater numbers under a single command, you saw really specialised squads, with pretty much dedicated combat roles.

But once you’re down to 1,000 or so Battle Brothers? You’ve got to get flexible.

It turned the Bloody Big Hammer of the Legions to the Precise Scalpel of the Chapters. And so basic squad was mixed arms, giving them greater capacity to successfully engage a wider range of foes with the fewest Astartes.

Hence Sarge, Special, Heavy. A single squad with fairly rounded options.

Now, not every Chapter follows it to the letter, but adherence (Codex Space Marines derived armies) are assumed to do so. There will be Chapters out there more flexible in that specific approach. But the game is settled on stereotypical armaments and that.

Classically it was always a heavy and a special. There were a few exceptions. The big one being SW. I think in 8th? a lot of the special cases got rolled back into the main codex as they were consolidating and going back to supplements.

That’s from a game mechanic PoV.

I can’t think of the lore ever being 2x special, but individual authors can write whatever the plot needs.

I remember back in 3rd, you could take a special and a heavy weapon even if the squad size was only 5 marines. Maybe that's where you're thinking of 2 specials per 10?

Are you confusing things with 2 5-man tac squads perhaps? That's how you'd get 2 special weapons for 10 tacticals

Nah. On page 43 of the 4th Edition Space Marine rulebook, it says "Cleanse and Purify - One member of a tactical squad may replace his missile launcher with a flamer or his lascannon with a plasma gun or melta gun."

So what was the lore reason for this not being a thing anymore?

There was none. It is just crunch that changes for the edition. Just like there is no fluff as to why Primaris HQ can't ride bikes unless there is a model for it.

You couldn't take double specials from 5th onwards for the same reason you couldn't take Apothecary sergeants - the rules weren't aiming to represent such Codex divergence.
You can take double specials now because the kit comes with four.

Indeed. There's no such thing as codexes being lore-accurate. Its churn for the sake of churn, all weapon loadouts need to get removed and then get added back in at a later edition.. for flock knows what reason..

Lore-wise some Chapters diverge from the typical codex doctrine, and this is what the 4th ed book (maybe my favorite codex) represented. Nothing in-universe has changed, the rules just get shifted around because GW gonna GW. IIrc Salamanders could take a 2nd Flamer or Melta in their Tacticals during 3rd edition too.

The ability I really miss is Assault Squads being able to take Specials other than Flamers. In 2nd ed they choose two Flamer/Melta/Plasmas, as well as Power weapons/fists.

the-gentleman-ranker wrote:
Nah. On page 43 of the 4th Edition Space Marine rulebook, it says "Cleanse and Purify - One member of a tactical squad may replace his missile launcher with a flamer or his lascannon with a plasma gun or melta gun."

So what was the lore reason for this not being a thing anymore?

that was part of the chapter traits section. basically a "build your own chapter" option if you didn't want to use the ultramarines (the default for the codex). you could pick one of eight variations (reflecting how well they follow the codex astartes) which gave up to three traits each that modified how your army was built and played. but then you also had to take drawbacks as well, which would further alter things in a less beneficial way. the more traits you took, the bigger the drawbacks you had to take.

in the case of of "cleanse and purify' it came as an option in the "stern" set of traits, alongside "suffer not the alien to live" (letting you buy preferred enemy ability for your units) and "no mercy, no respite" (which allowed you to buy fearsome charge for your troops) if you took the full three you ended up with a more melee focused army that was a sort of black templars lite.
but if you took one of those traits you had to take a minor drawback (like losing some force organization slots, not being able to take allies, not being able to take psychics, or not being able to take scouts/infiltrators, etc), if you took two traits you'd have take a major drawback (like not being able to take relics/artifacts for your HQ's, or having entire sections of the fast attack and heavy options unavailable to take), and if you took all three traits you had to take a major and a minor drawback.

it was a bit complicated, but it let you give your army some unique flavor and tailor your play style a little.


so basically, lore wise there hasn't been a change, the game just no longer includes the options for chapters that have more flexible views on the codex astartes