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hey all. does anybody have good experience using shotguns over lasguns? in particular with Hardened Vet. squads? does the ability to drop or race in on a Chimera, minimize the 12" range? after seeing the Cadian H.Vet. models from F.W., i almost brokedown, but i just don't like the shotgun! i realise they have the same str., but i just like flashlighting at 24", instead of 12" with. what do they masses say?

The shotgun is officially worthless in a v4 world. The only advantage it has over the lasgun is that it is an Assault type, rather than rapid-fire. But you're (probably) never going to be assaulting with your Veterans, and the extra range on the lasgun might actually be useful to you.

On the other hand, the absence or presence of 4 lasguns vs. 4 shotguns on a battlefield is so marginal as to be essentially meaningless. So this is at least one case where "the model is cool" is as compelling an argument as the numbers.

In a drop suicide squad you won't use that 24" range since dropping means you will only shoot 12" anyway, so there isn't a big difference unless you use them as infiltrators. As a drop squad that you may use to tie things up if they survive shotguns would be better for that suicide charge to get the shots on the way in. I don't remember if you still get the bonus attack or if it is reduced like a pistol, but still, two shots and an attack is better than two attacks only when you have so little chance of wounding. If you get two shots and two attacks then you've doubled your chance of getting some points back with no loss of effectiveness in shooting.

I'm planning on converting my vets to shotguns for the coolness factor, and it will help separate them from the normal troops a bit more.

Well, I took to running a H. Vet mob with Shotguns and 3 Meltas just for fluff purposes, in my Drop Troop army

I soon found out that they do alright - they drop in, toast a tank with the Meltas, and the enemy is distracted by the other 150 odd Guardsmen that came down that turn too (improved Comms).

After the drop, the guys run around shooting stuff up, and then assaulting too (they have a death wish, see). The ability to essentially "rapid-fire a lasgun" AND then charge in is better than to just rapid fire. As said, its a few more chances of hurting something.

Sure, Shotguns aren't a very good weapon overall, but if you play the Vets so that they live more than the drop, they can be ok - especailly if you proceed to tiw up something like a Devastator squad - shots and charge will probably damage seomthing, and hold the enem,y up for at least 1 turn.

Lasguns. Usually when you fire one you are shooting 100 of them. Shottys would be cool if they used the small blast marker.

Lasguns. Usually when you fire one you are shooting 100 of them. Shottys would be cool if they used the small blast marker.

But why should they..? The same blast area as a frag missile? I dont think so.

Shotguns are more or less worthless. Guards might find a use for them but Space Marines Scouts have no excuses to bring any...

But why should they..?

Because then they would be almost worth taking. Almost.