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Since I chose Dark Angels about two months back after getting Dark Vengeance, I decided to look at some of their new stuff. The Deathwing Command Squad kit shows a Terminator armed with a Plasma Cannon:


Is this unique to the Dark Angels codex or can other Space Marine Loyalists codexes do the same with their termies?

It will be DA only, DA love plasma more than any other sphess mahreens

Well, the current codices of any type (BA, SW, BT, vanilla, DA) do not allow Termies to take plasma cannons, only cyclones, heavy flamers, and assault cannons. Usually, one heavy weapon is allowed per 5 models.
Plasma cannons for Termies are definitely something to consider.

I had a feeling that Plasma would be a thing in the new DA codex, since I have both AoBR and DV and noticed AoBR's lack of plasma and DV's putting plasma on everything but the termies.

Lots of plasma weapons are bad news for Termies and MCs.
This will counteract one of the weaknesses of small elite armies like DW or RW.

Since I own a lot of general SM stuff, I plan on running a mix list, instead of pure DW or pure RW.

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Since I own a lot of general SM stuff, I plan on running a mix list, instead of pure DW or pure RW.

Yeah, makes sense. I also plan to field a DW and/or RW ally detachment to my other armies if applicable.

Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Unless you are forced to play in objective based missions.

 wuestenfux wrote:

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Unless you are forced to play in objective based missions.

Which is why im hoping that Belial/Sammael still make Deathwing/Ravenwing Troops in the new DA codex! I have only 1 Tac squad!

But the new Plasma Termie is going to be DA only I should think. Given the DA love of plasma weapons.

Plasma is certainly good vs several armies such as Marines of all color.
However, plasma can bounce off vs some armies like Necrons or hordes. Recently, I played in an RTT with my Necrons, 1850 pts, vs. IG with 3 Executioners giving in total 3 plasma cannon shots per turn. My 15 Wraiths made it quickly across the board to rip his IG (with the help of flyers, Immortals, and ABs) into pieces. Plasma didn't really help.

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Have fun having no scoring units whatsoever because the enemy shot them first.

Sure, tactical marines are less than stellar, but you still need them. Also, Guardians, Kroot, Penal Legion and Ripper Swarms would like a word with your hyperboilc statement. And that's just the Troops choices that are worse than Tactical Marines.

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Have fun having no scoring units whatsoever because the enemy shot them first.

Sure, tactical marines are less than stellar, but you still need them. Also, Guardians, Kroot, Penal Legion and Ripper Swarms would like a word with your hyperboilc statement. And that's just the Troops choices that are worse than Tactical Marines.

Actially outside of the power-codices most troops units are underwhelming but necessary.

And believe having an all elite army such as deathwing makes keeping your scoring units alive a bit trcky

 AlmightyWalrus wrote:

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Have fun having no scoring units whatsoever because the enemy shot them first.

Sure, tactical marines are less than stellar, but you still need them. Also, Guardians, Kroot, Penal Legion and Ripper Swarms would like a word with your hyperboilc statement. And that's just the Troops choices that are worse than Tactical Marines.

or just don't be stupid, you know your tactical squads can barely contribute offense. Put them in reserve, tanks, out of los till its time to claim.

 wuestenfux wrote:
Plasma is certainly good vs several armies such as Marines of all color.
However, plasma can bounce off vs some armies like Necrons or hordes. Recently, I played in an RTT with my Necrons, 1850 pts, vs. IG with 3 Executioners giving in total 3 plasma cannon shots per turn. My 15 Wraiths made it quickly across the board to rip his IG (with the help of flyers, Immortals, and ABs) into pieces. Plasma didn't really help.

Just want to point out: Wraiths, Flyers, Immortals, and annihilation barges... You bring that much firepower against anything and its not going to last long.

Off topic; that guy doesn't appear to be carrying any ammunition... Every other Plasma Cannon has feeds running to an external ammunition block (usually on the wielder's back). =P

tgf wrote:

 wuestenfux wrote:

TimmyTheNerd wrote:
Figure a mix list gives more options as well, especially now that, according to the armies section on the GW site, Scouts are now Troops for DA.

Scouts have very specific roles, while Tacticals should be the backbone of an SM army.

Lol, and this is why most marine players lose. Tacticals are about the most over priced under powered unit in the game, aside from scouts. A good marine army minimizes tactical squads and maximizes killy death machines.

Guardians/ Kabalite Warriors ( trolololo, relatively expensive troops with no staying power at all...great idea ), Firewarriors, Dire Avengers and probably some i forgot. Tacticals are no Grey Hunters but there is much worse to be found in other armies.

And unlike any other plasma cannon wielding model I can think of, his hand is right on the 'heat sink'.

 Wyrmalla wrote:
Off topic; that guy doesn't appear to be carrying any ammunition... Every other Plasma Cannon has feeds running to an external ammunition block (usually on the wielder's back). =P

It'll run off his armour. TDA power sources are much more powerful than PA, which is which the PA PC needs an external pack.

The PC will probably be a popular weapon for DA terminators. I'm not sure about its metagame implications but I think it will have an impact.

And unlike any other plasma cannon wielding model I can think of, his hand is right on the 'heat sink'.

Hmm....didn't notice that before. But I guess if you are in armor that was originally designed for cleaning Plasma Reactors, you don't worry about your hand being burnt, lol.


The plus side is that it's an awesome model, and as it sits on the official model, a stupidly easy conversion I never thought about(but will likely think of doing to get around getting more than one Command Squad set.

Fluffwise I actually thought the Deathwing would get some form of Plasma Blasters (essentially twin-linked plasma guns), like the old Captain of the Ultramarines 1st company had. But I'll take a Plasma Cannon, thank you very much.

I wonder if the PC will be open to normal squads, or be a Command Squad-only wargear?

it appears their bikes are at least getting Twin-linked Plasma guns on their bikes, but they could be Plasma Blasters(although on a bike the TL-plasma gun would be better statwise)

Plasma cannons are open to normal squads.

Pardon my ignorance here, but do DA get some special rule that mitigates Gets Hot? If not, the dice gods could have a field day with your army...

Given the low chance of the Gets Hot actually killing you its not a big deal. 1/6 chance of it happening, and then you get your 2+ armor save. If its a command squad with an Apothecary you also have FnP.

I was thinking more on regular marines, but fair point. I've just read so many horror stories where a unit of devastators wipes themselves out in a single turn :p

 XT-1984 wrote:
And unlike any other plasma cannon wielding model I can think of, his hand is right on the 'heat sink'.

Do you mean the glowing green things? Cause that's not a heat sink, it's the magnetic acceleration coils to fire the plasma.

If you mean the thing in front of the coils, that's a receptacle for the plasma containment canister(the metal jar looking thing) that holds the ammo.

I've never seen a set of GW plasma schematics mention or point out a heat sink, only the exhausts(the circular protrusions under the coils). GW weapons make no sense when GW tries to explain them.

I run lots of plasma in both my Guard and Marine armies, and the dice gods do not care for power armour.

My Guard vets with carapace; they have a bad day now and then, but for the most part they avoid offing themselves, my Marines, however, miss, miss, die. I don't think I've killed a single model with a tactical marine plasma gun, not counting said marine being killed by his own gun.

Termies, however, don't have much to worry about; rolling two 1s in a row is unlikely to say the least.