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We all love plasmas. But we all hate plasma pistols for its overcostedness. What if pistols granted melee profiles as well , since it counts as a melee weapon for the purpose of determining number of attacks anyways? What if we begin to look at pistols as melee weapons with ranged profile like staff of light?

For example, Cypher is allowed to make a "plasma pistol attacks" in cc. If plasma pistols granted one attack using its ranged profile that would make up for its cost. Thoughts?

Isn't this already going to happen in the new 40k??

I had the idea a long while back that each pistol could give an additional effect in melee, dependent on it's type. My ideas were something like this:

- Plasma Pistols improve the AP value of the models melee attacks by 1 to a maximum of AP1.

- Laspistols/Autopistols give the model d3 attacks at S3 AP-, must still roll to hit as normal.

- Hand Flamers inflict an automatic d3 hits on the unit at their shooting profile (S3 AP6).

- Bolt Pistols let the model re-roll its first failed To Wound roll in the turn.

- Inferno Pistols give the model's melee attacks Armor Bane.

Obviously it would need some tweaking and balancing, but it was an idea. My thinking also was that these would work in conjunction with any melee weapon. So a Space Marine Sergeant with a Plasma Pistol and Power Fist would be striking a S10, AP1, or a Plasma Pistol and Power Sword becomes AP2 with the additional attack. And this would not work with two-handed weapons for obvious reasons, and Armor Bane from the Inferno Pistol would not stack with any other ability that granted it.

Seems weird. Bolt weapons are generally portrayed as straight upgrades to las weapons and are costed accordingly so why would this be different?

well if we follow my initial suggestion, say pistol weapons grant one attack on the pistols profile, space marines would simply gain one attack with ap5 (as the str of the model is equal to str of the weapon). Similar to las pistol, they would make one attack at las pistol profile, (with no change to the attack itself as the las pistol is s3 ap-).

this would reduce the total amount of changes it brings without affecting overall game structure too much.

skchsan wrote:
well if we follow my initial suggestion, say pistol weapons grant one attack on the pistols profile, space marines would simply gain one attack with ap5 (as the str of the model is equal to str of the weapon). Similar to las pistol, they would make one attack at las pistol profile, (with no change to the attack itself as the las pistol is s3 ap-).

this would reduce the total amount of changes it brings without affecting overall game structure too much.

As a Harlequin player I can tell you that "this guy makes this one attack with this alternate profile..." ends up slowing down the Assault phase a lot more than it sounds like it would.

That's exactly how I've got pistols implemented in my Mordheim-derived skirmish game project, but at a full-size 40k scale I don't know if it'll add enough to justify the slowdown.

You used to be able to shoot your pistols in close-combat...this should still be an option. Simple.