Powerweapons,powerfists,lightning claws, or thunder hammers

[HwaRang56]

Ok, so I'm currently working on my veteran squads and according to the DA codex I can take up to three of these close combat weapons. So my questions is for an assault type squad which of these are better?

[Nachocuban]

In larger squads I like PF's as they can survive long enough to go last.

I use PW's in my 5 man squads that are more speed bumps than units I use for my main strategy

For LC's and TH's I prefer LC's overall, but I will always bring at least 1 TH in a 5 man assault squad, as they are like PF's and are great when they can survive to go last.

[Bannus]

That is the wonderful thing about how the rules reflect these weapons - each one has its strengths and weaknesses. It all depends on what you want to kill.

[Reclusiarch Darius]

Depends on the unit you're equipping;

 

Assault Terminators: Always TH+SS. The increased protection they get from the shield more than makes up for the I1 they strike at. Just don't send them into large enemy units, target lone models or small elite units. Big hordes can drag them down with massed wounds.

 

Assault Marines: Debatable, but I'd opt for powerfist, because it gives you such flexibility. The rest of the squad is great at massed wounds on the enemy, but the powerfist seals the deal by ID'ing T4 stuff and wounds pretty much 90% of enemy units on a 2+. Not only that, but you can rip apart backfield artillery and transports with the powerfist. I know people who run the Sarge with a power weapon because they prefer kills at Initative, but with only I4 Marines often strike same time or later anyway.

 

Bikers: Powerfist if you are tank-hunting, power weapon if you are anti-infantry (ie dual flamers).

 

Command squad: Debatable, because you can take storm shields and still take lightning claws etc regardless. I'd probably mix it up, keeping a powerfist/thunderhammer handy for breaking Dreadnoughts or Wraithlords, while the LC dudes pile on the power weapon wounds.

[Koremu]

The conventional wisdom is that the Power Fist (and the Thunder Hammer) give you an ability that the squad doesn't otherwise have access to - High STR melee attacks.

 

STR8 is a critical point, because very few things in the game are difficult to wound with a STR8 power weapon (I think the highest Toughness in game is 8), and most vehicles are penetrated fairly easily (only 'raider and monolith excepted)

 

It also has the major advantage that it will Instant Death Toughness 4 creatures, again a critical point because almost all armies are largely made up of T4 or below. This is especially true with the major downplaying of Eternal Warrior, especially the removal of EW from Tyranid Synapse Control.

[JamesI]

For my Veteran Assault Squad (a lot like DA Vets but with jump packs) I find I like to have 2 powerfists (or thunderhammers) and 1 power weapon. Having the one power weapon helps thin the enemy out (and usually an IC is with this unit providing another power weapon), with the two fists to make sure the squad can handle anything bigger.

[Meatman]

If the model will have a pistol, then its the powerweapon. Especially on captains, they're one of the only models with initiative 5 you can field and it seems a waste to drop it to 1 with a fist.

 

Lightning claws I think are more flexible then power weapons, as you can take a combi-weapon and yes, you lose the extra attack in combat, but you can re-roll failed wounds. Best of both worlds :)

 

I prefer powerfists over thunderhammers, as you can also give the same model melta-bombs for land raiders for the same points.

[Voltaire]

I would say with Terminator assault squad you should have the majority wielding Hammers, and the remaining two wield lightning claws.

The reason for this is because as soon as enemy anti-power armor have range and sight of them they'll be lit up brighter than a Christmas tree with plasma and other nasty things.

So instead of putting your expensive terminators at risk with only a 5+ invulnerable to save them, why not give them a 3+ invulnerable instead? Not only that they will also be more than capable of killing practically anything with one hit.

 

 

Hows that for anti-infantry?

[IvorTangrean]

Ok, so I'm currently working on my veteran squads and according to the DA codex I can take up to three of these close combat weapons. So my questions is for an assault type squad which of these are better?

 

For DA Vets I would go with a mix, One with PW/LC and two with PF/TH. This gives you the most flexible load out for your squad with 3 I4 S4 ignore armour attacks, 14 I4 S4 normal attacks, and 4 I1 S8 attacks IIRC.

 

Whether it is a swarm of bugs, one of the fallen or a giant war machine you will have the tool for the job.

[Trel]

Excluding the characters who often come with them, I never use Power Weapons anymore.

 

My Captain carries a Relic Blade, anything else that can carries a Powerfist. I used to have my sergeants carry Powerswords. (It's fluffy for Imperial Fists) but I realized that the amount of damage they could do became localized to units of infantry-level Toughness. If I want my squads to be able to do everything, they need to be able to damage something heavy. The Powersword seems a little redundant, because a large squad S4 / WS4 Marines should have little difficulty despatching anything at their level or below.

[Koremu]

The one place I will put Power Weapons over Power Fists every time is Devastator Sergeants. There, it can make the difference and you generally don't need the STR8. Indeed, because people are generally trying to tie you down, the increased attacks is better than the high STR.

 

In addition, you don't usually have need of the Fist if you have high-STR Heavy Weapons.

[Voltaire]

I also commonly equip my squads with powerfists. Though recently have begun fielding an extra squad equipped for anti-infantry, so the extra attack ignoring armor are nice.

[LardO'Blood]

Yesterday I was trying to decide wether or not to trade off my Sternguard Sergeants powerfist for a lightning claw and I came to the conclusion that powerfists end fights faster on offense and lightning claws are better on defense.

[Race Bannon]

Here's my opinion: save points and get a PW+MB. The power weapon allows an extra attack in offense and defense. You will *at least* have a 50% chance of hitting and 50% chance of wounding (not bad odds at all and worth taking), and they'll get no armor save. With a PFist, you have to WAIT to use it while your squad sucks up hits and wounds in order for you to have the same chance to hit with improved chance to wound.

 

With the Melta-Bomb, you have a small chance to hit, but a HUGE chance to destroy the vehicle with a hit. And you have saved points. Over an army, the saved points is worth an upgrade to any unit.

 

Lightning claw > power weapon simply because of the re-roll. You may lose an attack with only one, but the re-roll more than makes up the difference, ESPECIALLY if the cost is the same.

 

Thunder Hammer > Pfists simply because the extra effect it has against infantry AND vehicles and only for 5 points (the same cost you saved from the other squad ;) )

 

:lol:

 

All this means I have made more Sergeant models than I actually use, but I have the flexibility in models to do what I want, when I want against whatever army I'm up against.