Combi-Melta vs Melta-Bomb

[tahrikmili]

Would you rather have Melta Bombs or a Combi Melta for a Sergeant if you had to pick one or the other?

 

I'm facing this decision for my Scout Sergeant for my outflanking 10 man scout unit with 10 Bolters.. They will not be tank hunters, they are mostly there to harass enemy troops or heavy support infantry with Bolter Fire from good cover, but I'm trying to add a little something to protect them for when the enemy decides to send an AV13 vehicle or a dreadnought their way..

[Hellios]

Would you rather have Melta Bombs or a Combi Melta for a Sergeant if you had to pick one or the other?

 

I'm facing this decision for my Scout Sergeant for my outflanking 10 man scout unit with 10 Bolters.. They will not be tank hunters, they are mostly there to harass enemy troops or heavy support infantry with Bolter Fire from good cover, but I'm trying to add a little something to protect them for when the enemy decides to send an AV13 vehicle or a dreadnought their way..

 

 

Well in the case of a dread... good luck taking it out with one melta-bomb... and in the case of any vehicle a combi-melta is very hit and miss... if you hit you will most likely do something... but who knows...

[tahrikmili]

Would you rather have Melta Bombs or a Combi Melta for a Sergeant if you had to pick one or the other?

 

I'm facing this decision for my Scout Sergeant for my outflanking 10 man scout unit with 10 Bolters.. They will not be tank hunters, they are mostly there to harass enemy troops or heavy support infantry with Bolter Fire from good cover, but I'm trying to add a little something to protect them for when the enemy decides to send an AV13 vehicle or a dreadnought their way..

 

Well the whole unit has kraks so thats 9 kraks and one melta bomb, and the kraks can glance AV12, so against an AV12 dreadnought the meltabomb with 8+2d6 pen is much better I think.. As for av13, since kraks will resolve against back armor I can score a lot of pens still no? Except iv it's a walker of course, then I run like hell.. Have I answered my own question?..

 

Or maybe the bs3 missile launcher is a better bet in all cases?

[greatcrusade08]

id find points for both tbh

[breng77]

Remember though that grenades hit a walker on a roll of a 6. So With Kraks,it is to hit and 6 to glance, and then 4+ to do anything other than shake (assuming no extra armor). The melta bomb is better but still has a very small chance to hit a dread.

[greatcrusade08]

unless the dread is immobilised at whcih point grenades hit on a 4+

[Chapter Master Ignis Domus]

If you can find the points for it, go with a power fist.

[norngahl]

If I ha to decide I´t take the Combimelta.

 

Meltabombs are only better if the verhicle didn´t move, and even then just for damaging it. Things you should consider

 

1. Combimeltas will always hit on 3+, even if the vehicle moved flat out. With Meltabombs it goes auto/4+/6+. So from an allround view, Combimelta is much better.

2. Combimeltas will let you hit from range. You can attack targets that are away from you (so most times earlier). Meltabombs have to go toe on toe.

3. Combimeltas will let you stay (most times) out of explosion ranges. So less damage.

4. You can kill infantery with it, and this pretty good.

 

The only real advantage of the Meltabomb over the Combimelta is that it can be used more than once. But from my experience, there was never such a situation in which usual Krak Granades didn´t do the job. Okay, if you want to crack an unmoved LR, than Meltabombs are better. In any other case, you are better of with the combiemela.

[norngahl]

Sorry for strange Doublepost, my Internet sucks.

[thade]

If you can find the points for it, go with a power fist.

 

^This.

 

That said, I'm with the Koremu school of thought: melta bombs are for bunker busting. Take the combi-melta, as your tac squad isn't going to want to have to leave cover to crack a vehicle if it doesn't absolutely have to. You can, for instance, fire the combi- shot from the Rhino hatch your squad is hiding in. =)

[Race Bannon]

Well, the issue here is that it's a scout squad and the OP wants to know the better option for "just in case".

 

In my opinion, the squad should have a purpose and be used for that purpose. If something happens against that purpose then too bad: either I made an error to allow the event to occur or something beyond my control happened.

 

But the OP wants to cover his bacon. So I defer to GC08s opinion ... get both.

 

And it'll be cheaper than a Power Fist. :unsure:

[greatcrusade08]

if it helps with the decision making i run two scout units dedicated to melta, both ride in melta storms.. both have combi-meltas and meltabombs and recently just for kicks both have been armed with fists (mainly for counter charge goodness or if i take on anything not AV14)

[Brother Captain Josef]

unless the dread is immobilised at whcih point grenades hit on a 4+

 

Sorry chap you hit walkers on the front armour so in the case of a dread you need a 6 to hit then a 6 to glance... When immobilized you hit by the comparison of weapon skill.

 

To OP: Take both if you can at all mate.

[tahrikmili]

Well, the issue here is that it's a scout squad and the OP wants to know the better option for "just in case".

 

In my opinion, the squad should have a purpose and be used for that purpose. If something happens against that purpose then too bad: either I made an error to allow the event to occur or something beyond my control happened.

 

But the OP wants to cover his bacon. So I defer to GC08s opinion ... get both.

 

And it'll be cheaper than a Power Fist. :)

 

Ok, thank you, this is basically a great summary and detailed answer to my question and thanks to everyone who replied so far!

 

Now, let me see if I can convert a Telion figure to carry a multi-melta :D Would it be too hard?

[Chengar Qordath]

A couple other things to consider in the combi-melta's favor:

 

1. The combi-melta has the all-important +1 to damage results thanks to being AP 1; the meltabomb doesn't.

 

2. The combi-melta can also be useful for inflicting instant death on T4 multi-wound models. Not the melta's primary use, but there are times when it can come in handy, especially against armies like Tyranids and Orks.

 

3. If you're up against a monstrous creature a combi-melta can tag another wound on it, and sometimes one more wound is all it takes.

[BearersOfSalvation]

I wouldn't bother with either, but the combi-melta is better if you really want one. Your squad walks, so it gets ourtun by any vehicle. The only thing it's going to get close enough to hit is something the opponent moves close to you, so the real purpose of the weapon is to make people not ignore your unit with vehicles, not really to hunt things down. Combi melta gives you a chance to pop transport and charge, a chance to pop something that moved fast to get to you, and a much better chance to kill a dred. Since your squad has krak grenades which hit rear armor, the melta bombs are really only an advantage against land raiders (AV14 rear) and dreds (AV12-13, no rear hit). Your squad will probably kill any other slow-moving vehicle it can charge with massed krak, and the 1 shot at 1 in 6 for melta bombs to work isn't really impressive.

 

So, the combi-melta lets you do some things melta bombs don't, and has a much better chance of killing anything that your crack grenades would have trouble with.

[thade]

unless the dread is immobilised at whcih point grenades hit on a 4+

 

Sorry chap you hit walkers on the front armour so in the case of a dread you need a 6 to hit then a 6 to glance... When immobilized you hit by the comparison of weapon skill.

 

Um, he's correct, so I'm not sure what you're correcting? Marines are WS4, Dreads are WS4, 4v4 is 4+...you hit on WS when the Dread is immobilized, as gc08 said.

 

You can bring a dread down with Krak grenades, but I don't recommend relying on it. Power fist is a much better chance. Melta bombs will leave you disappointed, as they still need a 6 to hit on unless the dread is immobilized.

[Brother Captain Josef]

Remember though that grenades hit a walker on a roll of a 6. So With Kraks,it is to hit and 6 to glance, and then 4+ to do anything other than shake (assuming no extra armor). The melta bomb is better but still has a very small chance to hit a dread.

 

Sorry yes I quoted the wrong post and didn't twig. Even then I read it wrong - I thought breng meant a 4+ to glance but he obviously means the 4+ roll on the damage table. Bad day when you have a double fail eh? lol

[thade]

I'd rather bring a powerfist to fight a dread in melee any day of the week. 2-3 attempts (depending on whether I got the charge or not) to hit him with S8 at WS is much better odds than a single chance on which I need a 6 to hit.

[Mysticaria]

AP1 is kind of a big deal, so I like combi-melta. That +1 on the damage table is just too good to pass up.

 

-Myst