Fists on Tactical Sergeants

[Deschenus Maximus]

Howdy!

 

I'm considering removing the powerfists from my tactical squads' sergeants. While they do look awesome, and have been useful on occasion in the past, their rather prohibitive cost, the fact that tacticals are really more of a shooting unit and that they really should stay in their Rhino when combat-squadded is giving me pause.

 

What do you guys think?

[prenelf]

i thought the same thing once... then i got into combat with a wraithlord and couldn't wound it...... never again. i only use assault squads but really i like to be ready for everything. the one time you dont equip something like that is the one time you need it. the only other thing is melta bombs and power weapon maybe

[Leonaides]

Tactical squads should be able to harm just about anything. A powerfist can harm anything, a power weapon cant. Its up to you, but for my armies, I have at least half my tac squad sergents with Power Fists, rounding up. Wraithlords, the chance to ID a character, MC's, etc... There's always a target for a PF.

[Eorek]

Yay for powerfists on everything...Really a good weapon for whatever you've facing

[vharing]

I try to always give my sargs PF. It is to often that they get charged and need the power (pun intended) that the fist provides. No matter is it is a tank or power armoured infantry, it is a good thing.

[Zeller]

I'd opt against it in the whole since as you said they are primarily a shooty unit and it is the job of other units in your army to destroy MC. Besides, I don't willingly charge MC with infantry and I try to position my units in such a way that those kind of unfortunate events do not occur. Even to be equipped for destroying walkers that are unaccounted for that charge you you gain time to position AT units to destroy it or glance it to death with kraks. 1/4 of my tac squads have the PF but they're a more classic setup.

[angel of justice]

i tend to think that its not really worth the points in tactical squads to be honest. Having them in assault sqauds works because your actively running towards harms way but ive had games where the tactical squad has not even seen combat and thats a 25 point waste that could be better put to work else where.

[Baba Lem]

You could sum it up;

 

Yay in all comers.

 

Nay in specific scenarios/games.

 

But I'd rather go with it, than without it... feels naked, to deploy them without a fist.

 

I often find myself charging, even with tacticals, to get that furious charge to bear. Even above bolter fire. This is when the powerfist allows you to charge even tough things or just be ready for anything... or dreads. I hate dreads. I was stuck in three venerable GK rifleman dreads the other day. They won't do any harm in close combat, but they don't die... Lol.

[Midnightmare]

If I run a Tac squad, I usually only run one so tend to run with a fist. About 50% of the time it doesn't get used but you never know when that Daemon Prince will charge you. POW!! Right to the kisser (if he survives to swing lol)

[Chay]

Powerfists.

Definitely equip them with Powerfists.

 

It makes them think twice about going after the squad.

[1Drop]

Powerfits are all kinds of good.. Aside from their obvious benefits on the table they are one of my favourite pieces of kit on a model, I've always loved the look of a PF on a model with power armour cos of it's size, it makes or look epic!!

[Redo]

Obviously the key to Tactical squads is to go for 10 marines to get access to the goodies (ie special and heavy weapons) and the general logic is that a 10 strong marine squad should have a powerfist for every occassion. Yet I tend to think it all depends on the special weapon that the tactical squad has and if you are keeping the squad open to combat squadding. ie if you have plasma gun, then the unit is a shooting unit and the PF is a bit pricey, if you have a flamer or a melta gun, then the squad is getting really up and close with the enemy and may even be used in an assault or assault support manner. Therefore go the PF...unless you are combat squadding. A 5 man squad is generally better suited with a PWeapon and Melta bombs.

 

Just may take!

[captain Angel]

I have a formula that i have said before.

 

if the special weapon is a flamer, the heavy weapon is a anti tank, and the sage caries a power sword

 

if it is a melta gun, heavy is anti infantry, and the sarge has a power fist

 

if it is a plasm gun, anything goes in heavy, but sarge has a combi bolter.

 

that is my formula

[Anarchyman99]

I run power weapons and bolt pistols on the assault squads and will run powerfists and bolters on my tactical squads... I think of Assaults as the hammer and the Tacticals as the anvil. You can always put the assault weapon (Flamer,Meltagun,Plasmagun) in the same 5 man as the heavy weapon, then push/speedbump the 5 man with both guns. Speedbumps with a powerfist....one hell of a speedbump.

[Volchek]

I don't think a PF is really that much of a point sink. If you equip your Tac SGT with a PW + MB that's 20 points while a PF is 25. Just a 5 point difference for being able to punch something 2-3 times with a S8 PW? Yeah I'll take that because a PF is useful for punching just about anything in the game.

 

Now in my Assault Sqds I usually take a Lightning Claw + Melta-bomb if I take 2 Meltaguns as my special weapons. But I don't take an LC if I take only 1 Meltagun or no Meltaguns. I always like having the ability to kill a vehicle or dreadnought in CC.

[JamesI]

Not that I ever run tacs anymore (in fact my tac squads have all been converted to RAS or Dev) but any 10 man squad I run has a fist or thunder hammer. So my tacs would carry a fist if I used them.

[Hapless]

A powerfist is a useful tool. Good for light anti tank, and descent against walkers. But what really will scare your enemies is that here is a weapon that does massive damage, it will flaten any enemy unit. The other thing to consider is how you will be using the tac Squad. Personaly I use bolter/pf and if I have 5 extra points melta bombs. I then put the sarge in a tac team with the specail weapon (usaly a melta gun, though sometimes a flamer if I am faceing orks or Nids). If I team the squad into two 5 man groups the heavy weapon (Usaly ML) stays behind to cover the Rhino. A power fist is a force multiplier. It allows a rather lack luster tact squad to become ZOMG dangerous in melee. I typicaly run 1 tac and a group of scout snipers, with a squad of Assault marines.

[Vorion]

I run into a huge number of T6 and up models when I play, seems to be the thing to have where I play. I have smashed wraith lords, soul grinders, dreads, deamon princes, every Chaos deamons HQ, and plenty more. I run 3 tac squads and every srg has a PF. I only ran one to begin with but when the armies I started to face started to number up on high toughness stuff I pulled of the chain swords and put the fists on. They are worth the points and they make those 10 marines a hell of a lot more scary

[Grizzly Adams]

I used to never run PF's on my sergeants, till I Vkept playin my good friend's orks, and found out just how annoying a power klawed nob hiding in a squad is. Fisty Sarges are a given anymore, if a squad has a sarge in it, he has a fist. They've saved my butt way too many times not to take. They let you bust tanks, instakill models, ignore saves in combat, give you a prayer against T6 and above, they really are almost a necessity.

[d503]

lets say you hit with all of your CC attacks:

 

power weapon - 3 x 4+ to kill (usually)

power fist - 2 x 2+ to kill (usually)

- can hurt vehicles

- can hurt walkers

- can hurt monstrous creatures

- can instant-kill heroes

 

Don't think of it as 25 points - its not. Has anyone ever fielded a sargent with nothing other than a chainsword? I certainly haven't. Tactical squads cost 185 or 195 points. Its only 10 points extra for all that extra utility.

 

My standard loadout is meltagun, powerfist and heavy bolter, for it can hurt anything, and can combat squad and still remain focused. Plus, the plastic heavy bolters look way more badass than missile launchers.

[Brother Biskit]

Fists. Always. Period.

 

Even if you don’t use it in combat seeing a fist in a squad has an effect on your opponent. It’s a big threat to MCs, Vehicles and independent characters and your opponent will think twice before sending anything really powerful against them or letting them near anything vulnerable. Well worth the extra points I find.

[ServoBadger]

I generally go with power weapons, because I dislike hitting last, but just lately I've been playing some games at a much lower points level and I've not been able to afford expensive HQs, so my very old Captain has made a reappearance. He's got a Plasma Pistol and a Power Fist, and the Fist has been really useful - although he's usually having to make an Iron Halo save before using it, since he's been going after big bugs.

 

With your Sergeants, what do you put in their other hand? I do have one with a Storm Bolter and Power Fist, but is there a better combination?

[knife&fork]

I generally go with power weapons, because I dislike hitting last, but just lately I've been playing some games at a much lower points level and I've not been able to afford expensive HQs, so my very old Captain has made a reappearance. He's got a Plasma Pistol and a Power Fist, and the Fist has been really useful - although he's usually having to make an Iron Halo save before using it, since he's been going after big bugs.

 

With your Sergeants, what do you put in their other hand? I do have one with a Storm Bolter and Power Fist, but is there a better combination?

 

I dislike putting plasma weapons in the hands of one wound models, unless you are sure they'll have FNP. I think combi-weapons are pretty good, unlike the pistols you get a more potent version of plasma/flamer/melta and how often does a tac sergeant make multiple assault in a single game anyway?

[Redo]

I generally go with power weapons, because I dislike hitting last, but just lately I've been playing some games at a much lower points level and I've not been able to afford expensive HQs, so my very old Captain has made a reappearance. He's got a Plasma Pistol and a Power Fist, and the Fist has been really useful - although he's usually having to make an Iron Halo save before using it, since he's been going after big bugs.

 

With your Sergeants, what do you put in their other hand? I do have one with a Storm Bolter and Power Fist, but is there a better combination?

 

I find that it is easy to go overboard with Sergeants. A Plasma Pistol and PW or PF is an expensive outlay for a 1 wound model...especially if it could suffer a 'gets hot' casualty. I generally try to give them one weapon either PF or PW, thouhg I might give a PW Sergeant Melta Bombs.

[Wakim]

I honestly almost always use powerfists. They're simply better than power weapons most of the times. Especially on tacticals.

 

If you don't have a powerfist in a marine squad... any decent Close Combat HQ choice out there will take out your squad and still have wounds left to attack the next one.

 

Powerfist means instakilling most characters/commanders out there

 

Powerfist means hurting walkers and monstrous creatures a normal powerweapon can't even scratch.

 

Any marine army should have at least 3-4 powerfists in my point of view.