missile launcher vs heavy bolter

[War Angel]

whats the differnce? if i run a heavy bolter it will only be effective against light infantry, but if i wanted to shoot that missle at infantry anyway, which is the better choice?

 

a heavy bolter will only get three shots, but a missile launcher could vary, getting more or less baised upon the spacing of units. but it could also miss and get nothing. what are my odds here? how do i compleetly factor in the mathammer for this one?

[TyrionTheImp]

Short Answer: Missile Launcher is superior simply for the fact it can hurt vehicles with S8.

 

Long Answer:

 

Heavy bolters are garbage as heavy weapons for infantry squads. All infantry squads for Space Marines have the options to take bolters, there's simply no need to increase your anti-infantry power when almost every infantry model packs anti-infantry power. Flamers are an exception because they're assault weaponry and template based, it's guaranteed to hit, ignores cover, and you can assault afterwards.

 

If you want to give long range infantry killing power to infantry, give them Plasma cannons, S7 AP2 small blast is far superior to the 3 S5 AP4 shots you get from a heavy bolter and on Tacticals it's dirt cheap.

 

Back to my original point though: Infantry has bolters to deal with other infantry, you don't need to increase that killing power, by giving them a Multi-melta, missile launcher, or lascannon you make them threaten vehicles, and remember: sometimes all it takes is one shot to blow a vehicle up, so that extra high S shot could change a game.

[DarkGuard]

What TyrionTheImp said. Also, heavy bolters don't tend to be as effective singularly, you need at least three, ideally four to make them work. So on 3 man attack bike squads, or Dev squads they can put out a frightening amount of anti-infantry firepower, but one singular heavy bolter isn't going to be too much of a big deal.

[War Angel]

thats an outstanding idea

[DarkGuard]

Be careful though, because against mech armies they struggle a lot.

[War Angel]

oh yes, im going to use this on another project. i think a mass of heavy bolters would be a fun way to take out squads of nids or IG. but of course, with lots of heavy weapons in other areas of the army.

[rat of vengence]

The others have put it nicely. Noone worries about a heavy bolter, but they may re-think exposing a flank to a missile, or coming anywhere near a multimelta. Even just the deterent value, reducing the opponents options makes these weapons better value.

 

RoV

[thade]

I only dust off the heavy-bolters if I know I'm going against a Green Tide. They are pretty epic against unarmored drooling Ork Boyz.

 

In general I prefer the ML, and I exclusively stick them en masse into a devastator squad. I keep my tactical squads mobile and play to their strengths, which are durability and rapid-fire.

[Koremu]

The rumour mill is saying Necron Warriors may be down to a 4+ save. If true (and if they are still T4) then the Heavy Bolter is worth its weight in Unobtainium against them.

[DarkGuard]

The rumour mill is saying Necron Warriors may be down to a 4+ save. If true (and if they are still T4) then the Heavy Bolter is worth its weight in Unobtainium against them.

 

Especially as said rumour mill seems to indicate that krak missiles will do nothing to deny their extra save from them (last I heard).

[thade]

Reducing their save to 4+ and making them immune to some (if not all) instant death would be an interesting change; possibly terrifying. Though I don't subscribe to much of the rumor mill. :) Until it's in print, in my hands, I will have strong doubts. Don't plan an army around it. <3

[Koremu]

Indeed.

 

Math-Hammer, HO!

 

SM Heavy Weapons vs T4, 4+ Armour Save target (other saves are irrelevant to the relative effectiveness).

 

Krak Missile: 3+ to hit, 2+ to wound, 55% chance of 1 kill*

Lascannon: 3+ to hit, 2+ to wound, 55% chance of 1 kill*

Multi-Melta: 3+ to hit, 2+ to wound, 55% chance of 1 kill*

 

Heavy Bolter: 3 shots, 3+ to hit, 3+ to wound, 44% change of a kill per shot, average of 1.33 kills per round of fire^

Frag Missile: Blast, any target hit wounded on a 4+, save permitted, 25% chance of kill per target hit~

Plasma Cannon: Blast, any target hit wounded on a 2+, 83% chance of a kill per target hit

 

*I've included these as separate entries because of the possibility that the increased AP might affect their "I can't believe it's not WBB"

^assuming at least 3 models in target unit, and no possibility of wound allocation shenanigans

~this means a Frag Missile must hit 6 targets before it is mathematically likely to deal more damage than a Heavy Bolter

 

 

Overall then, the Plasma Cannon is the clear victor (clip 2 Necron Warriors and it's ahead), but the Heavy Bolter is the best of the three freebie weapons.

 

 

 

And if you want a really warm fuzzy glow, feel free to contemplate what a Heavy Flamer is going to do to a Necron Warrior horde now they get no save and there's 50% more of them.

[DarkGuard]

*I've included these as separate entries because of the possibility that the increased AP might affect their "I can't believe it's not WBB"

 

...

 

And if you want a really warm fuzzy glow, feel free to contemplate what a Heavy Flamer is going to do to a Necron Warrior horde now they get no save and there's 50% more of them.

 

I'm sorry, but that first line made me chuckle, nice there Koremu.

 

And is they only have a 4+ armour save, I will have to try and fit my Sternguard back into my list. The Sternguard squad with two heavy flamers that is ^_^.

[War Angel]

not sure im following what you mean when you say increased AP will affect the "i cant belive its not will be back"

[Koremu]

Well, FNP is nullified by AP 1&2, not by AP3 - no idea if this will apply to however the new Necrons will work.

 

If the WBB equivalent *is* nullified by high AP weaponry, the Plasma Cannon just got even more tempting.

[War Angel]

ahhhh, thanks for clerification.

[Project.2501]

Sorry, between the slight thread derailment into Necrons and not being up to date with their newest rumors until just now, the original version of this post warranted this edit.