Honour Guard, plasma or melta?

[Judaz]

I'm building my honour guard right now and I'm thinking about what to take, plasma guns or melta guns? My plan was to have them as terminator killers and then plasma would be a better choice since they get twice the number of shots and that would be really helpful against SS's.

But on the other hand, melta instakills paladins and nobs, and kills about every tank in the game.

 

I could magnetize them of course, but is is worth it or will I use one of the choices all the time and the other just about never?

 

What's your experience with plasma vs melta?

 

BTW, I play a hybrid list with lots of Dreads, I can have enough AT on the board even without the melta HG.

[appiah4]

Plasma.

 

24" range, double the volume of fire, and S7 vs S8 instant kill is overrated (S7 wounds on 2+)

 

Unless you'll go hunting tanks with them, Plasma wins in every way and draws against AV10/11.

[knife&fork]

Melta+Flamer

 

Melta for tanks and stuff that you need to ID. Flamer for large blobs or when you want to drown your opponent in saves (SS assault terminators).

[Deschenus Maximus]

Magnetise them. Flamer/Melta/Plasma can all have uses in a HG.

[Smendrik]

I equip them with meltas and storm shields. I love how much damage they can take before they go down popping one tank after the other :P

 

It IS a bit expensive, but I am playing a lot against IG and they always paid there points back..

 

Plasma maybe better for termie hunting though..

I prefer to attack after firing. Brings my guys out of retaliation fire and even if not designed for choppy work they stiff have a not so bad close combat profile

[Xenith]

For the price of a plasma each, you can give each veteran a melta and a flamer.

 

Just saying.

[Judaz]

Just as I expected, no simple right or wrong here.

 

Does anyone actually use flamers on HG? My idea with plasma is that they can stay out of assault range if they don't feel like getting into CC.

I hadn't thought about the cost, melta is indeed cheaper than plasma. Guess that plays in melta's favour.

 

But I better magnetize them then, seems like I have to field test and try everything out.

[Jorre]

Speaking from my own expierience.

 

I would deffinetly go melta. Sometimes (actually quite alot) after you are done firing you are gonna want to assault something in the hopes that you'll still be in combat during your opponents turn so that he cant shoot you. Well if you have plasma you can't shoot and assault! so you will be stuck out in the open and probably in assault range yourself, you'll be lucky to survive the turn unless you can stop every free gun from firing at you.

 

Melta is obviously alot better for mech to. I have run plasma alot myself, and not having the option to assault frustrates me to no end! Melta is also cheaper!

[Judaz]

A new angle. And with Dante attached, melta seems like the better choice. Hit and run is really fun. ;)

 

But then, shoud I go with 4 meltas, or should I put some CC into the squad?

[Judaz]

And a bit OT, is the metal melta gun easy to magnetize, or is it a pain in the a$$?

[Morollan]

And a bit OT, is the metal melta gun easy to magnetize, or is it a pain in the a$$?

 

It's a bit of a pain as it's obviously harder to drill into the wrist than the plastic one. Not impossibly so but certainly harder.

[fivepointedstar]

with a good drill bit any thing is easy to magnetize.

[Xenith]

My idea with plasma is that they can stay out of assault range if they don't feel like getting into CC.

 

Plasma double taps at 12", so you will be in assault range, assuming that the HG are moving to intercept the big threats, which they should be.

[SamaNagol]

If you are magnetizing them to be held 2 handed then they are pretty easy.

[Brightguy]

True, but I found this one a bit fiddly, certainly compared to backpack or shoulder magnets where both surfaces are flat. The metal is obvously harder to drill than plastic and you need to think ahead about how you want the wrist joint to link up. Most of the gun holding right hands bend at the wrist. Plan on touching up that surface with some trimming and GS before you drill for the wrist magnet to ensure a good look.

[knife&fork]

You could just leave the arms in place and put a small magnet in the support hand and the other under the handguard. Easier than setting up three sets of arms/wrists

[Morollan]

You could just leave the arms in place and put a small magnet in the support hand and the other under the handguard. Easier than setting up three sets of arms/wrists

 

I've put a magnet on each end of the wrist joint, ie one in the arm and one on the weapon. That way I can glue the arms in place and swap the weapons over as needed. Bit of a pain but definitely workable.

[HERO]

I would go for Plasma personally.

 

They come stock with FNP for those failed Plasma shot, and they erase a good amount of MEQ/Terminators before they run into too many issues.

[AbusePuppy]

Plasma doesn't let you charge. Melta does. BA are generally a melee army. Anti-tank is usually at a premium due to limited choices for it and the natural presence of anti-infantry on our usual troop models. This makes Meltaguns largely the default option and generally superior. Plasma is usable, but generally not impressive unless for some reason your playgroup hasn't figured out that tanks are good.

 

Flamers as a secondary is goofy, but fairly effective.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

HG armed with rifles don't have much business in melee. I would go with two meltas and two plasmas if I were to run a shooty squad.

 

G <_<

[Judaz]

I don't agree on that BA is an melee army, we have so many enemies that does melee better. BA is a mobile army. That is why I will have a shooty HG with JP's skipping around the battlefield and blasting away with whatever they are to carry now...

 

With twice as many shots the possibility that the target won't be making an assault will be higher. As I said, I plan on using them against terminators and their like. Maybe I'll do as BO suggested and go with 2 of each. I will magnetize them anyway now.

 

Thanks for the answers guys.

[HERO]

Plasma doesn't let you charge. Melta does. BA are generally a melee army. Anti-tank is usually at a premium due to limited choices for it and the natural presence of anti-infantry on our usual troop models. This makes Meltaguns largely the default option and generally superior. Plasma is usable, but generally not impressive unless for some reason your playgroup hasn't figured out that tanks are good.

 

Flamers as a secondary is goofy, but fairly effective.

 

Well, I certainly hope the rest of your list can take care of vehicles..

 

Anyways, Meltas if w/ Dante, Plasma if solo, or Power Swords if running CC support is how I would run them.

[JamesI]

Anyways, Meltas if w/ Dante, Plasma if solo, or Power Swords if running CC support is how I would run them.

Sounds about right to me.

[BLACK BLΠFLY]

I believe each Honor Guard can actually carry two weapons - if so they can be equipped with a meltagun and a plasmagun. You could run two with just plasmaguns and another two with both. That would be the best of both worlds if you're willing to pay the points. Heck I'd even consider using a shooty unit like that for a mechanized army. I think as Judas said if you want a shooting army - because BA don't have to be a melee army - they would work well with Sternguard... Lots and lots of low AP shooty death.

 

G :P

[Smendrik]

Wouldn't it make more sense to compensate the weakness of your army list with them? Choppy HG in a shooty army and a shooty HG for tank popping in a choppy army?

 

Would you say to equip them with melta and storm shields is too expensive?