Plasma Overload?

[captain sox]

Hey folks,

 

Just running an idea through my head. I'm builidng my new AoV esque force and was considering making plama weapons the only weapon of choice on units that can take it.

 

For example, my only Interrogator Chaplain has a Combi-Plasma.

 

His Command Squad would have:

 

2 Plasma Pistol Marines,

2 Plasma Gun Marines,

Apothecary

 

Elites:

 

Dreadnoughts would have Plasma Cannon

 

Veteran Squads would have:

 

Plasma Cannon

Plasma Gun

3 Combi-Plasma

5 Plasma Pistols

 

Scouts:

Sergeant would have Plasma Pistol

 

Troops:

 

Tacs would have Plasma Pistol Sergeant, Plasma Gun and Plasma Cannon

 

Fast Attack:

 

3 Plasma Pistols in Assault Squads

 

Plasma Guns on Ravenwing Bike Squads (obviously not Attack Bikes)

 

Heavy Support:

 

Plasma Cannon x 4, Sergeant with Plasma Pistol

 

I know it would be extremely expensive points wise, and most likely not very compettitive, but I think it could rout a few armies nicely.

 

 

 

and look cool!

 

Thoughts?

[Raven Angel]

Its a fairly workable idea but under the current rules set you are very vulnerable in the Heavy weapons department because of scatter.

[EPK]

You will roll ones, lots of them, fail your saves, and cry... or maybe that's just me.

[Adeptus-Alaska]

there is never too much plasma......it is the white-hot fury that is the God-Emperors wrath.... if only we had plasma grenades..... :mellow:

[Ring-around-the-roses]

Plasma weapons are too Space Marines what the boomstick is to us. Love the smell of plasma in the morning.

 

On a side note, what does plasma smell like?

[Tengo]

Plasma weapons are too Space Marines what the boomstick is to us. Love the smell of plasma in the morning.

 

On a side note, what does plasma smell like?

 

 

It's frequently been reported to smell like a mixture of cat urine and burnt toast.

 

I wouldn't be comfortable having that much plasma in an army, I like to give a dread a :) -stuff-up-cannon and maybe a flew plasma pistols here and there for any shock troops or as a quick-fix for any anti-mech/monster insufficiencies in my vulnerable areas, but other than that, I prefer to go without.

[Adeptus-Alaska]

Plasma weapons are too Space Marines what the boomstick is to us. Love the smell of plasma in the morning.

 

On a side note, what does plasma smell like?

 

Victory

[Olis]

As already pointed out, rolling that many Gets Hot! dice will result in ones and you will lose marines for it. That said, the output of plasma death you be able to unleash would be a scary prospect for anyone, as it'd do a fair chunk of damage to even marine armies. So, some days you'll win from sheer weight of sun-fury and on others you'll be able to smell your men cooking themselves from a mile off. :)

[DucAvieux]

On a side note, what does plasma smell like?

 

Victory

 

This made me laugh.. uncomfortably loud when someone just entered my room :)

 

 

As to the armylist: plasmalicious! I'd refrain from using cannons in veteran and tactical squads to kep them mobile. That would give the guns and pistols more of a chance to shine. Likewise I wouldn't bother buying a pistol for a dev sergeant since they've messed up anyway if the enemy gets that close.

[BigGumbo]

You could always add some Predator Executioners, if FW experimental rules aren't a problem for you :)

 

The real difficulty you will face with all that plasma is AV12+ vehicles, as you'll be looking at sixes for penetrating hits (or possibly only for glances) and almost ANY scatter result on your PCs will mean S3 for those armour penetration rolls.

[Candleshoes]

Going with a prevalence of plasma, rather than only plasma, still gets the feel across for the older technology, without getting pidgeon toed into a single weapon. But, if all plasma is your cup of tea, they're your models.

 

I personally love themes, and sticking to them like the melta/flamer Salamanders or Heavy Bolter/Meltagun Storm Wardens is very satisfying.

[shabbadoo]

Close combat renders this army mostly impotent. Rapid firing plasma guns does not allow the Veteran Squads and Command Squads to Assault, so you lose the benefit of their inherent 2 base Attacks(which is why they cost 5 points more each to begin with). That also cuts the balls off of your Chaplain, seeing as the best aspects of a Chaplain have to do with Assaulting the enemy.

 

In a nutshell, one-dimensional counterproductive armies = crap.

 

Reapportioning some of the weapons so that their units actually work toward a purpose which is the unit's strength would see this list being vastly improved. The Command Squad should have all plasma pistols and no plasma guns, such that they could fire them and still Assault, and gain the benefits of the Chaplain. The Company Vets should be armed for Assault too. The Tacticals could put both plasma weapon in one Combat Squad, and the sergeant and others could be mounted in, you guessed it, a Razorback with lascannon/twin-linked plasma guns!

 

The army would be horrid vs. heavy mech armor, but would be vicious against any sort of median to elite infantry and light vehicle armies.

[shortysl]

You will roll ones, lots of them, fail your saves, and cry... or maybe that's just me.

 

Wait, have you been watching me play? B)

 

Plasmas are lovely but they're almost prohibitively expensive at the moment. Just my opinion.

 

The idea is cool though; I run almost exclusively Meltas in my Dark Angel force. I think the only exception is a Dreadnought with an Assault Cannon and my Land Raider.

 

Let's not forget that Plasma Guns were the unofficial reason for Terminators getting an invulnerable save. As I recall it, it was the 'hilarious numbers of Guardsmen frying themselves, but the Terminatots were suffering for it' that GW cited as one of the reasons in the Chapter Approved article :P

[captain sox]

I guess the point that some are missing is that I'll still have death wing, and other non plasma units like speeders, attack bikes and possibly a vehicle.

[shortysl]

I guess the point that some are missing is that I'll still have death wing, and other non plasma units like speeders, attack bikes and possibly a vehicle.

 

No one's missing the point, you didn't say anything about having any of those units; all the ones you listed at the beginning were plasma'd up, so people are naturally going to assume that's what your army consists of. If you've got the points and the models to go plasma heavy then go for it, it'll be an army that hurts, that's for sure.

[Brother-Chaplain Nemiel]

Well i know people who can roll the numbers they need...a friend of mine(ultra-uber-powergamer) would rarely, maybe even NEVER roll the 1... :)

 

My luck he dont likes us Dark angels :tu:

 

I wouldnt advise to go all plasma, even if it is kinda stylish and cool...they simply lack range for most situations,but using PCs on vehicles is a good option like other already stated, FW Pred Executioner, Dreadies...just too bad theres no Mortis with 2x PC^^

 

I still remember one of my very first games...my friend killed my whole Dev squad except 1 PC with his damned kyborgs(they were brand new at this time)...he shot back, no more kyborgs ;) ^_^

[Raven Angel]

Back befor all this scater crap in 5th that kind of list was my caned answer for a nidzilla force. Oh so many wonderful memories of watching carnfexes fry :)

[HJL]

i have used much the same list numerously. it works very well against poor fools on foot and low AV tanks. you will cry a river though if you come across a 3 raider army....

[captain sox]

No one's missing the point, you didn't say anything about having any of those units; all the ones you listed at the beginning were plasma'd up, so people are naturally going to assume that's what your army consists of. If you've got the points and the models to go plasma heavy then go for it, it'll be an army that hurts, that's for sure.

 

My bad, I think what I had going through my mind and what I typed were 2 different things.

 

I have the points for an army like dis....

 

For me, it's more along the lines of building something cool because I rarely play. I'm lucky to get a game a month. But if I do play, I want the person I play to go "oh %^&$!"

 

then I'll roll 1's (just like when I play with my Deathwing models)

[BigGumbo]

just too bad theres no Mortis with 2x PC^^

I'm pretty sure this is a Contemptor-Mortis option :)

[Aegnor]

Going with a prevalence of plasma, rather than only plasma, still gets the feel across for the older technology, without getting pidgeon toed into a single weapon. But, if all plasma is your cup of tea, they're your models.

 

Hmmm.... I do not think that was what you meant to say! :D

 

Well i know people who can roll the numbers they need...a friend of mine(ultra-uber-powergamer) would rarely, maybe even NEVER roll the 1... :)

 

Hate to say it, but if that is really what happens, as opposed to just feeling like it at times, then your friend is cheating somehow. Good players will create more opportunities where they are less reliant on a lucky roll, and where their lucky rolls will hurt you, so it can feel like a good player can have more luck. But if he NEVER rolls a 1 when it would hurt him, he's cheating - either not rolling the dice fairly, or using weighted dice. It does happen - there was one recently in Melbourne in Oz.

 

 

For me, it's more along the lines of building something cool because I rarely play. I'm lucky to get a game a month. But if I do play, I want the person I play to go "oh %^&$!"

 

then I'll roll 1's (just like when I play with my Deathwing models)

 

Best reason to build an army (not the rarely getting to play bit, the "this is sooo cool" bit). Especially if you're prepared to cop your lumps when it doesn't come off. I'd be awfully tempted to include at least one or two meltas, and a chainfist somewhere, to give you options around Land Raiders etc, to complement what you've put up, but otherwise, go for it. Don't know what the meta near you is like, but there are a lot of marine players around here, so plasma is damned handy.

[Haranin]

http://www.schlockmercenary.com/2004-02-23

[Brother-Chaplain Nemiel]

Hate to say it, but if that is really what happens, as opposed to just feeling like it at times, then your friend is cheating somehow. Good players will create more opportunities where they are less reliant on a lucky roll, and where their lucky rolls will hurt you, so it can feel like a good player can have more luck. But if he NEVER rolls a 1 when it would hurt him, he's cheating - either not rolling the dice fairly, or using weighted dice. It does happen - there was one recently in Melbourne in Oz.

 

No im very sure he doesnt cheat...he is just a hardcore GW fan, for long time his only social life was hanging out in GW stores, he nearly has all 40k/fantasy armies...its like you said that he would simply avoid playing a fully plasmaed army...he uses normal dices, weighted dices would keep him from rolling a 1 if he needs it lol...but i admit you have to take care his dices are rolling more than 1-2 steps :)

 

The ONLY way to increase your chances against him is NOT to tell him what army you would field...which doesnt work for me since he knows i only have DA and TS for 40k and khemri for fantasy!

 

Its also very dependant on superstition...sending a prayer to the emperor before i roll the dices works most time for me...like you never should say: I shoot the MISSile launcher, you will miss more likely ;)

Also washing my hands before i play works kinda :P

[shortysl]

No one's missing the point, you didn't say anything about having any of those units; all the ones you listed at the beginning were plasma'd up, so people are naturally going to assume that's what your army consists of. If you've got the points and the models to go plasma heavy then go for it, it'll be an army that hurts, that's for sure.

 

My bad, I think what I had going through my mind and what I typed were 2 different things.

 

Lol, no worries, I regularly have the same problem myself! So many times do I sit waiting for an answer from my wife to a question that I though I'd asked, only for her to look at me blankly and say "whaaaat?"

[march10k]

I ran with three plas/plas squads in 3rd, lately, I'm drifting back towards that setup for my tactical squads. I'm liking plasmariffic tacticals for home-Objective camping, and scoring deathwing for far-Objective capping. Say two squads of deathwing and three plas/plas tactical squads? ~220 points per squad average, that's 1100 points for five high-quality scoring units. Plus the cost of Belial, and you still have plenty of points for 2-3 more decent choices in a 1750 or 1850 point list. Hell, you could squeeze in a pair of land raiders for your two termie squads to ride in, if that's your cup of tea, but I was thinking more like a pair of dakka preds, some outflanking scouts, and a whirlwind.