Power Lance used?

[IK Viper]

I have been looking at the power lance option alot for my Vanguard Vets who I will want to come in with Heroic Intervention, thought it might give them a nice edge verses power armour squads since you cant have a priest with them when they come down.

 

has anyone seen a use for this weapon, honestly LC are probably better since they are still AP 3 in the following turns, but I thought I would ask.

 

as it stands it seams like they don't have a use... I think GW should have made them give +1 Initiative and made them AP 4 instead of what they did...

[Lysere]

I have been looking at the power lance option alot for my Vanguard Vets who I will want to come in with Heroic Intervention, thought it might give them a nice edge verses power armour squads since you cant have a priest with them when they come down.

 

has anyone seen a use for this weapon, honestly LC are probably better since they are still AP 3 in the following turns, but I thought I would ask.

 

as it stands it seams like they don't have a use... I think GW should have made them give +1 Initiative and made them AP 4 instead of what they did...

 

So far I have had some luck with lances on bikes. The question is really is do you want the lance in combat with the squad they charged for more then a turn or two? If so then no the lance is not a good choice unless your opponent is not MeQ.

 

If you use units that are only really good on that first round of combat then the lance is a great way to give them an edge over swords.

[Hadron Ka'sel]

this is something i've been looking into alot, and the conclusion i have come to is that these are soooo tasty when combined with hit and run. Which sadly you can't get on vanguard. I personally am running 5 dc with jp and lances acting as an honour guard for Dante. This combo makes the lances even more potent because of the extra str dc get on the charge. Then i've been looking at vanilla marine allies with the Khan on his bike allowing you to take a command squad on bikes and give them lances. So essentially you get mechanical knights. <_<

[Red Fury]

The lance is not as good as a claw against MEQ with a small VV squad.

 

Even though the lance gets +1S and +1A vs the Claw with shred, the claw is more reliable wounding with 75% of hits landed. That's not to say the Lance doesn't have potential, it does. Maths show it beating the claw on the charge, very slightly, but also twice as likely to deal 3 wounds on the charge and has even the (very unlikely) possibility of landing and wounding with all four attacks.

 

If you kit out all of your VVets to wipe squads on the charge (expensive!) then maybe they could be ok. But a 5 man VV squad with a PW or two is going to be stuck in for another round at least, so better to take the claw.

 

So my point being, the lance can take a kill on the charge but then becomes useless, the claw will munch through another marine turn after turn after turn.

[Captain Idaho]

I think if you are expecting to get the charge in the Power Lance is a great weapon! On the charge it is the best power weapon against everything bar 2+ saves, since it is has the next highest AP and a strength bonus.

 

Of course, fail to do the damage and you're stuck with an inferior power weapon against opponents with power armour. For mopping up the next turn you need to ensure you have a few models well armed to finish off the unit. Like a pair of Lightning Claws added to the unit to help out.

[Haunter!]

As long as you use them to clean up wounded squads they can be great. As everyone has said already, they aren't great for extended combat.

[IK Viper]

sounds like they would be great in an Honor Guard with Dante to Hit and Run from a SR

[Mezkh]

Initiative 4 isn't that great, so generally Power Axes are the superior choice. The only time you'll really wish for a Lance is vs sub 4 initiative combat troops that DON'T have 2+ saves. That's rare to see even in armies where that's an option, like Necrons.

 

Lances work better on higher initiative, but more fragile xenos cc units

[Zedrenael]

I would say that Lances have there purpose. I have a full Vanguard Vet squad that I have taken to tournament that had all lances. Expensive squad I mean very expensive. But the whole focus of this squad is to go up against squishy units since you will deep strike and then assault and get the hammer or wraith hits + your lance attacks should take out most small low toughness squads.

[Dragonet40k]

I would say that Lances have there purpose. I have a full Vanguard Vet squad that I have taken to tournament that had all lances. Expensive squad I mean very expensive. But the whole focus of this squad is to go up against squishy units since you will deep strike and then assault and get the hammer or wraith hits + your lance attacks should take out most small low toughness squads.

 

Remember that Deep Striking counts as using your Jump Packs, so no re-rolling the charge distance or HoW hits.

[Captain Idaho]

Initiative 4 isn't that great, so generally Power Axes are the superior choice. The only time you'll really wish for a Lance is vs sub 4 initiative combat troops that DON'T have 2+ saves. That's rare to see even in armies where that's an option, like Necrons.

 

Lances work better on higher initiative, but more fragile xenos cc units

 

Striking at initiative 4 is important because it's the bench mark in 40K. If you strike last you are going to suffer casualities that reduce your effectiveness, especially in protracted combats.

 

A few models hidden inside a unit with a power axe is quite powerful, but striking last as a whole unit will see a lot of dead models.

 

Besides, what if you come up against an Ork Mob, or even a modest Guard?

[Mezkh]

Initiative 4 isn't that great, so generally Power Axes are the superior choice. The only time you'll really wish for a Lance is vs sub 4 initiative combat troops that DON'T have 2+ saves. That's rare to see even in armies where that's an option, like Necrons.

 

Lances work better on higher initiative, but more fragile xenos cc units

 

Striking at initiative 4 is important because it's the bench mark in 40K. If you strike last you are going to suffer casualities that reduce your effectiveness, especially in protracted combats.

 

A few models hidden inside a unit with a power axe is quite powerful, but striking last as a whole unit will see a lot of dead models.

 

Besides, what if you come up against an Ork Mob, or even a modest Guard?

 

I am talking in a general sense, not 1v1 or entire unit of Lances vs unit of Axes.

 

Foot Vanguard don't exist in Blood Angels, and personally I would not run a unit of JP Vanguard where they all have power weapons, because they have no way to mitigate their average WS4 when heroically intervening, and the factored cost of HI makes them a poor matchup for combat capable foes where you want the edge of multiple power weapons.

 

Given 'Shoot the Choppy-ones and Chop the Shooty-ones', Blood Angel HI Vanguard have one of if not the best, most reliable mechanic to deliver 'Chop the Shooty ones' in the game. You pay for that , and don't want to waste it using them to try to out-chop a 'Choppy-ones' unit.

 

16 WS4 S4 I4 attacks and 4 WS4 S5 I1 AP2 attacks (compulsory PW, as an axe) on 5 PA marine bodies will account for most 'Shooty-ones' units, and at 165 points (+meltabombs @ 5 ea) doesn't break the bank.

 

The only realistic unit of power weapons in Blood Angels is the Sanguinary Guard. Presuming your local plays Glaives as non-unique, Lances are actually ok here. Mastercrafted mitigates the WS4 and the banner mitigates 2-handed, with JP they should gain the charge, and they're designed as a bully unit that wants to keep away from other Choppy 2+ saves (Terminators/MCs).

Maces would be more focussed for them as a permenant +2 Str , AP4 like the Angelus Bolter and don't need a priest to get to the magic S6 value, but Lances give a little to gain flexibilty and make strikes against things like Tomb Spyders, Death Company that your ASM troops wouldn't want to handle.

[Captain Idaho]

Well power axes are at their best when they can't be singled out for challenges. I'm not veteran using Vanguard, but I believe I would take a cheaper unit myself, with only 1 or 2 upgrades. However, I know some people might take a couple extra power weapons so that's generally the time Power Lances might become useful, along side power axes of course.

 

But yeah, I totally agree that Vanguard should be kept cheaper and at least 1 hidden power axe should be included!

 

Note; the Sergeant shouldn't have a power axe, since he can be singled out in a challenge and will likely die to a power sword before he gets to strike. Another Vanguard in the unit with a power axe would be much more useful <_<