Plasma V Las & Melta

[SnakeChisler]

I've tried getting Las and Melta into my lists but since our codex I've shifted to nearly Plasma only

 

In recent games it's been nearly all plasma for the heavy lifting with the help of a Rocket and heavy bolter

 

Las cannons are great weapons but rolling d6 for damage does my head in, ad mech got a min 3 damage on neutron lasers, Eldar got a set damage on Reaper launchers of 3 but apparently we can cope with the stress of forever rolling 1's especially in clutch situations.

 

I 've got some Melta guns on the bikes but last night I rolled......... A DOUBLE 1

ARGGGGGHHHH

 

Enough I say I don't care if I blow up or not I want more plasma

 

Anyone got experience with the heavy plasma incinerators?

Will probably proxy some for a while, I need some more Hellblaster's anyway may split the box 50/50 between heavy and normal as I only need an extra 5 for my raven/ green lists.

[Helycon]

I've had some luck with lascannons, IF they wound. That somehow seems to be my issue :P

 

Not tried any melta yet. The models I have it on are attack bikes, and they seem rather pointless, since it's a bit of a glass cannon to put it mildly. My Stormravens aren't ready yet, but it feels like those are the platforms of works on. You can get em in range with ease, hit on 3's when not wounded and have more dakka to burn. They also drop nasty stuff in you opponents face, which is an added bonus.

 

But I agree that, with the amount of rerolls we get and WftDA, plasma is vastly superior for DA.

[robofish7591]

Personally, I have not used the heavy plasma incinerator because I think the regular ones are more well rounded.  IF I were to take them, Dark Angels are the best army for them to just park in cover somewhere and never move so they can reroll their 1s.  

[solarisqc]

Personally, I have not used the heavy plasma incinerator because I think the regular ones are more well rounded.  IF I were to take them, Dark Angels are the best army for them to just park in cover somewhere and never move so they can reroll their 1s.  

 

 

IF the heavy plasma incinerator was 2 damage base (3 overcharge) i may consider it but when you consider:

+2 point per weapon

less benefit from WFTDA Inside 15'' vs plasma incinerator

half number of shot on overwatch

 

on overwatch, heavy incinerator can do only 1 hit with a max damage of 2 or 3 with WFTDA including ancient

the plasma incinerator can do 3 hit for a max damage of 9 (with WFTDA and ancient)

 

The only real benefit of the heavy version is if you know you will face alot of T8 target and know you will never have any target closer than 21''

 

 

On a side note, i think the hellblaster with heavy plasma incinerator is the best looking model in the primaris line!

[MaxB]

I've enjoyed running a min size RW bike squad with 2 meltas (I may add a combi to the sarg). Yes damage can be a bit random, but 2 x 2D6 picking highest generally works well, plus random can be fun. The squad is relatively cheap too and can multi-function if I need to clear chaff (SB on sarge for 16 bolter shots). 

 

Plasma is def consistent though. Even at range 10 man hellblasters overcharging and WOFTDA drop tanks in one go. Inside rapid fire range just gets crazy. I'd rather this than Lascannons for longer range use - you prob want a few lascannons to make up for the single D6 damage roll which could maybe get pricy for a comparable damage output?

[Progenitor]

My most consistent non-Hellblaster damage dealer is actually my Venerable Dreadnought. I run him with TL Lascannon and Missile Launcher. My Nids friend brought a Spearhead skewed list last time we played with something like 8 Fexes in it. My Dread took out one of them each and every turn. I need to add some kill markings to his paint job now because it was amazing watching him just nuke something every shooting phase. 

[sneakybamsen]

For casual games I too have had rather good experiences with the las+missile dread, even as a regular dread. Blowing up a helldrake one turn, annihilating something else the next. Yeah, it does work, even though it doesn't provide as much LC firepower per point as a discopred.

[Interrogator Stobz]

I’m in the Godhammer camp too; for early game phases and support fire, my TLC Mortis Dreads and TLC Mortis Contemptor are often MVPs.

 

Plasma spam is as everyone says fantastic, but I need a turn or two to get them into super killy range so both guns have their place.

 

I’ve not run RW Melta squads in 8th, so no comment on that.

[Helycon]

I do feel melta would be best as the gun-kind on bike since they don't suffer the to-hit penalty, unless advancing. Then again, when doing that, you move further, getting closer to melta range, and adding a 4++ to them if you want fast and cheap melta, I'd go RW. You can even grab a combi-weapon on the sarge for extra pewpew. Edited March 5, 2018 by Helycon

[sneakybamsen]

I can see the idea of advancing a unit of bikers carrying melta (maybe even with speed of the raven in a pinch) as they'll be able to more easily get within melta range and get that 4++, but I'd probably only do that, if nothing else was close and they really had a big target to hit hard. I think if you were facing AM gunline for instance you'd want to keep the bikers out of CC with the screening stuff, and since the screens are near the tanks, the latter is hard to get to (especially within melta range). In that scenario, I think I'd consider not advancing, and let the bikers rip the chaff with their bolters as well as shooting the melta at their target if possible. Chaff don't care about 4++ anyways. Depends on the foe, I guess.

[SnakeChisler]

I can see the idea of advancing a unit of bikers carrying melta (maybe even with speed of the raven in a pinch) as they'll be able to more easily get within melta range and get that 4++, but I'd probably only do that, if nothing else was close and they really had a big target to hit hard. I think if you were facing AM gunline for instance you'd want to keep the bikers out of CC with the screening stuff, and since the screens are near the tanks, the latter is hard to get to (especially within melta range). In that scenario, I think I'd consider not advancing, and let the bikers rip the chaff with their bolters as well as shooting the melta at their target if possible. Chaff don't care about 4++ anyways. Depends on the foe, I guess.

On the bike V astra militarum front my usual tactic is to gun the bikes into the screens face, try kill them then waste the tanks firepower by being locked in combat with the bikes, Guard players have a habit of grouping thier tanks up to make use of fire lanes and bike bases are a nice width to snag extra vehicles in the pile in. I'd normally take the odd pot shot Melta gun for targets of opertunity and forcing them to shoot at the bikes rather than at the Hellblaster's walking up.

Even with 2 dice I find the one to 6 frustrating GW should have made Melta S10 at 1/2 range AM tanks are hard work at T8 tying the ones your not shooting at seems the best tactic.

[sneakybamsen]

Melta to my knowledge is underwhelming, I can't say otherwise. Even in 7th it never really did me any good. Unfortunately several of my special weapon marines are equipped with the stuff.

 

Personally I'd go Lascannons and plasma, not just plasma, as I feel the dependancy on WftDA becomes too great (even though plasma is certainly a lot better than it was in 7th for any army). Why Lascannons? Well, range and scarefactor. That TLC+missile dread (although not competitive) becomes a lot more dangerous to a lot of people, especially if they have big targets. Discopreds even more so. Hard choices can make opponents make mistakes, which in itself can make wins more achieveable.

[Berzul]

Im with Sneakybamsen. Plasma + LC