Another go at blast weapons...again...simpler this time

[chapter master 454]

So yet another crack of that ol' chestnut with an idea that may just bring it in line. Lets get into it because it is straight up that simple.

 

All random shot weapons are now just set number of shots (except for those that it makes sense for in orks because those xenos always have unpredictable results). So now those weapons can have a set number of shots however there is a special rule I want to add to those weapons.

 

"When targeting Characters, Vehicles or Monster; half the number of shots this weapon has rounding down"

 

This now means things like demolisher cannons can have something respectable for an explosive weapon like 6 shots which will leave infantry going for cover but against targets like tanks and other big stuff those things will get less hits but the stats of the weapon balance it out (basically a demolisher cannon being 24", heavy 6, Str10, AP3, Damage D6 + the new rule here makes it so it can once again be a good takes all weapon it once was).

 

This is a simple method with no special extra bar what amounts to what could be called the "Sniper" rule (weapons or units with "can target characters even if not the closest target"). This way we can remove the variance factor from random shot weapons which is their biggest issue in being actually good.

[Gederas]

So yet another crack of that ol' chestnut with an idea that may just bring it in line. Lets get into it because it is straight up that simple.

 

All random shot weapons are now just set number of shots (except for those that it makes sense for in orks because those xenos always have unpredictable results). So now those weapons can have a set number of shots however there is a special rule I want to add to those weapons.

 

"When targeting Characters, Vehicles or Monster; half the number of shots this weapon has rounding down"

 

This now means things like demolisher cannons can have something respectable for an explosive weapon like 6 shots which will leave infantry going for cover but against targets like tanks and other big stuff those things will get less hits but the stats of the weapon balance it out (basically a demolisher cannon being 24", heavy 6, Str10, AP3, Damage D6 + the new rule here makes it so it can once again be a good takes all weapon it once was).

 

This is a simple method with no special extra bar what amounts to what could be called the "Sniper" rule (weapons or units with "can target characters even if not the closest target"). This way we can remove the variance factor from random shot weapons which is their biggest issue in being actually good.

I like this, but with one caveat: Titanic units would be exempt from that rule. Because.... Just how is artillery going to miss something the size of a Baneblade or a Knight?

[Grimdark_Garage]

An interesting idea though i had a thought that would (in honesty) make it slightly more complex.

 

Two different "Blast" weapon profiles :

Blast 6 / D3

Blast 3 / 1

Roll a single dice to hit. if it hits you score the first profile

if it misses you hit the second profile.

 

Exmaples

Missle Launcher - Roll a hit so you score 6 auto-hits

Roll a miss you score D3 auto-hits

Plasma Cannonr - Roll a hit so you score 3 auto-hits

Roll a miss you score 1 hit

 

There are obviously examples of weapons that are Heavy 2D6 or 2D3 etc and i think this method could scale.

Would make a whirlwind mighty nice!

 

There are still plenty of weapons that need that randomness to ensure they're not OP. Previously mentioned Ork wepaons and the big guns on super heavies. These could simply stay as Heavy D6

[Wulf Vengis]

@ Gederas: It's not that it's missing the target. The blast just isn't having the same effect against rise harder targets as against a more vulnerable infantry one.

 

As for Titanic targets i assume 454 be reducing the amount of wounds from half to one.

[Wulf Vengis]

Most of the random fire weapons can be easily handled. Simply swap the random factor from number of shots to damage. Frag missiles don't fire a while of projectiles, they fire 1 that explodes in an area dealing a random number of wounds with their shrapnel.

[NTaW]

My thoughts on template weapons:

 

Small blast becomes Heavy 2, large blast becomes Heavy 4. Both get the ability "to-hit rolls of 6 generate an extra attack that hits automatically".

 

Flame templates I'd say could be Assault 4 with the same ability, letting ranges dictate the differences between a regular flamer and an inferno cannon.

[Phubar]

For me it could be that for blast weapons you roll a number of dice equal to the number of models in the target squad, witha a maximun of 3 or 6.

For flamers i dont know :D

[Wulf Vengis]

Small blast: 3 wounds

Large blast: 6 wounds

Flamer Pistol: 2 hits

Flamer: 4 hits

Heavy flamer: 6 hits

 

Something along those lines?