Vulcan Mega Bolter underwhelming?

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

The difference between it and the heavy bolter be S5 v S6 and identical AP and D seems very not mega. Maybe super bolter, but not mega bolter.

 

I would rather see a profile like

 

A10 (one for each barrel) S7 AP-2 D2 

 

I think an extra S and AP would make a big difference.

edit

this would make it a terror against things like ridge runners, scout sentinels, and GrEQs

 

Edited November 22 by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[GSCUprising]

A lot if IG units that have been moved to Legend in 40K are somewhat underpowered and overpriced.

 

Personally, I like taking the Macharius Vulcan for fluffy reasons,  as it features in my blog.

 

But there are worse.  While love the model, the Malcador Infernus is simply not up to scratch. The one effect I've found ut has is when your opponent doesn't know what it is, instead looking at it in panic as it does look mean. 

 

Distraction Carnifex indeed!

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

6 hours ago, GSCUprising said:

A lot if IG units that have been moved to Legend in 40K are somewhat underpowered and overpriced.

 

Personally, I like taking the Macharius Vulcan for fluffy reasons,  as it features in my blog.

 

But there are worse.  While love the model, the Malcador Infernus is simply not up to scratch. The one effect I've found ut has is when your opponent doesn't know what it is, instead looking at it in panic as it does look mean. 

 

Distraction Carnifex indeed!

The VMB is found in the codex, so it’s not even a legends issue

[casb1965]

In isolation it is not great but it was designed as a chaff killer and put on an infantry tank in the Stormlord.

Even at S6 AP -1 D2 it's going to do a reasonable amount of damage to chaff.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

1 hour ago, casb1965 said:

In isolation it is not great but it was designed as a chaff killer and put on an infantry tank in the Stormlord.

Even at S6 AP -1 D2 it's going to do a reasonable amount of damage to chaff.

An anti-infantry super heavy tank should have a main weapon that is effective at clearing most infantry, not just the squishiest infantry in the game. At AP-1 it’s not even going to be particularly good at clearing standard MEQs, let alone GrEQs.

[kabaakaba]

Do we have VMB anywhere but Stormlord? cause SL also transport 2 blobs of 20 and have 5 twinliked bolters 4 lascannons 2 stabbers and whatever you put into firing deck. with all that it's should remove squad of 10 intercessors in one shooting phase. 

 

[SteveAntilles]

1 hour ago, kabaakaba said:

Do we have VMB anywhere but Stormlord? cause SL also transport 2 blobs of 20 and have 5 twinliked bolters 4 lascannons 2 stabbers and whatever you put into firing deck. with all that it's should remove squad of 10 intercessors in one shooting phase. 

 

There's the Macharius Vulcan too, but it has 6 less shots I think. Basically the same otherwise.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

On 11/26/2025 at 10:04 AM, kabaakaba said:

Do we have VMB anywhere but Stormlord? cause SL also transport 2 blobs of 20 and have 5 twinliked bolters 4 lascannons 2 stabbers and whatever you put into firing deck. with all that it's should remove squad of 10 intercessors in one shooting phase. 

 

That’s a HUGE investment to kill one squad of 10 intercessors per turn.

 

it needs to do that 3 times to make its own points back, a fourth or fifth time if we are counting the dudes it’s transporting.

Edited Thursday at 07:18 PM by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[kabaakaba]

It isn't. Stormlord ain't  the beatstick. It should deliver it's passenger and sack as much damage as possible. Also her  Move Up! special rule, allow to get you cadians in shelter while control objective. If it removed squad or two from board, it's nice. If not? Gak happens. 

[casb1965]

17 hours ago, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

That’s a HUGE investment to kill one squad of 10 intercessors per turn.

 

it needs to do that 3 times to make its own points back, a fourth or fifth time if we are counting the dudes it’s transporting.

The thing is, with that firepower it will be clearing a unit a turn. 

Adding in any unit it's carrying and you're clearing a unit off an objective a turn and, space permitting,  dropping a unit on it FOR OC.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

On 11/28/2025 at 7:43 AM, casb1965 said:

The thing is, with that firepower it will be clearing a unit a turn. 

Adding in any unit it's carrying and you're clearing a unit off an objective a turn and, space permitting,  dropping a unit on it FOR OC.

Again that’s a huge points investment just to wipe a single basic unit.

 

when you look at terminators or aggressors the damage output drops off significantly as it is.

[kabaakaba]

That's because SL doesn't intended to remove units. It's a transport. Damage is a bonus.  Big good bonus. There is another baneblade variants if you wanna do damage. 

[Emperor Ming]

I mean that could describe much of the codex atm, overcosted and so so

 

Dorn being the biggest crutch ever

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

On 11/29/2025 at 5:54 PM, kabaakaba said:

That's because SL doesn't intended to remove units. It's a transport. Damage is a bonus.  Big good bonus. There is another baneblade variants if you wanna do damage. 

It’s a giant IFV, not an APC.  IFVs are meant to closely support their dismounts.

[kabaakaba]

Just to understand. do you used it on  the table or just hesitate if you want it?

SL have enough dakka to remove marine squad per turn.  That's good result for large transport no matter how you name it. Put inside 2 krieg hwt with heavy flamers and have fun.

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

1 hour ago, kabaakaba said:

Just to understand. do you used it on  the table or just hesitate if you want it?

SL have enough dakka to remove marine squad per turn.  That's good result for large transport no matter how you name it. Put inside 2 krieg hwt with heavy flamers and have fun.

I’ve used it several times.

 

again removing 5 intercessors or other basic tacticus armored dudes really isn’t that impressive, even if there could be some guns left over to do something not enough to do much.

 

again I think it should be a significant threat to TEQs and light vehicles. At S6 AP-1 D2, it really doesn’t do that very well, and I think the main weapon of a super heavy vehicle should be a solid threat to light vehicles at the very least.

[kabaakaba]

You have 4 Las cannons  it's good enough to threat any vechicles. Also it's super heavy Transport. With Omnisiah blessing it's really hard to remove. Ap-2 or s7 doesn't change things dramatically.  VMB is a solid anti-infantry weapon. It's should keep passenger alive so they do their things once on objective.

 

Take baneblade/hell hammer if you wanna more damage. They are solid threat to anything.  

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

8 hours ago, kabaakaba said:

You have 4 Las cannons  it's good enough to threat any vechicles. Also it's super heavy Transport. With Omnisiah blessing it's really hard to remove. Ap-2 or s7 doesn't change things dramatically.  VMB is a solid anti-infantry weapon. It's should keep passenger alive so they do their things once on objective.

 

Take baneblade/hell hammer if you wanna more damage. They are solid threat to anything.  

S7 AP-2 changes things very dramatically.

wounding gravis on 3s and forcing saves on 5+
forcing terminators into their 4+
 

many light vehicles would be be a 4+ to wound instead of 5+ and again forcing either a 4+ or 5+ Sv on those same vehicles.

 

for example as it is now against a scout sentinel, you need a 5+ to wound and it saves on a 4+.
 

do you really think that wouldn’t make a big difference if it was wounding on a 4+ and needed a 5+ to save?

 

as it is now guilliman’s super bolter is better with the exception of attacks

Edited 5 hours ago by Inquisitor_Lensoven

[Karhedron]

The problem is that if you make it much better it exceeds the firepower of the Hellhammer which costs about the same points and doesn't have any Transport capacity. I agree it would be nice if the VMB was better, it is supposed to be a titan-scale weapon. But you also have to bear in the mind the "complete package" of the vehicle it is mounted on.

[kabaakaba]

Heh, Warhound titan have same weapon. i don't see why should VMB be stronger 

[Karhedron]

1 hour ago, kabaakaba said:

Heh, Warhound titan have same weapon. i don't see why should VMB be stronger 

 

Mainly balance. If you make the VMB stronger, you have to hike the price of the Stormlord to keep it balanced. Otherwise it becomes better than the Hellhammer at shooting whilst also having a huge Transport capacity. All the IG superheavies are priced around the same point. You will not be able to maintain that parity if you make the Stormlord a clear winner.

[casb1965]

On 11/27/2025 at 7:16 PM, Inquisitor_Lensoven said:

That’s a HUGE investment to kill one squad of 10 intercessors per turn.

 

it needs to do that 3 times to make its own points back, a fourth or fifth time if we are counting the dudes it’s transporting.

 

20 x S6 AP -1 D2 with sustained hits 1 in a combined armed detachment giving you lethal hits is plenty enough to wipe out 1 unit per turn.

You can't factor in the units it transports in to the argument because they can easily shoot something else.