Flamers, Grav-Guns, Meltaguns and Plasma Guns. Which is best?

noreply@blogger.com (Azougon) — Mon, 24 Feb 2014 19:17:00 +0000

In this post I am going to discuss the features and uses of flamers, grav-guns, meltaguns and plasma guns. I have asked myself many times over the years whether flamers, meltaguns or plasma guns are the best, but now with 6th edition come grav-guns as well. That just makes the decision a whole lot harder.

So here are the four summaries:

Flamers

Assault 1
Strength 4, medium AP 5
Uses the template for range

Flame weapons are probably the best at taking out hordes of low armoured enemies. They also have the added bonus of being assault weapons which is a perfect match for a tactical squad's all-round role. It can also be pretty useful in assault squads for thinning out the enemy. Because template weapons can overwatch they are very handy if you get charged by any weak units, doing D3 automatic hits.

I use flamers in all of my tactical squads because they match the squad’s ethic of being adapted to doing anything well. Being an assault weapon they get exactly the same number of attacks in combat.

Meltaguns

Assault 1, melta
Strength 9, low AP 1
Short, 12" range

Melta weapons also have the added bonus of having the melta universal special rule. Extremely useful when playing against armies with lots of vehicles. They are the perfect weapons for use in squads that are going to close with the enemy quickly.

I don't use melta guns, however I do use multi-meltas on my attack bikes. They are great because they can get around the battlefield quickly allowing them to get behind tanks and shoot their back armour.

Plasma Guns

Rapid fire, gets hot

Strength 7, low AP 2

Average, 24" range

Plasma weapons are one of the best weapons for killing elite units. They have a decent strength, have multiple shots and a low AP rating. They fit alongside rapid fire bolters extremely well. They have the added bonus of having a good enough strength to take out vehicles. The only downside is the risk that they pose to your own units.

As an extra, I have two plasma pistols in my assault squad and they are super effective. The Jump packs mobility allows them to get behind tanks and take them out on their rear armour. I use them to take out transports and then charge any surviving enemy in combat.

Grav-Guns

Salvo 2/3, concussive, graviton

Wound on the enemy's save, low AP 2

Average, 18" range

Grav weapons are one of the best weapons for killing enemies with good saves as they have the graviton rule. However, if placed in a tactical squad they are not as good as the other weapons here because they must remain stationary to fire all shots or must be at half range for the other option.

So there you have it, a summary of flamers, grav-guns, meltaguns and plasma guns. Which one is the best? I personally believe it's the plasma weapons due to their all-round potential, but it is a matter of opinion and which army you are more likely to face.

I hope this has helped anyone who is facing the dilemma of which special weapons to take. Thank you for taking your time to read this, check back soon for more.

Warhammer 40k - Tactics and Hobbying

Flamers, Grav-Guns, Meltaguns and Plasma Guns. Which is best?

Flamers

Meltaguns

Plasma Guns

Grav-Guns