Weapons
"I like swords!" - Fighter from 8-Bit Theater.
Ah, everyone loves weapons. They're shiny. What more do you want? How about something that will rip your opponent in twain? That's what I'm talking about. Most of the stuff below is going to be used by Independent characters, Wolf Guard, or you have odd unit like the Iron Priest.
But your asking yourself, Fenrir, isn't there two types of weapons? And I say, sure is! You got your one-handed, and two-handed weapons. So, what's the difference between them? Not much. Normally all your fun stuff is a single-handed weapon, since a good portion of them are close combat weapons, and we ALL know that Space wolves work VERY well there. Your two-handed weapons are all ranged weapons, but on occasion, a few of these can be used quite effectively, in the right situation.
So, what's the best choice? That's not my decision. BUT maybe I can shed some light on what is a good pick.
Single-Handed Weapons
Both: Ah, the trusty bolt pistol. For Wolf guard, or your cool HQs, this weapon is both CHEAP and it nets you a +1 attack when combined with a CCW of some type. This should be a standard for any HtH character, unless you plan on doing something different with the character. Like say 2 LCs. And at 1 TINY point, your not breaking a budget by any stretch of the mind.
Both: Ah, from Bolt pistols we go to one of the most expensive HtH weapons in the game. At no point forget that this thing is EXPENSIVE. It costs a boatload, even for a WG. So, why use it? Well, it's a meltagun for HtH. And we all know what meltaguns are for, right? Ripping tanks into shreds. Probably not a great weapon against a non-tank army, as a power fist does the same thing overall to 'fleshy' stuff. Still, for a rear infiltrating WGL in termie armor, with a unit of scouts, this is a DEFINANT idea. Just keep the number of these to a minimum on your other termies, and ALWAYS put it on a termie that will die last, like one with an assault cannon or heavy flamer.
Both: The every CHEAP close combat weapon. It's the Bolt pistol of hand-to-hand weapons. And it's about as effective. Which means its not. BUT, if your trying to cut points someplace, you might find use of one of these in a unit of WGBG, just to have a few BP+CCW wolf guard to 'take hits' before the more expensive power weapon/power fist wielding ones hit the unit. Sacrifices sometimes need to be made. And this is a good way to make a few STRONG guys and a few WEAK guys in a WGBG unit. For characters, this almost seems unfluffy. Even a power sword won't break a normal character. But... if you REALLY got to have one of these, make it an axe. They just look cool on space wolves!
Rune Priest Only: Ah, the 'Nuke' weapon that Psychers like to carry. The problem is that you can't use it on the same turn you use a psychic power. So, you use Stormcaller, you can forget using your 'nuke' ability for 2 HtH turns. And as you should know, HtH shouldn't take that long, unless you are in some SERIOUS trouble. My suggestion, take this POINTSINK and forget about it. Whiteout the line in the point cost. It's just NOT worth it. For 10 less points, you could get a Thunderhammer, which will work MUCH better, if you have to Insta-Nuke something. Ok... next?
Other Only: Ah, Frost weapons. Their power weapons, and they are +1 Str when you use them to attack someone. Can you say NASTY? And stylish? Very 'wuffy'. It's a bit expensive, but not a bank breaker. Combined with a Wolf tooth necklace, you have a weapon that is statistically going to break even with a similar character armed with a set of MCed Lightning Claws. And it's cheaper too. Consider that...
Both: Ah, speaking of Lightning claws, how about a single Lightning claw? Um. Well, personally, I'm not a HUGE fan of just having one. It looks sort of weird, and you don't get that +1 attack for having a second hand weapon no matter what. About the only time I would consider this, would be for a Storm bolter wielding terminator. Then it's ok, since you aren't going to get a +1 attack anyways, for a second hand weapon. So, it's ok then!
Both: Ooooh, now we're talking about style. Who doesn't think two LCs just looks bad to the bone? And with that ability to reroll wounds, your looking at a troop killer here. In fact, LCs work BETTER killing off Toughness 3 or less, than a frostblade. But that's not saying much. But, if you want to kill infantry, this is what you want. Sort of expensive, but still isn't TOO bad if you don't go overboard with other things.
Both: Ah, its Str 7, and AP 2. Um, if you don't know what that means, you're obviously in need of help. But for those of you who do know, it means this pistol packs a punch! The problem is... its pretty expensive, price wise. About the same as a power weapon. Personally, I think that UNITS should pack plasma pistols, while toys like power weapons are a more suitable upgrade instead for your characters. So, while I'm not suggesting you give up with throwing the odd plasma pistol on a character, some times its more economical if you give the character something that will work better, for longer, in HtH.
Both: What says, "I want to kill you dead", or "I'm going to break your knees Mr. Wraithlord" quite like a powerfist? And surprisingly, it's not expensive for spendthrift wolf lords who look for power on a budget. The advantage of throwing this on an Independent character (IC) is it'll usually distract an enemy IC from attack a unit with power fists, instead for the character. This can be a good thing, because if you have a wolf lord, and he's only wounded twice, you can pound on your opponent, and just munch the unit with him after you get to take your swings. For wolf guard, a few of these mixed into the bunch can be useful as well. Never forget what Str 8 means to most things. It's called Autokill. And that is good.
Both: Ah, for value, and cutting the heart out of the enemy, accept no substitutes! Well, how about a power weapon, instead of a frostblade? Its not NEARLY as cool as a frostblade, and not nearly as wicked looking at two LCs, but when you need unit ripping power, and your on a budget, here is a good place to start. A waste if you plan on fighting against SV 6+ guys, but great for terminator and power armor hacking fun! Personally, I like these better on wolf guard and independent characters, and less for units, as a unit is MUCH scarier with power fists. And against wraithlords/taloses, not being able to attack the 'hidden' powerfist is a much better choice. Still, go with what you feel is best. Me, I roll too many 3 or less when rolling to wound.
Rune Priest Only: Ah, it's a psychic hood in a weapon format. OH JOY! Um... yeah... hurray. Go team. Really, this bites. You give up one hand for a basic CCW that lets you negate a single psychic power a turn. And it's 10 points to boot. So, for +9 points, you get a weapon your probably going to only need against a very few Chaos armies, Eldar armies, and any Space wolf army with a Rune priest in it. Big whoop. Yesh. That bites. Personally, so few armies buy psychers because usually they bite. So, save this weapon for your 'rainy' day situations. Otherwise, go with practical.
And YES, a Runic Staff is a weapon. No where does it say its not, and its under the one-handed weapon section of the Armoury. Also, SW Q&A in WD #269 said so. HAH! Told you!
Both: Its one handed, but it is NOT a close combat weapon. Ok, now that I got that out of the way, a 4+ inv save is sort of nifty. The only problem is you only get that 4+ against a single model in HtH. Thats better than nothing. Personally, I think if you want to use one, go for it. I'm not big on having one of these replace a Belt of Russ though. If a large unit of banshees jumps you, SOMETHING is going to be hitting you without your invulnerability save. That's why I like Storm shields in conjunction with Terminator armor, and their 5+ invulnerable save. Sure, it's not that big of a difference, but some days, style, and a +1 difference can mean a world of good stuff. Overall, they are very cool. Just not very useful in the super long run, but for one on one fights, GREAT!
Both: Thor. 'Nough said. Long story short, its a powerfist for +5 points, that stuns tanks and big nasty monsters that take a few hits to kill anyways, like wraithlords, taloses, daemons, and fun hard things to kill. This is the MUST HAVE of tyranid hunting equipment. Nothing says 'Hive Tyrant' smashing like a thunderhammer. And they're so nifty looking too. This is THE thing to have when you're hunting FAST or BIG things. The reason I say that is if the enemy goes first, your going last ANYWAYS. And if its a BIG target, your GOING to need a thunderhammer anyways. Or a powerfist or chainfist. So don't forget this! If your opponent goes on Init 5 or 6, get a big hammer, and CRUSH them!
Oh, and its a cool weapon too.
Two-Handed Weapons
Interesting side note: Well, all the weapons in this section you can use True Grit with, except the storm bolter. You can use True grit with a combi-weapon too, and it works 24-7 now, so you get True Grit all the time. SWEET! DUDE! SWEET! DUDE!!!
Both: Ah, the handy dandy bolter. Now with True Grit ability, this weapon ACTUALLY might be useful. But not by too much. If your going for style, a bolter is fine, but style doesn't kill much more than a normal bolt pistol in HtH. For 'tooled up' characters, this is a weapon to avoid, as the character will probably never stay still to rapid fire it. Instead, a few other items are MUCH better choices overall. For a WGL though, this is probably a good choice, if you need one for a grey hunter squad. But it's CHEAP!
Both: 10 points is pretty expensive for a character, but for 5 points, this is a wolf guards GREATEST DREAM COME TRUE! Oh? You don't know why? Well, here, I'll explain. Wolf guard bodyguards come in units of 4-9. Now, what happens if you give 9 bodyguards one of these each? Now... I'm not sure if you realize this, but 9 flamer templates will deep fry a HUGE batch of orks, and at only a total of 45 points, your MORE than make up your money. This works wonders against bugs as well.
How do I know this is a good deal? Think about it. A bolter is 1 point, and a flamer is usually about 8 points. Now, a bolter-flamer is a one shot flamer, but you still have a bolter. And I've NEVER used a flamer more than twice in a game, so each flamer shot is about 4 points. 1+4=5! Talk about cheap!!! Get a HUGE unit of orks in one spot, and you can wipe out more orks than a whirlwind. Oh yeah. And you get True grit with it too.
Both: Ah. It's no bolter-flamer. And that's why this isn't on my list of things to pick up. Its cool and everything, but how often do you have someone stand and fire their rapid fire weapon? Not often. Frankly, its just one more weapon I'm not going to use often, and the only way I WOULD use it would be for a WGL who's with a Grey hunter pack.
Both: The same cost as a Bolter-plasmagun, but probably more effective for a Space wolf army. This is the perfect 'one more shot' weapon for those wolves you HAVE to get in close on a dreadnaught heavy army. You don't WANT TO have to get that close, but some days you can't help it. This is where being able to blow something deadly up comes in handy. And you still get true grit. After all, you can't have enough anti-tank stuff. But at 10 or 15 points, your not going to be buying many of these.
Non-Terminator Only; Both: It's a Stormbolter, for a turn. And that's good! It shoots lots of stuff. But, in the end, it's just a fancy bolter. It's for the wolf lord that wants an assault weapon that shoots a lot. But really, it's not much better than a storm bolter. Not that it's bad against weak stuff, since Combi-bolters are cheap, but they aren't very effective against LOTS of stuff. Oh well. Just go with what you want. At least you get True Grit here.
Terminator Only; Both: When you absolutely need a cheap weapon to throw on a terminator that shoots. Personally, it's a good weapon, but you don't get true grit. It would be nice if you they made bolter-flamers for imperial terminators, but alas, you'll have to convert your own if you want some. Anyways, these work in a pinch, but don't expect them to do more than kill weak stuff. Not that that is a problem.
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