Space Marine Gunslingers

[The Imperial Fist]

With the gunslingers rule in the rulebook, I've been considering running a command squad with them equipped with dual plasma pistols and possibly storm shields then mounting them in a drop pod as an alpha strike.

Has anyone here tried running this? Any good?

[Sly]

With the gunslingers rule in the rulebook, I've been considering running a command squad with them equipped with dual plasma pistols and possibly storm shields then mounting them in a drop pod as an alpha strike.

Has anyone here tried running this? Any good?

When you land from a Drop Pod you can't assault anyhow. Plasma gun fires twice within 12", and so do two Plasma pistols. Other than coolness, why would you buy the two pistols rather than one gun?

[The Imperial Fist]

When you land from a Drop Pod you can't assault anyhow. Plasma gun fires twice within 12", and so do two Plasma pistols. Other than coolness, why would you buy the two pistols rather than one gun?

Command Squads can unfortunately no longer take special weapons :-/ Plasma guns would be preferrable due to points, but can't even do one these days sadly.

[The Imperial Fist]

My bad, just thought "better check the errata quickly..." and joy, they can now take special weapons. Bring forth the plasma death!

[Littha]

This is something I had thought about doing with vanguard vets. Dual plasma or grav pistols look awesome but have the unfortunate effect of making a 5 man unit about 300 points...

[Haighus]

It is a pretty handy rule for sergeants though- if you just upgrade the sergeant to have a plasma/grav pistol, you can keep the bolt pistol instead of the chainsword and be able to fire 2 shots. Neat :)

Hmm, maybe I will have to swap the Dark Vengeance tactical sergeant's chainsword for a bolt pistol.

[This Dave]

This is something I had thought about doing with vanguard vets. Dual plasma or grav pistols look awesome but have the unfortunate effect of making a 5 man unit about 300 points...

Also they lose out a bit once they get into assaults against heavily armored things without any Power Weapons in the unit. Although if you keep jumping them around and shooting stuff up you may not need it. I think I may need to change the weapons on a couple members of my Vanguard kill team now...

[SquigBrain]

Also they lose out a bit once they get into assaults against heavily armored things without any Power Weapons in the unit. Although if you keep jumping them around and shooting stuff up you may not need it. I think I may need to change the weapons on a couple members of my Vanguard kill team now...

And with two plasma pistols "Both Guns Blazing" becomes the literal truth! :P

[Littha]

Also they lose out a bit once they get into assaults against heavily armored things without any Power Weapons in the unit. Although if you keep jumping them around and shooting stuff up you may not need it. I think I may need to change the weapons on a couple members of my Vanguard kill team now...

My idea was that the additional shooting should make up the difference, blast the enemy with a pile of grav/plasma pistol shots then charge. Hopefully the 10 pistol shots followed up by the weight of attacks on the charge should do some damage at least... And there is always the fun of knocking a chaos lord or something to initiative 1 with the grav pistols before the charge. I just really wish it wasnt such an oppressive amount of points per model to do so...

[This Dave]

I think instead of the whole squad I'm going to do this with just a couple of them. That way they can shoot the crap out of something (hopefully not blowing themselves up with the PPs) and then charge in with the guys with various Power implements doing the damage there.

[Angelofblades]

I think regular Space Marine Sgt (like in tactical squads or assault squads) are prime candidates for this.

You'd be paying 30 pts, and still get the benefits (afaik) in overwatch, allows you to add more shots.

It's similar to paying the same amount of points for
Vet Sgt
Combi -wep, Single Lightning Claw. (35 pts total)

Though you don't the extra added benefits in CC with the SLC, though both models have the same number of attacks in cc - static.

Though, personaly, equipping sgts and vet sgts comes last in my process of list building, and only if I have the points to spare.

[This Dave]

I think regular Space Marine Sgt (like in tactical squads or assault squads) are prime candidates for this.

You'd be paying 30 pts, and still get the benefits (afaik) in overwatch, allows you to add more shots.

It's similar to paying the same amount of points for
Vet Sgt
Combi -wep, Single Lightning Claw. (35 pts total)

Though you don't the extra added benefits in CC with the SLC, though both models have the same number of attacks in cc - static.

Though, personaly, equipping sgts and vet sgts comes last in my process of list building, and only if I have the points to spare.

A single Lightning Claw does have a nice advantage in melee as even though it doesn't give the model an extra attack it does let you reroll failed wounds. The advantage to giving a Sergeant the two pistols is that besides two shots you get two chances for Precision Shots. Zapping a charging enemy character with a Grav Pistol might make him reconsider throwing a Challenge.