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Offline Brash

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Arming Plague Marines
« on: August 10, 2016, 01:55:43 PM »
I am just starting to assemble my forge world plague marines and was just curious on peoples thoughts on what to arm them with. I was thinking of giving the champion a power fist and plasma pistil and 2 members plasma guns. Thought I might get some other opinions though.

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Offline Wyddr

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #1 on: August 10, 2016, 05:30:49 PM »
Certainly Plasma Guns are a good choice. The powerfist I'm less sold on. The units are expensive enough as it is and plague knives aren't too bad. I prefer cheap Plague Champs myself.

Offline dog_of_war

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #2 on: August 10, 2016, 07:33:22 PM »
Plasma guns all the way. You're rarely going to be charging the enemy and more likely taking it, especially with your blight grenade rules, so the rapid fire plasma and bolters will be shooting every turn. The gets hot will be slightly mitigated by your feel no pain as well. I usually do a power fist to help break stalemates or in a challenge. The plague marines are an awesome tarpitting unit, and it would be great to have something that can knock out that walker or vehicle. The plague knives will do wonders on monstrous creatures by themselves. What size squads are you taking? What is your meta game like at the moment? If your unit us big enough, you could save on the power fist and hope for your plague knives to whittle them down. A five man unit, I would take a fist.

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #3 on: August 10, 2016, 10:21:46 PM »
If I was arming Plauge Marines, I'd only ever take meltaguns. Meltaguns are cheaper than plasma and I find them more versatile. Melta can instant kill T4 characters (like most marine heroes and wulfen) and are fantastic against both vehicles and high toughness creatures in general. Also, going with instant death, single wound models with T4 or less, will be denied Feel no pain as well.

Plus, you can charge after shooting melta, which only creates more options.

I find that the ability to quickly take out vehicles (drop pods, knights and the like) is crucial for victory, and the meltagun helps with that more.

Never discount the need to charge to take out the last few models in a unit, or to contest/control and objective. I don't want to have to be stuck not charging, because I spent the points on two plasma guns.

The two shots on plasma is nice and all, but I'd rather have AP1, and armour bane.

For champ equipment, he's striking last anyway. If not giving him a power fist, he should at least have a melta bomb and maybe a combi-melta too.

Plasma pistols are too expensive for what they are, the same cost as a plasma gun, but not as good. I'd rather have a combi-melta for 5pts cheaper (which can then also let you get a melta bomb too).

« Last Edit: August 11, 2016, 05:33:51 AM by Irisado »
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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #4 on: August 11, 2016, 05:38:41 AM »
Never discount the need to charge to take out the last few models in a unit, or to contest/control and objective. I don't want to have to be stuck not charging, because I spent the points on two plasma guns.

This is the major factor for me.  One of the reasons why I became less of a fan of Plasma Guns for many Chaos Space Marine units was because I found myself needing to charge to finish off the remnants, and couldn't.  I have lost games because of this, and so I would be strongly tempted to take Melta Guns as well to avoid this problem.

Also, the resilience of Plague Marines gives you one of the most durable Chaos infantry anti-tank units, assuming you go with the Melta Guns, which is pretty handy.
« Last Edit: August 11, 2016, 05:41:14 AM by Irisado »
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Offline dog_of_war

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #5 on: August 11, 2016, 08:41:56 AM »
The problem with melta guns is that you lose the range of the plasma. I find that I need that extra range to pop that transport earlier in the game or suppressing fire a unit of elites.

If you are the thinking of charging the same turn you're going to have to abstain from firing your bolt guns too. I find that the melta gun is only an advantage if you are in range to pop a transport and charge the unit inside the same turn, so ideally you are within seven inches of the target. With plasma, you can be taking out that transport a turn or two earlier and taking out most of the occupants before you're even thinking about close combat.

It's all realitive to your meta and play style. Lots of land raiders and monoliths out there or you're an aggressive, player with a fast attack army, take the melta. If you are a more methodical player or using your marines to camp, take the plasma.

Offline Brash

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #6 on: August 22, 2016, 08:07:06 PM »
I have 3 full squads of plague marines and am assembling 30 noise marines at the moment. There is a rhino I am converting as well for the new unit. I have usually gone plasma guns but my main opponent is a dark angels player and he has been taking those knights and they seem impossible to kill.
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Offline dog_of_war

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #7 on: August 24, 2016, 07:54:25 AM »
Personally I've been running CSM with the Mark of Nurgle instead of plague marines, as I find I can take a heck of a lot more. I do give up blight grenades, plague knives, and feel no pain, but I usually avoid close combat with difficult units, so I found I didn't lose too much.

Running them this way you can take a lot more special weapons for the points or take a lascannon, which you cannot do with the plague marines.

I really don't think plague marines are an answer to your knight problems though. They are much better suited to fighting elites or troops rather than heavies.

I'd look towards forgefiends, havocs, and obliterators to target your opponents knight. Obliterators would be my go to unit. A havoc unit could take up to four plasma/melta weapons and still take the MoN and rhinos. You could try taking them as chosen for the xtra special weapons options. They are more expensive than havocs, but if you're out of heavy slots, work in a pinch.
« Last Edit: August 24, 2016, 08:11:39 AM by dog_of_war »

Offline Jerseyboy381

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Re: Arming Plague Marines
« Reply #8 on: August 26, 2016, 02:27:54 PM »
I usually go with melta guns myself.  I tend to be aggressive with my chaos army.  The champion has a fist because its a flexible weapon.  He's already likely to swing after whatever he's fighting so he migjt as well have a good punch to throw.

I've never been a fan of plasma pistols in general.  Its a lot of points for something thats only marginally useful in the course of a game.  I think the only dtime i ever use them is in my all plasma legion of the damned unit for my loyal marines.
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