# Multi-Melta Usage



## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

I found this on Bell of Lost Souls. It's definitely worth reading. It's got some good points-- particularly regarding how they're quite cost-effective. 



Tactica: Multi-Melta

The Loyalist Heresy-Era Death Guard army I run uses 2 Quad Multi-Melta dev squads, along with a couple of MM Landspeeders. I want to talk a little bit about one of the games least fielded weapons as it has raised a few furrowed brows.

Let me tell you first off that the weapon is VERY misunderstood and underestimated.

First rule of MMs: Buy lots of em. They are roughly on par with Heavy Bolters points wise so load up. While 1-2 MM dont get respect, start firing them in quads, and your opponent will take notice.

Second rule of MMs: Forget all that nonsense about getting within 12" for the extra d6 penetration. The MM is effectivley S:9 with the AP:1 rule (never forget about the AP:1 rule), and it's not wise to give up a turn of MM volley fire to get within the 0-12" rangeband.

Third rule of MMs: Fire at anything. Abandon any preconcieved notions about the MM being a anti-vehicular weapon. What wins games for me, is it's ability to be a squad eraser, when used in large numbers. Terminators? Dead on a 2+, Death Company? Crisis Suits? Dead on a 2+, etc... You get the idea. Feel free to use the MM fire against anything foolish enough to get within range. The beauty of this is the weapon's cheapness, which ensures your ability to field it in large numbers. Heck, my Deathguard devs come in at about @170pts with quad MM, with is ridiculously cheap by dev squad standards.

Fourth rule of MMs: Deploy aggressively. These are not "sit in the back" and blaze away weapons. Deploy them front and center, covering the "action". Boards are not as big as most players assume, and that 24" can reach out and touch someone easier than many players anticipate. Use your standard troops infantry to advance and hold the forward line to bolck assaults against your MMs.

Fifth Rule of MMs: Terrain placement. Always use the player alternating terrain placement rules for building tables when possible. You want large LoS blocking mid-field terrain, so fill up the center fast. There is no way to lose faster than to get into a fire exchange with a long-distance shooty army across an open center.
Conversely, there is little more frustrating for opponents, than to have to advance into mid-field terrain, with 8-12 MM waiting patiently on the other side. You will learn to love the "Take and Hold" mission, and loathe "Patrol".

Now go forth and Melta!

-bigred


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## nightmarine (Mar 30, 2007)

THANKYOU! Its about time the Melta got some respect. I love that weapon (although i dont field those quad dev squads...yet *evil laugh*.) best thing I can do (point efficency wise) is load up with MM Lspeeders. Hours of fun if u r fighting armor based enemies because u can easily get within 12" and a side armor hit. So many Russes have fallen to my humble MM Speeder. My command squad is never complete without a melta (which i luv more because its assault weapon). melta FTW!


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

They're right about multi-meltas being about on par with a heavy bolter points-wise. I'm not sure I'd take a multi-melta over a heavy bolter necessarily, because the heavy bolter goes through light infantry so much better than the multi-melta, and often, it's light infantry that I have the hardest time fighting.


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

hmm well another weapon that i find that is under-used and mis-understood is, no suprises here, the melta. i have at least one melta per squad of chaos space marines, teamed with a plasma gun, it reaks havoc with elite infantry and light-medium vehicles, and with a lucky enough roll, heavy vehicle. its more an all purpose gun than people think. sure the tactic would be different because of its short range, but i play tzeentch, and with the T5 marines, they last long enough to use it.

just thougth id throw that out there considering it is related


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Here's a special note for BA players.
ATTACK BIKES

Buy them. Use them. Use lots of them.
50 points buys you a T5, 2 wound multimelta that can turbo-boost (or just cruise at a 'moderate' 12") with a pair of TL bolters and 2 S4 melee attacks just for fun

Two bikes per unit is ideal. Two or three units for best results.
Load up and roll out.


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

I am glad now that Chaos has access to MM's now with the new Obliterator weapons. They are great guns and I have lamented not being able to take them for a long time until now.


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## nightmarine (Mar 30, 2007)

i looked over the Chaos codex...do the space marines have ANYTHING that the chaos dont really have access to at a cheeper cost? it seems that Chaos is always stacked when compared to reg SM (the terminators cot more for SMs then for chaos...yet the space marines have the ability to produce more terminator armor...somethings not right) pls pls pls pls pls somebody give me the downside of a chaos army.


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

Assault Cannons ;-)


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

vindicators, basilisks now that iron warriors don't exist (officially)

but basically no...

then again chaos does have to pay for marks, icon bearers and aspiring champions for like every squad

ohh and Wraith, you will be pleased to hear this, i now play Tzeentch

well Hakanors Reavers to be precise, but im taking them as a Tzeentch Army

and for all of you who do not know what Hakanors Reavers are or look like, check the September edition of white dwarf magazine from AUS or NZ if you can.

they are also on this website 
http://uk.games-workshop.com/chaosspacemarines/renegade-marines/1/
scroll down a bit and you will find them


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

They get Vindicators now.
And cheaper too. (Same price but comes with free dozer blade)


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## The Wraithlord (Jan 1, 2007)

Good times OXC. Welcome to the twisting path.


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## Red Orc (Jun 14, 2007)

nightmarine said:


> ...do the space marines have ANYTHING that the chaos dont really have access to at a cheeper cost? ....


Apparently, Razorbacks, for some reason.

'Once upon a time there was a cyclops...'


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## The Son of Horus (Dec 30, 2006)

Space Marines still have an armoury... that's a start. Also, a split cost for Sergeants and independent characters-- Chaos is paying 25 for a power fist now instead of 25/15. Space Marine characters in terminator armor have more than 3 attacks. Space Marines have Land Speeders and Whirlwinds, both of which are extremely useful pieces of hardware. Really... at the moment, the Space Marines are the better army, IMO.


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## Initiate (Mar 25, 2007)

Ordo Xeno, the Lords of decay model looked kickass, and im interested in a army who was responsible for 14,000,000,000+ deaths as well (the purge)


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

The Son of Horus said:


> Space Marines still have an armoury... that's a start. Also, a split cost for Sergeants and independent characters-- Chaos is paying 25 for a power fist now instead of 25/15. Space Marine characters in terminator armor have more than 3 attacks. Space Marines have Land Speeders and Whirlwinds, both of which are extremely useful pieces of hardware. Really... at the moment, the Space Marines are the better army, IMO.


Not for long.
Take a look at the newest SM codices (Dark Angels and Blood Angels). No armoury, no bonus attacks, and soeeders cost a fortune. And I wouldn't be surprised to see Traits getting lost or nerfed

The nerfstorm is a-comin'.


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

ahh sorry Wraith, on second thoughts im going Nurgle, the +1 toughness suits my style of play better. but fear not, im still following the path of Chaos *Begins growing horns and eyes turn to fire* *grins evilly*

and intiate, check out the cleaved if their there, they look mean! im going to get plague marines and paint them as the cleaved. but yes, lords of decay are awesome and the purge, well nuff said


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## Greyskullscrusade (Jan 24, 2007)

you cant beat emperors children, deamons with boobs....


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## nightmarine (Mar 30, 2007)

now that i9 think about it...the SM have 1 SMALL advantage over Chaos (besides for the ass cannon which i dont field very much in my army anyhow) The inquisition. Ah ha ha! Finally i have the advantage!


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## Galahad (Dec 21, 2006)

I always thought Radical inquisitors should be allowed to ally with Chaos, to represent corrupted inquisitors


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## DaemonsR'us (Jan 25, 2007)

You can do that alot easier now with apoc games, and friendly matches, tournies never really let you though


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## Ordo Xeno Commander (Jan 17, 2007)

sounds good. that may just be a viable option for my Apoc Chaos army 

but to resolve this MM and just plain melta thing, yes they are useful and worth fielding as they are a more all round weapon than people tend to think. and remember, all things are good in moderation


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