Previously I took a punt at stat'ing a Space Marine's Power Armour using the Skirmish Sangin rules. This time I'm going to have a go at working out a Space Marine's weapons. W40k provides for an almost infinite number of load-outs for Space Marines, so I'll just stick with the traditional tools-of-trade: the Boltgun, Bolt Pistol, Heavy Bolter, Chainswords and Power Fists.As it happens I had my second game of Skirmish Sangin yesterday, so I have a little more appreciation of how the mechanics work and relative differences between weapons etc. I'd hardly call myself an expert, but it is important to understand the impact things can make in the game - more on that in some future post.
Bolt Weapons: Boltgun, Bolt Pistol and Heavy Bolter
Boltguns
Small Arms in Skirmish Sangin come in two broad categories: Firearms and Heavy Weapons. By way of some baselines, Pistols do 1d10 damage, Assault Rifles 2d10, Light Machine Guns 3d10 and Heavy Machine Guns (Heavy Weapons) 4d10 damage. Additionally, heavy calibre weapons also have a penetration rating (described in my last post) of 1 or 2.
Boltguns or "Bolters" fires mass-reactive bolts, each one a self-propelled missile which explodes with devastating effectiveness after penetrating its target. The most common Bolter cartridge is the .75 calibre explosive tipped mass-reactive bolt. This is the standard-issue antipersonnel ammunition for the Bolter. It is designed to penetrate a target and detonate, causing horrific injuries.
Apparently, .75 calibre is about the same as a 10 gauge shotgun. Combat Shotguns in Skirmish Sangin do 3d10/2d10 damage - not really sure what the "/" means, I suspect it is to do with range.
In the novels, Boltguns irregularly cause harm to Marines - clearly, they're better able to penetrate Power Armour than standard firearms, but Power Armour seems to provide significant protection. A Boltgun loaded with standard ammo should provide a degree of penetration, so I'm going to run with PEN 1 - that means it has a 25% chance of penetrating Power Armour (rated at 2). Couple that with 3d10 damage and it will on average kill an unarmoured man with a single hit. Cost? How about 25 Points which is in line with a LMG - Boltguns' reduce volume of fire is offset by their superior penetration.
Bolt Pistols
With that decided, then Bolt Pistols are easy: just reduce their range, keep them at PEN 1, have them do 2d10 damage and cost them at around 10-15 Points.
Heavy Bolters
Heavy Bolters fire .998 calibre bolts, larger than the .75 calibre bolt and at a rate of fire well beyond that of the standard Bolter. In conventional terms, that sort of calibre weapon is likely an Autocannon (23-25mm) but the GMG or Grenade Machine Gun which is capable of piercing armour up to 2-inches thick and can wound personnel within 15 meters.
Simply using the stats for a GMG suit a Heavy Bolter well: 10" minimum range, 2.5" radius kill zone and 7.5" damage zone, doing 4d10 and 1d10 respectively, with a PEN of 5, making it 65% likely to breach a Space Marine's Power Armour.
Melee Weapons: Chain Swords and Power Fists
Skirmish Sangin isn't a close combat game - there are only two real damage ratings for close combat: 1d6 for unarmed attacks, otherwise 1d10 for everything else. Well, that's not going to do the trick in the W40k universe I'm afraid!
Chain Swords
A Chainsword is essentially a chainsaw, making use of motorised, razor-sharp teeth. The weapon makes an angry howl as the teeth spin around, intensifying into a high pitched scream as they grind into armour. Subtle Chainswords are not; they're horrific tools of war, designed to bite, tear and eviscerate flesh.How about 4d6 for damage with a PEN of 2 at a cost of 30 points?
4d6 means that unless the target is armoured, Chainswords are never going to leave the target with a light wound.
That means a Chainsword will deliver less damage than a bolt gun can more readily (50% vs 25%) penetrate Power Armour. I like the idea that Chainsword equipped Assault Marines also have a role to play beyond shock-and-awe - wielding PEN 2 weapons, they can be deployed in an anti-Power Armour capacity.
Power Fists
A power fist (aka power glove) is a large metal gauntlet surrounded by an energy field that disrupts solid matter. Employed by a Space Marine, a Power Fist can punch through almost any defence, even hammering through the side of tanks to tear out the crew. The only drawback of a Power Fist, apart from the strength required to wield it, is that it remains a slow and prodigious weapon to use. As the disruption field pushes back against the air and the Power Armour struggles to bear the weight of the fist, its hydraulics whine and hiss. In the time it takes even a Space Marine to raise the weapon for a strike, an enemy with a blade can dart in and land a blow. In a whirling and chaotic melee, a Space Marine must endure dozens of cuts, slashes and thrusts as he methodically pulverises his foes with crippling punches and backhanded strikes.
So straight away Power Fists need some serious penetration rating. If they're able to rip into Tanks (Armour Rating 12-16) they'll be rated 16-ish to be 50% or better likely to penetrate on an attack. At that sort of rating, they will automatically (100%) smash through Power Armour, which is in keeping with the lore.
Against an unarmoured target, they should virtually autokill on a hit and even a Power Armoured target should be in a lot of trouble. If humans hit points are 13, that would suggest an average 13-ish point of damage for starters. It had occurred to me that these weapons could altogether disregard any Armour offset, but then I'd likely have to start messing around with hit points for Marines (which I may do yet). So I'm going with 3d10 damage and 16 PEN. Point-wise, maybe between 50-100.
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What next? Maybe I'll look at how to address their resiliance and fearlessness...