Close Combat Weapons !

[awesomeshotdude]

I've tried to find the thread where someone did the calculations for the hammer and claws in close combat versus the aliens in regards to their chances/probability of winning/losing/drawing....couldn't find it though.

From memory, the hammer came in as a significantly less effective weapon.

Would it be worth changing the hammer so that it had equal chance of winning/losing/drawing as the claws ?

I say this because most people will choose to use claws based on the idea that they are more effective than the hammer. Which will see the hammer under utilised in teh game. It would be ashame to see a whole set of spriets go to waste because of this. Having the two close sombat weapons being equal would no doubt see more people use the hammer.

Also, for those that like the visual appearance of the hammer more than the claws (not me in particular, just saying though) it may be a little disappointing knowing that if you choose your favourite close combat weapon over the other, then you'll be at a significinat disadvantage before the game even starts.

[alex3337]

That was me, I guess. Don't remember the thread either.

If the development team wanted to make them quite equivalent, they could apply an improved "parry" rule, in the spirit of the 3rd Ed. Space Hulk parry: you just drop the highest die, instead of re-rolling it.

That puts the Hammer in the same league as the Claws, but requires code changes.

[XJ220]

That puts the Hammer in the same league as the Claws, but requires code changes.

I think it would be worth it...currently even though I don't fear close combat,if you have a hammer in a mission you usually have claws too (and viceversa),so I prefer to use my claws guy. Only once have I killed a bug with the hammer,and it was from behind and in a totally safe environment for him...

[the_Fifth_Horseman]

The Hammer is defensive, the Claws are offensive.
Keep in mind the Hammer can use self-destruction.

[Kamamura]

The Hammer is defensive, the Claws are offensive.
Keep in mind the Hammer can use self-destruction.

Well, I don't think that this distinction applies here much. For a defensive weapon, one would imagine a weapon with lower chance to kill, but higher chance to keep the enemy at bay, like a row of pikemen, for example.

However, claws and hammer are tactically exactly the same - you roll a dice, and one of the combatants dies, or it's draw. It's just who has the better probability of success - which is the claw in this case, significantly better.

So the result is, hammer is worse, claws are better.

As for the self-destruct option, I find it useful only sporadically, and mostly to destroy a blukhead I could not destroy otherwise. As a combat tool, it's almost always better to block a narrow pasage and fight.

[Gemma....]

wile i am not upto date with the latest rules for the SH world having not played it for over 15 yrs but wile the claws got the extra parry the shield gave a 50% chance to save the injury even if lossing giving a much higher suvival rate.

[Igginator]

Yeah well i personally like the idea of the hammer and shield more appealing i always go for the claws cos of the useless survival chance with the claws. And in space hulk there is no offense or defense considering you dont get bonuses for attacking. And well its not SH, its AA so they should at least be somewhat even.