According to the Core Rule Book, one must have the Two Weapon Fighting Talent and wielding a melee and a ranged weapon in either hand in order to make an attack with both melee and ranged per round.
Does this mean that someone has to buy both the TWF talent (Balistics) AND (Melee) before they can do this? This means it's ONLY available to the Assault marine as TWF talent doesn't show up on any other rank advancement trees, right?
So basically, the assault marine is the only one who can fire weapons from both hands at the same time, and only after dumping a thousand xp into advancements in order to get it?
Multiple Attacks/Two Weapon Fighting talent?
Also, if a character is engaged in melee, the character can only use melee attacks. How could someone ever make both a melee and a ranged attack then? Because the moment someone is engaged in melee they can't use a ranged attack...?
Never forget the GM can advance any skill they're willing to allow. So a tactical marine with two weapon ballistic may be able to argue for the melee as well.
The way you make both ranged and melee attacks is by hitting the genestealer with lightening attack on your power sword, then shooting it with you're melta pistol. Or if you kill it with the sword, another target within 10 meters.
Complicated answer, I'll try to keep it simple.
The rules concerning Two Weapon Fighting (TWF) evolved after a ruling from the Dark Heresy ruleset came out. The ruling stated, anyone could use TWF at any time without any training. The downside is, all attacks are at -30 to hit + other penalties. This ruling was quickly ported over to Rogue Trader and Deathwatch.
Essentially, the only change was, you don't need TWF talents to use TWF, but you suffer an additional -10 over normal penalties for TWF.
Now that is out of the way.
TWF has two talents, Two Weapon Wielder: Melee (TWWM) and Two Weapon Wielder: Ranged (TWWR).
TWWM only affects melee actions/talents, though TWWR is a requirement for some ranged talents which cannot be used while engaged (Dual Shot for instance.)
You are correct in stating a character can only use melee subtype actions when engaged.
Pistols, however, are allowed to make a single shot attack, with no bonuses for size or distance, using BS as a melee subtype action.
This pistol attack can also be used with multiple attack actions (Swift/Lightning Attack).
TWF works in the following manner. You may make a single extra attack with a second (usually off-hand) weapon in addition to your normal attacks (including Swift/Lightning). But all attacks (main-hand and off-hand) suffer -30 to hit.
If a character has TWWM and ONLY attack with a melee weapon the penalty drops by 10.
If a character has TWWR and ONLY attack with ranged weapons the penalty drops by 10.
IF a character attacks with both a melee AND a ranged weapon using TWF, it needs BOTH TWWM AND TWWR to have the penalty drop by 10.
If you have the ambidextrous trait, the penalty for TWF drops by 10.
For example a character with TWWM:
Attacks with a melee weapon and a pistol weapon, it makes all attacks at -30.
Attacks with only 2 melee weapons, it makes all attacks at -20
The character then gains the ambidextrous trait:
Attacks with a melee weapon and a pistol weapon, it makes all attacks at -20.
Attacks with only 2 melee weapons, it makes all attacks at -10
The character then gains the TWWR talent:
Attacks with a melee weapon and a pistol weapon, it makes all attacks at -10.
Attacks with only 2 melee weapons, it makes all attacks at -10
Where does it say pistols can use the melee attack subtype? Thanks, herichimo, for the help!
Would having a Servo Arm/Servo Harness allow for more attacks per round? Could a Techmarine without Swift Attack/Lightning Attack use a Servo Arm and his plasma pistol to attack using both half actions without penalty? Or would that still be considered dual wielding?
Where does it say pistols can use the melee attack subtype? Thanks, herichimo, for the help!
244
The most common Action in combat is the attack—the
characters are fighting, after all. Whether armed with a
melee or ranged weapon, the process is the same. Before
an attack is made, the GM should verify that the attack is even
possible by checking the basic requirements for the attack.
Melee attacks require the attacker to be engaged in melee
combat with his target. Ranged attacks cannot be made if the
attacker is engaged in melee unless he is firing a pistol class
weapon.
Oooh, gotcha. Thanks.
Pistols while engaged are covered on page 140 of the Deathwatch Core rulebook. It is the 3rd bullet point under the Class description in the second column of the page.
Would having a Servo Arm/Servo Harness allow for more attacks per round? Could a Techmarine without Swift Attack/Lightning Attack use a Servo Arm and his plasma pistol to attack using both half actions without penalty? Or would that still be considered dual wielding?
No/yes, servo-harnesses do not grant additional attacks in the same manner the Multiple Arms Trait does.
Either you make a single attack with the Servo-arm as a Standard Attack, or you sacrifice your Reaction to make a single additional Attack during your Initiative.
No, the stipulation of the Servo-arm making a single Standard Attack prevents the arm from being used with Two Weapon Fighting (which requires the use of the Multiple Attacks Action). You may still fire your plasma pistol as a Standard Attack and then sacrifice your Reaction to make and extra Standard Attack with the arm.
The Servo-harness allows the use of Multiple Attack Actions and Multiple Attack Talents your character knows, but is limited to weapons attached to the harness (2 servo-arm, 1-torch, 1-plasma cutter normally) so you still may not combine the attacks with weapons in hand. You may still sacrifice your Reaction to make a single additional Standard Attack.