So I've been play testing this weapon some over the summer while everyone is back from school, and I have to say that it is not as overpowered as so many of you seem to think it is. First, I would like to clear up that it was never intended to destroy a tank through the front armor (which it cannot do reliably BTW), but to simply give a weapon that was both lighter and more effective against armored vehicles in the hands of light infantry and drop troops. These types of units often find themselves operating behind enemy lines or in an area that leaves them without access to the support of friendly vehicles. The extra pen makes it more of a threat in an ambush, where they can fire into the sides of the vehicle. I have found, however, that it is basically Carnifex repellent in the hands of a skilled squad.

I feel like I should address the fact that you keep talking about boarding tanks, Sergeant Lazarus, although I have already said that the opportunity for that is essentially non existent in the games my group runs. An intelligent force of enemy soldiers will have infantry escorting the tank or tanks at all times, making it nearly impossible to get within about 100m of the vehicle without getting shot. If the infantry cover gets too shot up to properly protect the vehicle, it will usually retreat from the area. Again, as I stated in my initial post, this weapon was designed to be used in a more realistic game, where engagements more commonly occur at 150-250m ranges or further, and the players are moving around a whole lot. This means that the weight of the weapon is a much greater concern than in the base game.

At the risk of saying something pointless, and possibly even out of context, what it was designed for, intended for, and what clever?/cheap? players will put it to work to do are not always the same thing.

As for retreating, that's not always easy, either. If your force has cut them off, or you shoot them after their infantry has been ventilated, before they can withdraw, they die, and Guard with Commissars rarely retreat, even when that is the sensible option. I won't say "Commissars will make you stay till the last man, no matter what", because that is dumb, and not true; they are soldiers, too, and perfectly able to see when a different strategy might need to be employed, but their primary job is to see the mission done, even in the face of horrendous losses, and I've read numerous excerpts from Guard stuff where there was no option to withdraw; if they did, it was a fail, and something bad happened, something much worse than they shot you for deserting the field, when you shouldn't have.

I haven't fingered through all the Talents, the gun write-up, and number-crunching, to see if the weapon in question eats tanks, should, shouldn't, or what, but...

It is true that any weapon can be used by players in an abusive way, but that is also partially on the GM for not doing something about it the first time it happens. Either adjust the tactics of the enemy soldiers accordingly or clarify the rules around such an item. Again, I've been doing some playtesting and I have yet to find a situation in which this weapon has been grossly overpowered.

I am aware that retreating isn't always an option, but withdrawal usually is at least somewhat of an option. An enemy force that backs off isn't retreating completely, they are usually just withdrawing to a more advantageous position from which to launch another attack or to better defend themselves. Also keep in mind that they are the Guard, they aren't fighting the Guard. We have so far playtested this against rebels (who use some IG equipment), the Blood Pact (who use Chaos equipment but some salvaged Imperial vehicles), and Tyranids. Discounting the 'Nids, the forces they have been fighting are much more prone to outright retreating or withdrawing if the need arises.

I understand that it is not for everyone, and it may not find a place at some tables; nonetheless I still wanted to post these weapons here as a solution to what my table has quickly found to be an incredibly odd and at times majorly unbalanced rule system in regards to vehicles.