My GM has made it clear that i won't be able to get a force weapon of my own. I will be able to borrow it a bit like in Deathwatch when you can ask for specific items depending on the mission.

I have a pretty strong psyker character due to high rolls on strength, advances, and the brute mutation, i have SB 5 and a light power armor (+10), and crushing blow to complete the picture.

The first thing that came to my mind was to get a powerfist since the damage would be pretty nasty: 2d10 + 14 with a big penetration value. My GM wasn't really happy with this idea either and fluffwise that could be a bit strange to see a psyker wearing a powerfist.

I have thought about a powersword, which ensures good damage output, energy field, and the balanced attribute, but our guardsman already have one and i want to have something different. I have thought about using my high str value to weild a big powersword but the stats from the two handed powersword is not really Worth it. Basically, the powersword makes 1 d 10 + 5 and is balanced, while the two handed powersword (IH) is 1 d 10 + 6 meaning you lose the balanced quality for a low +1 damage. Plus, i want to be able to hold a gun in my secondhand. I would consider wielding a weapon two handed if the damage is really significant, but i have found that aside from eviscerator and thunderhammer (eviscerator is more a priest thing and i won't be able to have a thunderhammer if my gm doesn't allow me to have a powerfist), they have not enough punch compared to being able to hit and fire with a gun.

I was wondering if i could instead get a best quality chainaxe ( 1 d 10 + 5 pen 2 tearing + 10 WS), which would mean doing 1 d 10 + 13 damage pen 2 with tearing quality and a nice bonus to hit.

I am searching for something obviously big, since my char has SB 52 and T 50. The issue is that aside from the chainaxe i can't find a big weapon thats really Worth it. The chainaxe sacrifices the balanced quality (but isn't imbalanced in RAW) for 2 points of damage, which is fine, otherwise, the other big weapons aren't really Worth it.

We have thought about the possibility of wielding a great weapon in one hand but even a best quality mono great weapon is close to the chainaxe in terms of damage, but is unwieldy.

What about a Lathe Long Sabre or BQ Mono one if you can't get one.

And given your size you should be able to make a good arguement to your GM for you using it one handed

I'm generally of the opinion that swords/variants thereof, specifically those with the Balanced quality are the preferred melee option. If not a Force Sword, a Power Sword.

If you're being allowed to one-hand a normally two-handed weapon, I'd definitely go for the Fervious Long-Sabre (Inquisitor's Handbook), that is either a Best Quality Mono-weapon, or Lathe-wrought. Or otherwise upgraded as best as you can get it. Base profile is Melee (Two-handed) 1d10+2 R pen 2, Balanced, Primitive, 3kg

If not allowed to one-hand a normally two-handed weapon, I'd still consider it or if a free hand for other actions is more important, just use a regular sword or sabre, suitably upgraded, of course.

Hi guys, thanks for the quick replies.

I thought about the long sabre, but it would really be Worth it with the lathes upgrade and once again my GM made it clear that this kind of upgrade is almose as rare as force weapons themselves so...

If i get a best quality mono longsabre, we are looking for 1 d 10 + 3 pen 4 +10 WS and the balanced quality. It lacks a bit the damage output of the best quality chainaxe though.

It would be a bit disappointing to see enemies shrug off my melee attacks while i just disintegrate them with my carnodon/hercutter pistols. I wanna cut people in half :-)

Sure, powerswords are the weapons of choice (aside force weapons), but as i said our guardsman already wields one and i don't want to be a copycat fighter weilding the default melee weapon that is your regular powersword.

I was thinking about the two handed powersword in the Inquisitor Handbook:

Power Longsword Melee 1d10+6 E 6 Power Field 4.5kg 3,500 Very Rare IH p 180

Even if i can wield it in one hand, i don't see the point of paying +1000 thrones AND losing the balanced quality to gain a single point of damage...

This kind of weapon should be treated like the greatweapon in my opinion, with significant extra damage output compared to one handed counterparts.

I was thinking about a best quality mono greatsword as well wielded in one hand and my gun and an arbites riotshield in the other hand for parries... but i am pretty sure the GM will say no to this bizzare combo.

It would be simpler if i coulf be allowed to carry a powerfist :-)

And you forgot 1 thing while The Mono Long Sabre BQ, that dam is only slightly worse, but you will be silent, no Chain Spinning, better Pen and well less cost.

True, it could be nice for a sneaky psyker build using chameleon and distort vision.

Sounds like your GM is really limiting, especially with force weapons, that aren't that rare anyways. Certainly not rarer than a Lathe Bladed sword. You could go with chain sticks for the toxic quality though.

What are chain sticks? You mean a tox dispenser?

they are an exotic weapon from Fervious, think nunchaku, that are made from a tree that is poisonous if the wood get in your skin.

Stats are in the IH under melee weapons

Hey guys,

I think i will go for a best quality chainaxe. For 4500 thrones, it will allow my char to deal some nice damage and have a good chance to hit. The drawback i see is the bad penetration value which wouldn't be a problem with mid-experience characters, but is an issue when your foes start to show up with good quality flak, shield, carapace, or even power armor... I really do not intent to see a foe shrugging off an all out attack from a brute psyker in power armor waving his axe with both hands for the glory of the emperor (and his own).

Thats why Angel of Death has drawn my interest with the toxic quality of non powered melee weapons and since toxic damage bypasses armor and toughness bonus, it is worthy of interest.

I will ask my GM to get the tox dispenser upgrade (from Rogue Trader and Only War) on it. In my opinion, this upgrade will close definitely close the gap with power weapons in terms of damage output regarding armoured foes. The upgrade stacks well with the weapon since the probability to deal additional toxic damage is increased by the damage taken by the target.

BQ chainaxe deals 1d10 + 5 pen 2 tearing. If you add str bonus + crushing blow, it amounts to a nice 1 d 10 + 13 tearing. A foe with a stormtrooper carapace (AP6) and a toughness bonus of 4 will still take an average 10-12 damage. It means that the target will have to pass a hellish (-50) toughness test or suffer another D10 points of damage. Thats quite nasty!

I think i will ask my GM for having this upgrade as it synergizes quite well with the weapon. If he refuses i guess i l just grab a power axe since i have been denied any other option such as a power fist or a force sword. He has also made clear that the lathe upgrade would be nightmarishly difficult to find.

I think i will ask my GM for having this upgrade as it synergizes quite well with the weapon. If he refuses i guess i l just grab a power axe since i have been denied any other option such as a power fist or a force sword. He has also made clear that the lathe upgrade would be nightmarishly difficult to find.

I don't understand his mindset.

I tend to give chances to player wanting basic gear over super powered gear.

I've got a player assassin that still want to fight with "regular blades", so we decided that one day in the campaign, she'll be able to get an archeotech sword that acts like a normal one but have a few perks.

I think i will ask my GM for having this upgrade as it synergizes quite well with the weapon. If he refuses i guess i l just grab a power axe since i have been denied any other option such as a power fist or a force sword. He has also made clear that the lathe upgrade would be nightmarishly difficult to find.

I don't understand his mindset.

I tend to give chances to player wanting basic gear over super powered gear.

I've got a player assassin that still want to fight with "regular blades", so we decided that one day in the campaign, she'll be able to get an archeotech sword that acts like a normal one but have a few perks.

Well, for him, force Swords and power fists are considered overpowered.

But we have a guardsman who already has a powersword, and to me it belongs to the same weapon "level" as powerfists.

The issue is that this stuff will be really strong on MY character and he doesn't want me to steal the show... Thats a bit anoying because optimizing and drawing upon one's character strength is my way of playing. Since i am brute meaning i have low agility and defend myself mainly with psychic powers, powerfist is a must on my character, but is certainly not inherently overpowered, given its unwieldy nature and high strength requirement to become really effctive.

But yeah, if i go melee, i want to strike hard. Thats a lot of investment in thrones and xp points, and melee is arguably a scary place to be in dark heresy, since you have to reach close range (point blank being a dead zone). If i go that path, i don't want to regret charging someone instead of being able to full auto him safely from a cover.

That I can understand.

My point was more about the Lathe Wrought sword.

Yeah, Lathe Blades are rare as Pontifex's cr*p, but on the other hand, I would find a way as a GM to let you have one, since this would be a nice way to keep you from having over powered weapon while still giving you a good weapon.

If i go that path, i don't want to regret charging someone instead of being able to full auto him safely from a cover.

Honestly, the system is made that if you get into melee, you're generally in a good place. And choose your fights. Don't go against a power fist wielding chaos Space Marines. Go against human with normal gear or good one but not too much of a danger. Go in melee and cleave cheap foes, etc.

It is sure that you won't be the best melee brute the game could make, so you'll have your limits and optimized close combat ennemies shouldn't be your melee targets.

You've got guns for that.

And psychic might.

A lot of psychic might.

And you don't have to reload psychic might.