Few questions about this power.

As per errata it effects hordes as a Astartes Heavy Flamer.

Me and my GM cant agree on how that is exactly. He says because Heavy Flamer deal 8+1d5 damage to Hordes, so does Avenger, regardless of Psy Rating. I would read that it is range/4 round up + 1d5, so it is 8+1d5 at PR3, more when PR increases.

Also Heavy Flamer cant be used in melee, can Avenger? That has only come up once, but I'd like official answers to both questions.

I let my Librarian use it in melee, since it's basically just extending your arm, instead of trying to bring a huge weapon to bear, but I'm usually pretty nice, so there's that.

Also, to be honest, I'm not clear on how Psychic Powers and melee intersect.

I dont think there is anything that would prevent Psychic power from being used in melee.

Its the "as a shot from heavy flamer" that is being problematic. In general heavy weapons cant be used in melee, but then again it is a shot, which implies it has already fired.

So yes, I'd definitely say it could be used in melee.

And the Errata makes it clear how the Avenger power works against hordes: "The Avenger power works exactly like a shot from an Adeptus Astartes heavy flamer (see page 145), with all the usual chances to hit and set targets on fire, and affecting Hordes as an Adeptus Astartes heavy flamer rather than as a psychic power normally would (see page 360)"

The Avenger gains more Pen with a higher Psy Rating (it deals 2xPR), but the damage stays the same otherwise.

So it is good at low PR and deals consistant damage to hordes. At higher PR other powers are better then.

Ard3 said:

When pushed it's good against Elites. Hard to dodge due to wide Area of Effect and good Pen; opponents hit run the risk of catching fire and being forced to put out the fire before continuing combat.

Alex

Yeah it is fun power.

Last game there was Tyranid warrior + hormagaunts running towards me. The warrior is inside horde, using it as cover, so I would need to use called shot to hit it. But I have avenger, so I just push it and hit both horde and warrior.

Warrior catches fire and runs around circles for few rounds while I finish horde. Righteous fury from bolter knocks it unconscious.(we use BC version of it). Unconscious + burning is nasty, after everything else is taken care off I go finish it.

I play a librarian and I'll be happy to help. In my two cents worth of logic, I believe that it can be used in melee. As the good captain mentioned, seems like a combat maneuver. Like attacking with melee weapon. Cept that it takes a full round to use.

All in all, please defer to your GM. He may or may not allow you to use it as he may treat it as a heavy flamer which is a ranged weapons and ranged weapons cannot fire into melee.

Psychic powers are usually a point for DMs to contend with as some may not be familiar with the mechanics/rules for psychic powers. Just have a good chat and explain the ability to them.

Normally any DM would allow unless its something that sounds so broken its galaxy burning (whoops did I say that? I mean game breaking ). Once its clarified and they understand the rules.

After re-reading, I think on a technicality a GM could say no to using psy powers in close comat. Under the Engaged in Melee section it reads "Characters that are enaged in melee may only make attack actions with the melee subtype." Focus Power subtypes only become "Attack" if they target or do damage to an opponent, but there is nowhere I can find that they would ever gain the "Melee" subtype. But for that matter, they never gain "Ranged" either.

Personally I let my librarians use powers while engaged in melee, so the above is really just an attempt to interpret the rules as they're written.

In 40K it's a psychic shooting attack, so Smite and Avenger can't be used in melee. FWIW:

Alex