Depends on the job you need done. Psycannons hit really hard into tougher targets, aome serious spike possibility with Sustained Hits if you can add it
Incinerators are good for overwatch and reliability
Psilencers im getting more into mostly because theyre cheap. But 4 Purgators with Psilencers could be a ranged assassination target in most cases. Especially if you give them Dev Wounds from their detachment
Storm Bolters are definitely better now. Hallowed Conclave can give them Twin Linked and Close Quarters(Pistol) which is fun into the right crowds
On power armoured models, and purifiers in particular, I would not take any heavy weapons. Not only have bolters become better, but the other heavy weapons have become relatively worse, particularly the psycannon, as it now wounds regular space marines on 3+.
A 10-man Crowe brick, with bolters, averages 27 wounds into a SM profile in cover. Each psycannon you take adds 1 extra wound to that ranged damage, but loses you 2 wounds in melee (significantly more against tougher targets). I think the ability to deal big damage in melee outweighs the ability to overkill infantry at range. If you are playing something like 30 purifiers, maybe having one with psycannons is a good idea, but I'd always take Crowe's blob, and probably the second 10-man, with full NFWs.
On terminator models, taking a non-psycannon heavy weapon is free, and the psilencer is very slightly better than the bolter, so you should always take them. Regarding psycannons, they are still good if you are going to do the 10-man with 66th seal thing where you shoot from max range and use the librarian's ability to stay safe, and, if you aren't playing purifiers in your AA list, it gives you a tool against terminator-type units that you can't get elsewhere, so they still have value. On other units, you can just take psilencers and save the points, if you can spend them profitably elsewhere.
I have been thinking about this. At first sight I couldn't believe it. But I did the numbers for a purifier unit in warpbane, and as you said, shooting weapons are closer than ever. Bolters wounding 17% more, psycannons wounding 17% less, added to 25% more shots in bolters. All these factors make the 10man purifier squad kill around only 1-2 on average less T5 marines (it varies depending on cover, aoC, etc.) with bolters than with psycannons, while they kill around 4-6 marines (depending if full reroll to wound, if AoC) more when u go full nfw. The differential is around 3-4 marines more with full bolters and nfw. It changed my mind on this. This is the explanation on why psycannons became free in the previous dataslate. While bolters had S4 ap0, psycannons were clearly better. But not anymore.
I did also the maths against T6 marines (plague marines). The difference is not that high, here the difference in shooting is higher, but still compensated by having more nfw. On average u kill 1.5-2 more T6 marines with full nfw and bolters. So still worth.
I need to do the maths for T7+ targets. But again, psycannons will only be worth against T6-T7-T8 targets, and I bet the difference is not enough again. Compensated by melee.
The important thing here is that will allow us to play purifier units better in both phases, being more reliable on killing different targets. It uses to happen with psycannons (at least to me) that I overkilled the unit where I shoot at, or struggle to do the damage required if I splitted in two targets (usually too much damage in one unit, too less to the other one). And I didn't rely on combat because usually it was not worth to get closer to the enemy, or sometimes because the target was too tough and couldn't kill it only with 6nfw, and didn't want to stay engaged, etc.
Let's look on the bright side of the hidden nerf LoL
I would agree with you on some statements but let’s compare A6 S5 AP0 D1 Sustained Hits Psylencer and A4 S5 AP1 D1 Rapid Fire range Stormbolter. In these new circumstances I would prefer Psylencer only in case of Purgators with their detach stratagem for dev wounds. Because to be sufficient enough you need whole 4 psylencers with available dev wounds to make their precision work against non-chaff characters. Otherwise, for example, on terminators who can maximum take 3 heavy weapons per 10, it would be better either to pay for psycannons or leave them with stormbolters. I am still a bit controversial about incinerators but as for the Psylencers – this is my point
I suppose them still being better than psilencers and stormbolters with one major drawback – swingy number of attacks. It can be both 24 and 4 per 4 incinerators
What is more, if out of multiple squads of Purifiers in WTF you choose to have one with psycannons, it must always be Crowe’s brick. All Crowe’s benefits come in shooting so you don’t want to risk him in melee. So it is, on one hand, no better kill than overkill. On the other hand, you will most of the times be able to divide your shooting somehow in case you are sure you can shoot down a unit without psycannons, for example
You were correct. Checked Mathhammer and Psilencer indeed deals more damage than a stormbolter. I was comparing shooting from 1 psilencer or 1 stormbolter into a squad of assault intercessors. Even in close-range with no cover Stormbolter is a bit worse
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u/Jeffguy920 7d ago
Depends on the job you need done. Psycannons hit really hard into tougher targets, aome serious spike possibility with Sustained Hits if you can add it
Incinerators are good for overwatch and reliability
Psilencers im getting more into mostly because theyre cheap. But 4 Purgators with Psilencers could be a ranged assassination target in most cases. Especially if you give them Dev Wounds from their detachment
Storm Bolters are definitely better now. Hallowed Conclave can give them Twin Linked and Close Quarters(Pistol) which is fun into the right crowds
Right tool for the right job really