Thunder Hammer is anti-armor, but Mace of Absolution isn't?

[Hal8000]

The anti-armor indicator is lit when you select the Thunder Hammer, but it's not lit for the Mace of Absolution despite the description saying:

"possesses the ability to be used in 'smite mode', where the power field of the weapon is greatly enhanced to the point where the weapon will cleave apart even the most heavily armored enemies with ease."

So....what's the deal? This is inconsistent.

[Kay]

It's not armour piercing by default, so no armour piercing indicator, whereas the thunder hammer is always armour piercing (it's made to smash holes in tanks)

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Originally posted by Halcyon:

The anti-armor indicator is lit when you select the Thunder Hammer, but it's not lit for the Mace of Absolution despite the description saying:

"possesses the ability to be used in 'smite mode', where the power field of the weapon is greatly enhanced to the point where the weapon will cleave apart even the most heavily armored enemies with ease."

So....what's the deal? This is inconsistent.

I spent some time looking at this. Mace of Absolution is anti infantry. IF you notice the speed its good for clearing lots of lesser nids and genestealers. whereas the hammer is slower and much more suited for taking on the assault strain and broodlords.

[Zourin]

The way I see it:
Lightning Claws: The AI handles these surprisingly well, so if I need some anti-nasty action in SP, I give them to my Assault. I rarely ever have to have the Apothecary heal this guy. I found this surprising, considering how poorly this weapon often fared in previous Space Hulk iterations.

Storm Hammer: The storm shield alone is great for tanking hybrid fire, and the hammer fares well in MP against the assault/lord strains, but it's too slow for me in the campaign. The AI is garbage handling this weapon, often standing around getting pummelled for several seconds before deciding to maybe swing in the wrong direction.

Absolution: I haven't unlocked it yet, but if it's faster than the Storm hammer, then it's definitely a go-to for a balance of anti-weapons fire and mob-clearing. Given how poorly the AI handles the stormhammer, I wouldn't think of giving it to them if I could.

[Kay]

Originally posted by Zourin:

The way I see it:
Lightning Claws: The AI handles these surprisingly well, so if I need some anti-nasty action in SP, I give them to my Assault. I rarely ever have to have the Apothecary heal this guy.

Storm Hammer: The storm shield alone is great for tanking hybrid fire, and the hammer fares well in MP against the assault/lord strains, but it's too slow for me in the campaign. The AI is garbage handling this weapon, often standing around getting pummelled for several seconds before deciding to maybe swing in the wrong direction.

Absolution: I haven't unlocked it yet, but if it's faster than the Storm hammer, then it's definitely a go-to for a balance of anti-weapons fire and mob-clearing. Given how poorly the AI handles the stormhammer, I wouldn't think of giving it to them if I could.

It has a lot better trash clearing ability, swings about as fast as the hammer but has the amazing ability of exploding if you charge the swing. You immediately get it for MP with the assault Terminator.

[PuffTheMagicDragon]

Originally posted by Zourin:

The way I see it:
Lightning Claws: The AI handles these surprisingly well, so if I need some anti-nasty action in SP, I give them to my Assault. I rarely ever have to have the Apothecary heal this guy. I found this surprising, considering how poorly this weapon often fared in previous Space Hulk iterations.

Storm Hammer: The storm shield alone is great for tanking hybrid fire, and the hammer fares well in MP against the assault/lord strains, but it's too slow for me in the campaign. The AI is garbage handling this weapon, often standing around getting pummelled for several seconds before deciding to maybe swing in the wrong direction.

Absolution: I haven't unlocked it yet, but if it's faster than the Storm hammer, then it's definitely a go-to for a balance of anti-weapons fire and mob-clearing. Given how poorly the AI handles the stormhammer, I wouldn't think of giving it to them if I could.

Really? Once I unlocked the thunder hammer I've been using it non-stop with the Heavy Weapons guy also equipped with it. I keep the Apothecary with default setup for the heals and ranged damage... Having 2 of us using the Thunder hammer just makes mince meat of basically everything... even the broodlords.

[Zourin]

Originally posted by PuffTheMagicDragon ಠ_ಠ:

Really? Once I unlocked the thunder hammer I've been using it non-stop with the Heavy Weapons guy also equipped with it. I keep the Apothecary with default setup for the heals and ranged damage... Having 2 of us using the Thunder hammer just makes mince meat of basically everything... even the broodlords.

Nah, lightning claws all the way for him. He's nearly indestructible, moreso than giving him a thunder hammer. The Thunder Hammer as my own equipment gets me killed waay too often in SP when it comes to awkward hybrid crossfire, since I only have a few psy skills and default cooldowns on them. I'd rather have a heavy flamer or assault cannon in the more intense fights just for even that little bit of ranged capability.

[Team Triss]

I'm pretty sure most, if not all of the melee weapons in the game should be armor piercing given what I remember from when I played 40k tabletop. I was Guard, but my friend was SM.

Power fists? Certain they should be anti armor. Force weapons I'm less certain about but still pretty sure. Mace of Absolution/Lost Mace of Corwyn I'm not sure.

The rest of the melee weapons escapes me right now.

[Zourin]

The anti-armor tag is mostly just flubbish for 'good against the big guys'. Storm Hammers and Lightning Claws. That's it. If you don't have either, you're going to have a VERY hard time.

There's nothing I can see about the Vengeance modified assault cannon being mechanically an anti-armor weapon. The Plasma cannon (not the Spear) will stagger big genestealers, and is acceptable for general use as long as there's a player behind it. Can usually order the AI carrying the storm hammer or claws to snuggle up against the broodlords and he'll kill it quickly and without losing much, if any, health.

Power fists were never all that great in Space Hulk, mostly a last-ditch offhand for terminators without a melee primary. It has a nice kick, but it won't make up for shoddy primary weapons like the Spear and sloppy trigger control.

[Technion]

Originally posted by Zourin:

The Thunder Hammer as my own equipment gets me killed waay too often in SP

There's a significant difference between using the melee weapons yourself, and having Bacchiel use them. No SP player walks around with thunder claws with their guard up for obvious reasons, but he seems to manage.

More over, he seems to perfectly manage going from a block with a shield to taking a hit with a hammer, and he's far more effective doing that than walking around with a heavy weapon imo.

[vindicator]

In SP almost all heals will go to your AI brothers so equipping one of them with claws or shield/hammer is paramount. With shield/hammer AI can last whole mission losing maybe 1/8 health. With 2 command upgrades for +10% armor each melee shiled/hammer AI almost indestructable. And best SP player weapon is hands down plasma cannon due to stagger effect on bigger enemies.

[Technion]

Is the 10% upgrade really significant? I read it as "10% damage reduction" and decided it wouldn't be worth investing in.

[Bananskal]

Originally posted by LoR Team Triss:

I'm pretty sure most, if not all of the melee weapons in the game should be armor piercing given what I remember from when I played 40k tabletop. I was Guard, but my friend was SM.

Power fists? Certain they should be anti armor. Force weapons I'm less certain about but still pretty sure. Mace of Absolution/Lost Mace of Corwyn I'm not sure.

The rest of the melee weapons escapes me right now.

Yep, from my recollection, power fist, lightning claws and thunder hammer, are all anti armor. Just look at Eternal Crusade. Power fist is POWER fist. I think the lore states pretty much the same as thunder hammer, even though thunder hammer is more powerful, that when it kinects with matter, it disrupts the bonding and smashes through it. Lightning claws from my recollection, accordingly to lore (this is like 1995 rule set or something), can basically cut through anything like butter.

[Kay]

Originally posted by Rölf:

Originally posted by LoR Team Triss:

I'm pretty sure most, if not all of the melee weapons in the game should be armor piercing given what I remember from when I played 40k tabletop. I was Guard, but my friend was SM.

Power fists? Certain they should be anti armor. Force weapons I'm less certain about but still pretty sure. Mace of Absolution/Lost Mace of Corwyn I'm not sure.

The rest of the melee weapons escapes me right now.

Yep, from my recollection, power fist, lightning claws and thunder hammer, are all anti armor. Just look at Eternal Crusade. Power fist is POWER fist. I think the lore states pretty much the same as thunder hammer, even though thunder hammer is more powerful, that when it kinects with matter, it disrupts the bonding and smashes through it. Lightning claws from my recollection, accordingly to lore (this is like 1995 rule set or something), can basically cut through anything like butter.

The power fist is designed to punch through tanks (literally) but both the lightning claws and thunder hammer are far more effective (the thunder hammer being a unique power weapon in that the field is only active upon contact with the object being stuck and is FAR more powerful)

[Zourin]

Just about everything in 40k is just an accumulation of Mary Sue weapons derived from 7 year old boys on a playground, so to be honest, it's all BS anyway.

[Kay]

Originally posted by Zourin:

Just about everything in 40k is just an accumulation of Mary Sue weapons derived from 7 year old boys on a playground, so to be honest, it's all BS anyway.

Not even close, have you played the tabletop game?

The thunder hammer and storm shield are usefull for defence while packing a punch, but lack the speed of lightning claws fr example

Storm bolters are not nearly as effective against massed infantry as an assault cannon, and nowhere near as good against armour as a lascannon, there aren't that many weapons, if any, that are good at everything or made for everything.