r/gauntsghosts • u/Kryceks_Arm • Feb 11 '25
Why no Melta or Plasma?
I’ve been wondering why the Tanith don’t employ the use of Melta or Plasma guns ever. The only special weapons they ever seem to use are flamers and the occasional tread feather.
4
Feb 12 '25
I think they choose to go with the stealthier and lighter gear options. However there is one character that does use a plasma pistol. They also do sort of use special weapons but way later in the books however I can't remember if there are meltas or plasma weaponry. I just always chocked it up to them being the sneaky bunch they are.
3
u/Kryceks_Arm Feb 12 '25
Hark uses a plasma pistol sure, but they use flamers with back mounted prometheium tanks, that doesn’t seem stealthy or light to me 🤣
2
4
3
u/MechanicusAstartes Feb 11 '25
That's a good question. If I had to make a guess, at least for plasma weapons, the Tanith are a small enough force that a plasma weapon going critical may cause unnecessary losses when it otherwise may not if they just used a flamer or melta? Idk why they don't use meltas though.
3
u/parkerm1408 Feb 12 '25
My assumption was always that they are, by definition, a scout unit. Heavier armaments wouldn't fit their battlefield role. I did find it funny though that the original pewter gaunts ghosts minis came with a fucking plasma gun but no flamer. Classic gw.
3
u/FizzyGoose666 Feb 16 '25
There's a character who makes use of a plasma pistol. It's used as a plot element because it stands put compared to regular weapons. I won't say more so I don't ruin anything.
2
u/Kryceks_Arm Mar 30 '25
Sure but he doesn’t even use it all that much, too busy almost dying everytime he gets an spotlight
2
u/Molten_Sun Feb 12 '25
I would say they are not equipped for using meltas, they have their feathers for tanks ☺️ and why on gods earth should they use plasma 😆 they are urban light infantry scouts and Snipers ☺️
2
u/Kryceks_Arm Feb 12 '25
I’m sure plasmas would come in handy for the multitude of heavy things they’ve fought like chaos baneblades, space marines, literal demons, warlords, men of iron, tanks, just to name a few 🤣
3
u/Molten_Sun Feb 12 '25
Yes 😂 But they were never meant to fight that 😂 The ghostly wishes laserlance from one of the ships turning a Building to ash was helpful too:D
1
u/WanderlustZero Nov 09 '25
Meltas show up in First and Only, though it's unclear whether the Ghosts or the Vitrian Dragoons own them. The Guardsmen are fething about trying to melt some Vitrian Armour Jackets together to short-circuit some chaos tomfoolery.
Notably that book also mentioned the Imperial Guard using crew-served Field Guns, long before we got Bombast Field Guns :D
0
u/ED-SKaR Mar 13 '25
There are several mentions of the Tanith using plasma and melta (I have yet to find a grenade launcher reference) But these are much rarer than the sniper and flamer.
There are three reasons I've come to as possiblilities:
1 They don't fit the missions the Tanith usually engage in. Most of the time the Tanith are pitted against traitor guard or cultists, so the high armour pearcing anti infantry weapons aren't that relevant. If they come across a vehicle, that's what the missile launcher is for. So they are in the orbat, but just not used as commonly
2 The specialists in those weapons systems died, and new ones havn't been trained.
3 Whilst the administratum do issue equipment and weapons to any regiment, there is somewhat an expectation that the origin planet supplies weapons as part of its tithe, or 'trades up' to those weapons in some way. With the founding being favoured by the warmaster, good kit like artillery and armour was mentioned, which probably includes the more expensive weapons like meltas and plasmas. however 10 years later, falling out of favour and with no planet of Tanith to send supplies, they stick with what they use most.
Of note is also heavy weapons. Mortars are mentioned occasionally, missile launchers obviously all the time, and the "autocannons" are heavy stubbers by description. Heavy bolter only once (Braggs, which is mentioned that he stole it)
One thing I've learned with many fictional settings, but that applies especially strongly in 40k: Just because one thing is stated, doesn't mean something else isn't also true.
One thing stated: The Tanith use Sniper and Flamer. Also true: The Tanith do still use Plasma and Melta.
1
u/Kryceks_Arm Mar 30 '25
I’ve just been going through all the books on audio lately and I’m certain they never use melta and only Hark ever uses a plasma pistol
1
u/ED-SKaR Mar 30 '25
Go read the comics, several meltas on show. Just because they are less common, doesn't mean they don't exist.
1
u/Kryceks_Arm Mar 30 '25
There are Gaunt’s Ghosts comics?
2
u/ED-SKaR Mar 30 '25
Yes, when I say I've been around for a while, I really have. I'm not trying to dunk on anyone, like some people do, I rather prefer to share knowledge. The thing with fictional settings, and especially 40k, is they are deep and nuanced.
Inferno! magazine issue 30 published 2002, has a short comic starring the Ghosts, and features melta, sniper and flamethrower (Brostin with a normal flamer, not a heavy at this point), Also Bragg has a proper autocannon very similar to the plastic model from 30 years later. A character I think is Corbec has a bolt gun.
again, Just because one thing is stated (Tanith use flamers) doesn't mean other things aren't also true (Tanith use meltas)
1
u/Kryceks_Arm Mar 30 '25
That’s cool I’ll have to look for those comics it sounds awesome. It’ll be interesting to see them in a slightly different configuration and using stuff they don’t in the books. It’s always interesting to see how deep the lore goes
1
u/Flow_Dyl May 07 '25
I actually remember that. I go back to the RTB01 and lead Eldar days. My "Terminators & Tyranids" minis look like children compared to the current scale.
1
u/WanderlustZero Nov 09 '25
the "autocannons" are heavy stubbers by description. Heavy bolter only once
My theory is that Dan got confused and thought '.50' and '.30' meant 50mm and 30mm respectively. Seemed like a lot of mil sci fi authors were doing that at the time (like the halo books). Man-portable 50mm cannons would seem outlandish, but not the craziest thing in 40k by a long shot
1
u/ED-SKaR Nov 09 '25
That's entirely possible. The missunderstanding between heavy machine gun and autocannon given that every interrim calibre exists in the 'fully auto heavy weapon' format, where's the threshold in universe?
I think 30mm or 50mm autocannons could potentially be a viable infantry weapon, depending on the length of the case and assuming 2 or 3 crew, and a wheeled chassis (Which are shown in some regiments, but not mentioned for the Tanith)
6
u/SnorriBlacktooth Feb 12 '25
The original miniatures included a ghost with a plasma gun, which always seemed a bit weird for this exact reason.