Power Weapons Are All Wrong

[Trevak Dal]

Power sword is more like a lightsaber than a regular sword, the power field is spread over the length of the blade so it has better cutting area. The sad thing is that space marine sized swords are often best used as one handed Gladius type stabbing or hacking weapons (I head cannon that chain weapons are basically 'production scale power weapons' that are chainswords with a very minute powerfield to power assist their cutting, no where as sophisticated as proper power weapons.)

 

A lot of the various sword styles wouldn't be available to them, because of the power field the blade would shear through their hands like if they were to do a murder stroke.

[Lord_Caerolion]

Power sword is more like a lightsaber than a regular sword, the power field is spread over the length of the blade so it has better cutting area. The sad thing is that space marine sized swords are often best used as one handed Gladius type stabbing or hacking weapons (I head cannon that chain weapons are basically 'production scale power weapons' that are chainswords with a very minute powerfield to power assist their cutting, no where as sophisticated as proper power weapons.)

 

A lot of the various sword styles wouldn't be available to them, because of the power field the blade would shear through their hands like if they were to do a murder stroke.

 

Now I want to see a Black Library Heresy-era story featuring a duel where Sigismund decides to "end his foe rightly" with his Power Pommel.

[Trevak Dal]

It could be just as achievable if you chucked a rock, empty bolt pistol (love that part in John wick 2 where he Chuck's that Kimber) helmet at someone (or unprimed grenade, they are quite heavy and I bet marine ones are bigger)

[Raven1]

Yes and no. I noticed it, it does seems a bit off but GW was looking for game balance not real world accuracy. Plus it seems the power maul, staff, sword, and axe are all the same price. So it's balance thing for me and it doesnt really bother me as you will have trade offs.

[Withershadow]

I noticed it, but you're wrong, because we are not talking about simply measuring one material against another, there is all sorts of pseudo-science and power fields at work.  An edged and focused power field (sword) slices better through things (hence AP bonus), a spread-out powerfield (hammer) causes more concussive impact (hence strength bonus).

 

The only weapon that doesn't really "make sense", is the axe, which should not really be distinguishable from a sword given this technology. Although I guess you can always swing the axe harder than a sword, so at that point, the base materials of the axe do some contribution to the hewing through stuff.

 

Do you want to go back to when all power weapons were the same? Because that is the most "realistic" approach.

[Plasmablasts]

I imagine the different power weapons all operating off the same STC power generator. The power sword has to divert more of its generator output toward the containment fields which focus and refine its cutting edge. The maul instead is able to discharge most of its power to inflict damage, if it can achieve armour penetration. The axe takes a middle route of sacrificing less of its power, achieving a less effective cutting edge than the sword to reserve more for inflicting damage.

 

Or something like that...

[bluntblade]

But you also have things like different varieties of disruptor fields (Lufqt Huron's talon, for example) or simply using more of them on a sufficiently large weapon (in Grey Talon a Medusan zweihander is described with overlapping power fields). Heaps of pseudoscience, especially where archeotech weapons come in.