Heavy weapon squads

[Tripl3Stormsoul]

I was wondering if the two guardsmen who form a heavy weapon crew (such as in one of the squads in an infantry platoon) form a two-wound model or merely swap two lasguns for a lascannon (or whatever weapon you desire). As for the guy who isnt pulling the trigger, I understand he just reloads the gun and finds targets with binoculars, but can I remove him as a wound and keep the heavy weapon functioning normally?

Thanks for the help!

[Inquisitor Leet]

Yes you can remove the loader and the weapon will function normally.

[Tripl3Stormsoul]

Thanks :yes:

[MTG Guru]

Dont forget that the 'spotter' can also fire his lasgun in the shooting round, just because he is part of the weapon crew doesn't mean he still hasn't got his lasgun. The heavy weapon teams available these days are based together more for convenience than anything else. In gameplay terms, they basically function as two totally individual models, its just that the man that counts as a 'spotter' wont be able to carry any special weapons etc..

[Inquisitor Leet]

No problem, always willing to help a fellow guardsmen.

[Abraham Lincoln]

Wait a minute... This is completely different from how I have always played!

I thought that the "loader" couldn't fire his lasgun because he's busy "loading" (the models are using both hands to hold the ammo, no hands to shoot), and also I thought that since they are a "team" this meant that they could not operate without both members.

Otherwise there is absolutely no point to having them be a "hw team" instead of just a single guy with a hw...

C an someone back one of these two theories with some codex quotes or something?

[Cheredanine]

No the loader can fire his lasgun, killing the loader has no impact on the heavy weapon, this is the stasndard approach anything different would be an exception and would need to be explicitly stated in the codex, (in the past there have been rules where 2 man weapons crews get reduced rates of fire if one is killed) Since there is no explicit rules it opperates as all others.
They are on the same base simply cos it looks better

[CowboyAdam512]

Actually since niether are "equipped" with the heavy weapon you can actually forgo the heavy weapon shots and shoot 2 lasguns. Comes in handy sometimes when u need to move.

[dizzyjock]

I saw this somewhere, but the official rule is you can't. The HW firer gives up his lasgun for the HW, so you can't alternate between the two. Not sure which rule it comes under though : possibly the one about only having one 2-handed weapon.
I think it's on the FAQ or GW site - been very bored at work recently, so spending too much time trawling !

Wish you were right though

[Inquisitor Leet]

Think of it like this theres Guardsman Scotty and Guardsman Rico. Rico is the heavy bolter gunner and Scotty is the loader. The squad sees a group of fire warriors in the clearing so they set up the heavy bolter and Scotty loads the chain ammo into the bolter. Rico lights them up dropping three, and scotty since the bolter is firing and he doesn't need to load the weapon as it already is. So he picks off another one with his lasgun. The fire warriors foolishly stand their ground and shoot back. On shot hits Guardsman Scotty dropping him. Rico is filled with rage and continues to shoot killing another three, the bolter runs dry. The tau shoot back and no one dies, in the movement phase Rico reloads and kills the rest of the hated Xeno in the shooting phase. So pretty much people reload heavy weapons in the movement phase since they cant shoot them, when they set them up it is loading.