Delving into the new DA codex, I couldn't help but notice the esteemed Grand Master of the Ravenwing's jetbike. You know the one? With the underslung Plasma Cannon?

As it is referred to being such an archaic vehicle, one of the last, etc etc...the fact remains it has plasma.

In fact, going through some old sprues, I noticed the Chaos marines also have plasmaguns. If plasmaguns were available, plasma cannons certainly should have been, no?

Now, admittedly, it may not have been that prolific in an army during 30K, but wouldn't this give a little leverage in it being there?

I am doing a preheresy DA army, and naturally plan to use the DA codex for gaming. I would hate to chuck the plasma out with the baby & bathwater, so I am turning to you all for your thoughts...

Ciao,
CDR Grendelwulf

Plasma weapons are arcane weapons, and it is considered a great honour to be used by a marine of the dark angles,

yeah use em, they have been around for years....

There's nothing to stop you using infantry portable Plasma Cannons in your army if you really want to. Like you say they could well have been proto-types of some sort.
The main arguement for not including them as a man portal version for pre-heresy boils down to the Chaos Codex excluding them because in the design notes it said that they weren't around at the time of the Heresy. Plasma guns and pistols were around as were PCs on vehicles though.
It's hard to say whether the PC on the Master of the Ravenwing was added pre or post heresy. It may have been a later addition to the vehicle.
I personally haven't got a problem with people fielding them in their armies. :)

yey my point has been irradicated! yes, prototypes....

It's up-to you if you use them, but from what I understood a lot of the "man-portable" heavy weapons like the PC and Multi-melta weren't used in the heresy apart from on dreadnaughts...like the guys say, these where the prototypes for the termie versions and then would have been used by the legion's (or chapters as it is) once they were perfected.

My two cents!!!
:)

In Horus rising pg 20, i quote. 'The battle brother carrying the squad's plasma cannon obeyed without question.'
looks like there were portables ph.

just my 2 cents

Ah yes bu do we accept Black Library books as canon. Before the horus heresy books many did not as there were many inconsistancies (I apologise I cannot recall an example).

With the Heresy books though the problem is we have so little evidence otherwise, ony inference from the chaos codex or the CCG by sabertooth.

I call that Plasma Cannons were only vehicle mounted PH and as the DA jetbike is a vehicle (even if rules dont reflect it) it makes sense.

if you dig out a copy of Rogue Trader, you'll find that Plasma cannons were available then which was deffo pre Heresy, so i'd say use it if you want it. :)

the whole debate about "black library are wrong, NO! rogue trader is wrong" will go on forever and never be settled so it comes down to opinion, whatever yours is, roll with it B)

plasma weaponry was not as stable as it is now (funny ain't it) so less people used it during the GC and heresy. but it was around.