Just slow the aim movement while shooting. While big slow targets will be easy to kill any fast infantry will evade the beam easily.

that would make the wep as usable as the lasscannon

^ I am okay with this as well.

Tac marine is already hella versatile. They keep stressing this "well they're supposed to be versatile"... yes, they already are. They have weapons for every situation and it just so happens the melta was too much and handled every situation just as well if not better (minus range).

Apparently in the twitch feed they showed some of the nerf to the gun but we'll see how much of a difference it makes on Tuesday. Part of the probably is the ability to lazer beam aim targets dead by just walking around for 2 seconds.

Hopefully the nerf to the range will allow for storm bolters to have some use again (melta gone stole their jerbs). :<

Update : The Melta gun will have its range reduced to 20m and it's damage might be increased against vehicles later down the road. There was also mention of a Tri beam Melta gun for Devastators.


View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQsQ6rzrFhQ

As I said in a seperate topic: I think they should do away with the blowtorch mechanic. As neat as it is, it feels far too much like it's just tossing a flamer and melta into one. It has the name, looks and effectiveness of a melta, but the AoE and DoT effects of a flamer, combining the best of both worlds.
I personally think it needs a major rework: All I see in maps with rooms is meltas. Not too many havocs, or assault. Just plain melta's, and a laser show. On the more open maps they're almost nonexistant since you can use stalker bolters and the Holy Boltgun to fight from a distance, thankfully, but if you can throw a grenade near them, you're risking being hit by meltas.

My thought is to turn it into a (small) charge-up, intense, shotgun-like narrow blast. A single, beam of condensed screw-you to kill what's in front of you, and do immense damage to vehicles, all at once. While we can't exactly always have lore-abiding, and simultaneously gameplay-worthwhile weapons, the melta gun is still capable of being that sort of firepower.
Yes, I AM sort of saying that it should be extremely buffed in raw damage and do away with the DoT mechanic (maybe keep a small portion of that for whatever survives), but having a charge-up and making the weapon itself nearly pointblank makes it a high risk, high reward weapon. As it is in the lore: when you have an infantryman running at a vehicle such as a predator, that's damned dangerous. But if they GET there, they shouldn't have to stand around for a good 10 to 15 seconds of beaming to kill a single vehicle.
While I am saying it should be buffed, that's because it's shooting the fury of a small sun at you, similarly to a plasma gun: albeit, in far more volatile a form and with less stability. Or more, depending on your view - it isn't contained and shot out at a distance, but just farted out the open end so it can give the best magician trick to whatever's in front of it. So, infantry dying very easily is a plus and expected. If you shoot a bazooka (meant for taking out tanks) at an infantryman, it's DEFINITELY going to be good at its job either way. It's just far more efficient against a vehicle, since it's a bigger target and easier to get to (ie, it can't run away so easily and would probably be focusing on bigger targets, like other vehicles)

I'm also ranting on because, I do honestly want to see some sort of flamer in the game: which, they COULD use the DoT aspect on, and the blinding to an extent (Which they should definitely keep for a melta: that power being shot out would definitely be an eyesore), but right now I see no point in such a thing with how the melta is now. Moreso, a melta right now makes any close quarters fight an insta-melta option.
Sure, you can try using your assault class, but it's a bit difficult when you have a melta swallow you whole in two seconds.

Just a few thoughts I have about it - if anyone has anythin to contribute or ask, feel free!