I can't speak for everyone, but I play against Orks quite regularly and have come up against DLB many times, sometimes when solo queuing and sometimes when with my own guild. We don't tend to get steamrolled and I have never in all my hours encountered a shield boy capturing a point and had a particular issue stopping him because he had a shield. It's a non issue. The shield has next to no impact on the individuals ability to capture a point, it only helps the guy behind him which again, will not change anything if LSM got the ability to do the same.
Agreed, I am fine with this compromise. Remove PF from JPA, give them a Meltabomb. Now they can engage vehicles decently if they want. As for Lascannons and Multimeltas, people don't use them for tank hunting, it may be something they might come across and shoot at but usually it's used for anti-infantry. Lascannon actually can't kill a vehicle before it gets behind cover and fully heals. In fact, they need to remove the healing on vehicles, it's dumb. At least that way a vehicle taking damage while moving in the open from a lascannon has to just keep that damage and can later be destroyed by bombs.
You actually want two JPAs that can jump onto a vehicle, with absolutely no way of stopping them and nuking it? That sounds miserable to me.
For your example they would have to have two coordinated JPA's to do that, if that's the case it only takes one guy with a powerfist to do the same. If they are doing teamwork then how could you be against it. Yes, I think I would be fine with it. I never wanted the Powerfist removed from them because I wanted to nerf them, ideally I was looking to balance them with the other classes. Currently the Devastator is not used as the AI/AV specialist that it is. It's only predator is JPA's. Except currently the JPA steals its job as both AI/AV. So the Devastator is second fiddle. It gets killed by a class that does its job better and is designed to kill it.
I reckon a meltagun and a meltabomb on Raptors would be sufficient to compensate for the lack of PF, yes. Can't say i agree about Lascannons/Multimeltas, to be honest with you. I see them used for tankhunting all the time. And Lascannon isn't that great of a sniping weapon thanks to the charge time; combined with the fact the LC guy is a free melee kill squared, LC against infantry is only efficienty on fortresses. Where it, too, would better be used against vehicles anyway. As for vehicle healing...it seems only fair for the vehicles to be able to self-repair. Especially taken they are a free kill if they're abandoned by the driver (which unless a Guild is involved is always the case, almost). And the repair rate isn't that high, plus it only works a while after the last time you took damage.
Just adding onto the LSM getting capping for shieldbros, does this mean CSM can get shields then? Also adding onto the fact I wouldn't mind JPA getting melta, not so sure about melta bombs. It's all nice and well saying you wouldn't mind it but when 2 JPA can swoop down, nuke your rhino faster than you can react and they fly off to resupply I can see it not winning many fans.
I'd like to see someone in a piddly Rhino Storm Bolter try kill two JPA coming down hard on your ass. If they're having issue with one with a power fist they aren't gonna have a good time when they get a lightning fast TTK and assured kill from one press of a single key. I don't even think Melta JPA could swoop due to the lack of a melee weapon. So they'd just gently float down like leaves on the wind, plant a super-thermite bomb to your rear armour and fly away like butterflies on a gentle summer breeze except with more explosions and burning death as they leave.
I think the problems lie more with the JPA than the fist itself. Fists, for the most part, can be countered more readily than other weapons. The latency and dodge issues as well as the impotency of the bash are what really cause the melee frustration. Durability is due for a huge overhaul as well. I'd even go so far as to say that the fist needs an improvement. Against any player worth their salt, the fist will fall flat unless the target is distracted--and even then any melee weapon would work as the RPS is a 1v1 system not 1 v many. I suggest adding a infantry and vehicle specific mode for the fist. Slow and powerful for vehicles; fast and less damaging for infantry. At least they would then be able to take full advantage of the RPS system rather than having to rely on breaking the weapon to score a kill or having someone else run interference. Fixing the core issues with the JPA should come before removing their options--and this is coming from a person who is absolutely tired of the JPA domination that has been around for 12 months or so. Impeding on their ability to zip around constantly and abuse the swoop with the lock-on would be a good start. Or leave that as is and seriously reduce their armor for both the base and upgraded versions to give them less staying power. Maybe there could even be a complete mechanical overhaul to the way the fuel works? Perhaps cool-down based like the heal grenades and banshee scream?
The ork unique shield is 500LP, you basically can't field anything else if you bring that. It's got something like double or triple shield HP, so it's not like it isn't worth the LP, I just want people to know, the Big Metal Bit as it's called is a colossal investment, even for a Vet. Poison nade wouldn't stop it either, at most if you run through a poison cloud you'll get like 20 poison, the nade ONLY kills if people stay in it or you make people retreat through. Other than that it's strictly area denial, but then it just gets shot because the nade is huge and easy to see soooooo..... It also cannot be overstated how punishing not having a pistol can be in many scenarios, I actually find I performed better as a Slugga Boy without the shield than with it. The shield has its uses, but they are few, especially when body blocking for people often just gets you teamkilled by the guy you're trying to protect. Anywhoooo back on topic from shield. I wholeheartedly disagree with melta anything for JPA, that'd be infinitely worse than the power fist. They only need to fix the Dbash Dodge Cheat and JPAs will probably be much more balanced than they are now. JPA Fist would still be viable as it's the best way to close on a vehicle out in the open with no cover to approach it. But don't lump orks in with the Marine Power Fist. It's still 50% better than the ork power fist due to attacking 50% faster, having longer damage windows, and maintaining momentum with all attacks. Probably no matter what they do, Orks will be collateral damage and get nerfed again.
