This is a thread to compare the two weapons, as there seems to be so much shittalk regarding both. One faction calls shit for using the plasma cannon, the other calls right back for using the rokkit launcha, and vice versa. We'll start with the Plasma Cannon, as it has had a history of bad rep and has had changes that not everyone may be aware about. Plasma Cannon- 400 LP Used By: Devastator- Means that to use the weapon you take on the numerous drawbacks of the devastator class, namely extreme nerfs to all forms of mobility, total ineptitude at melee combat, and additional 20 base armor. Damage: Varied, 88 when semi-autoed, 1000+ when charged AoE: Single target when semi'd, 5m when basic charged scaling up to 15 at full overcharge. Fire Rate: Semi-auto, Charge mode- Minimum 2.5 seconds, up to roughly 8 seconds for overcharge. Cooldown time when overheated of about 3 seconds. Projectile Speed: Instant when semi'd, ~75m/s in a slight parabolic arc when charged in single fire, or about 20 m/s in an extreme parabolic arc when charged in mortar mode. Accuracy: Accurate when semid with basic recoil spread and stances, pinpoint when charged (Suppression can shake camera to cause artificial inaccuracy). Though it is much less powerful than it used to be, with relatively recent nerfs to charge times, cooldown periods, and most importantly the projectile's speed. Although now the projectile is still pretty fast, it is not nearly as fast as it used to be. The main grip was that with the fast projectile, short charge time, and high damage, you could easily oneshot one or more people with little to no risk of retaliation. Though once engaged in melee, the only option was to commit suicide by quickly charging a shot and firing at your feet. With the longer charge time and slower projectile, it can still oneshot groups or individuals quite easily, but it is easier to avoid when at extreme range or engage in melee or from a flank during the longer charge time to shorten or outright deny the user's killing spree. It is still powerful, but it is not grossly so to the point of out-doing every other weapon in the devastators arsenal. Rokkit Launcha- 400 LP Used By: Shoota Boys- Basic class with no drawbacks. The default. Orks in general also have additional starting Hp regardless of class, and have 10% less damage from headshots, making them generally more resilient, but especially so in ranged combat. Damage: 1,400 AoE: 5m Fire Rate: Charge Mode- 2 Second charge. No overcharge. 2 second reload. Projectile Speed: ~50m/s Accuracy: Moderately accurate. Though the weapon will likely go in the direction you aim, and at close ranges itll almost certainly hit what you are aiming at, there is a fair chance of it skewing off path at a seemingly random point before skewing back to the original target, likely off by a few meters. At ranges by 30m, this things will not hit accurately, but below 30m and it is as likely to hit as the plasma cannon. The Rokkit Launcha is only very slightly less effective than the plasma cannon, and then in only 2 categories. The speed of the projectile, and the accuracy. The projectile travels at about 2/3rds of the Plasma Cannon's speed, and loses accuracy over range very quickly. However, this has very little effect on the weapon's actual effectiveness, as most battles (even ranged ones) take place within that 30m accuracy range, namely inside buildings. Since this means it can still reach its destination, and with enough accuracy to always hit, in less than a second, its two disadvantages compared to the plasma cannon mean nothing, it is just as good at those ranges in those regards. Couple this with the shorter charge time, technically higher damage, the far higher firing rate (Due the short reload and lack of an overheating mechanic), and the fact that it can be used on a class that is leagues and miles more mobile than the devastator class (Sprints faster, reaches sprint speed faster, turns faster, jumps further and faster, rolls over cover faster, can climb more objects, can walk faster while aiming) and is capable in melee combat, at least to the point of having a fair chance to get away or outright win it, and it becomes fairly easy to see that the Rokkit Launcha is a far more effective weapon than the current iteration of the plasma cannon. This is best exemplified by the fact that the Rokkit Launcha, at least in the game's current state, is far more prevalent in ork games than the Plasma cannon currently is in SM and CSM games. So the next time you call out some SM scrub for spamming the plasma cannon, you better make sure you are either not using the Rokkit Launcha, or are fine with being a hypocrite.
Expect at long range, and nowhere near the accuracy, and you have to reload every shot. I don't even know why they're compared since the Kannon is functionally, much more similar to the PC only it doesn't have the snap shot it launches a grenade making it next to useless for defending yourself unless you can Dbash and maneuver them near the grenade.
As the above post have mentioned. You casually glossed over the fact that Rokkits require additional 2 second reload time(1.5 if master crafted) after every shot. Plasma Cannon, on the other hand, have a semi auto firing mode in addition to being able to charge fire a shot one after another not to mention being able to fire a slow but huge AOE one shot attack at max charge. Once you miss a shot in Rokkit, you have to wait 4 seconds before your next shot. Once you miss your charge shot on Plasma Cannon, you can immediately charge up another shot in 2.5 seconds or tap fire and potentially kill the target from a long range too. While Rokkits are very annoying it is still wrong to say it is as powerful as Plasma Cannon.
The only people I've ever killed reliably with the rokkit launcha were people who spawned in a transport just as I destroyed it, or people hanging around an ammo crate. Otherwise the inaccuracy and charge up time per shot turn me off it a bit.
And you casually glossed over all the other considerations, like the class that uses each weapon. An Ork with a rokkit can dbash the same length of time as an assault, evade roll, climb boxes, use his knuckles, and use his pistol; all things that a havoc with a plasma cannon cannot do, and which make the rokkit Ork much more survivable.
Is that because of the class using the rokkit, or because of the faction? And is that dbash length intended or not intended? I'm not being sarcastic, I genuinely want an honest answer.
It's faction wide for the Orkz. Eldar/LSM/CSM are about even in reach, orkz have about half the reach. It's the biggest reason they struggle in melee. I don't think its intended, since the orkz aren't fighting on an equal level when it comes to one of the base mechanics of the game. So the D-bash buff was applied, just like tacticals. It's longer now. It's just that you've an issue with connecting that D-bash. Or that lunge. Or that power attack.
Okay, so hypothetically saying that that's definitely not intended and will be fixed, the shootah with a rokkit is still far more survivable now compared to a havoc/devastator with a plasma cannon, and will only improve with bug fixes. I think we can agree on that, right?
