See, I think that's a problem for LSM as well, because JPAs don't win games, tacticals do. There is no incentive to play tactical. You will get less kills, less exp, and nobody wants that burden. The points for winning a match and that measly extra 100 points for capturing a point when you are the one who put the key in as opposed to just being there aren't enough of an incentive for people to play tacticals.
Shieldbro is supposed to be a defensive class not an offensive one; the solution is not giving them capping ability as much as fixing the viability of ranged in these kinds of map designs so that the factions behave as intended: with LSM running more tacticals and less GA where chaos will have more focus on aggressive capping classes like their GA. The problem is not in the tools of the astartes more than it is in the current balance of mechanics.
You asked why LSM uses ranged. Because we can't cap without it. Unless you find a way so we can go mostly melee.
100% truth, our melee classes are fine, our ranged game that sucks big time and since only our worse ranged guy can cap...
The reason being the game doesn't encourage LSM melee classes, as I spelled out in the OP. GA is the backbone of a push force, but in addition to the shield being a defensive tool (melee is effective when flanking; the shield slows him down while a jump pack would speed him up) he also can't cap, actively discouraging having more melee on the field
Sadly the devs said no to shotguns. the devs also said no to the following astartes grade wargear that tacticals could use. Rocket and Missile launchers (no mocap aviable) Chainswords Plasma Rifles. (no that upsized plasma pistol is not a rifle...) Combio bolters (may be implemented somewhere in the future... maybe) Grenade launchers (may still be implemented somewhere in the future) srsly even half of those could make the tactical a better unit. and then theres the stuff that is def planned but will not be ready soon ... like ammo types for the bolters... or different grenades.
I truly believe that the big missing factor that make LSM weak is that they nerfed the bolter and heavy bolters damage. Did the heavy bolter need a damage nerf? Yes, but not to the degree that it is now. Even the plasma gun requires 100% of your shots to land to drop an opponent before it overheats. Unless they add a cooling mod for the plasma gun id like to see that number somewhere around 75-85% against a default loadout.
Problem with boosting LSM arsenal is that you have to boost CSM as well. And they don't need help heh.
