Bolter = Boltgun question

[Blackcloud6]

There is a rules dispute going on between two guys in my group. Part of resolving it hinges on the term "bolter." A bolter is a boltgun, correct? But where in the rules or codex does this say so?

[Wolfshade]

A bolter is a boltgun as you suspect, but I have no idea where that says that

[Wildeybeast]

It is and it isn't. P56 of BRB lists profiles for bolt pistols, boltguns, storm bolters, heavy bolters and vulcan mega-bolters. As far as the rules are concerned, there is no such thing as a 'bolter', only the variants listed. However, the fluff refers to boltguns as bolters; the two terms are interchangeable. The codex entry for boltguns on p97 makes this very clear. So a storm bolter is also a storm boltgun and so on.
It really depends what the debate is about. If you want a weapon profile for a bolter, it technically doesn't exist, but a boltgun is a bolter in reality. It depends on how far you want to take the fluff entries as rules.

[Nabterayl]

Is this about combi-weapons and/or special-issue ammunition?

[DarkLink]

Or the DA bolter banner? Specific questions are much easier to answer.

[Blackcloud6]

Is this about combi-weapons and/or special-issue ammunition?

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No it is about the Land Raider Crusader's Hurricane Bolter and if it a rapid fire weapon.

[Nabterayl]

Ah, yes. That is indeed bad wording, but yes ... when the codex says that a hurricane bolter consists of three twin-linked bolters, it means three twin-linked boltguns.

It's true that, if you want to get technical, you have to get there in a stupid, round-about way. There are three sources for the proposition that "bolter = boltgun." One is page 97 of the codex, which says, "The boltgun, or bolter ..." Page 56 of the main rulebook repeats that exact phrase.

More tellingly, under combi-weapons, page 56 of the rulebook states, "A model armed with a combi-weapon can choose to fire either the primary boltgun, or the secondary weapon. The bolter can be fired every turn, but the secondary weapon can only be fired once per battle" (emphasis added). There is no way to interpret this other than to read "bolter" as the same item as the "boltgun" referred to in the previous sentence.

To come at the problem from the other angle, if we don't accept that bolter = boltgun, we are left with a hurricane bolter consisting of three twin-linked weapons for which we have no profile. That is, I think most people would agree, less plausible than the bolter = boltgun proposition. This would be sufficient, if it had to be, but I think the combi-weapon section of page 56 is quite clear.

So yes: bolter = boltgun, and therefore a hurricane bolter is a rapid fire weapon.

EDIT: Or, technically, a hurricane bolter is a single weapon that consists of three twin-linked rapid fire weapons. It fires three twin-linked shots up to 24", or six twin-linked shots up to 12".

[DarkLink]

Alternatively, if you assume that bolters aren't boltguns, then Hurricane Bolters don't have a profile at all and can't fire. Reductio ad absurdum.

[SeattleDV8]

Point your friends to the DA FAQ

Q: The Standard of Devastation states that ‘all friendly Codex:
Dark Angels units within 6” of the standard treat their boltguns as
Salvo 2/4 weapons’. Which boltguns does this apply to? (p66)
A: This applies to the standard boltgun (24” range, S4, AP5,
Rapid Fire), twin-linked boltguns on bikes, the bolter
component of combi-weapons, and hurricane bolters.

[Wildcard]

So, does that mean that a Land Raider Crusader fires 4x3 twin linked shots per sponson? And that if they shoot at the same target it will be 24 shots up to 24" O_o

Also, if the standard of devastation bearer is in LR Crusader, is the range measured from the hull of the LR, or does the banner require model to be on the table for the banner to work? I mean, a group of three LR Crusaders with total of 72 tl bolter shots plus the assault cannons from all three will decimate pretty much all infantry formations there are, given that they are on range ofc.