Math Hulk V: Close Combat Genestealer vs Lightening Claw Terminator

For this installment of Math Hulk, we look at the close combat battle between a genestealer and the terminator with lightening claws. Stealer gets his roll 3 and pick highest while lightening claw gets to roll 2 and take highest +1. Remember that this bonus die and +1 only comes into by for the terminators front space. So attacking from the flank or rear causes this terminator to fight just like a regular powerfister. The plus 1 makes a big difference since now no matter how well the stealer rolls, a 6 from the terminator wins the fight. The probabilities for the terminator is 30.6% 7, 25% 6, 19.4% 5 , 13.9% 4, 8.3% 3, and 2.8% 2. These compare to for the stealer of 6 (42.1%), 5 (28.2%), 4 (17.1%), 3 (8.8%), 2 (3.2%), and 1 (0.5%).

Combining these two sets results in 52.8% terminator wins, 19.2% tie, and 27.9% stealer wins. So the lightening claw terminator is twice as good as the powerfist ones in close combat.

Now if you place the lightening claw terminator on guard, how does he perform? Unlike the powerfist terminator this is no need to worry about whether to take your reroll or not. If you won you have no need of the reroll, if you lost you always take it, and if you tied you just save the tied die and reroll the other die which is lower or equal to it. This makes the lightening claw terminator on guard with 64.8% win, 18.5% tie, and 16.7% lose. This is pretty good. Essential as good as a stealer attacking a normal terminator.

Tactics for the lightening claws are all about using guard or attacking in close combat since you have no ranged weapon to go on overwatch with. Most of the time going to guard is probably the best bet unless the stealer is isolated and can get around you without killing you. If there is an isolated stealer with an exposed flank it might work out to attack him since this event is most likely to happen in a room where the stealer can avoid your close combat death dealer anyway or attack you from the flank.