Why do Tactical Space Marines/CSM have no melee weapons?

[1000thson]

So, this has been bugging me since I started playing dow 2.Obviously this doesn't pertain to elitemod alone but since I only play elite mod nowadays and the community seems to be well informed I thought I would ask you lads.

Why do regular marines have no melee weapons for when they engage in melee?Is it a fluff-related or what?I really can't imagine a clash between a csm and a sm that ends up in melee where they proceed to bash each others head in with their bolters.

Apologies in advance if it's a silly question, I just recall the times in the original dawn of war where when 2 units came to melee they would draw swords and go at it and I wonder why it was changed.Thanks in advance for any responses

[Swift]

Probably laziness on the hands of Relic. This is not a stupid question, I know a few have pondered it before.

[Ace of Swords]

I have no official explanation for that, my conclusion has always been that it's harder to animations (and probably buggy) for the models to draw their knives or other melee weapons and then sheat them when switching to melee combat and vice-versa, which would also result in a 0 dps period during such animations.

So they just fight with their bolters, which is still fluffy, iirc it was written somewhere that chaos/tacts marines can use their bolters in a melee fight and easily knockdown their opponents with it.

[1000thson]

I see.My suspicion was akin to what you guys have already said. New engine, probably buggy paired with a bit of laziness and that's that.It does make sense that they would use their bolters in cqc, but swords and especially chainswords make everything better.I guess I'll just reminisce the old dawn of war days . Thanks for the insights lads.

[Arbit]

I don't think laziness factors into it. I seem to recall there being a ton of animations for each model - like way more than you would think - and when you consider that none of them are transferable from, say, an ork boy to marine to a guardsman to a termagant etc. due to how the animations are rigged to the skeletons, it probably represented a large amount of effort for not a lot of return.

[Superhooper01]

I think a sm or chaos marine smacking something with a bolter should do serious injury so didnt mind it, of course when a csm yells "ASM DRAW YOUR BLADES" i tend to make a face but a punch from a sm could flatten a guant or a rib etc so didnt bother me to much:p

[RagingJenni]

Because that would need a fuckton of animations, better to keep it clean with no ranged units switching weapons than giving tacticals combat knifes. Also you don't want to trick people into thinking they are really good in melee.

Also combat knifes always looked so goofy in a universe were everything is turned up to 11.

[ChrisNihilus]

Well, but Catachans are really good in melee with their Cuttas.
If it was possible i'm sure they'd have it.

[Toilailee]

I always thought it was stupid in dow1 when bolters disappeared from marines hands into thin air and knives appeared when they entered melee. Much prefer them meleeing with their bolters in dow2.

[Lost Son of Nikhel]

That's why CSM Blighted Bolters have bayonets

It wouldn't requiere too much new animations, only the switching Bolters -> melee weapons or viceversa ones.

Maybe it could be for technical issues, I guess

Still, I don't dislike at all the current system. In fluffy terms, a CSM/SM hitting you with his bolter or fist it would cause you significant injuries if you aren't armored.

[Loud Proenca]

I tought about this before and you are right Ace of swords but the thing they could do like in the 1st dawn of war series have a a knife with more melee skill and dps once they are in Melee combat

[Barrogh]

Well, DoW1 had them drawing blades, but I think it was already touched upon that DoW1 had melee animated differently.
Funny to still hear CSM shouting "Assault marines! Draw your blades!" in DoW2 though.

This is also mildly relevant: TSM in tabletop don't have close combat weapons and CSM can actually buy one (and so can SM of Carcharodons chapter). However, they have bolt pistols which considered close combat weapon when used in melee.
Well, just leaving it here.