Xhorik 87th Drop Troops Melta Stick

These two special weapons squads typically ride to battle together in a single Valkyrie, but with the flexibility split up during the drop as the tactical situation dictates. They fight in two-man fire teams consisting of a melta gunner and a rifleman that carries extra ammo, acts as a spotter, and provides covering fire so that the primary gunner can focus on the most important targets.

Due to the short range and high power of their weapons, melta sticks are often included in platoons that are making combat drops directly into battle where they are sent to eliminate critical enemy targets.

Shown here are all six fire teams of the two squads that make up the melta stick of their platoon.

(1) Melta guns are cumbersome weapons for regular humans who cannot swing them around as easily as space marines. The drop troops' version of these weapons come with bipods for improved stability from a prone position. This rifleman carries a case of extra ammo for the all-important melta gun.

(2) In this fire team, the gunner is either just landing from his drop or staying low as he advances to within range of the target. The support trooper is staying low to the ground while suppressing the enemy with a grenade to give the gunner time to setup. 

(3) This fire team clearly prides themselves on their accuracy as both troopers are taking careful aim. 

(3) The melta gunner is adjusting his targeting device to find a weak point on an enemy vehicles while the rifleman has a non-standard-issue scope retrofitted to his weapon for improved accuracy.

(4) This veteran rifleman has a bionic arm that allows him to maintain a combat role despite a crippling injury. Most drop troopers will toss aside their cumbersome grav chutes once they land, like this melta gunner has done.

(4) The rifleman has dropped his empty ammo pack and is grabbing a spare from his belt to reload. 

(5) This melta gunner doesn't have time to drop into a more-stable prone position and simply kneels down to fire his weapon from the hip. With such a bulky weapon, some form of stability is needed by most gunners to get a decent shot.

(5) The rifleman has been putting down covering fire to allow the melta gunner to get into position. Now he quickly reloads while the gunner takes his shot.

(6) This rifleman indicates either a successful grav-chute drop or perhaps a penetrating hit by his melta gunner with the universal symbol of approval. 

(6) These men fight together as a fire team with the rifleman carrying extra ammo for the melta gun. The gunner lies down to stabilize his weapon and make himself a more difficult target for his enemies.

Many of the men are lying down or crouching in order to make themselves harder to hit.

Here is melta stick just after a combat drop with some men still wearing their grav chutes while others have discarded them in order to improve their range of motion and better aim their melta guns.