Advice requested regarding how best to represent spears & lances in 40K

[Fear is the mind killer]

Hi folks. Quick query here. I've converted a couple of Fantasy books into 40K, first Lizardmen as I love everything about them but prefer 40k, then Bretonnians so that my wife and son can one day play together as my son has only got 40k stuff so far. At first I represented the spears used by the infantry as 2-handed close combat weapons that confer +2 initiative, lances as 2-handed weapons that confer +1 initiative and furious charge and halberds as 2-handed weapons conferring +1 S and +1 I. However, with the arrival of the new rules, power lances and spears are described as conferring a Strength bonus on the charge, but no Initiative bonus whatsoever. Should I amend the way that I treat long close combat weapons to fit in with this new weapons profile? If so, how? It seems that the new rules are trying to avoid initiative bonuses as these have been removed from furious charge as well. If I leave the weapon profiles as they are, should I say that models equipped with power lances/spears also gain some sort of initiative bonus? I'm trying to avoid the situation where, say, a white scar with a power lance ends up being treated worse than a knights errant champion with a power lance as one would be granted an initiative bonus and the other isn't. One possibility that occurs is that spears and lances grant the hammer of wrath rule, but spearmen on foot don't get to charge first that often.

[theunwantedbeing]

Just use the stat bonuses provided by the power lances for lances & spears.

[Fear is the mind killer]

So, just +1 S when charging? But what about rough rider's hunting lances? They get bonus initiative as well as strength when charging. You see what I mean, there's a discrepancy between the 2 different types of lance and I don't know which one is the best example to use as precedent. Perhaps, given the extreme length of the spears in the Fantasy range (they're twice the height of a man), I should leave the profiles as they are, as the spears would have to have some sort of advantage, and amend it when rough rider lances are changed.

[theunwantedbeing]

Those are hunting lances, rather than just "lances" and the bonus is a one-time affair the first time they charge, after that they do nothing.
I'de ignore them with regards to trying to write rules for things.

I would personally just stick with the basic rules from power spears/lances and go with +1 strength when you charge and nothing else.
It's the easiest solution and causes the least confusion when trying to mix 40k and fantasy stuff.

Or you know, not do that and just use Fantasy vs Fantasy and 40k vs 40k and never do any mixing.
Afterall, you're all part of the same family, is it really such a big deal to use each others armies?

[Fear is the mind killer]

Well it seems unfair to have hunting lances being granted +2 Initiative on the charge, but spears, which are even longer, strike at normal initiative. The lances are 1-use only due to the lance tip exploding, and the initiative bonus is a result of the weapon length, not the explosion.

I expect that the new marine dex will be out in the near future, and perhaps that will shed light on what initiative the power lances will strike at as there's bound to be some sort of white scar shenanigans within. Perhaps power lances will get a mention as striking at Ini 5 or something?

Well my son likes 40k, I like 40k and using unusual armies, and the wife likes her bretonnians and helping my son playing 40k, so that's what we'll do. Also, stomping around the board with a carnosaur called Barr-Ni munching up marines sounds like fun.

[Son of Sanguinius]

Remember that a power lance gets a strength bonus and an ap bonus on the charge.

[Charistoph]

Well it seems unfair to have hunting lances being granted +2 Initiative on the charge, but spears, which are even longer, strike at normal initiative. The lances are 1-use only due to the lance tip exploding, and the initiative bonus is a result of the weapon length, not the explosion.

Wait, what? Lances are a specialized form of spear designed for cavalry charges. Spears are a general weapon that go from short weapons designed to be used with one hand and shield to giant pikes designed to blunt the force of the cavalry charge and reach past others who also have pikes.

I expect that the new marine dex will be out in the near future, and perhaps that will shed light on what initiative the power lances will strike at as there's bound to be some sort of white scar shenanigans within. Perhaps power lances will get a mention as striking at Ini 5 or something?

Don't bet on it unless they or Blacke Templar are given a specialized Power Lance, because the rules for the Power Lance are set in the BRB now.

[Fear is the mind killer]

Okay then. It seems that it's a case of all close combat weapons are treated the same with the exception of powered and force versions, which I'll go along with unless a new codex says otherwise. If I treat shields as a close combat weapon as well and units unable to carry shields due to having large weapons as being armed with 'uge choppa equivalents then that should make it all fairly straightforward.