>>96415146
The lightest target you're likely to fight is auxilia lasrifles.

90 points gets you 5 plasma guns. Hitting on a 3+ means 7 hits, wounding on a 2+ means 6 wounds, 6 unsaved wounds.

90 points gets you 9 bolters. 3 attacks each when not moving, hitting on a 3+ means 18 hits, wounding on a 3+ means 12 wounds, 6 unsaved wounds.

Against auxilia safe plasma is comparable to its weight in stationary bolters and better if the bolters have to move

Against marines bolters make 27 attacks, hit 18, wound with 9 and kill 3 marines.

Safe (breaching 6+) plasma makes 10 attacks, hits with 7, wounds with 5 regular and 1 AP2 and kills 2.7 marines.

Against castellax bolters get 27 attacks, 18 hits, 3 wounds and deal 1 unsaved wound.

Uncharged plasma gets 10 attacks, 7 hits, ~3 to 4 wounds and deals 1.5 unsaved wounds.

A safe plasma gun is worth like, 2 stationary bolters Against most things and can also shoot tanks in the ass for real damage.

The advantage of plasma is that it squeezes roughly 2 tactical marines worth of firepower on the body of a single tactical marine which means you can squeeze a full squad in a Rhino and do decent damage.

The obvious downside of plasma TSS is their durability is slightly over half that of an equivalent number of tactical marines.

This means you don't want plasma shooting at equivalent tacticals because they will get slaughtered with return fire. If you want a TSS to kill tacticals use Calivers.

You should only use the overcharged profile in 2 scenarios.

Scenario 1, its turn 3/4 so keeping an extra dude alive isn't super valuable.

Scenario 2, you're shooting Thallax equivalents or terminator equivalents in which case the S7 and breaching 5+ are pretty big.