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For what it's worth, if you don't mind spending the extra points, Honour Guard can take both plasma and melta at the same time.

If you are screening your Honor Guard with other units such as assault squads then the bubble wrap gives your opponent a cover save. It's just that simple.

HHHHN (Honor Guard)
AAAAA (Assault squad)


TTTTT (opponent's target unit)

A neat idea would be honor guard with plasma and storm shields joined by Dante (so they can hit and run out of CC to keep double tapping). Not really worth the points but would be a lot of fun to play.

How many points is that? At least 300 before Dante...

I mean, it'd definetly be dead killy and dead speedy, but that's gotta be at least a third of your army in just 4 plasma guns right there.

I'm a fan of loading them all up with plasma and melta guns, or flamers and meltaguns. It adds a fair amount of versatility for when you're not just going to be going after tanks, and gives you more incentive to keep them for more than just a suicide drop. Of course, the issue of actually keeping them alive comes into play.

BloodThirSTAR wrote:If you are screening your Honor Guard with other units such as assault squads then the bubble wrap gives your opponent a cover save. It's just that simple.

HHHHN (Honor Guard)
AAAAA (Assault squad)


TTTTT (opponent's target unit)

That is one of a few ways to protect them, and not always necessary. You can manipulate sight lines with your screen as well so that your HG can shoot to the side of them at their target, while the creen protects from the units adjacent. Vanguards make combat screens for them too, and won't be directly in front of them until they're in assault.

Would you rather me just say they're the worst? I can tell you from 30+ games experience with them against very competitive armies that they aren't bad. They aren't always the right choice, but if you need this specific role filled in your list, then they are absolutely an option. They aren't required in every BA (obviously, and I think I've said this at least once before in this thread), but for some lists/playstyles they're worth looking at. Maybe they don't fit how you play, or in your army, but that doesn't make them terrible for everyone and every army.

I just think there are better ways to go about it and it just seems like a waste to me - I see Honor Guard at their best value serving a role in close combat.

BloodThirSTAR wrote:If you are screening your Honor Guard with other units such as assault squads then the bubble wrap gives your opponent a cover save. It's just that simple.

HHHHN (Honor Guard)
AAAAA (Assault squad)


TTTTT (opponent's target unit)

That's before a 12" move

Here is after a 12" move


H
HH .A
HH.. AA
. .... AA

TTTTT

Here is the Assault Phase

H
HH
HH


AAAAA
T T

And post assault consolidation

H
HH
HH

AAAAA

Jump infantry do very well at deciding how and when their own units provide a cover save.

That's assuming the target squad is within charge range. Could well be but won't necessarily always be the case. Then you'd have to rely upon a good roll for the run to reposition the covering squad.