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Ok Space Marine Fluff Players, help me figure this out.

A Space Marine Chapter Battle Company, following the Codex Astartes, has six Tactical Squads (squads 1 through 6) with 9 marines and a sergeant. Squads 7 and 8 are Assault Squads with 9 marines and a sergeant. Squads 9 and 10 are Devastator Squads with 9 marines and a sergeant.

Now, Centurion warsuits are not in addition to these squads, but are wargear addons for these squads (this can be seen by looking at the pictures on the Centurion model box. The Imperial Fist Assault Centurions on the back show the assault squad emblem with squad number VII inside).

This all being said, how would you, could you, should you play Assault Squads, Dev squads, and Centurions to Fluffy-wise represent a proper Battle Company?

The way I see it, it takes a minimum of two Centurion squads to represent one Assault or Dev squad (either 5 and 5 or 6 and 4), so two elite slots for ten Assault Centurions (Assault Squad VIIa and VIIb), one fast attack for one Assault Squad (Assault Squad VIII). Two Heavy Support slots for ten Dev Centurions (Dev Squad IXa and IXb) and an additional Heavy Support for Devastator Squad X. Doing this you end up with too many sergeants in your Centurion squads since each sub-group ends up with one.

Here's where it gets even funkier. The Sentinels of Terra book lists the Crusade of Thunder as having requisitioned 12 Assault Centurion warsuits and 18 Devastator Warsuits. Not to mention that Centurions can be taken in the Elite slot as well as Fast Attack slot for Assault Centurions, and Elite slot as well as Heavy Support slot for Devastator. How does that work out?

Lynkon

It’s the same thing as with bikes and land speeders. Sometimes, the marines gear up differently, depending on the mission. Just make sure you keep the total number of marines close to where it should be. In the battle barge’s armory before deploying for a fight, marines are going to grab the weapons they need for that specific fight. Sometimes the Devs are going to pick up heavy bolters, other times lascannons. When needed, they will strap into centurion suits. Same thing with the assault marines. Some days jump packs, others drop pods; occasionally bikes or centurion armor. Depends on the mission.

As for the extra sergeants, I’d just assume that the next senior guy in the squad would take charge of the extra squad. Just like if the normal 10 man squad split into combat squads. He might receive a brevet promotion to sarge, but that’s not needed, except that’s what it says in the rulebook.

For the longest time I had my battle company built with only one 10 man assault squad. The other 10 assault marines were split between bikes and speeders.