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Hello Dakka Dakka.

So I am starting Astra Militarum, and I just wanted to hear what some of the tried and trusted or peoples personal fav load out options are for the HQ Command Squad.

Let me know what loadouts you have! .

Cheers

In the previous Codex, there were fairly straightforward builds; 4 meltaguns in a chimera. However, that was in a time when we had chimeras with 5 firing points. Today, we get 2. In a shooty faction, how to maximize the potential? If we could take 2 heavy weapons it would be dead easy.
Personally, I like 1 Missile Launcher, 2 Flamers, a Master of Ordnance, and a Chimera. Why? Choices. The Missile Launcher can go Frag, Flak or Krak, The MoO can hit targets at any range with or without LoS and allows your HQ to function as a Basilisk if nothing else. The Flamers are for Wall of Death in overwatch or if you decide to engage closely. And the Chimera? I like Mech.

I run 3 different builds:
1) Sit back and give orders / Emperor's Wrath Command
Lascanon, Vox, Banner (optional) Volkov's Cane, Master of Ordnance, Officer of the Fleet (optional)
2) Hot plasma death. 4 Plasma guns Plasma pistol , Astropath
3) Support/Plasma death. 3 plasma guns Plasma pistol Vox, Astropath.
All CCs go in Chimeras.... This is not optional

If i run them in a vehicle light army i leave it upgrade light with maybe a lascannon and a banner to hold the line for orders, if I have enough vehicles in the list i put them in a chimera ( dont want to have just one or 2 vehicles on the field to eat all the enemy anti tank fire). Masters of Ordinance can be fun but I cant recall ever getting close to the target I intended to hit, although an ignores cover Str 9 Ap 3 for 20 points is nothing to sneeze at.

If my only objective is orders you can take them naked with optional master of the fleet if you have reserves and hide them behind something, orders dont take LoS.

If i ever put them in a chimera for the purpose of being aggressive you really cant beat 4 tank hunting melta guns (although this is a suicide option best left for emperors blade). While I like the plasma guns I find them to be a bit expensive for a unit I end up always rolling ones on. If i do take 2 plasma guns to fire out of the hatch ill take a medic. With both taking an astropath for Psychic shriek makes cheap good times.

As for the commander I rarely if ever give him gear. As with all guard I make everyone as cheap as possible so I can get more bodies or armor on the field. Any upgrades to a T3 ini 3 model is pretty much useless with the exception of volkovs cane, although i find that taking the Cadian Detachment eliminates the need for it as the 3 dice for orders usually always gets me what I need.

4x melta or 4x plasma in a Vendetta. Excellent firepower, and a scoring unit you can drop anywhere on the table while the Vendetta kills stuff.

I have them with 2 plasma guns, an autocannon, MoO, Volkovs cane, all with carapace armour in a chimera with multi laser and heavy flamer. As order range is measured from the hull of the chimera, it boosts the range slightly which is especially handy for volkovs cane. The chimera also keeps them relatively safe and the carapace armour helps survivability should said chimera get blown up. At range, I fire the auto cannon and MoO out of the top hatch and the multi laser. If the enemy get too close they get 2 rapid firing plasma guns to the knee and a heavy flamer to the face.

 edbradders wrote:
I have them with 2 plasma guns, an autocannon, MoO, Volkovs cane, all with carapace armour in a chimera with multi laser and heavy flamer. As order range is measured from the hull of the chimera, it boosts the range slightly which is especially handy for volkovs cane. The chimera also keeps them relatively safe and the carapace armour helps survivability should said chimera get blown up. At range, I fire the auto cannon and MoO out of the top hatch and the multi laser. If the enemy get too close they get 2 rapid firing plasma guns to the knee and a heavy flamer to the face.

I've been working on a list for a bunch of spare guard I have lying about and I really like the sound of this.

 Peregrine wrote:
4x melta or 4x plasma in a Vendetta. Excellent firepower, and a scoring unit you can drop anywhere on the table while the Vendetta kills stuff.

Have you ever tried a combine deepstrike with tempestus, as an attempt to use the second order?
Asking for someone with more experience.
I am toying now with the idea of an allied IG detachment to the tempestus with 1-2 elite IG stormies units to use in combination with a deepstriking CCS.

I do wonder if there are orders MT has not that could benefit the IG stormies in a way one could build a plan on.

The CCS would have 4 plasma because as John Lennon once said, "Plasma is the Answer".

 Kaiyanwang wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
4x melta or 4x plasma in a Vendetta. Excellent firepower, and a scoring unit you can drop anywhere on the table while the Vendetta kills stuff.

Have you ever tried a combine deepstrike with tempestus, as an attempt to use the second order?
Asking for someone with more experience.
I am toying now with the idea of an allied IG detachment to the tempestus with 1-2 elite IG stormies units to use in combination with a deepstriking CCS.

I do wonder if there are orders MT has not that could benefit the IG stormies in a way one could build a plan on.

The CCS would have 4 plasma because as John Lennon once said, "Plasma is the Answer".

If you can fit it into your list, use the emperor's spear aerial formation with 3 vendettas and stick 3 CCS's with 4 meltas or plasmas in them. Laugh as the entire formation comes in almost guaranteed on turn 2 and grav chute in without any deviation, only to have your squads issue themselves orders for TL/TH/MH/ignores cover. Watch even riptides cringe as you turn 2 alpha strike with 9 TL LC's and 12 meltas with your choice of extra rules from orders inside melta range.

If you're using death from the skies, this works even better because now you probably have more flyers than your enemy.

2 plasma guns, medic, Chimera.

 chrispy1991 wrote:

 Kaiyanwang wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
4x melta or 4x plasma in a Vendetta. Excellent firepower, and a scoring unit you can drop anywhere on the table while the Vendetta kills stuff.

Have you ever tried a combine deepstrike with tempestus, as an attempt to use the second order?
Asking for someone with more experience.
I am toying now with the idea of an allied IG detachment to the tempestus with 1-2 elite IG stormies units to use in combination with a deepstriking CCS.

I do wonder if there are orders MT has not that could benefit the IG stormies in a way one could build a plan on.

The CCS would have 4 plasma because as John Lennon once said, "Plasma is the Answer".

If you can fit it into your list, use the emperor's spear aerial formation with 3 vendettas and stick 3 CCS's with 4 meltas or plasmas in them. Laugh as the entire formation comes in almost guaranteed on turn 2 and grav chute in without any deviation, only to have your squads issue themselves orders for TL/TH/MH/ignores cover. Watch even riptides cringe as you turn 2 alpha strike with 9 TL LC's and 12 meltas with your choice of extra rules from orders inside melta range.

If you're using death from the skies, this works even better because now you probably have more flyers than your enemy.

That's awesome but is like 900 points. The scene would be worthy the effort, still! And I would put on Wagner wit the cell phone during the phase.

But yes, the plan was to use a mini version of that, but since CCSs issue two orders, and some order (like ignore cover or FRFSRF) is not present in the MT codex (because if you write a codex in a weekend and do not playtest it it happens) I was wondering if could be used in combo with IG tempestus.

I have 1 vendetta and 1 valkyrie so i could think about it in the future. I could transport the troop choice as a team of Demolition Grenadiers with Demolition Charge. Ignore Cover order on those would be cool.

3 plasma guns and a banner in a Chimera. I may throw a plasma pistol on the commander if I have some spare points laying around, but that's unlikely. Their job is to hold the backfield against deep strikers and throw out orders.

I run mine as I have always run them since I began playing: Company Commander with a Plasma Pistol and Power Sword, Veteran with a heavy Flamer, Standard Bearer, Medic, Radio operative (vox caster) and either a master of Ordnance or a Master of the Fleet.
All of them have Carapace armour.

Yes, it is not optimal, yes it does waste points, yes it might be better do change it up, but no I will not, because this Company Commander once took on a Primarch, on on one, in melee and won. Yes, he killed a primarch.. So no, nothing in this unit is ever changing.

 master of ordinance wrote:
I run mine as I have always run them since I began playing: Company Commander with a Plasma Pistol and Power Sword, Veteran with a heavy Flamer, Standard Bearer, Medic, Radio operative (vox caster) and either a master of Ordnance or a Master of the Fleet.
All of them have Carapace armour.

Yes, it is not optimal, yes it does waste points, yes it might be better do change it up, but no I will not, because this Company Commander once took on a Primarch, on on one, in melee and won. Yes, he killed a primarch.. So no, nothing in this unit is ever changing.

How it happened? Which primarch? Story time!

 Kaiyanwang wrote:

 master of ordinance wrote:
I run mine as I have always run them since I began playing: Company Commander with a Plasma Pistol and Power Sword, Veteran with a heavy Flamer, Standard Bearer, Medic, Radio operative (vox caster) and either a master of Ordnance or a Master of the Fleet.
All of them have Carapace armour.

Yes, it is not optimal, yes it does waste points, yes it might be better do change it up, but no I will not, because this Company Commander once took on a Primarch, on on one, in melee and won. Yes, he killed a primarch.. So no, nothing in this unit is ever changing.

How it happened? Which primarch? Story time!

Well, it was not an official Primarch, it was one of Timmies homebrews, in this case a 'Chapter Master' who just happened to have 6's and 7's across the board, IWND, FNP, a 2+/3++ rerollable, Fleet, was a level 4 Psyker who knew all the pyromancy powers, had 7 attacks plus Rage, plus two CC weapons, plus an 8 shot super weapon that Ignored Cover and was an Assault gun, and a Sx2 AP1 Rending, Armourbane, Fleashbane, ID CC weapon.
As I said, a Primarch.
I should also note that this was back when I was still naive enough to think that people would not cheat at a game of toy soldiers, and I was all for home brewed units, provided they where costed out well. At 200 and something points this character was not, but he didnt show me the stats sooo...

Anyway, so MR superrapeyonemandeathstar charges across the board and starts eating my army up, smashing both Chimeras, massacring an entire platoon, murdering 6 Ogryns and generally tanking everything, up too and including a Demolition Charge to the face. Nothing can kill him it seems, although sheer volume of fire reduces him to 3 wounds. Then he sights my Company Command Section and charges at it. A volley of shots leaves only the Medic and the Company Commander (who was on 1 wound by this point) alive. Timmy grins and charges forth.
He reaches combat and instantly declares a challenge "I challenge your Commander". Well, he has to accept as he is the only one left alive. Timmies Mary Sue managed to whiff his attacks, but he still inflicted two wounds on the Company Commander. I had no choice, I had to pass BOTH 5++ saves or I was dead....
I roll and get a '5' and a '6'. Timmy is disappointed, but he still laughs and scorns my commander. After all, how can a mere mortal kill this unstoppable juggernaught? Well, my Company Commander rolls his 4 attacks (3 base + 1 for having 2 CCW) and gets three hits. Timmy is still not worried, after all I need '6's to wound him.
I roll and get three '6's.
Now Timmy is a little worried., but still, no sweat, he has a 2+ rerollable.
He gets three '1's. He rerolls and gets three more '1's.
His homebrewed 'not Primarch' falls over and dies to a humble Company Commander whom only had one wound left.

Now, for many Company Commanders that sort of miracle would be it, and they would retire to recover, but not (as he was later named) Lukas Caine. Lukas still has a Melta bomb and he intends to use, and there just so happens to be a Vindicator atop the ridge, firing down on some surviving Veterans.
Lukas runs up to it, taking cover in some ruins. Timmy ignores Lukas and continues to fire on the Veterans. BIG MISTAKE.
Lukas and "Patch" (the medic) leap from cover and charge the Vindicator. Lukas hits it with his Meltabomb, and penetrates. The damage roll is a '6', and the Vindicator explodes, sadly taking out Patch, but leaving Lukas unharmed.

By now Timmy is very unhappy, and he decides he needs to kill Lukas. Six Sternguard advance on Lukas, but their hail of shot fails to harm Lukas, hidden where he is behind the ridge.
Lukas leaps up and charges, firing his Plasma Pistol, killing one. 10 shots on Overwatch fail to do any damage and Lukas hits home. The Sternguards attacks, much to Timmies fury, fail to stop Lukas and he swings back, killing two of them. They pass their LD check and keep fighting on.
The game ended at this point, but we played it on, and Lukas managed to kill the entire unit on his own.
Looking back, Timmy was not too happy with it.

Ahahah fantastic! Lord Solar Macharius would be proud of Lukas!

Just for the 1+1+1 followed by 1+1+1 is like? 0.00002% of chance?