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I've been playing around with the idea of independent humans / Space Marine chapter retainers / Macharian 'specially organized' Guard recently.  I was thinking it might make sense to have three types of Infantry squads (for platoons or not, I dunno.)  Tell me what you think of these options.

GUARD INFANTRY

Light Infantry Squad (50)
Cost   Name                 WS   BS    S     T     I    A    W    Ld     Sv
   5    Light Infantry     3      3      3     3     3     1     1      6       6+
  +5   LI Squadleader   3      3      3     3     3     1     1      7       6+
  +10 LI Veteran          3      3      3     3     3     2     1      8       6+

Armament: Light Infantry are armed with a Lascarbine, Shotgun, or Bolt Pistol.

Squad: Light Infantry may be taken in squads of 6-10.

Character: One member of the squad may be upgraded to a Squadleader for +5 points.  The Squadleader may be upgraded to a Veteran for an additional +10 pts.

Options:
?    One squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the follow special weapons: Meltabombs at +2 pts, Storm Bolter at +5 pts, Flamer at +6 pts, Sniper Rifle at +6 pts, Grenade Launcher at +8 pts.
?    If the squad numbers 10 models, one squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the following heavy weapons: Mortar at +5 pts, Heavy Stubber at +5 pts, Missile Launcher at +8 pts, Meltagun at +8 pts, or one of the special weapons from the list above.
?    The squad may all take frag grenades at +1 pt per model an/or krak grenades at +2 pts per model.
?    The Squad Leader may take an close combat weapon and bolt pistol for free.
?    The Veteran may take any non-Officer items from the Guard armory.

Special Rules:

Scouts: Light Infantry always benefit from the Scouts USR.  They always begin on the table and may make a 6” move at the start of the game.  They may not infiltraite and do not roll extra dice moving through difficult terrain.

Lascarbines: Many light infantry units use cut-down lasguns designed for short-range firefights.  These have the following characteristics: RNG: 18” STR: 3  AP: -  Assault 1


Medium Infantry Squad (60)
Cost   Name                 WS   BS    S     T     I    A    W    Ld     Sv
   6    Medium Infantry   3      3      3     3     3     1     1      6       5+
  +5   MI Squadleader    3      3      3     3     3     1     1      7       5+
  +10 MI Veteran           3      3      3     3     3     2     1      8       5+

Armament: Medium Infantry are armed with a Lasgun.

Squad: Medium Infantry may be taken in squads of 6-10.

Character: One member of the squad may be upgraded to a Squadleader for +5 points.  The Squadleader may be upgraded to a Veteran for an additional +10 pts.

Options:
?    One squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the follow special weapons: Flamer at +6 pts, Grenade Launcher at +6 pts Meltagun at +10 pts, Plasma Gun at +10 pts.
?    One squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the following heavy weapons: Mortar at +6 pts, Heavy Bolter at +6 pts, Autocannon at +10 pts Missile Launcher at +12 pts.
?    The squad may all take frag grenades at +1 pt per model and/or krak grenades at +2 pts per model.
?    The Squad Leader may take a close combat weapon and bolt pistol for free.
?    The Veteran may take any non-Officer items from the Guard armory.

Transport: The squad may be transported in a Rhino APC for +40 pts.

 

Heavy Infantry Squad (80)
Cost   Name                 WS   BS    S     T     I    A    W    Ld     Sv
   8    Heavy Infantry     3      3      3     3     3     1     1      6       4+
  +6   HI Squadleader    3      3      3     3     3     1     1      7       4+
  +12 HI Veteran           3      3      3     3     3     2     1      8       4+

Armament: Heavy Infantry are armed with a Lasgun, Hellpistol and CCW, or Shotgun.

Squad: Medium Infantry may be taken in squads of 6-10.

Character: One member of the squad may be upgraded to a Squadleader for +6 points.  The Squadleader may be upgraded to a Veteran for an additional +12 pts.

Options:
?    One squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the follow special weapons: Flamer at +6 pts, Grenade Launcher at +6 pts Meltagun at +10 pts, Plasma Gun at +10 pts.  If the squad numbers 10 models, a second model may take one weapon from this list, adding +2 pts to the price.  If this is done, no squad members may take any heavy weapons.
?    One squad member may replace their standard weaponry with one of the following heavy weapons: Heavy Bolter at +8 pts, Autocannon at +10 pts, Missile Launcher at +12 pts, Lascannon at +15 pts, or Plasma Cannon at +15 pts.  If the squad numbers 10 models, a second model may take a weapon from this list, adding +6 pts to the cost.  If this is done, no models may take any special weapons
?    The squad may all take frag grenades at +1 pt per model and/or krak grenades at +2 pts per model or meltabombs at +3 pts per model.
?    The Squad Leader may take a close combat weapon and bolt pistol for free.
?    The Veteran may take any non-Officer items from the Guard armory.

Transport: The squad may be transported in a Chimera IFV for +70 pts.

-Adso

No need to make them worse than Guardians. I don't think they need a shorter range as my experience with carbines is that they are as effective as standard rifles (M-4 vs M-16). They're smaller for movement and reaction in close quarters, not because they have a shorter range. Other than that, make it Assault 2 for moving their selector switch from single to burst...

I don't think there should be any heavy weapons at all, but demo charges (sachel charge) would fit the bill nicely as a manpacked weapon system..

The medium infantry would make for a cool drive-by unit if they had Cleanse and Purify. Also sort of like your approach to Light Infantry as Sentinel-followers. I notice you're not a big fan of the IG upgrade hikes in 4th.

A random thought, riffing on the same idea:

Stormtroopers/Veterans Squad 6 pts each 5-10/unit
Armed with pump-action shotgun (S3 AP- 12" Assault 1) and close combat weapon.
Stormtroopers also wear carapace armour and carry frag and krak grenades.
Veterans have Infiltrate and count as Guard Infantry
Up to one Stormtrooper may and one Veteran must upgrade to Veteran Sergeant at +6 points, armoury access as usual.
Any number of Stormtroopers or Veterans may replace their pump-action with a combat shotgun at +1 points. Any number of Stormtroopers may replace their combat shotgun with a helpistol or a helgun and targetter at +2 points. Any number of Veterans may replace their combat shotgun with a lasgun or laspistol at +1 point. Up to three Veterans/two Stormtroopers may upgrade their lasguns/helguns to special. (Sniper Rifle +5, heavy stubber +12) Up to two Veterans with lasguns may form a heavy weapon team.
An entire squad of Stormtroopers, if selected as Elites, may purchase Infiltrate at +1 point and/or Deep Strike at +1 point each.
An entire squad of Veterans may purchase krak grenades at +1 each and/or frag grenades at +1 each.

Marine "Scouts" 9 points each
carapace armour, close combat weapon and pump-action shotgun
combat shotgun +1 pt, boltgun +2 pts, bolt pistol +3 pts, sniper rifle +9 points, frags and/or kraks at +1 point respectively for whole squad, infiltrate +3 pts ditto, 0-1 heavy bolter +10 points or missile launcher +15 points, 0-1 Terminator Honours +15 points

Hmmmm...interesting ideas, Wight, but not quite what I was going for. Besides, consecutive upgrading (Shotguns --> Better Shotguns --> Hellguns) is kinda confusing and not really in line with the usual GW practice.

See, as it is, the Guard don't seem to represent the kind of wide variability that the Codices have been harping on for ages (Regiments raised for countless purposes from countless worlds!). I figure if you allow for these three variants on the basic infantry platoon-squad, you can all of a sudden rep. anything from the Yagris IVth "Feral Dogs" to the dreaded Black Cataphractoi of Isarii V without taking so many points and options of doctrine that your army is a joke.

Oh, and about lascarbines -- I figure they're not worse than Guardians, but different. The 18" / Assault 1 aspect is to make them a mobile engagement unit, that can dance around a little bit while still putting out effective fire. Assault 2 might be overdoing it...but then again, the weapons are only str3/ap-. What do you all think?

Also, should these be replacements for the normal Guard infantry squad, or fit into a totally different entry? I was thinking about maybe buying troops in "sections" rather than a Platoon -- a single JO attatched to a full squad, and up to two other squads.

-Adso

Yes, that part could use a rewrite. Sort of a focus on the elites choices rather than the troops.

Following GW practice, I'd have these guys as 0-1 each/platoon, like armoured fist and conscript squads. Possibly also restricted troops. A name change too - Light Infantry is also the name of a doctrine - maybe call them Hastati, Velites and Triarii.

As far as the lascarbine goes, just say they carry long-barreled combat shotguns instead of the normal make that give them an 18" range. Two birds with one stone.

I'd make the third infantry entry have upgrades similar to the Marine Command Squad - that is, two total special or heavy weapons. It definitely isn't OTT if you bump up their upgrade costs to 4th standards to account for the extra flexibility.

I can see where you'd like to go with "sections" and all that. I think it might work well with the first infantry entry - possibly say they take up no Troops choices but come only as two-man teams with fixed sets of weapons (whatever you like) i.e. sniper rifle/bolt pistol and grenade launcher/laspistol/auspex/commlink - whatever has a high cool factor, but not ridiculous value in game terms. Or make them a single 0-1 choice, similar to Daemonhosts, but with the upper limit of teams purchassable capped according to quantity of infantry platoons/similar.