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So while at work last night i had this idea for sternguard

In an army with pedro kantor (of course) use a 5 man unit of sternguard (now a scoring unit) in a rhino equipped w/ 2 lascannons (only 15 points each) to sit on a home objective and create a fairly decent "tank". You could equip the rest w/ combi weapons of whatever choosing, probably flamer, to deal with any enemies who come to contest.

thoughts? criticisms?

Ok, replace rhino with a razorback for 3 lascannons firing per turn.

Maybe a decent strategy.

Lol, I've used this idea to build a very brutal Crimson Fist build already. Just look up my name and go to my introductory post.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/251133.page

Alas the razorback has no firing ports, but I've used the Rhino idea. Its pretty annoying for the new IG.

Oh, crap, I read fire ports and access ports as the same thing, lol.

I dont know how it would be annoying vs new IG, they have enough autocannons to destroyed about as many rhinos as they want turn 1.

Well, Sternguard should benefit from their special ammuno.
If you want lascannons, take a Dev unit.
By the way, lascannons lost an edge due to cover saves eveywhere and modified armor penetration table.

Sternguard is best used in a larger squad where it has greater impact.
10 Sternguard with 10 combi-meltas in a drop pod or Rhino is a decent unit able to take on every enemy unit. But don't leave it unsupported.

wuestenfux wrote:Well, Sternguard should benefit from their special ammuno.
If you want lascannons, take a Dev unit.
By the way, lascannons lost an edge due to cover saves eveywhere and modified armor penetration table.

Sternguard is best used in a larger squad where it has greater impact.
10 Sternguard with 10 combi-meltas in a drop pod or Rhino is a decent unit able to take on every enemy unit. But don't leave it unsupported.

Thats for sure. Last night I ran a unit of Nine and ran them up at three warriors and Genestealers. I would have taken more than two casualties if the dread wasn't there to tie up survivors. but they do fine without lascannons, so don't bother.

10 Sternguard in a Drop Pod.

5 with Combi-Melta, 5 with Combi-Plasma.

Drop 'em in split into combat squads.

The melta's hit against a vehicle while the plasma's annihilate the heavy or light infantry nearby.

Or just pod them in and destroy all infantry.

radiohazard wrote:10 Sternguard in a Drop Pod.

5 with Combi-Melta, 5 with Combi-Plasma.

Drop 'em in split into combat squads.

The melta's hit against a vehicle while the plasma's annihilate the heavy or light infantry nearby.

Or just pod them in and destroy all infantry.

Yeah, I prefer the drop podding variant (instead of the Rhino mounted one),
since they can land where they want or have to.
I'd take 2 full Sternguard units for serious impact.

See here, but there's a reason why they're better in the rhino than the drop pod: cost

Rhino 35
Sternguard 125
2 Las Cannons 30pt
total= 190

versus

Pod 35
Sternguard 250
10 combi-weapons 50
total= 335

When you look at the effectiveness overall, it's better to have the Sternguard as rearguard semi-DV squads.

NEVER TAKE DEVASTATORS

you will get pwned sooooo bad by most experienced players if you do. I know you're thinking oooooh lascannons and in cover, etc... but don't.

but back to effectiveness... My point is this-- they usually kill 2 things at most when coming out of pods before they're annihilated. Sitting back in rhinos w/ pedro, they're scoring units for your side of the board AND they're long range guns + immediate response suppression i.e. attack bikes with 3+ cover saves come rumbling up-- move 12" and poison round him to hell and back.

Meanwhile... you can be dropping tactical squads with either (combi-melta + melta) or (combi-flamer +flamer) on unlucky targets, splitting your squads and leaving embedded multi-meltas in the DZ of the enemy.

If you're also packing your own vindicators and attack bikes as I suggest, you can bring most ANY army down easily.

What about sternguard with a basic librarian with gate of infinity instead of a transport?

Costs more than a rhino/pod, but you can drop over and over again, even pulling out of close combat, landing on objectives, and actually get to use your special ammo and combi weapons.

I drop 10 Sternguard and Lysander in a drop pod. That will wipe almost any unit off the table in one round of shooting. If they charge, you have Lysander, and possibly a powerfist. It is more or less a suicide/assassin squad.

I agree with the dropping the sternguard, but as i clearly did not point out, i meant for it to be a use for a rear, hold the objective while being able to blast things from a distance squad instead of a tac squad. and then use another stern squad in a pod or however as an offensive unit.

with pedro they score, cost 190 w/ 2 las/rhino (compared to 205 or 210 for a tac squad)

sure they have 5 less wounds, but if the opponent trys to overtake your objective you

A) have a better chance of blowing up his transport before it gets there
B) you retain the same amount of attacks in CC as a tac squad would have
C) even with only 3 bolters for special ammo you still have a better chance of killing oncoming foes as you have a better armor peirce or ignore cover. Also, if your rhino is still intact as they get close you can only use 2 boltguns from inside anyways
D) you could switch out las cannons for plasma cannons for anti horde capabilities and let other units pop transports

@Canonness Rory--you're right it could go that way, but the guys I play are mortar happy and when I drop pod I get blasted

I think dropping the sternguard would be great in conjunction with and assault squad infiltrating with Shrike, and a Landspeeder Storm carrying scouts with a combi-melta and fist.

I've never tried that but it seems like there are three very different and overwhelming threats on the first turn.

Really... there's not many ways you CAN go wrong with sternguard. To be blunt, if you tried to give them the silliest weapon combinations and deployment schemes... most always they'll still kill one or two things.

Personally, I just feel the two best formats are for either my choice--> Rhino-rearguard-response or the Drop-pod-melta-sneak.

At best, I actually like to have 7 Sternguard in each rhino so they can take a little punishment and still maintain oomph, but... BUT that is usually in an 1850 to 2000pt battle.

I think rearguard is a waste with them. They cost a third again what a Marine costs, and are really, really powerful. To hide them in the back on an objective is just a waste. They have 2 attacks each, so they're fairly durable in assault too.

Well I also need to point out I only rearguard them in a particular army with other certain support units

Pedro-force
3 Vindicators
A gakload of MM Attack Bikes

In this format the 6 lascannons teamed up with all that other ranged hatred and vehicles to hide behind in the worst-case-scenario... means you're free to fling cheap, splitting squads into the heart of the enemy whilst grinding them into dust + most of the 'ninja' builds (i.e. people turbo-ing in and expecting a big boost from the cover and toughness of bikes, etc.) get a RUDE awakening.

I completely agree an entire 10 man unit fully geared would be just silly in a rhino.

As for those squads I was talking about...
yeah- Combi-flamer with flamer and a MM or Combi-melta with melta and a MM

The doubled up weapons and splitting squads makes for some serious meanness.