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How to best deploy IG command squads (HQ in particular) when defending in Planetstrike games?

The HQ squad will be the primary target of the pre-game Firestorm, for sure. In my first game I deployed mine in a tiny square of Defense Line walls - however, a direct hit from the Firestorm evaporated the whole squad. No cover save due to direct hit inside the walls :( No FNP from the medic due to S9. Even if he'd have missed with his first Firestorm template, I had 4 more coming - odds are almost certain he would have scored a direct hit with one of them.

I would have stuck them inside a bastion, but as I understand it the bastion counts as an intact vehicle - so the Command squad would be unable to issue orders from within the building. Since I had wanted to issue a lot of orders on the crucial first turn of shooting, I didn't want to hamstring myself by having the HQ unable to do so.

Are the only solutions:
a) mount them in a Chimera (the only vehicle from which orders *can* be issued, as far as I know) in order to double the number of Firestorm template hits required to ice them?
b) hide in a building first turn, then move out on your own first turn so you can issue orders?
c) keep the HQ command squad in reserves and hope you get them first turn (probably will need a Chimera to get anywhere remotely useful, and may well get blocked from getting to centrally-deployed line squads).

I wish there was a way to issue orders from within a bastion; it would be very characterful to have the HQ hide in a bunker issuing orders over a loudspeaker or something. AFAIK there is no way to use a Fire Point to issue orders though...?

Nope.
But couldn't you house rule it?

It is afterall, Planetstrike...

I would think a Bunker would have communications with the outside so it would make sense for a house rule that you can issue orders from the bunker.

Yes....yes I certainly could house-rule it I suppose. Is Planetstrike really considered as marshmallow-y as Apocalypse?

Maybe requiring the CCS to be out on the roof (thus allowing the +1 on the damage table vs the bastion, I believe) to give orders would be a good compromise.

Keeping in mind I've only played one game of planetstrike but, the way I did it then was....

Skyshield! I deployed my HQ on the skyshield, beside an autocannon turret on the pad, they've got an autocannon in the squad too.

Then, to top it off, I had my Vendetta landed on it as well.

That invulnerable save really helped both.

Strangelooper wrote:Yes....yes I certainly could house-rule it I suppose. Is Planetstrike really considered as marshmallow-y as Apocalypse?

Amongst many (including me), yes. Same with any non-core ruleset. YMMV.

If you don't want to use house-rules, deploy them in the bastion. On your first turn, move them out (possibly into a chimera, which will protect the officer and increase his command radious) and you'll still be able to use first-turn orders in the shooting phase.

I'd go for the chimera. But I'd also add a second CCS if it is so important to your army...

A unit can't disembark from one vehicle (the bastion) and embark another (the chimera) in a single movement phase, can it?

Even so, I suppose it would only mean one turn of sitting out, which isn't too bad. Two turns of moving means no firing a heavy weapon though :(

Fielding double CCSs (good call!) and starting them in Chimeras is probably the best bet, it would take 4 direct hits on the Firestorm to take them out (which is pretty unlikely). And the heavy can still fire out the hatch as long as the Chim doesn't move.