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I ask more out of curiosity than anything else. I think Sternguard are awesome units. I think Kantor is an awesome guy (vote for Pedro).

What is a proper way to go about building an army that revolves around Sternguard? I'm sad that they don't become Troops with Kantor but its not like thats the end of the world I suppose. Is it worth it to pack heavy weapons into the Sternguard squad? Special weapons? Sterns cost a boat load of points. What is a good way to offset this without suddenly finding your army at half size?

I'd say avoid giving them heavy weapons. Stick to a Melta Gun and a Heavy Flamer, and either two storm bolters, two combi-meltas, or a mix. Avoid plasma weapons in 5 man teams.

If you can afford it, give them a sixth guy, and load them into Razorbacks. Maybe attach Pedro to one.

Save points by taking 1 or 2 scout squads with sniper rifles and a heavy weapon and camp them on rear objectives, and take forward objectives with the Sternguard.

Add in Heavy Support and Fast attack support as you can afford. I'd recommend something that can keep up with the Razorback'd Sternguard, (Vindicators and Predators) and fast attack choices with alot of firepower. If you're dying to fill that second HQ slot, a chaplain attached to a Sternguard squad seems pretty lethal.

I run a ten man squad two heavy bolters and every one else has combi metlas and the sgt has a power fist.
Ive killed alot of Bugs with this squad and wraith lords.( its my Kill the big thing squad).

My second Sternguard , is just combi flamers and heavy flamers and Sgt has a power fist.

working on a thrid stern gaurd, which is going to be a Plasma freak, Plasma cannons, and combi plasma, with sgt and a power fist.

Libby with Gate is a good addition to one squad but can't go wrong with Chappies, either.

Storm bolters? seriously?

I run a 10 man squad with a librarian in a drop pod. I equip them with 4 combi-meltas and powerfist. Libby usually has null zone for those pesky invul saves and Avenger to lay down some cleansing fire of the Emperor. I have also ran two 6 man squad in Razorback with a nice results too.

Some scouts as troops, give sternguard combi-weapons, probably meltas, a powerfist and maybe some heavy flamers, choose between pods and rhinos, use rest of pts on something shiny.

You build the List.....

1) Very Carefully.

2) In the name of the Emperor.

3) With Sternguard Space Marines.

4) With the Inquisitors say-so.

5) NOT with cheese.

LordofHats wrote:I ask more out of curiosity than anything else. I think Sternguard are awesome units. I think Kantor is an awesome guy (vote for Pedro).

What is a proper way to go about building an army that revolves around Sternguard? I'm sad that they don't become Troops with Kantor but its not like thats the end of the world I suppose. Is it worth it to pack heavy weapons into the Sternguard squad? Special weapons? Sterns cost a boat load of points. What is a good way to offset this without suddenly finding your army at half size?

I have seen some people use small Sternguard units as improved Devastators. In a Kantor army, this might be particularly good, since their scoring status would let them sit on home objectives.

Cambak wrote:You build the List.....

1) Very Carefully.

2) In the name of the Emperor.

3) With Sternguard Space Marines.

4) With the Inquisitors say-so.

5) NOT with cheese.

It all makes sense now

EDIT: I'm trying to work out how such a list would work and wonder. How many scoring units is too many? I'm sure the size of the unit varies, but lets say I took my two mandatory troop choices as 10 man tactical squads. if I loaded out all my elite choices with Sternguard, that's 3 scoring units, 5 if I combat squad.

Well, in an objective game, it's always 3 plus a D3. So, at a maximum, you're looking at 6 objectives. You need more than your opponent, or a majority. Since your three elites choices are going to be scoring units, that's three objectives right there, plus an additional contesting unit if you bring them there in a transport. Now, you could make due with one troops choice, but if you lose any one of those four units you're SOL. So I'd say have one for back up. 5 total. That way, you can lose one and still have the majority in 6 objective games, and your odds get better with fewer objectives. Plus, you need at least two troops anyway to satisfy your FOC obligations.

it is 2+D3 objectives

General_Chaos wrote:Storm bolters? seriously?

I run a 10 man squad with a librarian in a drop pod. I equip them with 4 combi-meltas and powerfist. Libby usually has null zone for those pesky invul saves and Avenger to lay down some cleansing fire of the Emperor. I have also ran two 6 man squad in Razorback with a nice results too.

Unfortunately the null zone is wasted for the libby in the pod when he drops.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Fetterkey wrote:

LordofHats wrote:I ask more out of curiosity than anything else. I think Sternguard are awesome units. I think Kantor is an awesome guy (vote for Pedro).

What is a proper way to go about building an army that revolves around Sternguard? I'm sad that they don't become Troops with Kantor but its not like thats the end of the world I suppose. Is it worth it to pack heavy weapons into the Sternguard squad? Special weapons? Sterns cost a boat load of points. What is a good way to offset this without suddenly finding your army at half size?

I have seen some people use small Sternguard units as improved Devastators. In a Kantor army, this might be particularly good, since their scoring status would let them sit on home objectives.

Yep, minimum sternguard squad w/2 lascannons in a rhino. Add combi-weapons to taste.

I run a Drop Pod list based around Sternguard and Pedro.

I've got 2x10 Sternguard with Combi-Meltas and Fists. One rides with Pedro, one rides with a Librarian.

It's a very hit or miss army. I've never won or lost as big as I do with this army. It basically comes down to mission/deployment/turn and then if the other person understands what they're playing against.

The other day I played KPs, Dawn of War, I was given first turn. Worst possible combination for this list.

On the other hand, 2 objectives, 2nd turn, Pitched Battle, the list can alpha strike half the guy's army off the table in one turn.

The "Super Dev" option seems decent, but overpriced for what it does, especially since you need Pedro to get the most out of it, and he's a bit of a dud without a lot of Sternguard around.

Another good option would be to add a single Drop Pod of 10x Sternguard with Combi-Meltas to whatever list you normally play. With Drop Pod Assault rules, you know you're coming in turn 1, so you get a very strong alpha strike unit.

I will agree sternguard are a great unit. I run a squad of 8 with my captain in a rhino because i have a mech list. Depending on what I face , I always take 6 combi weapons changing it up with meltas against vechicles or flamers against orks. I played necrons the other day and destroyed with combi plasmas. They are very good but always need to be supported. The thing i don't like about dropping them in is that they are isolatedd and could mean 2 free kill points.. other then that , keep combis or assualt weapons on them for more mobile fire =]

Wow I find it hard to believe just how many people are advocating the HF, storm bolters, heavy bolters etc.

I have not ever used sternguard, mostly because I just don't have a list built to use them.

I have considered using them, and I would never take a weapon that got rid of the special ammo. To me, you take Sternguard purely for the special ammo, and taking options that increase the already high price tag of models at the cost of their main strength seems like a strange strategy to me.

Can someone explain why its a good idea to take anything other than combi weapons in sterguard? Maybe I'm just missing something.

Storm bolters on Sternguard are terrible, but the heavy weapons can have value, depending on how you want to use Sternguard. If you're using Sternguard as cheaper/scoring Devs, the special ammo is a perk that's unrelated to the unit's main role, so it doesn't matter that it gets replaced.

I'd take a drop podded list,

2 Librarians w/ gate, nullzone

2x 10 Sternguard w/ combi-melta x10

1x Ironclad

2x 10 Tactical Marines

Assign the Librarians to the Sternguard and let the Sternguard plus Ironclad arrive in turn 1.

Another interesting character to use sternguard with is lysander.

Bolter drill + wound on 2+ is devastating.

imweasel wrote:Another interesting character to use sternguard with is lysander.

Bolter drill + wound on 2+ is devastating.

This is a tactic I want my padwan to think about.

Well, I prefer the default combat tactics.
Being stubborn can be a drawback in some situation.
Therefore, I'd prefer a Librarian instead of Lysander.

imweasel wrote: Unfortunately the null zone is wasted for the libby in the pod when he drops.

Wha' chu' talkin about Weasel??

Please explain

Well, the Librarian will not be on the board at the start of the turn when he lands in the Pod
so that he cannot cast powers that need to be casted prior to the movement phase.
However, he could cast powers that are to be casted in the shooting or cc phase.

wuestenfux wrote:Well, the Librarian will not be on the board at the start of the turn when he lands in the Pod
so that he cannot cast powers that need to be casted prior to the movement phase.
However, he could cast powers that are to be casted in the shooting or cc phase.

hmmm... don't have a codex or rulebook on me but if that is the cast that blows

Unfortunately the null zone is wasted for the libby in the pod when he drops.

Null Zone is cast in the shooting phase. He can use it even if he dropped in a pod unless I've been using pods wrong this whole time.

Well, I have the codex not with me.
But if its cast in the shooting phase, then it can be done upon landing of the pod.

Yep, null zone is shooting phase, GOI is movement phase.

Dracos wrote:Yep, null zone is shooting phase, GOI is movement phase.

So null zone can be cast upon arrival of the Pod.

I've been mulling over Sternguard lists lately with a few buddies, and they always feel like they're missing something. By Sternguard lists, I mean lists with Kantor as the primary HQ, mutlitple SG units (3 or 2 10-man for com squad), perhaps even a fighty unit to ride with Kantor for his +1 A (like assault Termies). The lists just always seem kind of blah, when we come up with them.

On the other hand, I've seen some great stuff out of SG simply supporting a SM army, rather than building an army around them. I recently saw a match of Salamanders vs. Necrons (2x Destroyer squads, 2x Monolith, Deceiver, Warriors in reserve). Top of turn 1 a SG Droppod came down and used the 2+ wounding rounds to burn the Deceiver to the ground. It was a suicide mission of course, but it completely changed the tempo of the game. Got rid of the Necron's goalie, and the biggest threat to the LR full of Terminators cruising around.

That tactic is fairly common with them...and generally pretty effective. I've also seen it used with Lysander, and it becomes even more ludicrous thanks to Bolter Drill. Plus, when the smoke clears, now you have Lysander up in your face, which is never good...particularly when he's back up by a squad of Veterans.

LordofHats wrote:

Unfortunately the null zone is wasted for the libby in the pod when he drops.

Null Zone is cast in the shooting phase. He can use it even if he dropped in a pod unless I've been using pods wrong this whole time.

You are correct sir! I stand corrected.

I'd consider 2 Librarians each of which joining one drop podded Sternguard unit.
One gets nullzone and gate, and the other avenger and gate.