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Am thinking about getting some sternguard for a vanilla marine army what's the best way to run them?

With pedro and with combi-weapons, pod is popular.

You can even use them as devastators. 5 sternguard with 2x lascannon is cheaper than 5 devs with same load-out. They also get extra attacks + special ammo

I run mine with Sgt. with P Fist, 2 combi flamers, 4 combi meltas, in a drop pod. Its a good mix and you can combat squad them and still have 2 metlas and a flamer in each squad.

I always DP my sternguard.

If I run a five man unit, I give them all combi's, three meltas and two flamers.
If I run a ten man unit, I give them all combi's, five meltas and five flamers. Then break them into combat squads once they are out of the drop pod based on weapons.
I never waste the points giving the sergeant a power fist. A normal power weapon mabye.

Truthfully I never thought of adding Pedro, but thats just: evil.

I run a six man unit with a combi-melta and a multi-melta.

Why? Because they end up tanking hunting for me anyways.

Happygrunt wrote:I run a six man unit with a combi-melta and a multi-melta.

Why? Because they end up tanking hunting for me anyways.

MM's are pretty awful on anything that can't move and fire. Better to give all of them combi-meltas.

I usually never put powerfists on guys unless they have 5 strength and it doubles to 10. Even on my termies I upgrade to the chain fists.

Since I DP the Sternguard, they can't assault first turn. I rely on a full slavo of combi-meltas at close range or another squad to take out heavy armor. If my Sternguard are alive second turn AND there is a heavy vehicle nearby, then both my opponent and I have seriously misplanned things.

Are you playing Drop-Vulkan? Combi-meltas and a Heavy Flamer. Combat-squad them up and have fun.

Mad Rabbit wrote:

Happygrunt wrote:I run a six man unit with a combi-melta and a multi-melta.

Why? Because they end up tanking hunting for me anyways.

MM's are pretty awful on anything that can't move and fire. Better to give all of them combi-meltas.

You would be surprised on how well this one works...

Happygrunt wrote:

Mad Rabbit wrote:

Happygrunt wrote:I run a six man unit with a combi-melta and a multi-melta.

Why? Because they end up tanking hunting for me anyways.

MM's are pretty awful on anything that can't move and fire. Better to give all of them combi-meltas.

You would be surprised on how well this one works...

I concur, Multi-melta on a sternguard is an awful idea

I've run mine in ten man's with 5 Combi Plasma/5 Combi melta. It's enjoyable

This thread went from giving a guy advice to posting the way "we" play Sternguard. As you can see everyone has differing opinions on how to use them as Sternguard are just so versatile. So it really depends on what role they would end up filling in your army.
Choices I can see are:

Alpha Strike-Drop Pod with massed Combi-Weapons
Mini-Devastators-Small squads with 2 heavy weapons.
Errand Boys-Small squads in Razorbacks with Combi-Weapons optional and Heavy Flamer or Plasmagun.
GOI Sternguard-Librarian attached with Gate of Infinity with Combi-Weapons Deep Striking where/if needed.

Sorry if I missed one, but each performs specific roles in an army you just have to decide which role they fit in your list.

Hope I helped....

On a related topic, I haven't seen anyone mention combi-plas on sternies. Any reason why? Meltas are definitely great for hitting hard and I see the appeal for their use in suicide-DS-squads (much like Fire Dragons in a Serpent), but being able to double-tap a squad of termies is pretty nice too.

On a separate note, Sternguard are *awesome* in Kill Team. But that's a tale for another time.