Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm planning to run a 30 man IS blob (with three commissars w/ powersword, and three sergeants w/ powersword).

My question is, should I take the maximum 6 grenade launchers (2 per squad), so that I can lay down some grenade fire while moving quickly towards an objective (or towards an MC, or other target)?

Or, do I stick with just lasguns and save the points as the unit will be tied in close combat pretty soon, and unable to use the GLs?

Or, any other weapon advice - flamers?

Cheers,

Catiline

It's impossible to answer this sort of question without any insight into the rest of your army.

a 30 man IS blob only has access to 3 grenade launchers as each platoon infantry squad can only bring 1.


Grenade launchers and flamers are the way to go in a mobile blob.

Grenade launchers and Plasma, along with Heavy weapons are the way to go in a Static Blob

Both need a Commissar, but only 1/blob(any more is wasted points)

Komissar Kel - ah yes, my mistake, just the three GLs. With the extra two Commissars, I was thinking that their power swords would be worth the points in close combat hidden among the other guardsmen. What do you think? Do you think they are unnecessary?

Deadshane1 -
It's a 1500 pt attempt at balance, with mobility, firepower, and some close combat ability. I'm not keen on all mech, and like the idea of quite a few infantrymen:

CCS: CC with plasma pistol, medipack, 3xplasmaguns, and chimera for some heavy hitting, and mobility, and defence against deep-strikers (and maybe an advisor depending on the game and if I have enough points left over ... like by losing GLs below!)

One platoon
PCS - PC with powerfist, Commissar with powerfist, 2xflamers, chimera
3xIS (3 sergeants with powerweapons, 3 Commissars with powerweapons, 3 GLs), combined
HWS - 3xautocannon
HWS - 3xautocannon

Veterans with 3xmelta
Vendetta (for the veterans, and for the twinlinked lascannons)

1 x LR Punisher
1 x LRBT

2 x scout sentinel with autocannon


So, the plan is to use the combined IS blob as a mobile frontline, with enough powerweapons to engage most things (and guardsmen to shed), with the Punisher rumbling behind them supporting their movement with its 20 shots. The PCS will also accompany in their chimera, with two powerfists ready to assist in close combats. HWS for support, and Vets with meltas in the vendetta for taking out armour. The LRBT is for general anti-tank and infantry, the scout sentinels to harry from reserve, and the hard-hitting CCS with plasma for anything big and nasty.

The idea is mobility, but with balance and some firepower, and close combat clout. Hence the question about the grenade launchers - because if I save 15 points or so there, I may have just enough left over for an advisor.

What do you think?

Cheers!

Maybe go with Meltas for the CCS,3 PG is 6 chances for a 1 to show up inside rapid fire range,leading to a potential 3 casualties for your special weapons.Drop the other Commissars,if the blob squad should fail a Ld test with just the commissars left they will not execute another commissar for it and it will still be Ld 9 anyway.

I say meltaguns. Flamers do something you can do quite well already with "First rank fire 2nd rank fire" or with assault. Meltas allow you to resist tank shock and (if it becomes necessary) shoot a transport then assault the passengers. Grenade launchers are out, IMO, because they sacrifice punch for range. Since you want the squad up close anyway, rapid firing and assaulting, it's better to run anyway.

Some advice on the blob idea as a whole: you only need 1 commissar. >1 is major diminishing returns. You're taking one so you can be stubborn and re-roll morale checks. Then paying 10 pts for a power weapon is a good deal. For every second commissar, you're paying 45 pts JUST for the power weapon attacks - that's way too expensive. You could get a whole squad with a power weapon for 60 points!

Similar thing for the PCS - stubborn isn't a big deal for a 5-man, 30 pt squad, so you're essentially paying 50 points for that commissar's attacks. Not worth it IMO. I would take a cheap PCS (3 flamers and a vox), stick a vox in the blob, and call it a day. Aside from anything else, lots of enemies in the game can kill 5 guardsmen before they strike, so it becomes unlikely those powerfists will swing if you're facing certain armies.

So normally I'm not a big fan of meltaguns in blobs (they're twice as expensive as meltabombs and compete for a special weapons slot), but in this case, you've really got to bring them as you only have a single source of easily-destroyable anti-tank with the rest of your army. In your case, perhaps both meltaguns AND meltabombs are in order.

I'd still take at least a flamer, though. While lasguns and flamers overlap in duty, but only a flamer allows you to shoot at a horde and then charge in, which is what all those power weapons you're bringing are good at.

And yeah, dump the commissar in the officer squad, and change two of those commissars in the PIS into a priest with an eviscerator.

Thanks for all the advice!
The advice on dropping the extra commissars is great - from a modeling as well as a gaming point of view as there's only one commissar model out that I know of that has a powersword.
Cheers!