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What is a more flexible option (as in, more adaptable to almost any given situation) to field: loads of infantry platoons (with some chimeras and a few basilisks) or veteran squads (more chimeras but even less basilisks, if any)?

Well, mediation is key in all things. I run 2 platoons and two vet squads, one mounted in a chimera. Veterans tank hunt and provide fire support while the platoons get stuck in. Each has their roles, and each is as capable as the other. One can distract the enemy with a wall of LD 9, stubborn troops, while the others can field loads of special weapons and move fast.

You can still field armor in this of course, just gotta figure out costs and such.

I don't quite understand where you're getting Basilisks from. Basilisks are a completely different section of the FOC and can be taken regardless as to what you do with your Troops, it just depends on your points allocation.

As for your original question; why not take both? In my army I have a mechanised platoon (PCS and 3 x PIS) in Chimeras and 2 x melta Vets in Vendettas. Find a mixture that works for you.

L. Wrex

I personally love the veterans mounted tin chimeras. Taking 3 special weapons can really pack a punch from one squad with BS 4 (especially in IG). I'm not an expert IG player but I do have a 2000 point Mech army w/Leman Russ and 3 Basilisks and find the basys range limitation to be horrible. So I would take more Chimeras and leave the Basi home until an Apoc battle comes around. So my final thoughts (to wrap it all up) Take Vets in Chimeras leave the Basy home and field lots of tanks.

Hytanthas

If single-unit flexibility is what you're looking for, then the platoon wins, hands down. Vets can be specialized per-point better, but platoons can be kitted to handle practically anything (literally anything if you include the PCS).

That said, I sort of question why single-unit flexibility is such a desirable trait in a codex that is able to spam so many specialized units.

As for which is better over all, mechvets or platoons, I'd say they're about the same in skilled hands.

Hytanthas wrote:I personally love the veterans mounted tin chimeras. Taking 3 special weapons can really pack a punch from one squad with BS 4 (especially in IG). I'm not an expert IG player but I do have a 2000 point Mech army w/Leman Russ and 3 Basilisks and find the basys range limitation to be horrible. So I would take more Chimeras and leave the Basi home until an Apoc battle comes around. So my final thoughts (to wrap it all up) Take Vets in Chimeras leave the Basy home and field lots of tanks.

Hytanthas

Actually basilisks can direct fire meaning that they can shoot from 1-36 and minus BS it only when you are shooting over that limit you are indirectly firing meaning you cant minus your BS.

Platoons are a good defense unit and are good at holding objectives on your table edge wheras veterans take the enemies objectives by using meltaguns to sweep an area and then having them lay on the objective.

I would have to give it to the platoon. Massed Lasguns for hordes, Powerblobs for anything that's not an MC, and HWTs for vehicles and big nasties.

Vets, while able to bear awesome numbers of Melta/Plasma, can't deal with hordes very well, although this is somewhat mitigated by having HFs on every Chimera and bringing 10+ Chimeras.

odorofdeath wrote:I would have to give it to the platoon. Massed Lasguns for hordes, Powerblobs for anything including MCs, and HWTs for vehicles and big nasties.

Fixed. :-D

ElCheezus wrote:

odorofdeath wrote:I would have to give it to the platoon. Massed Lasguns for hordes, Powerblobs for anything including MCs, and HWTs for vehicles and big nasties.

Fixed. :-D

Except wraithlords lol

Very much true. Wraithlords and Walkers are my first targets for the rest of my army when I'm running blobs. Unless I'm fine with just tarpitting. Always an option.

depends on the situation. sometimes the big platoon works out. other times vets are good too. they both have their reasons for being. it is up to you to decide. you can balance a list. a platoon squad and a couple of vets.

If your going foot platoon is the better option because of combined squads with a commissar.

Mechanized its actually hard to say. I actually been running both. Vets give you better ballistic skill and more special weapons to shoot out of chimeras fire points along with the option for doctrines like demolitions which let you first turn assault with melta bombs. Platoons give you more scoring units for your points and aren't too bad for camping objectives with auto cannons. Alrahem lets a platoon outflank which plays well to objective and table corners missions. Special weapons squads really should have been able to buy Chimera dedicated transports this would make Platoons more attractive then vets.

dakka farta wrote: Actually basilisks can direct fire meaning that they can shoot from 1-36 and minus BS it only when you are shooting over that limit you are indirectly firing meaning you cant minus your BS.

Actually you can subtract you BS with ordinance barrage weapons. The only time you can’t is when there out of LOS. Taking this from the BR rule book. Pg 58, column 2, paragraph 4, line 5. But I don’t care much for the basilisk anyhow. I think there are much better units in the codex for the same job.

As for the Platoon vs. Vets. it’s a rough question. They are used differentley. If you are running mechanized, I would go with vets all day long. There far more efficient for the points and one of the most effective troop choices in the game. But there are only 10 of them and once there chimera is wrecked there in trouble.

If your going gun line, platoons are going to be the way to go. You can run a few blobs, some HWT (I don’t like them but some do), and your PCS can replace vets as the tank hunters in chimeras.

Both can roughly fill the same roles, just vets do it with accuracy and platoons do it in quantity.

Vets have a clearly defined role and do it well, it's why you see mech meltavets in many tournament lists; it's really the best bang for your buck in terms of melta for guard.

That being said, Platoons give some great options. If you are running them for no special advantage, I would avoid them, but they allow the following sorts of things:

1) Foot guard blob squads. Combine some infantry squads with power weapons, meltas and a commissar and run them at your opponent, the stubborn makes them very hard to break, allowing you more turns to get your power weapon attacks in (don't forget the importance of orders!)

2) Heavy weapons squads. Cover the table with scoring autocannons as far as the eye can see. It's really quite strong.

3) Al'Rahem platoon (min sized) in chimeras with melta guns can have a very significant impact on your game while avoiding the parking lot syndrome many mech IG armies face (inability to freely move where they need to).

A platoon gives you a little of everything. Its almost a little FOC in of itself. This flexibility is great, because you always have options that are viable against different armies.

One thing I like about platoons is that blobbing them up has several advantages- they can all be lead by a single Comissar, thus being Ld9, you can take heavy weapons within the blobbed platoon squads themselves, and the entire mass benefits from orders like Bring it Down and Fire on my Target.