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I run the typical tactical squads with a ML and a flamer or melta with a rhino

I haven't been seeing much success with my current strategy in 500-1000 pt games of keeping the ML back and have the other half with a plasma and my HQ footslogging and another whole squad with melta and a ML running up in a rhino

I am trying to think of a new strategy but I can't find any that work any better in my game testing

I've been having a really similar experience with 2 MLs carried by vet squads in a 500-point mech guard army.

I would usually never put a heavy weapon into a mech vet squad because I usually need the chimera to move every turn, so they would never get to shoot. But in such small games, my opponent typically only has a couple of vehicles--and usually only light vehicles. So it's a huge advantage to be able to kill or disable those vehicles in the first couple of turns from across the table, before my units start moving.

You are not going to get any normal strategy to work at this low points range. If you want low point battles you start taking weird token units like 5 man tactical squads or heavily use scouts or bike squads.

So in general three rhinos with combimeltas or meltas is pretty good. You will not be able to fit this in

While agree with MFletch, I also think that separating the squad while you shoot a single missile shot is no good. If you have to do that, loot the ML on foot and rhino the rest.

excuse me? I don't quite understand what you mean by "loot"

Think he means drop the ML and use the points

I think he means, combat squad the ML on foot, and the rest of the squad put in a rhino.

Do you have a fist? The fist plays a bigger role than the ml a lot of the time

a power fist

At lower points I find combat squading the ML into cover and putting the other 5 marines in the rhino to close is effective. I also like using a RB and just sit that on an objective while the other non ML marines foot it.

I think I last ran a 500pt list like this

Libby 100
10 man flamer ML with RB tlAC 245
6man tac in RB
and you have ~10 pts if you can allow 1 point over
The libby goes with the 5man split and has effectively 5 ablative wounds in shooting. The ML sits on your objective and you have some good Anti Infantry to play with. Well, it works for me...