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.

Built this list this week with everything I have model-wise.

Comments, criticism and tactic ideas welcome.

HQ:
Librarian Epistolary, Combi-plasma, Gate, Force Dome- 165

Troops:
10x Tac Squad, Plasma Cannon, Melta, Sarge with Combi-Flamer, Rhino - 225
10x Tac Squad, Plasma Cannon, Melta, Sarge with Combi-Flamer, Rhino - 225
5x Tac Squad, Sarge with Combi-Flamer, Drop Pod- 135

Elites:
10x Sternguard, 5x Combi-Melta, 3x Combi-Plasma, 2x Heavy Flamer, Drop Pod- 375
Dreadnought, Heavy Flamer, Multi-Melta, Drop Pod- 150

Heavy Support:
5x Devastator Squad, 4x Missile Launchers, Razorback with TL LC -150

Total: 1470

Sternguard Drop and Dread Drop in turn 1 on targets of opportunity or to cut off objectives. 3rd Tac squad in Drop Pod is used for objective grabbing and/or general fighting. Rhinos move Tac squads forward to grab objectives or get them towards enemy targets. Devastators with the Razorback hole up in cover tank hunting and keeping hordes at bay.

I've only run this list twice, to mixed results. First game it did decent. Second game, not so much. Both were against Eldar. As I said before, any criticism or comments are welcome.

I think 50 points for the librarian upgrade is too expensive. Also not a fan of weapon upgrades for them; If I wanted them to be shooting, I'd give them a psychic attack.

Plasma cannons are nice. But in an aggressive, fast moving, tac squad, how many shots you going to get with it? I'd replace it with a MM or HB.

For the drop tacs, I'd go with a full 10 man squad. They are going to drop on an objective, and might have to weather a few rounds of fire to hold it. 5 wounds is not enough.

You have a lot of points sunk in your sternguard. I prefer a more minimalist approach, but what you have there can work. Combat squad out of the pod, melta in one half to pop a tank, the plasma/flamers in the other half to toast infantry.

I'd probably drop the razorback to pay for fleshing out the drop tacs. You aren't using it for it's mobility, just the guns.

I agree that epistolaryy is probably not worth it. I like to kit my libby out with termie armor and a storm shield to keep him safe and tank for whatever unit I attach to with that 2+/3++

I would also consider shelling out for sniper scouts and telion instead of the minimum Tac squad. Give them camo cloaks and stick them in a ruin on an objective aegis line would also be nice for them

Plasma cannons are nice. But in an aggressive, fast moving, tac squad, how many shots you going to get with it? I'd replace it with a MM or HB.

Would you suggest I go one squad HB and the other MM, keeping them as separate roles? One as a tank hunter group and the other as a anti-infantry?

You have a lot of points sunk in your sternguard. I prefer a more minimalist approach, but what you have there can work. Combat squad out of the pod, melta in one half to pop a tank, the plasma/flamers in the other half to toast infantry.

Yeah, they're pretty points heavy. I was wondering what other strategies you might suggest for them?

I would also consider shelling out for sniper scouts and telion instead of the minimum Tac squad. Give them camo cloaks and stick them in a ruin on an objective aegis line would also be nice for them

I was thinking about this. I just don't have any sniper models to work with at the moment. :/. Would you suggest getting rid of the drop pod then and just infiltrating them in first turn instead?

How about giving nullzone or force dome or some the new powers to really boost the sternguard. Not fond of gate, just too unreliable.

Otherwise the list seems all right to me.

scrabblez wrote:

Plasma cannons are nice. But in an aggressive, fast moving, tac squad, how many shots you going to get with it? I'd replace it with a MM or HB.

Would you suggest I go one squad HB and the other MM, keeping them as separate roles? One as a tank hunter group and the other as a anti-infantry?

You have a lot of points sunk in your sternguard. I prefer a more minimalist approach, but what you have there can work. Combat squad out of the pod, melta in one half to pop a tank, the plasma/flamers in the other half to toast infantry.

Yeah, they're pretty points heavy. I was wondering what other strategies you might suggest for them?

I would also consider shelling out for sniper scouts and telion instead of the minimum Tac squad. Give them camo cloaks and stick them in a ruin on an objective aegis line would also be nice for them

I was thinking about this. I just don't have any sniper models to work with at the moment. :/. Would you suggest getting rid of the drop pod then and just infiltrating them in first turn instead?

MFletch wrote:How about giving nullzone or force dome or some the new powers to really boost the sternguard. Not fond of gate, just too unreliable.

Otherwise the list seems all right to me.

Personally, I run a gate/null librarian with my sternguard. He works well for me. Although the last game I played was vs. eldar with the 3d6 for psychics thing, so I didn't get a whole lot of use out of him.

As for gearing tac squads, it's hard to go wrong with the free choices. I just dislike paying points for an "upgrade" that I'll never use. My two staple tac squads in rhinos are ML/F and MM/M. If I'm adding a third, it's double plasma, no tank, just camping the backfield for fire support. HBs are nice, and I add them when I can. They got a boost in 6th with snap fire, so I might put more down.

If you are going to drop pod, 3 is a good number. 2 aggressive first turn, and a tac squad for late objective grabs. That part of the list seems fine. It's just that 5 men for the late drop is too small. In the last game I played, I have a 5 man tac terminator squad teleport in late. They didn't last the turn, and I wasn't rolling bad on the saves. You need the bodies to survive. Of course, the tac squad can use the pod to provide some cover, rather then being completely in the open (like I was)

I don't drop pod & combat squad sternguard myself, but the idea does show up a lot on lists. I presume it works for those that do it. I run a 10 man squad, with a fist on the sarge and one c-melta. Accompanied by a gate/null librarian to teleport them around. It lacks the burst firepower of a heavily combi- squad, but costs a lot less.

You should add a 5 man sniper squad to your "things to buy" list. They make great, cheep objective campers, and it's fun to paint something besides power armor. Talion and an aegis line are extra gravy, and AA fire, which is important.

I was looking at maybe picking up a 10 man sniper squad (9 + Telion) for some objective camping and anti-infantry. Snipers in 6th seem like absolute monsters, being able to allocate wounds on rolls of 6s and maybe swapping them out for the 5 man tac squad.

Do you think maybe I should drop the dreadnought? He seems, when I play at least, to get gunned down early game (last game, turn 1 he got exploded.) Maybe change his load-out? Dual AC maybe? If I drop him, I could do the 10 man Sniper plus the 10 man tac squad.

Tac squads, I could change to HB and MM on them as opposed to PC. Looking at it, the overwatch of a HB is pretty impressive, and all of the shots from it are really nice.

Would making the Razorback the Las/Plas style be more effective, giving it some anti-MEQ abilities besides a one-shot anti-vehicle each turn?

As someone who plays SM a lot, I definitely agree on acquiring a sniper squad. I personally use two of them and they're great for holding objectives, plus they've got the chance of hitting Precision shots, which can be really helpful if there's a pesky IC hiding among a squad that you'd really like to drop.

Also, a recommendation- if you're going to run Sternguard in an objective-based game, Pedro Kantor is a good idea to bring in as an HQ as opposed to the libby for the simple reason that he makes the Sternguard scoring. Sure, having a Gate/Force libby is always handy with Stern (and I have run that configuration in the past with some success) I find it's always nice to have that extra scoring unit to grab an objective- plus if the Sterns are within 12 of Kantor, they'll get that additional CC attack.

I agree with the Sniper/Telion idea as I rarely leave them at home.

I also agree that Kantor is the way ot go if you are bringing Sternguard. Generally with my Sternguard I just take combi-weapons, usually combi-meltas, on 5-6 of them and leave the heavy weapons alone as their special ammo is usually to useful to give up. now with the new 6th movement rules maybe taking heavy weapons makes some sense but I might go with a Multi-melta instead of Heavy Flamers.

I think your Dread will die pretty quickly as there is not much else for tank killing units to shoot at in your army and 150 suicide unit seems pretty pricey to me.

I think your Dread will die pretty quickly as there is not much else for tank killing units to shoot at in your army and 150 suicide unit seems pretty pricey to me.

I was thinking as much as well. So, since I like the 3 Drop Pods so I can do an aggressive first turn, would you suggest I do: 2 tac Squads in pods, 2 in rhinos, Sternguard in Pod, and snipers on the ground? So, 4 troops, 1 elite and Pedro? I don't mind a troop/foot heavy army at all to be honest.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Here's an updated list:

HQ:
Librarian- 100

Troops:
10x Tac Squad- Melta, HB, Combi-flamer Sarge, Rhino- 210
10x Tac Squad- Melta, HB, Combi-flamer Sarge, Rhino- 210
10x Tac Squad- Melta, MM, Combi-flamer Sarge, Drop Pod- 210
10x Scout Squad- Telion, Cloaks, Sniper Rifles, Missile Launcher- 230

Elites:
10x Sternguard- 2x Combi-Melta, 3x Combi-Plasma, Drop Pod- 275

Heavy Support:
5x Devastator Squad- 4x Missile Launcher, Rhino- 150

Total: 1420

I still have 80 points to play around with. Not much, but what can I do with them? Any thoughts?