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Hi!

I was considering fielding some sternguard but I have no idea how I should field them. I was thinking about 6 guys in a razorback. But what weapons are the best?

thanks!

Oh so much could be said.

6 in razor is ok.

Two sets of 10 in pods loaded with combis is better.

It's hard to go wrong with sternguard.

10 in a drop pod, loaded with combis (at least half melta) makes for a very strong first turn suicide drop. you are going to land, combat squad, and mangle/kill two units. If you do half melta, half plasma you can crack open a LR and kill the termies inside, all on the first turn.

I like a 10 man squad, with a gate librarian and just a couple of c-meltas. Port around and pump special ammo into whatever needs it.

6 men in a razor makes for a very nice troubleshooter unit.

You can take advantage of the cheep heavy weapons and make a faux-devestator squad. 5 men, 2 LCs. You give up the signum, but get veteran stats and special ammo on the extra bodies. Taking up an elite, rather then a HS slot can be an issue.

Once you add special characters, some different things open up. Scoring with Kantor is a big one. Lysander's bolter drill works well. Vulcan twin linking is gravy for an already powerful squad.

As for gear, I'm loath to give them anything that takes away the special ammo. Heavy flamers might be worth it. Stormbolters are a trap choice, no special ammo, and they are not that much better then a normal bolter these days. All the combis are good, depending what you are hunting. 5 points a pop might not seem like a lot, but it does add up. I like running light, and just relying on the special ammo, but am probably a minority voice on that point. I like giving the sarge a CC toy of some sort. I go with a fist, because that's the model I have. These guys spend their lives rapid firing in other people's charge range, and you don't want to be tar pitted.

I would not put them in a razorback as they can not shoot out of it. Compare it 6 sterngaurd with 2 heavy flamer and 4 combimeltas in a rhino, you'll roll up the rhino and can shoot either melta or flames out of it, a little short ranged but still very effective.

There are better ways to bring heavy weapons than having sternguard. Unless your have pedro. Scoring and heavy weapons is a really nice combo.

10 in a drop pod, so you can combat squad. I like 8 combimeltas and 2 heavy flamers as it gives you a nice range of attacks and abilities.

There are many ways to bring them. General points:Combiweapons or plain is really good as their ammo is too awesome to get rid of; apart from heavy flamers which are ultra useful; out of the combis combimeltas stand out as being something their ammo really can not do(they have cover ignoring ammo and lowish ap ammo.)

This has all been done before. So for specifics post your list

Thanks all for the tons of information. This is the 1500 as I play it now, I could get rid of the scouts, the bikes or the Predator if necessary.


Space Marine 1500
HQ

Captain, Power Sword, Plasma Pistol, Articifer Armor, Digital Weapons 155

Troops

Tactical Squad flamer, missile launcher
Rhino 205

Tactical Squad flamer, missile launcher
Rhino 205

Scouts, Snipers, missile launcher, camo cloaks 100

Elites

Assault terminators TH/SS 200
Land raider 250

Fast Attack

Stormtalon Skyhammer 155

3x Bike Squad, Plasma Gun, melta bombs 110

Heavy Support

Predator, Lascannon sponsons 120

I would go for let's say 7 sternguard 4 combimeltas and 2 heavy flamers in a rhino. This will give three rhinos of equal footing, this makes it hard for the enemy to choose, another rhino should dilute the fire hitting the other 2.

As this rhino does antiinfantry(and also mech) I would arm the other tacticals with meltas and combimeltas, making them antimech. If you come across infantry use the heavy flamer rhino or just bolter fire, antimech is more important. Even if mech is not around the melta shot is usually more important.

I would drop the pred, just as it will be all on its lonesome.
Either a vindicator will keep pace with the rhinos and raiders, else go for another stormtalons.
Stormtalons work better in pairs.

The biker squad seems unnessary, I really like scout bikers. They can outflank for use with the stormtalon, also they can really annoy the enemy. If you go second you can get the assault on first turn and make it hard for the enemy.

Librarian, maybe in termy armour with Storm shield, would probably be better than your captain.

They would be my suggestions, the sternguard in a rhino though as they would benefit your tactical squads.

Thanx for the advice! I will look into it.

Holla, alot of people treat the sternguard as a high damage/low life unit and for the most part they can do that job very well.

As a BA player I kit them similar to the above but with a different use, looking for more suvivability and making them a unit which is supposed to draw alot of fire for their threat.

7 Sternguard -2-3 combie melta
Corbulo (or any priest to give them FNP, but Corbs get it on himself at 2+ making him a small arms fire wall)
Librarian in terminator armor for Cover Save power and Blood lance (tank popping power).
Droppod (which they only take half the time due to opponenets deployment).

With this setup they usually can draw a few squads fire for most of the game while still putting out respectable damage... as long as you avoid CC blods or flying MCs.

But yea Sternguard, versitile... best thing you can do is do the math for when to use what ammo. It usually boils down to hellfire rounds for everyone.... unless situation xyz.

Thanks guys, the problem is, I only got 1 combimelta and 1 combiplasma bit. I know this is for another thread but any tips on how to make them?

 Vincentz0r wrote:
Thanks guys, the problem is, I only got 1 combimelta and 1 combiplasma bit. I know this is for another thread but any tips on how to make them?

Quick answer is to find a plasma/inferno pistol, a bolter, and a hobby knife. A little green stuff and/or purity seals to help mask any mistakes.

That or 3rd party manufacturers or bits sellers.

Sounds like a plan! Thanks

Here is my favourite combi-melta tutorial on the net thus far:

http://blog.spikeybits.com/2012/07/how-to-making-sternguard-combi-meltas.html

That looks really cool, however all the bitssites are out of any type of meltaguns.

Ebay is rarely out of stock.

If the specific type/sculpt of melta weapon you desire isn't up just wait a couple days and check again.