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.

Are shotguns ever a good idea for guardsmen?

Thanks

Erin

They are because they look cool.

There are also a few tactical reasons to take them. Forward veteran squads carrying melta guns can assault a vehicle if the meltas fail to kill it.

You can also do the same thing with flamer-vets if you need to take out the last remainder of an enemy infantry unit on an objective.

They're just guardsmen, but 2 attacks each on the charge is often better than taking 2 attacks each when being charges. It's all situational so YMMV

The change to rapid fire hurt shotguns slightly. There used to be no disadvantage over lasguns if you were moving, now you have a longer range on lasguns. Shotguns are still nice if you want to charge infantry though. In fact, vets with melta bombs are pretty nice for charging at MCs, and the shotguns give you a few more chances to wound.

Ok, was making a shopping list to get a guard army started, and was thinking about putting shotguns on it. It seemed like they might mesh well with the meltagun vets since it was all 12" and assault, but wasn't sure.

Had not considered the meltabomb combo, how is the melta usually represented on the models?

Why vets with flamers? Seems like a waste of the BS4?

Thanks

I just used the backpacks from heavy weapon teams, gave my vets an "engineer" feel. Some of the things hanging from them look a bit grenade like too.

There are also a few tactical reasons to take them. Forward veteran squads carrying melta guns can assault a vehicle if the meltas fail to kill it.

When would you ever shoot your las/shotguns at a vehicle along with meltaguns? You shoot just the meltaguns, then assualt the vehicle. it doesnt matter what small arms the mooks are carrying.

So, this was the discussion from 5th ed. Not a lot has changed. I suppose the lasguns did get better rapid fire now.

Also, close combat got worse.

Not sure if I'd bother with shotgun vets nowadays. In any case, it doesn't matter ALL that much. You could just rule of cool it if you wanted.

 McGibs wrote:

There are also a few tactical reasons to take them. Forward veteran squads carrying melta guns can assault a vehicle if the meltas fail to kill it.

When would you ever shoot your las/shotguns at a vehicle along with meltaguns? You shoot just the meltaguns, then assualt the vehicle. it doesnt matter what small arms the mooks are carrying.

Forgot that they changed the rule in 6th, in 5th you couldn't just choose not to fire specific models, so I guess against vehicles it doesn't matter.

It doesn't really matter either way. Shotguns let you assault, but veteran squads won't be assaulting very often (especially with the new restrictions on assaulting out of a vehicle). Lasguns give you more shots at 12-24" and FRFSRF, but two lasgun shots out of a Chimera at 23" isn't really a meaningful upgrade over none and veterans will never be getting FRFSRF. IMO the rule is still shotguns on melta vets, lasguns on plasma vets, but the difference is so small that you might as well just go with what looks cooler and/or is easier to model.

(In my case my vets have DKoK engineer shotguns, but the current squad I'm working on has grenadier lasguns instead.)

If you could still assault out of vendettas, absolutely for melta vets with demo doctrine. They would be able to absolutely wreck MC's.

Now though, they're mostly just rule of cool over anything.

To give to Veteran sergeants to distinguish them from the grunts...

At least thats what I use shotguns for...

Ask yourself this: Does my unit want to assault enemies after shooting them? If the answer is no, there is absolutely no reason within the current rules to take shotguns.

I only give shotguns to my Veteran Sergeants. I rather have the 2 shots at 12in then the one extra attack in close combat. We're the Imperial Guard, unless we have the numbers we are going to lose in most assaults.

 ObliviousBlueCaboose wrote:
I only give shotguns to my Veteran Sergeants. I rather have the 2 shots at 12in then the one extra attack in close combat. We're the Imperial Guard, unless we have the numbers we are going to lose in most assaults.

Tell that to my company command squad with power fist commander and priest with eviscerator, they can do some serious damage on unsuspecting and weakened units In seriousness though having a shotgun vet squad isn't only cool but should the squad fail to kill a unit they shot at (assuming it's not a vehicle) then they may as well charge them seeing as it's going to be better than getting charged.

< Taken by the void dragon. >

watchamacarcess wrote:
they can do some serious damage on unsuspecting and weakened units

What an underwhelming boast.

CCS's aren't Close Combat. They're a support HQ.

 TheCaptain wrote:

watchamacarcess wrote:
they can do some serious damage on unsuspecting and weakened units

What an underwhelming boast.

CCS's aren't Close Combat. They're a support HQ.

Unless your Straken with extra bodyguards... but he isn't Straken. Was a guy on here who did PCS with a banner and pistol/CCW as a follow up to a blob charge. Was a neat idea, but I don't see it working well in 6th.

 BlkTom wrote:


Unless your Straken with extra bodyguards... but he isn't Straken. Was a guy on here who did PCS with a banner and pistol/CCW as a follow up to a blob charge. Was a neat idea, but I don't see it working well in 6th.

Even then, Straken is only Str6, T4, I3, with 3+/5++

That's not exactly a beatstick. Straken can take on a SM Sergeant or two before dying a horrible, horrible death. All for 145 minimum.