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I'm just starting to build my Sternguard squad of 5 men, all 5 are going to have combi meltas which are wip, I'm sorely tempted to add a CC weapon to the vet sgt. I'm also going to be using death company as the base models witb extra bits!

Are the 5 combi's a good loadout?

Is a CC worth it? and which would be a good one?

TIA

5 combi-meltas is the only thing you need.

That and a drop pod...

5 combi-meltas make them a good tank hunting squad, they'll do well with that.
As for the CCW, try a LC, it's under used and can give them quite a kick.

CC...on sternguard?

Bwah?

More seriously, they're a shooty unit; they may have 2 A base, but that's not really their purpose, more an added insurance against general CC units. Combimeltas are probably the best bet for them, but at that point you're spending a touch more than I'm comfortable with on a 3+ save unit; the drop pod is the key to not getting them shot off the table.

Or you can be totally inefficient like me with two plasma guns and no pod, but I wouldn't recommend that if you like, you know, winning more than once in a while.

Full squad, combat squaded. 5 with meltas 5 with Flamers.
you will wreck face with it.

 MajorStoffer wrote:
CC...on sternguard?

If you equip them with meltas or flamers as most people do, you need to get close to the enemy. Close combats will ensue, and at least they're twice as good in it as normal tacticals. Fist or claw is a good choice for the sergeant, as he needs to keep his bolter and thus wouldn't be getting extra attacks from two weapons anyway.

if there will be flamers , there definetely should be heavy flamers as well. s5 ap4 is much better.

I run mine in a pod w/ a Heavy Flamer, 4 Combi-Flamers, 5 Combi Meltas.

I usually stick a Librarian with GOI/Null Zone in the squad, and take Vulkan in my list as well. Vulkan isn't a must, but a Libby with GOI really gives you an opportunity to get them shooting at another unit the following turn.

I have yet to find a unit that has survived turn 1 shooting against this squad.....subsequent turns however is where things get dicey. Opponents usually see you obliterate a unit of theirs, and then focus fire them down or assault them with whatever they can to keep them from shooting again. I may try the LC option....I never even thought to put one in the unit.....

If you are facing transports, combat squad them. Pop the transport with the Melta, then flame the creamy insides.

I've had enough of them die horribly to close combat that I think it might be worth it to give them a close combat weapon. (The lightning claw seems pretty solid.) The combi-meltas have always been my bread and butter, and I recommend them highly. (Combi-meltas, maybe with one combi-flamer per five marines if you see a lot of horde armies in your area.)

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Full squad, combat squaded. 5 with meltas 5 with Flamers.
you will wreck face with it.

What he said. Though I do 5 melta/5 plasma. Meltas pop the tank, plasmas melt the squad that would otherwise be shooting/charging into me next turn. Same exact principle as his flamer idea, just the plas is ap2 rather than template spam. Either way, having the extra 5 to kill elite infantry multiplies their survivability enormously.

I'm liking the 5 combi melta and 5 combi flamer, it'll be the 5 meltas to begin with but the 5 flamers will follow.

I can see the benefit of a back up PW but what would benefit would a LC give over a PS? bit of a noob question as they cost the same!

ids1984 wrote:
I'm liking the 5 combi melta and 5 combi flamer, it'll be the 5 meltas to begin with but the 5 flamers will follow.

I can see the benefit of a back up PW but what would benefit would a LC give over a PS? bit of a noob question as they cost the same!

It's up to you really. The thing you have to decide is either +1 attack in CC (PW w/Pistol) or Re-roll failed wounds ( LC )

I don't use LC's very often, but I think I'll give it a shot and see if I do any better in CC

I can see myself getting a LC for the sternguard that goes with the IC I attach (Kantor, Lysander or Vulkan), so I can accept or do challenges with a power weapon if necessary, instead of the IC.

 NickTheButcher wrote:

It's up to you really. The thing you have to decide is either +1 attack in CC (PW w/Pistol) or Re-roll failed wounds ( LC )

+1 Attack is not really an option as to get that you need to trade off your bolter with the special ammo. I'd never do that.

My squad has a fist on the sergeant. Not only is it handy in combat, it's even MORE handy for those times you roll all 1's to hit with your combis...

For that reason I also suggest swapping one of the combis for an ACTUAL meltagun.

so last noob question, if I give him a sword or LC can he still keep the bolter with special ammo? because it says bolt pistol and/or bolter?

Sure you can choose but as the LC and the PW cost the same the LC is clearly preferable.

ids1984 wrote:
so last noob question, if I give him a sword or LC can he still keep the bolter with special ammo? because it says bolt pistol and/or bolter?

You loose the special ammo if you give them anything other shooting weapons besides combi- weapons. These guys are usually suicide bombers, and usually get shot up in the following shooting phase. A fist is good, but 25 points on a squad thats going to get shot at and probably not assualted.....seems a waste to me.

I try very, very, hard to not use them as suicide troops. They simply cost too much for this purpose, imo. I usually drop them on a side I am pushing with ASM and support them with a fragnought. They still die more than I'd like, but Corbs as wound sponge can help a lot.

ids1984 wrote:
so last noob question, if I give him a sword or LC can he still keep the bolter with special ammo? because it says bolt pistol and/or bolter?

He can keep the bolter, if you trade away the bolt pistol. However, only reason to take a power weapon instead of lightning claw (or fist) would be to combine it with the pistol for +1 attack. However, you don't have the pistol any more, so you won't be getting that attack. This is why you want a claw or a fist.

Bit of a delay but thanks for the replies, I've decided on not having any CC weapons but have them all shooty.

I'm going with a 10 man squad, 5 with combi melta, 5 with combi flamer in a drop pod.

Initially though it's only going to be 5 due to funds and that we're playing smaller games, i was thinking either 4 combi melta and 1 combi flamer or 3 c melta and 2 c flamer.

What do we think?

On 5 men, I'd go 3 melta, 2 flamer. If you are shooting at a tank, 2/3 of the meltas should hit, and with 2 chances to pen (which should work) and 2 rolls on the damage chart, you should blow up what you are shooting at. Having 2 flamers will help make up for the small unit size if you need to unload into some troops.

I use 10 in a pod with a single combi-melta and combi-flamer in each combat squad. The sarge has melta bombs just in case, but otherwise that's it. The combi-weapons are there for targets of opportunity, though really I don't bother to take too many because I usually have plenty of flamers and melta elsewhere (in bigger games I give my tac marines lascannons). Except for a single scout squad my list is 100% deep striking and I use an Ironclad, three tactical squads and two Land Speeders. So, the amount of upgrades you give your vets also depends on the rest of your list. You might be able to cover your special weapon needs elsewhere.

Thanks for the replies, really helpful!

A friend has just thrown me into indecisiin again suggesting a heavy flamer.

Well, it sounds like you're already taking the combi-weapons, so do you really want to give up a bolter (and therefore the special ammo) just to get another template shot?

That said, I can definitely see the benefit of the HF if you're going to get in your opponent's face with them, or if you get assaulted.

HFs are one of the few weapons I'd consider dropping the special ammo bolters for. Sternguard tend to be on the move and in your face, so getting in range should not be an issue. For the most part, targets that need special ammo get toasted nicely by heavy flamers.

Ignore cover rounds? Flamer works
Wound on a 2+? S5 has a chance to hurt tough things.
If you are using kracken bolts for AP4, the flamer is there for you. Not so much on the 30" range.
While not AP3, a HF will force MEQ to make a bunch of saves.

The wall of flaming death for when you get charged is just gravy. Very nice though, as sternguard tend to live in charge range.

No need for the HtH power on Sternguard. Run combi-melta/plasma depending on what they're going to do and then pod them up and go for it.

Do you have 12 man or 10 man drop pods? Which list are we talking about here?

You do not want to use these guys as suicide troops. They are too expensive for that.

 hotsauceman1 wrote:
Full squad, combat squaded. 5 with meltas 5 with Flamers.
you will wreck face with it.

By this, do you mean combi-flamers? They can only have 2 "different" weapons in the squad, so would you take a "regular" flamer and maybe a heavy one as well, or just all combi-flamers, to take advantage of the special ammunition?

What about a Multimelta to add in some distance to the tank-hunting component?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
To add on to this, how do you actually GET or MAKE combi weapons? I know there is a "bitz" kit from GW but it's metal and looks kind of shoddy, actually. Do you "chop & glue" bits of guns together, or do yo just ignore the WYSIWYG aspect and say "counts as?"