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Here’s an idea for an interesting, unconventional, but theoretically good space marine Tactical Squad:

Tactical Squad: 180 Points
Meltagun
Lascannon
Combi-grav

I know, I know. What is a Meltagun doing in a Tactical Squad on foot with a Lascannon, and with a Sergeant with a Combi-grav? Well, I have been introduced into the world of combat squadding and here is my plan. The Lascannon Marine and 4 Bolter Marines stick back on an objective, hide behind some ruins and the intimidating shadow of a Full Devastator and Centurion Devastator Squad. The other half, however, acts more like a Scout squad. It hangs around, moving slowly through terrain. The weapon load-out is for tackling basically anything small, squishy but important and well defended unit that happens to trudge buy: a Venomthrope, Dreadnought or lone Battlesuit. The Melta is for blasting vehicles, monsters and instant killing anything. The Grav is for softening up something big before it reaches my lines. The Bolters are just for softening up something like a Venomthrope or a Tyranid Warrior squad. You can see the army list that I used with this squad with the following link:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/575075.page

The Vindicator and Assault Squad support the forward Combat Squad.

BTW: I am a newbie to kind of competitive army lists so any help with the army list would be greatly appreciated.

I'll leave more deep thoughts to SM players, however I do believe that a Plasma Gun would make much more sense than a Meltagun in such a build (longer range, higher firepower at 7"+ distance)

Putting them in a rhino adds a little more mobility/protection/LOS blocking.

Sadly, footslogging marines is dead because of the cheap, readily available, high strength, and low AP Firepower that makes the T4 3+ Save of the Marine useless. Cover cannot help you either as Markerlighhts and Ignores Cover are also so readily available. Drop Pods and Rhino Rush are the way to go now.

Five marines parked with a lascannon is a waste of points. Don't put heavies in tac squads. It will work out better.

Ive found Lascannon combats to be very effective. my personal opinion is just that a heavy weapon that doesn't need to move into position on turn one.

Ive found them to be helpful when you just need to take a shot at something.

Plus scoring a Skyfire Lascannon is funny

How do you get skyfire on it?

Martel732 wrote:
How do you get skyfire on it?

Skyfire Nexus random objective is what I believe he's referring to.

Generally speaking I also try to avoid heavies on tac squads (though I've had surprising success with my tac squads lately, running 3x 7-9 man teams with plasma/combi-flamer in rhinos). Only way I consider the heavy worthwhile is as a cheap backline AV option. 5man with lascannon, razorback with TL las. Planning on running three of these along side a pair of Laspreds and TFCs (self-allying the Codex) in an upcoming game. We'll see how it pans out.

As far as unconventional builds - how do you define this? Splitting unit purpose based on combat squads isn't unconventional, it's just generally less effective - as you now have two 5man marine teams which has never been known to accomplish much. I may consider a flamer/combi-flamer + HB squad out of a pod. Five disembark away from the enemy towards an objective, supporting fire from 24''-36'', the other five drive forwards and start stacking wounds with glorious fire. Not exactly unconventional, but eh.

you need the 10 guys to get the Heavy.

so you wont be able to do that

 IHateNids wrote:
you need the 10 guys to get the Heavy.

so you wont be able to do that

You need ten guys to have both a special and a heavy. Five can pick a special or a heavy. Read the book.

What feasible said. Plus, if you're gonna do as you suggest, doing lascannon/plasma gun is still better.

You'll find when footslogging that the move 6", shoot 24" is really useful. Meltaguns are only really useful when within 12", and a lot of times the best thing to do is get to 24" away, then stop moving and just shoot. Taking a meltagun removes this as a feasible strategy.

I tend to run 3 set ups for my Tac squads.

10 strong heavy bolter, flamer. Stay together. Get to 23" and shoot.
10 strong Melta, multi melta. Drop pod into back feild...pick high av....squish.
10 strong no specials or heavies, rhino or pod Rush...shoot.

If it helps I play Imp Fist tactics. So I try to stick with bolt guns.

I do have a 5 man bike squad, grav, grav, combi grav. early game av hunter.

Don't split the focus of the unit. If you want the tac squad to kill tanks, give it a combimelta, meltagun, and multi-melta (if you must take a heavy weapon - I generally advise against heavy weapons because you can't really move a squad with a heavy weapon in it). If you want them to kill TEQ, give it a combiplasma, plasmagun, and plasma cannon (again, if you must.). If you want it to kill GEQ, combiflamer, flamer, and heavy bolter (if you must, again). I lean towards 5 or 6 man squads placed in Razorbacks with a weapon choice to augment the role of the squad inside - then they can hop out and the Razorback can support them with its turret weapon.

 obsidiankatana wrote:

 IHateNids wrote:
you need the 10 guys to get the Heavy.

so you wont be able to do that

You need ten guys to have both a special and a heavy. Five can pick a special or a heavy. Read the book.

I stand corrected... my bad.