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As the title suggests, im currently working on a sternguard heavy crimson fists drop pod army featuring Pedro Kantor. When I started work on the army in 6th edition, plasma was the way to go. It dealt with marines, light armor, monstrous creatures and heavily armored troops, while not being terrible against bog standard infantry when backed up by a wall of poisoned 2+ rounds. Now, with mech back on the rise due to the 7th edition changes in the damage chart, im not so sure. Is melta the way to go again like in 6th ed?

Plasma is still decent against light armor because of the double tap; it can glance light targets to death with enough dakka. However, if you expect heavy armor(Av<12) melta is the way to go. Melta is not bad against TEQ or MC's either. If you absolutely need Ap against marines in the open, you always have the Ap3 rounds available...

Special ammunition fills a lot of the same roles as plasma, without costing an exorbitant amount per-model. Bone stock sternguards can already outshoot almost anything without 2+ armor.

If your intent is to alpha-strike vehicles, then meltas are really the better choice. They open up your options for where to land your drop pod, since you can reliably kill vehicles from any facing (rather than glancing them to death by blasting their rear armor with combi-plasmas). Against MCs, combi-plasma has some merit.

It's one of those questions that depends a lot on your local meta. I do think that you're generally better off running your sternguards with ~4 combimeltas, or else just bone stock. A command squad is a cheaper source of mass plasma.

I'd never take plasmas on sternguard. there are very few cases where plasma is superior to melta, yet kraken is not good enough for the job.

Both weapons have their justification.
It will basically depend on your local meta, plasma vs. heavy armor and MCs, and melta vs. tanks.

Both. Do half and half. Split the squad as they arriver. Fire the 5 combi meltas, they will blow up almost anything. The Combi Plasmas will take care of either passengers or another target.

100% grab a couple of combi-meltas.


You don't need loads, 3 or so will do. They'll give you enough for that game-changing round of shooting against a target that the Sterns would otherwise struggle against.


Plasma is a waste when you have AP3 ammo, and wound on 2+ ammo already. And if you're really in a pinch, those meltas can do a similar job to the plasma anyway....

As others have said, Plasma is kinda redundant on Sternguard due to Vengeance rounds, they are only are a real upgrade against Terminators.

Go Melta

If you want a melta death squad, a command squad is a better option.

Practicing a bit of thread necromancy here, but whats the best unit size for sternguard? I was thinking 6x dudes with 3x combis, but 5x with 2 combis seems more efficient

 th3maninblak wrote:
Practicing a bit of thread necromancy here, but whats the best unit size for sternguard? I was thinking 6x dudes with 3x combis, but 5x with 2 combis seems more efficient

In general I like larger squads with just the special ammo. Bolter fire needs mass to work.

If you are using them as a combi delivery system, a lot depends on what kind and your chapter tactics. You are probably going to want 4 melta shots to get the tank kill. Salamanders can skimp a little bit. Plasma is the more the merrier. At some point you are going to go past the point of diminishing returns, depends on what you are hunting. For flamers, I’d just stick with a pair of HFs and just add bodies. Not worth the c-flamers these days.