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Hi!
So I’m fairly new to wh40k, been reading the fluff for years but have just started to collect my own army.
I’ve started a Ultramarines droppod army (not because of Ward, The Ultramarines feels like the only Chapter that still are secular non mutant space marines, perhaps Imperial Fists as well but I don’t like yellow ). I have zero experience in actual game mechanics (0 games played) only theoretical knowledge  So please enlighten me…

My question is mostly around the weapon choice for my tac squads. The plan is to use a combi for the sarge, a special (the same as sarge’s) and a heavy. I’ve come to the following conclusions:
- Combi-melta, melta & Lascannon (AT sniping and AT against anything getting to close)
- Combi-plasma, plasma & MM (Great against TEQ and everything is 24”, but I really dislike the Get Hot chances)
I plan to drop the tacs on either the objectives so they can sit there and utilize the most of their firepower or drop ‘em close to the enemy for maximum Alpha strike damage.

Bonus Question!
For a sternguard sqd, shouldn’t the most obvious combi weapon be a combi grav? They have tools for everything except high (low?) armor saves (TEQ’s, 2+ etc)?

/N

I have found that plasma gun for a special works really well, I was like you before, not liking the gets hot chance, but after trying it in a few games I have yet to lose a marine to it. They do get their armour save, and I play Iron Hands so mine have FNP as well. My sarges all use combi grav, but thats just because I love grav weapons... Combi weapons IMO are too costly but if your running a droppod tac squad it might be worth it to match the plasma gun... then you can take on anything except AV 14, but your heavy can handle that.... MM or LC

Crimson Fists might suit you, if you get bored with UMs. They're the blue/red IF, with Pedro at the top.

The thing with SM squad is Combat Squadding. You don't have to run a complimentary HW to go with the special. The HW can sit back, while the special and Serg go stomping.
Also, everyone has a pistol, making a squad a sit-back HW squad, with the option to assault if they get too close.
You also don't have to take both the special and HW in a squad. A 5-man squad can take either, so you can have 6x 5-man special squads, or 6x HW squads, both with a Serg.

The range difference between Melta and Lascannon is huge. This is begging for you to split the squad.
The plas/mm squad is probably best against TEQ. With Ultramarines, you can re-roll in 1 turn. Ranges are similar, too.

Sternguard have a nice box of toys, but they're not as good as the proper weapon. Add in a couple of specials or HW, even if you're going combi. Tailor them against a target type, and they have a great chance of success. Going for all-comers with Sternguard can lead to disaster. But, if they survive their first turn, they can wreak havoc.

I think melta/combi-melta is a great combination, and flamer/combi-flamer is pretty nice, but in my experience combi-plas isn't that great and I've never really tried combi-grav, but I imagine it's not too different from combi-plas to warrant taking.

The only heavy weapon I'd run in the same squad as a special weapon (without splitting the squad) is a Plasma Cannon along with a Plasma Gun. The other heavy weapons that tacticals can take (Heavy Bolter, Missiles, Multimelta, Lascannon) clash too much with the shorter range and mobility of the flamer/meltagun and the roles of grav guns and plasma guns.

First, Welcome to Dakka.

Are you using drop pods, rhinos, or footslogging to get where you need to be?

There is some merit to just not taking the heavy on a tac squad. It’s points that are not going to be put to efficient use if the squad is on the move. But The Codex tells us a 10 man squad has both, and we’re Ultramarines, not some degenerate slacker chapter, so by the Emperor we’ll take our weapons! (No offense to the non codex-complient marines out there, keep doing what works for you) And between the tactical and devastator doctrines, we can mitigate the snapfireing of the heavy on the move.

Multi-Melta, meltagun, combi-melta is your ultra-agressive forward deployed squad. You don’t need the range of the lascannon, so you might as well get the AP1 and the melta rule. These guys love drop pods, are pretty good in rhinos, and stay on the shelf if forced to footslog.

Missile Launcher/Flamer (c-flamer) is the iconic, classic, jack-of-all-trades load. It does everything kinda OK. I field one with a bare bones sarge purely due to tradition. MLs are mediocre against everything, but can at least try. Flack missile are overpriced, don’t take them.

Lascannons pair well with plasma, or by themselves in a combat squad sitting in the back. Plasma cannons are only good if you don’t move, as they can’t be snap fired at all. So either CS’d, or with a PG.

HBs are cheep and work pretty well. I’d advocate them to run with a flamer squad, or an aggressively moving plasma squad (that I didn’t want to cough up the points for a LC).

Your selection look OK, but I’d swap the heavies:
MM/M, c-melta
LC/P, c-plas

For your bonus question:
Grav and plasma fill a very similar role. Which one works better is often a question of the corner cases. Grav only truly take the lead when stationary (or relentless). Sternguard are neither of those. At 10ppm, I think the days of combi-laden sternguard are looking bleak. You can still do some nice alpha strike hits with them, but the point cost turns me off. I’m a firm advocate of more bodies, and utilizing the special ammo. Dump enough of the “wounds on a 2+” ammo into something, and watch them roll ones for the saves. Weight of fire is key. If you are going to run combis on your sternguard, a few meltas will let them threaten tanks. I’d not bother with the c-flamers (although do enjoy a pair of HFs, only thing worth dropping the special ammo for IMHO). Plasma is OK if you are worried about a lot of terminators, but I’d rather just drown them in weight of fire. YMMV.

The only place I think c-gravs should be are on bike squads, or dev sarges. Bikes due to relentless, and the dev sarge because he’s not moving.

Thanks for all the replies!
I will ofc combat squad all my tac’s, I perhaps forgot to mention that. I’m planning to use a complete droppod army. Think I will post here in the army list subforum for some critic but as of now it consists of an offensive part (2 ironclads, 1 ml2 biomancy librarian with an assault squad) an defensive part ( 4 droppods of tacs with Tigurius and 2 scout squads with sniper rifles) and an support department ( 2 skytalons with skyhammars).

The general idea is that the offensive part would all spawn at an flank and be of as much annoyance as possible while the defensive secures most objectives or in missions like Purge the Alien be used as a massive alpha strike. While my support part will try to take down key enemy units/vehicles. Or something

I will post the complete list in the subforum asap..

I do like Imperial Fists, but the ultramarines chapter tactics feel more… tactical

I do plan to squad the tacs into: Sarge with SWG (Special weapons guy) and keep the HW by itself (and 4 buds ofc). Mostly to be able to concentrate my dmg output.

But wouldn’t the ultra-aggressive setup be more efficient with plasma? Combi-plasma & plasmagun would give (4x S7 AP2) shots against the melta version (2x S8 AP1) at the same range. My idea of using the LC would be to snipe flanking units…

Perhaps the grav is better used with bikes/centurions and with a combo weapon costing 10p I completely agree that it’s a tad expensive for an T4 1w power armor model.

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The first Sarge I assembled was PF +Combiplas. He's burned himself dead in both of the last two games...

Aside from him, though, Gets Hot doesn't burn me often. And my PGs outperform my MGs regularly.

Note that PGs will outperform MGs outside 3" on low/mid armor. MGs are really there for the AV14s.

I wouldn't take a Heavy Weapon on a Tac Squad. If you HAVE to I'd take a Multi Melta.