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.

Ok, I started 40k last year and playing my Tau and I'm starting to look at other armies to diversify. Going through the forums I've seen people talking about "combat squads" or "combat squading" which allows a marine squad to split into 2 marine squads apparently.

Is this true? what are the rules and limitations of this? Is it as simple as buy one squad and split it into 2?

If a squad does split do they count as 2 kill points?

Yes, it's pretty much that simple, 10 man squad becomes 2 x 5-man squads. Full rules for it are in the various Marine codices.

Do note that this is a special ability many Space Marine-units have.
It is not a general rule, so you cannot 'combat squad' your Fire Warriors.

Only certain squads get to do this, but it is a SM-only rule.
A full 10-man squad can put a 5-man CS in the dedicated transport, and the other on the battlefield. Spread the models as you want, and people often put the good stuff in the transport, and leave 5 bolter-guys to slog it on foot.
Or, when deploying, the whole squad gets to ride in, and jump out as 2 squads. This is decided on deployment, not when disembarking.
But, a part-squad cannot CS. If a boss joins the squad at deployment it messes up how they can deploy, as most transports are 10-man. The boss would make 11 and has to either get a bigger ride, or prevent the squad running at full strength. No CS for them, then.

One good benefit of combat squadding is a 6-squad can be turned into 12 troop squads, plus transports. Try shifting that lot off the objectives.

Its a special Space Marine rule. And yes the squads do count as separate kill points.

It also require the unit to have 10 guys in it.

That sounds pretty awesome. and no, i wasn't planning on using it for my Tau. I've been thinking of starting a Marine or a Space Wolves army.

Can you split them at any time in the game or does it have to be done on deployment?

At deployment you declare if a unit has split and then its permanent for the rest of the game.

Basically in the fluff a Space Marine squad is typically 10 guys, but for more tactical flexibility they split into two "combat squads" of five that has half of the special/heavy weapons of the original (e.g. a Tactical Squad with a Flamer and Missile Launcher could combat squad, 5 with Flamer and 5 with Missile Launcher). I forget if you can do it now, but you used to be able to do 2x heavy weapons in a Devastator combat squad, so you could do for example 2x Lascannons for anti-tank and 2x Heavy Bolters for anti-infantry and get more flexibility that way. I don't remember what Assault Squads used to get when combat squadded, maybe 1 hand flamer or plasma pistol; back in the old days I don't recall ever fielding Assault squads

Back in the olden days of 2nd edition you could only buy 10 Marines in a squad (at 300 points back then for Tacticals), but you could combat squad them, so you basically got two squads. A White Dwarf later added being able to buy them as a Combat Squad (150 points + extras) specifically to allow for low points games (the old Lunchhammer/40k in 40 minutes 500 point games). When 3rd edition rolled around they allowed you to field "understrength" squads that were between 5 and 10, but that gave rise to the "Mauleed Marines" aka "Ultramauleens" (named after Dakka legend Mauleed) which was IIRC 6-man Lascannon/Plasma Gun squads that were the best bang for the buck for points vs. effectiveness.

At some point in a later edition (not sure if it was 4th or 5th) they fixed this by requiring 10 to get a special and a heavy weapon both, but this screwed over Chaos who can't combat squad and need 10 in order to take a heavy weapon (i..e you can't do a 5-man squad with just a heavy weapon for CSM, for basically zero reason why).

Taffy17 wrote:
That sounds pretty awesome. and no, i wasn't planning on using it for my Tau. I've been thinking of starting a Marine or a Space Wolves army.

Can you split them at any time in the game or does it have to be done on deployment?

I might be wrong, but I don't think Space Wolves can combat squad as they don't particularly adhere to the Codex Astartes. You might want to confirm this before you start SW...

Vanilla and BA have it. I'm certain of that.

D

Far as i know its exclusive to space marines, that special rule is unique to them.

don't think any other units can do this useful skill.

Space wolves cannot combat squad. We exchange the ability to re roll a table edge when out flanking with our troops (which we can't even do!) Instead of being able to combat squad. This is why you never see SW in tournaments unless it's to get cool allied stuff access to a drop pod. Vanilla tac marines combat squad ability makes it much easier to switch between MSU spam for objective games and large squads for kill point games without changing the list.

I find myself almost always combat squadding at least one tac squad.

Firstly it means you can plonk a lascannon on and with 4 bolter boys camp on an objective getting an s9 shot each turn while the other 5 bundle forwards with the sgt and an assault weapon and secondly it allows you to take a razorback and use it for transport.

I run

10 x tacs with a lascannon and a flamer, combi flamer sgt and a twin lascannon razorback.

The lascannon and 4 marines sit back, the flamer, combi and rest go forward in the razorback, or if I don't need to push forward the razorback sits back with the lascannon while the others footslog it.