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.

Chapter Tactics: Imperial Fists

HQ:
Pedro Kantor

Terminator Librarian (lvl 2)

Elites:
(4) Honour Guard
Thunder hammer, 2 Power swords, Power axe (going to use http://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Space-Marine-Masters-of-the-Chapter hence the weapon selection)
Chapter Banner
Drop Pod

(10) Sternguard
4x Combi melta
Drop Pod

(5) Sternguard
4x Combi melta
Drop Pod

Troops:
(5) Tactical Squad
Heavy Bolter

(5) Tactical Squad
Heavy Bolter

Fast:
Stormtalon
Skyhammer

Heavy:
(3) Centurions
Grav-Cannons, Omniscope

1495

Kantor, Librarian and Honour guard go in the pod. Sternguard are all objective secured because of Kantor. Rerolling ones to hit on bolters including the special ammo and Centurians gain tank hunter with chapter tactics. Will most likely combat squad the Sternguard depending on the situation.
Stormtalon for some AA.

Please let me know what you think.

Why no drop pod for the Centurions?

Also with the tac squads foot slogging perhaps a Heavy Bolter is a better weapon than melta on them.

Also taking Pedro in an Honourguard squad and jot taking atleast a banner if not the Emperors standard seems a waste. Pedro with 7 attacks the Honour guard with 6 each and everyone within 12" gaining +2 attacks is pretty brutal. The other option that dovetails better with this is Scouts as your troops instead of tacticals as they can be geared for combat. 11 points for 5 Ws4, S4 attacks on the charge! Yes please!

Doing this probably at the expense of the Stormtalon. They tend to work best in at least pairs as solo they are too easy to kill to provide the AA you are looking for, so either get a 2nd or drop all together...

Yep good call on the HB I didn't even consider it so I think I'll change that.

Same with the banner, although in the new codex Emperors Standard only gives +1 attacks and fearless so I'm tempted to give them the Chapter Banner, which is still +1 attacks and get to re-roll fear, morale and pinning, for 35 less points.

Thanks for the feedback

The Emperors standard also gives the +1 attack as a 12" bubble

Quick question: Why so many Combi-Meltas in the Sternguard Squads? Are you going to be facing a mech list?

I'm guessing it is an all comers list and you thus need to be able to deal with mech and Knights. In most cases combimelta is by far the best option on sternguard. Flamer isn't worth the points as you can take 2 HFs and have ignores cover rounds, grav is a waste as other units do that far better, plasma is the only thing worth considering on sternguard other than melta though again most of its job can be done better by taking Grav Cents or Devs...

Whilst that is true, Sternguard are one of the most effective units in the game for killing High Value Targets stowed away in a tank. Combat squad them, have half the squad with Combi-Meltas and half with Combi-Gravs, drop pod them in behind a transport, crack it open with melta and kill the Terminators inside with the Grav.

Yeah Ive tried to go for an all comers list my 2 main opponents are usually IG mech (vets in chimeras) and tyranids with a flyer which always does a lot of damage as I dont usually have anything to deal with flyers but I face all sorts of armies really.

Why Grav over Plasma? You get 3" extra threat on the plasma and it works better against 3+ save units (like say Death Company). Grav is the worst option available to Sternguard.

Okay, the Combi-Meltas make sense now calb.

I think that all of the Combi options are good in the right situations, plus if you do manage to suicide with Plasma, that's a lot of points down the drain! I never really risk Plasma as i play between 1000-1500 points and every marine counts.

Why is plasma more of a suicide than grav or melta?

Because Plasma is Get's Hot so on a roll of a 1, it acts like you shot yourself with the gun, so you can die.

Without doctrines you lose 1 sternguard per 18 shots, not much of an issue, with doctrines (which you're always going tobuse the turn you alphastrike) it is 1 Sternguard per 108 shots which is effectively irrelevant.

You make a good point, remind me, how do you use the doctrines again?

Just pick one at the start of each turn. Dev and Tac give the Sternguard reroll 1s to hit which neutralises gets hot to effectively zero.

Okay so I re-read my codex and it says that you can indeed enact a single doctrine per turn, but remember that they are used up in the turn that they are used so they cannot be used later on.

Which doesn't matter with combis as they are one use. Also with a Gladius and demi company you have 2 tac doctrines and 1 dev one for 3 turns of rerolls with shooting

That actually works out really well, wow.

So you get to use each of the 3 doctrines once per game regardless of cad or formation or is it just certain formations that you get them?

you could also split the 10 man stern guard into 2 5 man squads and then bring the formation that gives them fear, fearless and preferred enemy against a unit.

can't remember the name of it.

You can only use the doctrines given to you by a certain Detachment. For example, the Gladius Strike Force gives you all 3 (to be used once per game).

Junior you are thinking of the 1st Company Strike Force. It requires 3-5 units though, so a minimum of 15 Sternguard are needed. It also makes all enemy units within 12" of any of the units from that formation subtract 2 from their Leadership.

Ah ok I thought that might be so.

Yeah thats a great point i do have 15 sternguard so I will do that. Just got to find points for another pod.

Actually, you don't need to! You can declare that the Sternguard have combat squadded, and because of the Combat Squads special rule, they can ride in the same transport!

Yes of course I can what am I talking about! Surely I wont get the formation though if theyre only combat squaded?

Yeah you will because it requires 3-5 units, and under the Sternguard unit entry in the codex, the Unit Composition is 4 Veterans and a Veteran Sergeant (5 models).

Gotta love the new codex.

They don't count as 2 separate units at list building if you're planning to use the formation, combat squadding is done later so you need 3 entirely separate units taken from the datasheet.

To be honest, I'd let it work in a game, but I guess it's down to the players.

What do you think about this updated list?

HQ:
Pedro Kantor

Terminator Librarian (lvl 1)

Elites:
(4) Honour Guard
Thunder hammer, 2 Power swords, Power axe
Chapter Banner
Drop Pod

Troops:
(5) Scout Squad
Heavy Bolter
Land Speeder Storm
Assault Cannon

(5) Scout Squad
Heavy Bolter
Land Speeder Storm
Assault Cannon

Fast:
Drop Pod

Heavy:
(3) Centurions
Grav-Cannons, Omniscope

1st Company Task Force

(5) Sternguard
4x Combi melta
Drop Pod

(5) Sternguard
4x Combi melta
Drop Pod

(5) Sternguard
Drop Pod

1501

Sternguard get Fear, Fearless and preferred enemy on a unit plus -2 leadership to units within 12" of all of them.
Cents in the pod.
Scouts and Land Speeders for some mobility and objective grabbing.
Scout squads with Bolters and Heavy Bolter to make use of Bolter Drill.
Pedro, Libby join Honour Guard pod.

That actually looks pretty solid. I would suggest a few tweeks. First I'd swap the swords for Mauls on the Honourguard, just better against more targets. Whilst I'd swap the HBs for Vet Sarges on the Scouts and go CCWs so your scouts can clear objectives (getting 4 attacks each if Pedro is near by).

How good are scouts now? They've got the better WS/BS now, I know that, but are they actually worth taking in a list? I ask because I have 5 models and Im not sure if they're useful.