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I've been considering adding in some squads focused on close combat to round out my army a bit. Are command bikes really the best option?

Vanguard veterans are pretty good with their speed and cheaps as chips power weapons choices. Throw in a few storm shield upgrades to keep those guys safe and you've got a solid cc unit. Other than that honor guard are another cost efficient cc choice.

 Grimskul wrote:
Vanguard veterans are pretty good with their speed and cheaps as chips power weapons choices. Throw in a few storm shield upgrades to keep those guys safe and you've got a solid cc unit. Other than that honor guard are another cost efficient cc choice.

basically this, bikes can also be kited for cc and they can do okay. assault marines arent very good unless you run skyhammer annihilation, i often use them to tie up an enemy death/blob star for a turn or two, scouts can also do this, with the storm speeder you can actually use them well in lists for fighting other marines, show up in the enemies backline, cc his devestators, tie them up all game and possibly kill them with combat knives, laugh at the value trade of scouts for devestators. terminators are the gamblers CC unit they either be steady mobbin and crush everything they have put in front of them, or they spend the game doing nothing productive and/or dying.

centurions are awful CC units

Honor guard are punchy for the price tag.

Even 4-6 in a pod is a serious threat.

For Ultramarines, Just build up the box set of Calgar and honor guard with banner, Calgar choose the FNP Warlord Trait, and the Champion pack a Relic Blade, with the Banner, so on the charge, this package will dish out SEVEN WS6 I5 S8 AP2 attacks, FIVE WS5 I4 S6 AP3 attacks and 15 WS4 I4 power weapon attacks on the charge, good enough to take down most MEQ unit in a single turn of combat, with the only few exception maybe full Necron warrior / Immortals in Decrion detachment (while still maybe swept due to losing combat by 3 or more) or max size of Plague Marines

 Grimskul wrote:
Vanguard veterans are pretty good with their speed and cheaps as chips power weapons choices. Throw in a few storm shield upgrades to keep those guys safe and you've got a solid cc unit.

Another variant is to take 1-2 power fists or thunder hammers and give the rest of the squad melta bombs. Now go hunting for things like Imperial Knights or Stompas.