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Hey all
I'm currently building an ultramarine Demi-company at 1500pts led by Sicarius. As I'm using the formation I don't have access to Honour guard and I'm being fluffy so I'm using his famous command squad, the "lions of macragge"

Id like them to be close combat (I know, never make a close combat command squad) as Sicarius is melee based and they can support my assault squad. I also think they look cooler with melee weapons.

I have a slot of around 210pts and currently I'm going with an apothecary, a champion, a vet with a claw and storm shield, a vet with a power axe and a vet with a storm shield in a drop pod (it's a pod list) any thoughts?

I was also trying to find a way of adding the banner of the emperor ascendant but it's kinda pricey, is it worth it?

All thoughts and comments welcome

You no longer need a CM for the Honour Guard to unlock in the 7th edition codex.

I wouldn't take a melee Command Squad.
Command Squads pay normal power weapon prices. Their big advantage are special weapons and bikes. You take neither.
Take either Honour Guard or Vanguard Vets.
Honour Guard has Art armour and power weapons, Vanguard can take cheap power weapons (+5 pts!) and a few Storm Shields for better survivability.

Thanks for the reply
The problem is the Demi-company formation doesn't allow Honour guard or vanguard, and I'm also trying to be fluffy and stick to only second company units. Otherwise yea the new vanguard are great at their new points costs I have some in my bigger list

Oh, somehow I didn't comprehend the restrictions of the Demi-Company when replying. Sorry.

I still wouldn't make them a melee Command Squad, I just think it's not worth the points, even when considering you want to stick close to fluff.

Haha no worries
Hmm well I love my champion model...
How about champion, apothecary and 3 plasmaguns in a pod?
Then it's a little more versatile and I already have a few grav and meltaguns

Command Squads shouldn't be thought of these days as a HQ retinue unit. They were never good as a retinue anyway, but until now they just had an HQ tax. What they really are, is a Special Weapons squad. You can upgrade 4 or 5 to have Special Weapons and just lay down a ream of plasma, grav or melta, mount them on bikes as a Special Weapons Bike Squad. The banner and Apothecary just make them better at a cost, more survivable. Like I said, previously you had a 100pt tax on them as you needed a barebones HQ to grab one, but now you can just take them as a SWS and go for it. If you want one, 4 special weapons at least.

Hmm I guess I could use a ven dread In a pod instead and put Sicarius in one of my tac squads

the only time i would take the command squad is if games workshop somehow does a serious turn of the game and lets cc become viable again. it would be great if CC wasnt absolute garbadge, take the banner of the emporer ascendant in a reclusiam command squad, mauls osmeones face with cc.

the problem is that will never happen, games workshop has made that very clear

“Lions of Macragge” 2nd company command squad
bolter/powerfist
apoth w/bolter
std. bearer w/bolter
champ w/ powersword
meltagun

(according to the full company picture in the last codex, not sure if it made it into the current one)

Don’t actually field this in game. But it’s as close to the canonical load that you are going to find. I think both the options you listed should work fine, both the shooty and choppy one. While I try to work my standard bearer into lists when I can, he’s not really worth the points. It just feels wrong to leave him on the shelf. I’d not bother with the relic banner, it’s kinda crazy expensive.

Mechanically, command squads work very well as a special weapon spam squad. That’s the edition we live in. But if you want to use them as a CC squad, they can work. Might not be the most efficent tool for the job, or the best idea in general. But sometimes you just feel the need to stab something. Unless you are playing in a very competitive meta, there should be some space for fluffly and fun units in your list.

For what it’s worth, the shelf deployment of my command squad is:
Champ w/ sword
Apoth (BP/CCW)
Standard bearer w/boter (would swap for BP/CCW, but I like the model)
BP/Axe
SS/Flamer

It’s a low-cost (relatively) support squad for a HQ. A few more power weapon attacks, some at AP2 with the axe. The standard bearer is mostly there for fluff and to soak the first wounds. The SS/flamer guy is there to tank AP3 hits until he dies, and maybe flamer things before charging. The flamer was only a few points, and can be useful. He’s not getting an extra CC attack with the shield, and I didn’t want to invest in an expensive CC toy for him when the odds of him living were low.

Thanks for the replies guys
Nevelon: that load out actually looks pretty good, and is cheaper than mine, I might give it a try also I had a look at the link, great army man, love all the old school models