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From what I have read, people don't seem to rate special weapons squads because veterans have superior ballistic skill, more bodies and dedicated transport options for a very reasonable points cost.

However, I wonder if there is still a point to special weapon squads as meltacide units bailing out of vendettas.

It surprises me that more people don't do this, as many players do this with tempestus scions. For 2/3 of the price of a squad of scions with their max of two meltaguns you can take a special weapons squad with three meltaguns, which statistically has a higher hit ratio due to more shots, AND obsec. Obviously scions can deep strike without the vendetta, I guess.

Had anyone else had any success with SWS?

People do this with platoon command squads out of valks/dettas. But usually loaded with flamers to clean off objectives.

A SWS with meltas comes in at 66 pts ....plus a valk/detta plus the platoon tax.

Scions with 2 meltas 90 pts. Able to deep strike

Vets in Chimera with 2 meltas 145 pts. Has its own Transport.

They just dont stack up compared to the other options. I have heard people trying them as snipers to hold a backfield objective for 36 points. Even than I prefer ratlings to do so for stealth, and increased BS and mobility.

 Tenzilla wrote:
People do this with platoon command squads out of valks/dettas. But usually loaded with flamers to clean off objectives.

Wouldn't it be better to use wyverns for this?

A SWS with meltas comes in at 66 pts ....plus a valk/detta plus the platoon tax.

Scions with 2 meltas 90 pts. Able to deep strike

Vets in Chimera with 2 meltas 145 pts. Has its own Transport.

They just dont stack up compared to the other options. I have heard people trying them as snipers to hold a backfield objective for 36 points. Even than I prefer ratlings to do so for stealth, and increased BS and mobility.

I think where I would differ is on the "tax" point.

A unit is only really a "tax" if it is not a good unit in its own right and you are only taking it to unlock a particular option. The role I am suggesting for SWS is designed to compliment an army that takes these things already. I wouldn't take a platoon command squad and a vendetta just so I could use this tactic, but if I were taking those things anyway then it strikes me as a cost effective alternative to deep striking scions.

The only thing that sets SWS apart from Scions, Vets and PCS are demolition charges. Three of those jumping out of a Vendetta could be fun, but in every other regard the alternatives are just a lot better. Vets have BS4 and more bodies, Scions have Scion profiles, ratlings are cheaper and have better USRs, and PCS can take four special weapons, can order themselves, and come free with a platoon.

Basically, SWS try and fill niches that are already taken care of in better ways.

GreenShoes wrote:
The only thing that sets SWS apart from Scions, Vets and PCS are demolition charges. Three of those jumping out of a Vendetta could be fun, but in every other regard the alternatives are just a lot better. Vets have BS4 and more bodies, Scions have Scion profiles, ratlings are cheaper and have better USRs, and PCS can take four special weapons, can order themselves, and come free with a platoon.

Basically, SWS try and fill niches that are already taken care of in better ways.

Well, again... I'm talking specifically about taking them in vendettas. I 100% agree that they are totally outclassed for every other role by scions and vets.

Veterans won't work for this because the squad size is too large, so if you want to deep strike them you have to use a valkyrie, which is a bit meh. Putting them in a Chimera instead is a good shout and I do it myself (along with the grenadiers and demolitions doctrines), but it doesn't give you the AA/long ranged AT of the vendetta and it's a less reliable way of getting them into melta range.

A scion squad with maxed meltaguns costs 30 points more than the SWS. OK, they have BS4 and meltaguns are one-shot weapons, but with only two meltaguns the SWS statistically generates more hits on average. OK, they have move through cover and carapace armour, but they are still unlikely to survive after they get their initial shots off. If I were to take scions then I would probably use them as deep strikers in their own right rather than using the vendetta.

I have to admit I had never really considered using the PCS for this role, but I guess it would not be a bad shout assuming you have a CCS anyway.