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IMO it doesn't make sense that experienced soldiers in a company don't get to roll with platoons. Something I've wanted to do is create the rules for a veteran infantry platoon.

Veteran Infantry Platoon:
1 PCS
2-4 Veteran Squads
0-1 Veteran Special Weapons
0-1 Special Weapons Squads

C&C welcome. Heck, even rewrite it if you want. I figured that smaller platoons with no conscripts or regular infantry would help balance it out.

I like the idea of vet Platoons myself. In truth though I don't like special weapon squads, since vet squads do it so much better. I see vet squads as special weapon squads anyway, so if the later was ditched in favor of vet squads I'd be OK with it.

If the guardsmen in a PCS were replaced with veterans I'm sure it would be OK.

Here's a suggestion: give the IG two troop choices:

Shield Platoons (1 PCS, 2-5 infantry squads, 0-5 heavy weapon squads, 0-1 conscript squad)

Sword Platoons (1 PCS, 1-5 veteran squads).

This largely leaves the list as it is, but allows for the creation of vet platoons.

I for one am really fond of Special Weapons Squads. They allow for snipers to be viable where attaching them to infantry squads isn't really advisable.

Ratlings do it better.

Imho, the idea of veterans not being in platoon form doesn't really make sense to me.

Veterans are just normal guardsmen who've been around a long time.

Why would they stop fighting in platoons?

Imho, veterans should be an upgrade option (like special weapons teams, etc.) to the normal infantry platoon.

I'd adjust Platoons, Veterans, HW teams, and SW teams a bit to make them more distinct and specialized.

Platoon doctrines: Affect all models in a platoon

Light Infantry: 6+ armor but gain move through cover, scout, and may trade las gun for las pistol/ccw

Heavy Infantry: 4+ armor for 2 points per model.

Mechanized Infantry: Must take a chimaera or Taurox for each unit in the platoon, but may move 12 and disembark, and stubborn within 6" of a vehicle from this platoon

Siege Infantry: May not take SW squads. Must take 1-3 Wall of Martyrs Defense Line, 0-2 Wall of Martyrs defense emplacement, and 0-1 Wall of Martyrs Bunker. While on or in these fortifications, models in this platoon are BS +1.

Any Sergeant may trade pistol + CCW for a lasgun.

SW squad- Sgt + 4 troops, may add up to 5 more troops. 2 per 5 must take a special weapon.

HW squad- 3 HW Teams with Mortars for 50 points, may add a Sergeant for 10 points, may add 3 troops for 5 points each.
Change HW Team to T5, count as 2 models for unit size and transport capacity, may not run.

Veteran Platoon-
1-4 Veteran squads, 0-1 Veteran Command squad.
Veteran squad is Sgt + 4 vets for 40 points, may add 5 more for 7 points each. May take 1 special weapon. If the unit numbers 10 models, may take a second special weapon, and/or trade 2 vets for a Vet HW team. (same changes as normal HW team)

Vet Command Squad- Veteran Lieutenant (2 wound platoon commander) +4 veterans, 45 points

Drop Demolitions to 20 points. If one unit in the platoon takes a doctrine, all must take it.

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
I'd adjust Platoons, Veterans, HW teams, and SW teams a bit to make them more distinct and specialized.

Platoon doctrines: Affect all models in a platoon

Light Infantry: 6+ armor but gain move through cover, scout, and may trade las gun for las pistol/ccw

Heavy Infantry: 4+ armor for 2 points per model.

Mechanized Infantry: Must take a chimaera or Taurox for each unit in the platoon, but may move 12 and disembark, and stubborn within 6" of a vehicle from this platoon

Siege Infantry: May not take SW squads. Must take 1-3 Wall of Martyrs Defense Line, 0-2 Wall of Martyrs defense emplacement, and 0-1 Wall of Martyrs Bunker. While on or in these fortifications, models in this platoon are BS +1.

Any Sergeant may trade pistol + CCW for a lasgun.

SW squad- Sgt + 4 troops, may add up to 5 more troops. 2 per 5 must take a special weapon.

HW squad- 3 HW Teams with Mortars for 50 points, may add a Sergeant for 10 points, may add 3 troops for 5 points each.
Change HW Team to T5, count as 2 models for unit size and transport capacity, may not run.

Veteran Platoon-
1-4 Veteran squads, 0-1 Veteran Command squad.
Veteran squad is Sgt + 4 vets for 40 points, may add 5 more for 7 points each. May take 1 special weapon. If the unit numbers 10 models, may take a second special weapon, and/or trade 2 vets for a Vet HW team. (same changes as normal HW team)

Vet Command Squad- Veteran Lieutenant (2 wound platoon commander) +4 veterans, 45 points

Drop Demolitions to 20 points. If one unit in the platoon takes a doctrine, all must take it.

I do like this idea, a lot.

Either this or Traditio's upgrade to a squad to make it "Veteran" (BS4 and the option of other equipment in the main squad) would be fine.
Maybe allowing for the same Veteran upgrades as is.

I like these ideas a lot as well; though it's kind of why guard really could use a proper 7th edition codex, as the detachment of formations thing is pretty much exactly how they should be, as these ideas could each make a good core formation choice with other stuff to add in around it. In fact guard would have been a more logical choice to introduce that style of detachment, since it's kind of how they're structured already in a way.

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
Veteran squad is Sgt + 4 vets for 40 points, may add 5 more for 7 points each. May take 1 special weapon. If the unit numbers 10 models, may take a second special weapon, and/or trade 2 vets for a Vet HW team. (same changes as normal HW team)

Or we could not nerf veterans for no apparent reason and let them keep their three special weapons, the primary reason anyone bothers to take them.

Traditio wrote:
Imho, the idea of veterans not being in platoon form doesn't really make sense to me.

Veterans are just normal guardsmen who've been around a long time.

Why would they stop fighting in platoons?

Imho, veterans should be an upgrade option (like special weapons teams, etc.) to the normal infantry platoon.

My thoughts exactly. I would be fine with just allowing them to join regular platoons as an alternative to regular guardsmen.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 MajorWesJanson wrote:
I'd adjust Platoons, Veterans, HW teams, and SW teams a bit to make them more distinct and specialized.

Platoon doctrines: Affect all models in a platoon

Light Infantry: 6+ armor but gain move through cover, scout, and may trade las gun for las pistol/ccw

Heavy Infantry: 4+ armor for 2 points per model.

Mechanized Infantry: Must take a chimaera or Taurox for each unit in the platoon, but may move 12 and disembark, and stubborn within 6" of a vehicle from this platoon

Siege Infantry: May not take SW squads. Must take 1-3 Wall of Martyrs Defense Line, 0-2 Wall of Martyrs defense emplacement, and 0-1 Wall of Martyrs Bunker. While on or in these fortifications, models in this platoon are BS +1.

Any Sergeant may trade pistol + CCW for a lasgun.

SW squad- Sgt + 4 troops, may add up to 5 more troops. 2 per 5 must take a special weapon.

HW squad- 3 HW Teams with Mortars for 50 points, may add a Sergeant for 10 points, may add 3 troops for 5 points each.
Change HW Team to T5, count as 2 models for unit size and transport capacity, may not run.

Veteran Platoon-
1-4 Veteran squads, 0-1 Veteran Command squad.
Veteran squad is Sgt + 4 vets for 40 points, may add 5 more for 7 points each. May take 1 special weapon. If the unit numbers 10 models, may take a second special weapon, and/or trade 2 vets for a Vet HW team. (same changes as normal HW team)

Vet Command Squad- Veteran Lieutenant (2 wound platoon commander) +4 veterans, 45 points

Drop Demolitions to 20 points. If one unit in the platoon takes a doctrine, all must take it.

You sort of had me until you started nerfing things for literally no reason.

I like the idea of Vet platoons. But mimic the structure of Tempestus Scions.
This makes a CMD squad optional (which is what I hate most about regular infantry platoons.)
Gve them the options of Heavy weapons squads.
Give them combined squads special rule.

Personally, I believe vets deserve one more unique buff to reflect their combat prowess.

"Double Tap"
When firing lasguns, las pistols, hotshot weapons or shotguns, a unit with this special rule fires their weapon twice. (Lasgun becomes 2x rapid fire, shotgun becomes assault 4.)
This wouldn't be an absurd buff (still only str 3) but it ups their threat level.
(Scions get this too.)

Another special rule I would propose for ALL of IG is this;

"Get that weapon off the deck!"
Whenever a model equipped with an upgraded weapon is removed from play, after all wounds to the unit have been allocated, roll a D6. On a 4+, that model trades places with the nearest model equipped with a lasgun or shotgun.
The unupgraded model is then removed as a casualty.
This would better justify the high cost of weapons in the IG armoury, considering their high mortality rate and often mediorcre BS.