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I have loads of both units because I love their fluff and models. But I'm always abit shocked at how people love Death Company so much but not Sanguinary Guard. Imo, Sanguinary Guard are the better unit for facing anything with a 3+ or a 4+ armour save. They can munch MEQ like it's no one's business.

For 195pts you can have x5 Sanguinary Guard w/ master crafted two-handed power swords and AP4 12" storm bolters and a 2+ save with jump packs. If they attack a squad of 10 marines they get 6.6 hits with bolters, 3.3 wounds and thus kill 1 marine in shooting. They then get 20 attacks, hit 12.5 of them due to Master Crafted wound with 8.17 of them and so have now killed 9.27 marines. If that marine hits back they have to get past a 2+ save.

For 195pts you can have 7 Death Company marines w/ Jump packs. ^ of them with bolt pistols and jump packs and 1 of them with a power sword. The bolt pistols get 7 shots, 4.7 hits and 2.3 wounds, killing 0.77 marines. The chainswords get 30 attacks, 15 hits and 10 wounds, killing 3.33 marines. The power sword gets 5 attacks, 2.5 hits and 1.66 wounds. They killed 5.77 marines and only have a 3+/5++ FNP to take the punishment back.

DC shine when it comes to dealting with TEQ and GEQ. However, most units have a 3+/4+ so why don't people play sanguinary guard more?

It might just be my local meta, but hardly anyone fields San Guard here, and they all swear by the DC. What do you prefer?

Death Company are more durable to anything outside AP3 weapons specifically, and don't require a babysitting HQ to get anything done.

Add on the lower investment cost and you have no reason to go with Sanguine Guard. Even that formation letting them deep strike and charge doesn't help them, simply because you can get Assault Terminators to do the same thing.

AP 2 is too common for SG to be favored.

I like both units, but the points investment for DC is better for 5 models and as a whole they are almost as resilient as the Sanguinary Guard when not being hit with ST:8 weapons that don't ignore their armor save.

Also, Death Company have fearless, rage, furious charge, relentless, and feel no pain.

Sanguinary Guard have Furious Charge and Master Crafted weapons.

Weight of attacks also heavily favors Death Company. Five models puts out an absolutely withering number of attacks. The more saves you force someone to make the more they fail.

I love Sanguinary Guard, but they need a baby sitter in my mind to really come into their own, specifically a Sanguinary High Priest, or Chaplain. This allows them to hit more often with their fewer attacks per model in both instances, using different mechanics of course, and also in the case of the Priest gives them FnP too. If you're going to field Sanguinary Guard they almost have to have the chapter banner to give them the bonus attack, but that sadly increases their points even more.

Were I to run Sanguinary Guard, I would kit them out at 5 models, possibly 6, with 3x or 4x Swords, 1x Axe, and 1x Power Fist + Banner.

That grants them 3 attacks base (2 + 1 for the banner), 4 attacks on the charge, master crafted on all but the power fist model. Attach a Sanguinary Priest with a Jump Pack and whatever other wargear you wish and they'll mulch MEQ or worse. Sadly they have to avoid TEQ and other melee focused units that ignore their armor (Thunderwolves, Wulfen more often then not).

The downside is the Death Company will, more often than not, be a bigger threat to more targets, often at a cheaper price point for equivalent number of models and without requiring an attached IC, though a Chaplain goes with the DC so nicely I will freely admit. That's why people tend to prefer them. At least in my experience.

Hopefully that helps.

Take it easy.

-Red__Thirst-

I understand the points being made, but I tend to just avoid AP2 with everything I've got. I always deepstrike them in so that I can go after MEQ and avoid AP2. When I do that, I have great success with them.

Also, killing MEQ really well isn't actually that much of an achievement anymore, at least not in CC. The meta favours mass high strength attacks with maybe a smattering of high strength AP2 which Death Company is able to bring in spades.

Most MEQ units that are worth killing have additional saves behind them, whether it be RP, FNP or other bonuses that make sanguinary guard less effective in their niche role. Death company just have more versatility in their target range which is why they are taken way more than Sanguinary Guard are.

Things die in 7th ed at an alarming rate. Especially for BA, who generally like good toughness or invis or elite ICs to tank wounds. Plan accordingly.