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while rummaging trying to find some 32mm bases I discovered I have a squad of ten Mk III unassembled..

given a bunch of MK VI are in the near future wondering what else I can do with these as they will be visually distinct.

wondering, are veteran squads worth bothering with?

Pros:
- better than normal marines (duh)
- easier to give close combat load outs to and more options generally

Cons:
- elite slot is crowded, but cheaper than terminators so perhaps useful in smaller games?

thoughts?

leopard wrote:
while rummaging trying to find some 32mm bases I discovered I have a squad of ten Mk III unassembled..

given a bunch of MK VI are in the near future wondering what else I can do with these as they will be visually distinct.

wondering, are veteran squads worth bothering with?

Pros:
- better than normal marines (duh)
- easier to give close combat load outs to and more options generally

Cons:
- elite slot is crowded, but cheaper than terminators so perhaps useful in smaller games?

thoughts?

The Veteran's main advantage is as your toolbox unit. Everybody gets bolters, and can take bayonets and can be swapped for combi-weapons, shotguns, and Nemesis bolters, they can also take chainswords, heavy chainsword, Lightning Claws, charnabal and the Power Weapons. 1-in-5 can take a heavy weapon or special weapon ala 40k tac squads, and the Sarge can take the usual suite of special gear. They can also take Termites and Drop pods alongside the rhino giving you some deployment options.

So the main thing you want to do is trick them out for the jobs you need filled on the more elite platform. Don't be afraid to splurge, just don't go to far because you start getting into the 300pts range on a 5-man squad, just swap for Termies. As an example, a nasty little back-line disruption unit might be 10 vets with PW and sarge with a TH, loaded with in a termite gets you 355pts, 330 if you only want a drop pod and not invest on special chars for the squad.

A 10-man squad of Tartaros termies with no transportation abilities with the same equipment is 290, and if you want to transport them its another 350 points for a spartan.

All-in-all, veterans are a handy tool-box unit you use when a dedicated platform is too expensive.

Thats sort of what I was thinking, a budget option that while not as good as a dedicated unit can be a bit more multi-role at a slightly lower cost.

in effect fire fighters..

Not thought of the drop pod idea, do actually have an unbuilt drop pod here (somewhere)

have assembled them today, all with chainswords on the back which looks nice and is only slightly annoying for fitting shoulder pads. Idea is for now due to the lack of special weapons options they run as tacticals or a basic veteran unit.. but will later gain a few more models with special weapons added so while built as a squad of ten, they have say 12-13 models with a few options then it becomes list specific.

cheers, helpful thoughts

Wot the Prof said.

As a unit, they’re useful for filling tactical niches.

They look reasonably handy in a fight, and can pack decent amounts of firepower for a small unit.

leopard wrote:
Thats sort of what I was thinking, a budget option that while not as good as a dedicated unit can be a bit more multi-role at a slightly lower cost.

in effect fire fighters..

Not thought of the drop pod idea, do actually have an unbuilt drop pod here (somewhere)

have assembled them today, all with chainswords on the back which looks nice and is only slightly annoying for fitting shoulder pads. Idea is for now due to the lack of special weapons options they run as tacticals or a basic veteran unit.. but will later gain a few more models with special weapons added so while built as a squad of ten, they have say 12-13 models with a few options then it becomes list specific.

cheers, helpful thoughts

Sounds neat! As a bit more inspiration, I run a set of 5, Sword, lance, 2 sets of claws, and sarge with TH, however, their main job is to be emergency shooting. My WE list has almost no shooting, just pistols, the vets, Jetbokes and a Dread, so these guys are there to be emergency shooting as needed to protect the backline.

Going a bit further? Veterans with the right, wider list contextual loadout, make decent backup for Elite type units.

They pack enough attacks to help Hammer Units deal with hordes, either by pouring on a bit of Bolter fire, or having their Cod’s off with the business end of a Chainsword, the the Elite type unit squishing anything too tough for the Veterans to reasonably handle - without the Veterans being solely tied to that role. If the situation arises, Veterans can pull their weight elsewhere.

When I run vets they're most often in a Droppod,.
Don't have a terrax yet but it should give you
But they give you a ton of flexibility and are kinda nasty when loaded for bear.

Adding to my previous post? Vets with, as always, specific army list contextually “right” loadout make a decent ersatz Elite backup for Bog Standard infantry.

Basically? With a bit of cunning and careful consideration, they’re a specific threat multiplier.

Also known as Really Bloody Useful If You Think About What You Want Them To Do In A Specific List.