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 Jimsolo wrote:

Nope. I admit, that's a holdout from the days of last edition, where I just didn't have the points for it. Even now, I am leery about the number of points in my Sternguard squad. A bad deployment for them means 365 points Deep Striking off my list and into the garbage. Adding another 15-25 points into that never seemed all that wise to me. With the new freed up points though, I may just.

When handing out CC weapons, I'd issue them to Sternguard Sergeants before Tactical ones. Even though ideally you probably don't want Sternies into CC, they're at least decent at it.

 Jimsolo wrote:


My lists almost always contain full squads anyway, so the 50 or 75 points that I would save from dropping all CC entirely really doesn't give me much benefit. There's not a whole lot I can do with it. An Aegis Line? I don't have any infantry that isn't either in a Land Raider or a Drop Pod. I could buy a single extra terminator. A Mastery 1 Librarian. An HK Missile or a Storm Bolter on my Land Raider. Or a CC weapon for my Sternguard sergeant. What else? A single useful attack bike or Land Speeder? Sorry, but no one has convinced me that taking away the sergeant's CC weapons is the most viable option.

50-75 points are 5-7 more combi-weapons on your sternguard. With Vulkan, that's re-roll to hits on Special Ammunition if you take all Combi-Melta.

But, since we're set on taking a CC on sergeants, I typically used to go with a simple power sword. However, I think a lightning claw is the best overall answer now.

 NickTheButcher wrote:

 Jimsolo wrote:


My lists almost always contain full squads anyway, so the 50 or 75 points that I would save from dropping all CC entirely really doesn't give me much benefit. There's not a whole lot I can do with it. An Aegis Line? I don't have any infantry that isn't either in a Land Raider or a Drop Pod. I could buy a single extra terminator. A Mastery 1 Librarian. An HK Missile or a Storm Bolter on my Land Raider. Or a CC weapon for my Sternguard sergeant. What else? A single useful attack bike or Land Speeder? Sorry, but no one has convinced me that taking away the sergeant's CC weapons is the most viable option.

50-75 points are 5-7 more combi-weapons on your sternguard. With Vulkan, that's re-roll to hits on Special Ammunition if you take all Combi-Melta.

But, since we're set on taking a CC on sergeants, I typically used to go with a simple power sword. However, I think a lightning claw is the best overall answer now.

I already give my Sternguard a full kit out of combi-weapons. (I'm really not kidding when I say I can't find any good place to stick those points. ) Especially now that Vulkan twin links the comb-weapons. I agree that for my purposes, the claw is probably going to give me the best return on my investment.

So having read the whole of this thread, I think....

Veteran Sergeant with a Combi-Flamer/Melta with a Master-crafted Lightning Claw seems to do the trick.

I kind of wish I had Master-Crafted for Iron Hands, I mean they are quite into Tech and improving/upgrading themselves.

IWND looks good on the surface, but I would rather have had Master Crafting and the 6+ FNP.

I went for the metla, claw and melta bombs. The claw works best with the combi weapon and satisfies your AP3 needs with re rolls to wound. Should win challenges most of the time.

I am not sold on melta bombs however. They don't do all that much more than massed krak grenades unless your facing rear armor 12+, which your meta does not seem to be loaded with. Even then, your melta can get the job done most of the time. Mc's also don't seem to be huge, and a single melta bomb strike won't save you. Melta bombs are fine for extra points, but with a claw and krak grenades you should be set almost all the time.

 Dr. Serling wrote:
I went for the metla, claw and melta bombs. The claw works best with the combi weapon and satisfies your AP3 needs with re rolls to wound. Should win challenges most of the time.

I am not sold on melta bombs however. They don't do all that much more than massed krak grenades unless your facing rear armor 12+, which your meta does not seem to be loaded with. Even then, your melta can get the job done most of the time. Mc's also don't seem to be huge, and a single melta bomb strike won't save you. Melta bombs are fine for extra points, but with a claw and krak grenades you should be set almost all the time.

I cannot count the number of times I've needed m-bombs and hadn't had them, so now I always carry them. While the sergeant will only rarely kill the monstrous creature, he can still inflict a wound or two on it (especially if it can't challenge him to single him out) and make the job easier for the rest of his army, rather than just sucking and dying.