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Hi guys

Just wondering what special weapon would be best for sternguard squads I was thinking plasma guns ?

And is it better to put them in a rhino or drop pod

Cheers

10 Combi-melta in a pod is unbeatable.

Combi weapons, so they don't lose their special ammo. Or heavy flamers, because they're one of the few squads that can take them. Pods if you have other pods to go with them, or rhinos if most the rest of your army is in rhinos.

And don't forget a salamander dude who makes all those guns master crafted.

-Matt

 riverhawks32 wrote:
10 Combi-melta in a pod is unbeatable.

That is crazy expensive as a unit though...? At what point are you willing to stop and say, that enough on that unit? That is already close to 355 points....curious to know, is that squad worth what it does and I havent tested out anything like this so curious myself?
100% agree with the combi weapons....keep their bolters!

 riverhawks32 wrote:
10 Combi-melta in a pod is unbeatable.

Thats expensive as hell and also overkill. Most vehicles can't survive a hit from more than 2 meltas at melta range, 10 is completely overdoing it. And Sternguard with meltaguns are going in a drop pod, which means getting into melta range, which means landing right next to the enemy, which means they will likely die the next turn, which means you'll never get to use the rest of the combi-meltas if you don't fire them all at once.

Best advice I've heard right now is not more than 2 combi-weapons per five Sternguard. Keeps them cheaps. So 4 combi-meltas max, should be more than enough, doubly so if ur running Salamanders.

I'm just gonna roll with special ammo. And use a rhino instead of a drop pod. That way, they can move 6" deploy 6" and double tap kraken rounds out to 15".

 Ferrum_Sanguinis wrote:

 riverhawks32 wrote:
10 Combi-melta in a pod is unbeatable.

Thats expensive as hell and also overkill. Most vehicles can't survive a hit from more than 2 meltas at melta range, 10 is completely overdoing it. And Sternguard with meltaguns are going in a drop pod, which means getting into melta range, which means landing right next to the enemy, which means they will likely die the next turn, which means you'll never get to use the rest of the combi-meltas if you don't fire them all at once.

Best advice I've heard right now is not more than 2 combi-weapons per five Sternguard. Keeps them cheaps. So 4 combi-meltas max, should be more than enough, doubly so if ur running Salamanders.

Remember you have Combat Squads, you aren't firing 10 Meltaguns at a single target. Ignoring twin linked 5 Meltagun shots is actually probably about right if there is a vehicle that simply has to die - you get 3-4 hits, so should end up with 2-3 pens even against AV14, which with AP1 is enough to reliably explode it even if you factor in Cover etc. Firing only 2 Melta shots at a vehicle is very unreliable. Yes the unit is very expensive, its helpful being able to simply remove a Land Raider turn 1 every time. That said I wouldn't recommend running an entire squad with combis under any circumstances anymore, the slight price adjustments to Sternguard (slightly cheaper, but Combis more expensive) make running them in Rhinos as a midfield unit using their Special Ammo the way to go.

8 combi-meltas, 2 heavy flamers. Evenly split between two combat squads. All in a drop pod.

I've been using 5 combi-meltas and 5 combi-flamers, deployed in a drop pod, combat squad them and then they survive a surprisingly long time.

You don't run special weapons on sternguard, you already pay for the special issue ammunition, why pay to lose what makes them good?

After much playtesting, i second the combi-meltas but not in tens and neither in pairs.
Now we can not overload with combis due to cost but having only 2 in terribly unreliable. You need at least 4 if you want to take out a vehicle.
Except when going for full drop pod lists, i also believe sterns are better now in a Rhino with 2 meltaguns, melta bombs and if points allow a heavy flamer.

I'm thinking that the optimal build would be 8 Sternguard, 4 combi-flamer and 4 combi-melta in a drop pod. 301 points.

•sternguard (305)
-10men (230)
-melta bombs (5)
-heavy flamer (10)
-1 combi melta (10)
-3 combi plasma (30)
-2 combi grav (20)

There are diff combis just for variety and to ensure versatility. The heavy flamer is there to deter Melee units with its overwatch and fry any high value units around.

The emphasis being the versatility for this loadout


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Ferrum_Sanguinis wrote:
I'm thinking that the optimal build would be 8 Sternguard, 4 combi-flamer and 4 combi-melta in a drop pod. 301 points.

it would be better to bump it up to 10men so you can combat squad.more hitting power IMO

Only ever give my Sternguard heavy flamers now just because they are so awesome at clearing away Defence Line armies. Other then that I keep them with their ammunition as it is the best thing about them and have the rest of my army focus on anti-armor capability. Sternguard in a Rhino with the White Scars Chapter tactic I have seen done and it is quite nasty.

 gmaleron wrote:
Only ever give my Sternguard heavy flamers now just because they are so awesome at clearing away Defence Line armies. Other then that I keep them with their ammunition as it is the best thing about them and have the rest of my army focus on anti-armor capability. Sternguard in a Rhino with the White Scars Chapter tactic I have seen done and it is quite nasty.

Ignores Cover special issue ammunition with 30" range says hello (dragonfire or kraken I think it is called).

 Krellnus wrote:

 gmaleron wrote:
Only ever give my Sternguard heavy flamers now just because they are so awesome at clearing away Defence Line armies. Other then that I keep them with their ammunition as it is the best thing about them and have the rest of my army focus on anti-armor capability. Sternguard in a Rhino with the White Scars Chapter tactic I have seen done and it is quite nasty.

Ignores Cover special issue ammunition with 30" range says hello (dragonfire or kraken I think it is called).

I know Dragonfire Ammunition is nasty but the Heavy flamers are great when you run into Aegis Defence Line armies that are all clumped together, you get way more wounds from that then rapid firing bolters.

I'm not seeing it, but that is likely because my Blue-Skinned nature would prefer to sit back at 30" and take little damage in return

 Krellnus wrote:
I'm not seeing it, but that is likely because my Blue-Skinned nature would prefer to sit back at 30" and take little damage in return

Its definitely meant for Alpha Striking style of play when it comes to Drop Pods as its how I think they should be used . Dont get me wrong, dropping in and sitting back has its merits, but due to a few nasty Tau Gunline lists in my area my Heavy Flamers LOVE fighting aggresive.

Yes the unit is 355 points. However, I have seldom seen them not make that back. I might try the combi flamer in with them as that sounds interesting.

My problem with all those points invested in stern guard is quite easily summed up in this:

4 intercepting riptides. I have to try and make my lists work with the assumption that I will be facing that much intercepting firepower every turn.

Then again the tau player I play against seems to roll really well on his intercepts.........

But now that I think about it as long as he doesnt get his blast because I land close enough that is

12 shots, 6 hits, 5 wounds so only 5 dead(without cover).

However there is the problem of broadsides as well.

So I see more than 1-2 combi weapons as basically eating it during overwatch. Now against other armies it is fantastic, but just hard to justify in a tournament list. Rather keep em cheap, especially since I can get the combi weapons in tactical squads(and they get better alpha strike with them with the UM combat tactics) while my Sternguard focus on infantry.

I run 6 Sternguard in an TLAC Razorback with 2 Combi-Meltas, although I've been thinking about switching it out to a TLLC Razorback to assist in popping open transports.

It's 237 points, and they can usually make that back. I got other units for suicide drop-pod missions.

Eh, when I kit out my Sternies I don't tend to worry too much about what they have. I'm fine with running naked squads provided they have fire support.

I don't mind swapping out special weapons either. Sure, you lose special ammo, but I like three type of specials/heavies, plasma, melta, and heavy flamers. The way I see it, losing special ammo for those isn't a bad deal, since plasma is basically better than any ammo I could throw out anyway (except maybe dragonfire for ignores cover in very specific circumstances), and a heavy flamer is kraken ammo on SUPER steroids. The one "meh" one is melta because you only get one shot, but dang, what a shot it is. If you're near your target, one melta shot is probably worth several of anything else, since it's an insta-wound against whatever it hits.

Take the pods, but if you are playing against 4 riptide tau, stop, get some wine to go with their cheese, mock them for their unoriginality, and deploy empty pods. Those storm bolters in the backfield are annoying and use your sternguard the old fashion way. Get within 18" and use your gravs.

What do people see in the Heavy Flamer with a unit that isn't Relentless? Or are Heavy Flamers assault weapons?

...They are assault weapons, aren't they?

I really think a mech transport and mid-range bracket is best for these guys now. They are extremely efficient with just their special ammo. Maybe get a DA libby for divination support. These guys are beast mode with a 4++ invul or even better, full BS on overwatch.

With sterns, mix and match in combat squads.

5 with combi melta.
3 with combi flamer, 2 with heavy flamer.

Covers both aspects well and ensures you dont drop within suicide range with all 10.
Pod the melta's, keep the flamers sat back as an assault defense.

Just dont pod against tau because they will die before they do anything.
You have more chance of surviving if you slog it on foot

Sterns just dont really do much against tau.



Against nids and daemons though, they tear through them with little to no issues.

 Wilytank wrote:
What do people see in the Heavy Flamer with a unit that isn't Relentless? Or are Heavy Flamers assault weapons?

...They are assault weapons, aren't they?

You got it, they are assault weapons. Which make them the only "heavy" worth taking on sternguard. Because let's face it, it you are standing still with them, you are doing something wrong. And paying point for the luxury of snap-fireing a weapon instead of pumping special ammo into something is a sucker's bet.

The HF has a lot of synergy with most of the special ammo as well.

Wait, I've said this before. <rambles off to search through his own posts> Back:

The HF has always been the weapon I thought it might be worth giving up the special ammo for. While not perfect, it synergizes well with most of the ammo options.

It ignores cover.
While not poisoned, It is S5. So has a chance to wound most things
While lacking the range of the kracken bolts, it is AP4, so has something in common
It's not cutting through 3+ saves like the vengence rounds, but between the S and the number of targets, it should force a good number of saves.

It's an assault heavy, so fits in the aggressive, on the move nature of sternguard. You get the wall of death to deter being charged. Because let's face it, if you are in double-tap range, you are in charge range.

Another perk I utilized in a game last weekend was multi-unit hits with the template. My sternguard podded down, and unloaded the 2+ ammo into a greater demon. The HF positioned himself to catch part of a squad of plaguebearers, roasting a half dozen of them.

silvu wrote:
I've been using 5 combi-meltas and 5 combi-flamers, deployed in a drop pod, combat squad them and then they survive a surprisingly long time.

That way you can combat squad, blow up a transport and then fry the guys who just came out of it.

 Jimsolo wrote:
8 combi-meltas, 2 heavy flamers. Evenly split between two combat squads. All in a drop pod.

can you put two different units in the same transport ? I thoughtt that was a no-no.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong