Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

What's Dakka's opinion on these guys?

I'm thinking of a loadout somewhat like this:

-4vets - SS, poweraxes, Bike
-1 Apothecary

This puts them 25 points above a similiar sized TH/SS termi-squad.

In comparisson:
Resistance vs small arms fire (ap3 and lower):- TH/SS = 7,5/9 chance to save a wound, Command-squad = 7/9 chance to save(including FnP)
Resistance vs anti armour (ap2+):-------------------TH/SS =6/9 Chance to save, Command Squad = 7/9 Chance to save
(I didn't include the raised T, since most weapons that can wound 2+ saves don't care about it anyway.)

Close combat:----------------------------------------------TH/SS = 5x 2A S8AP2, Command Squad= 4x 3A S6AP2 + 1x 2A S4AP-
Ranged combat:------------------------------------------- TH/SS = / , Command Squad = 5x S4Ap5, Rapidfire

Movement:---------------------------------------------------TH/SS = 6' Relentless, Command Squad = 12' relentless

It seems pale in comparison to Grav Command Squads. I sounds pretty cool though, I'd run them with Power Lances so they look like a bunch of Knights on horseback.

 Feasible wrote:
It seems pale in comparison to Grav Command Squads

Yep. No need to get into close combat - swap those Thunder Hammers for Grav Guns, and you will annihilate your enemies a turn earlier than you would otherwise be able to assault them.

If your goal is to make a cool melee-oriented command squad, then give them power fists instead, and save 20 points. Or a mix of power weapons - you will get an extra attack that way, which might balance out against some types of opponents (while being cheaper). If durability is your goal, stick a captain or a chapter master with a shield eternal and artificer armor in there to act as a shield.

I normally use four grav guns and a apothecary, works pretty well. If are going to run them for cc I would suggest a mix of lighting claws / thunder hammers with a few SS. The grav setup is really inexpensive for what you pay.

I have been considering the Stormshield/Grav combo with a Beatstick lord up front and an apothecary.

If its ap3 or worse beatstick takes it. If its ap 2 gets LOSed back.

Would be great against drakes as well. Expensive but would be interesting to try out.

 Leth wrote:

Would be great against drakes as well. Expensive but would be interesting to try out.

Can't score, so I doubt drakes would be very interested in it to begin with.

Considering the squad can basically point and click remove most units in the chaos army other than drakes I think it would be pretty relevant. If you hide your units in rhinos on your table side you are safe from vector and for the most part flame. Wait till they show up turn two and then you have time to try and shoot them out of the air. Depending on where they place them you can use your movement to completely avoid the vector strikes. Then its only the flamer. If they enter hover then you got em.

 Leth wrote:
Considering the squad can basically point and click remove most units in the chaos army other than drakes I think it would be pretty relevant. If you hide your units in rhinos on your table side you are safe from vector and for the most part flame. Wait till they show up turn two and then you have time to try and shoot them out of the air. Depending on where they place them you can use your movement to completely avoid the vector strikes. Then its only the flamer. If they enter hover then you got em.

they cant remove the spawn with jugger lord. Getting to the oblits means going through cultist and past the spawn. Will do alright against plague marines out of cover. What else does CSM take these days?

I think a grav bike command squad is certainly good, but it's performance against CSM is hardly it's best asset. CSM with a bunch of heldrakes goes about trying to wipe out the opponents scoring units, tie things up in assault while a little cultist/PM unit claims an objective. It is hardly the most competitive of armies and certainly isn't the measure of what makes a unit good. People include heldrakes as allies again, to kill your scoring units. So units that are good against heldrakes are ones that are either scoring and immune to heldrakes OR ones that can kill heldrakes. Being immune to heldrakes, unnable to kill them, and unnable to score doesnt make the unit good against helldrakes.