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I'm trying to put together an assaulty Space Marine force for casual play - I've always tended to hew to the shooty side before now.

I've been eyeing up putting together a Skyhammer Annihilation Force together with a Flesh Tearers Blood Rain Strike Force, but I'm at a bit of a loss with how much kit to parcel out amongst the fighty troops. I'll have:

1XDeath Company Squad
1XVanguard Veteran Squad
3XAssault Squad

that I'll need to equip. Should I keep 'em dirt-cheap? They could potentially be getting re-rolls to hit and wound from the "Suppressing Fusillade" rule on the Skyhammer Annihilation Force, while the Blood Rain Strike Force assault squad will get Furious Charge to boost their killiness. On the other hand, I'd like them to be able to engage all kinds of enemies - including big ones - if at all possible.

Any Space Marine vets with some advice on how much stuff to give 'em? It's tempting to go nuts and start handing out hand flamers like candy, for instance, but I often tend to put too much gear on my troops and then forget to use it.

Any advice will be greatly appreciated.

Give the vanguards melta bombs and a few storm shields, the DC 2 X power fist and the ASM meltaguns, combi-melta.

Sounds like a plan.

Thanks!!!

 Commissar Molotov wrote:
Sounds like a plan.

You don't need a bunch of power weapons, as most units now fold in assault. There are exceptions, but that's what the DC is for.

Yeah, I was wondering about power weapons. I want to hit hard, but there's no need for overkill, eh?

 Commissar Molotov wrote:
Yeah, I was wondering about power weapons. I want to hit hard, but there's no need for overkill, eh?

Death Company have that nice niche where you get hidden power weapons and they're actually somewhat durable for a Power Armor dude. Definitely one of the better units in the Blood Angels codex.

I've honestly never used them - I got the small boxed set of 'em so I figure I'll spread their iconography over another 5 models or so to stretch it out to a full-sized squad.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Martel732 wrote:
Give the vanguards melta bombs and a few storm shields, the DC 2 X power fist and the ASM meltaguns, combi-melta.

Whoops, one thing:

2 of the Assault Squads have to come from the Space Marine 'dex, and they don't have the option for meltaguns. Should I give 'em flamers, or just keep them "stock?"

Maybe give one of the squad flamers.

I reckon with that many jump pack assault troops flamers'll be a waste, your biggest issues aren't going to be cutting infantry apart, especially the sort that flamers are best against as you'll probably sweep a fair amount

GAdvance wrote:
I reckon with that many jump pack assault troops flamers'll be a waste, your biggest issues aren't going to be cutting infantry apart, especially the sort that flamers are best against as you'll probably sweep a fair amount

They are not a waste because it is a shooting attack that ignores cover.

Martel732 wrote:

GAdvance wrote:
I reckon with that many jump pack assault troops flamers'll be a waste, your biggest issues aren't going to be cutting infantry apart, especially the sort that flamers are best against as you'll probably sweep a fair amount

They are not a waste because it is a shooting attack that ignores cover.

This is true. It also helps against any Open Topped Vehicles you encounter as well, so long as something is embarked.

it's less actual combat ability it lowers your charge range and it's best against the types of units you are LEAST worried about with a marines assault army

GAdvance wrote:
it's less actual combat ability it lowers your charge range and it's best against the types of units you are LEAST worried about with a marines assault army

It doesn't lower your charge range often if you use it correctly.

I've found with DthCo powermauls work just as well against non-meq. If your taking a lot of melta you wont need the Pfists for tanks. If you do imagine your DthCo doing a lot of your heavy lifting, I'd stick with the Pfists.

With an unmodified deep strike the formations unliky to land close enough to use flamers. My buddys are cool enough to let me use it as a BAs formation, thereby getting some help from DOA. I just take furious charge as my chapter tactics :( If the unit they charge was pinned because of the formation's special rule you can re-roll to hit and wound. This makes the purchase of Pweapons more attractive. Against anyone but necrons (with their 10Ld) I'd say it's worth it.

 Red Marine wrote:
I've found with DthCo powermauls work just as well against non-meq. If your taking a lot of melta you wont need the Pfists for tanks. If you do imagine your DthCo doing a lot of your heavy lifting, I'd stick with the Pfists.

With an unmodified deep strike the formations unliky to land close enough to use flamers. My buddys are cool enough to let me use it as a BAs formation, thereby getting some help from DOA. I just take furious charge as my chapter tactics :( If the unit they charge was pinned because of the formation's special rule you can re-roll to hit and wound. This makes the purchase of Pweapons more attractive. Against anyone but necrons (with their 10Ld) I'd say it's worth it.

See, because of the special Skyhammer rules they get to use the jump packs in both the movement phase AND the assault phase(and charge on the turn they drop) - so they might be able to get close enough to use those flamers with an extra jump move, eh?

I was also thinking of combat squadding all the Skyhammer troops - that's effectively 4 5-man squads of cover-ignoring shooters (gonna run them as Imperial Fists - 2xHvy Bolter and 2xMulti-Melta. the two heavy bolters and all the regular bolters will get to re-roll 1's to hit, while all the Hvy. weapons in both combat squads will get to re-roll the armor penetration rolls) and 4 combat squads of assault troops (each with a flamer). I think with all that cover-ignoring firepower I ought to be able to take some defended positions!

*edit* ah, apologies - don't know why I thought they'd get "ignore cover." Instead, their targets either lose overwatch or go to ground.

I really don't think Imperial fists are a good choice for a combat focused army, that whole formation must be one chapter tactics