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'ello

I would like to try an Armoured Shield formation. Do you have any experiences with it? Is it any good?

My plan:
Leman Russ Eradicator /w HB sponons and HS
Infantry Squad /w flamer, sergeant with boltgun
Commissar /w bolt pistol and power sword (default)

It's not a bad plan. The Eradicator is good at digging people out of cover, and with full sponson loadout you've got a lot of supporting dakka. It's a great antipersonnel unit that can turn its eye to bikes and light skimmers as needed.

The Armoured Shield is cool. The formation gives the infantry a 4+ cover save near the tank, but the key thing is that they don't have to be behind it to do so. Put them out front, and the tank gets a 5+ cover save from them, whilst providing a 4+ cover save to them. In addition, they provide a nice, stubborn 'bubble wrap' to protect the tank from assault units - they're never going to win combat but with the Commissar to hand they'll probably need to be wiped out to the last man.

Weapons-wise; the Bolter is a good idea because it's decent firepower for a point. I'd probably take the commissar with a close combat weapon (it needn't be a power sword if you don't want it to be) and consider a bolter instead of the bolt pistol if he has the option. The squad is going to be formed up as a defensive gunline to screen the tank; there's no need to move them up the field.

A flamer is okay - because it can shoot at counterchargers - but again, if you're walking calmly up the board and not planning to assault anyone, a grenade launcher may do you more good.

The heavy weapon team is more situational. The tank can move 6" a turn and still fire the lot, as can the rifles and special weapon. At the same time, there's a good chance you're not going to want to move much - you've got a 36" range from the tank and no particular desire to get up close, so even if you move once then 'park' yourself for the game, you'll probably get enough mileage out of a heavy bolter team to justify ten points in buying one.

Thank you sir for feedback.
I want to use it as a objective-capping unit so first roll up to the objective with the tank, blast everybody to hell and infantry sweeps the rest.
I also tought about a Meltagun in case of some armor showed up.
My list contains a Vanquisher and an Avenger, but still. Maybe a Krak grenades?

The Commissar's loadout cannot be changed. It's given as it is.

I don't even know what to do with the HWT. They are not a part of the formation. Not required.
Maybe it's covered in the rules which comes with the Start Collecting! box. I don't have that.

I don't even know what to do with the HWT. They are not a part of the formation. Not required.
Maybe it's covered in the rules which comes with the Start Collecting! box. I don't have that.

The infantry squad has the option of swapping two guardsmen for a heavy weapon team. The model is there to allow you to do so - no other reason.

I want to use it as a objective-capping unit so first roll up to the objective with the tank, blast everybody to hell and infantry sweeps the rest.

Fair enough. Bin the heavy weapon, then, but still move the infantry ahead of the tank; they still get the cover save in front, and they'll take a lot more killing by enemy assault units than the tank. 5 Tactical marines charging the tank will probably kill it in one round; it'll take them a few rounds to bring down the squad.

Neither has objective secured, so it doesn't matter which you sacrifice to save the other, and the tank is almost certainly going to be the more useful piece - it has more firepower and a longer range.

Krak grenades for a 'forward squad' are not a bad plan. 10 krak grenades can murder a rhino or chimera easily*, but against something big (land raider or dreadnought) meltabombs on the sergeant will do you more good.

I probably wouldn't take a meltagun because 1 BS3 meltagun isn't really reliable enough - I'd rather stick with supporting bolter and lasgun fire against infantry and leave antitank work to the tank destroyers (vanquishers) or specialists (meltagun command squads, veteran squads or scion stormtroopers).

If you've got multiple armoured shields, on the other hand, having a 'wall' of squads with one meltagun each might be more useful.

* Be warned that apparently a draft FAQ implies you can only use 1 krak grenade. I sincerely hope this will go away as it's a stupid idea, but take the warning for what it is.

locarno24 wrote:

The infantry squad has the option of swapping two guardsmen for a heavy weapon team. The model is there to allow you to do so - no other reason.

Ah, yes. I forgot that.

I'll take the Krak grenades. Tank is able to kill them (rhinos, chimeras), but that blast might be needen elsewhere.

Thanks about the warning with FAQ. I have mixed feeling of that. I play in Marine-heavy meta and when a guy assaults your tank squadron with Tac. Marines and kills 2 of them with krak grenades, well... It hurts.

An alternative to special weapons (or in addition to a flamer) I believe guard sergeants can have power axes and/or melta bombs. Something to think about if you plan on having the commissar accept challenges.

They can, but I want to keep them cheap. They are still Guardsmen after all. Power Axe + Melta bomb would be 20p or 25p more.

when a guy assaults your tank squadron with Tac. Marines and kills 2 of them with krak grenades, well... It hurts.

Hence the Infantry Squad bubble-wrap, I guess.