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I'm looking for opinions on a tactic I've been planning but haven't used yet. An Iron Hands command squad with 5 plasma guns (or whatever special is needed in the force) and storm shields comming in by pod, maybe toss an IC in with artificer or terminator armor. Anyone tried this or something similar before?

If your going to throw in terminator mine as well make it cataphractii and Grav guns.

I would not invest in keeping them alive. Drop them in blast something off the table or hurt it really bad and try to use cover as defense.

I thought about using them as a suicide drop squad, but the models I have that I plan to use for this squard are the forge world medusan immortals.... so I decided to pay points for the storm shields. I do however, realise that no shields is more cost effective

I love using the command squad as a melta suicide squad. They jump down in their pod and just blast 1 thing to pieces with melta. Cost effective and great for drawing fire.

I do this with great success using Grav in my dark Angels army.
They have a banner that grants relentless that helps the grav be even more deadly. I have also used Melta without the banner to save points and suicide kill enemy armor.

I so no reason that this couldn't work with plasma.

I love my command squad plasma. Sometimes I take an apothecary for the gets hots I fail. Then I take a captain with two plasma pistols for gunslinger I. Clos combat too

I've done something similar from time to time with a squad of Grey Hunters, 2 Plasma Guns and a Combi-Plasma in a pod.

I've thought of a full 10 Wolf Guard with Combi-Plasma in a pod as well, though I find that a bit rich, even if it does laydown 20 plasma shots when it arrives.

I like sternguard with combo-weapons yes you only get one use but its 15 points cheaper and it is better in a lot of situations. The 2+ poison shot is one of the most underuse weapons in the codex. I believe gravcannons should provide the majority of your ap 2.

 CKO wrote:
I like sternguard with combo-weapons yes you only get one use but its 15 points cheaper and it is better in a lot of situations. The 2+ poison shot is one of the most underuse weapons in the codex. I believe gravcannons should provide the majority of your ap 2.

Poison ammo is really, really good. But Riptides, Dreadknights and GMCs don't care. Makes me think twice about sternguard.

Martel732 wrote:

 CKO wrote:
I like sternguard with combo-weapons yes you only get one use but its 15 points cheaper and it is better in a lot of situations. The 2+ poison shot is one of the most underuse weapons in the codex. I believe gravcannons should provide the majority of your ap 2.

Poison ammo is really, really good. But Riptides, Dreadknights and GMCs don't care. Makes me think twice about sternguard.

Thus grav-cannons wounding on a 2+ with a re-roll forcing an invulnerable save, you have an army not just that unit.

Yeah, but I don't get gravcannons. So I really have to think. Which makes me think about them in all lists. Defensively, they stink out loud.

Jefffar wrote:
I've done something similar from time to time with a squad of Grey Hunters, 2 Plasma Guns and a Combi-Plasma in a pod.

I've thought of a full 10 Wolf Guard with Combi-Plasma in a pod as well, though I find that a bit rich, even if it does laydown 20 plasma shots when it arrives.

The good thing about Wolf guard is that if you get them Terminator armour, suddenly they all can carry storm shields for free. 4 guys with combi-plasma and another with a chain fist, all with storm shields dropped into the back is a scary thing for any opponent.
They destroy something turn 1, then continue to be a hard to kill nuisance for the rest of the game. If you get lucky they can tie up a riptide or dakka wraith knight for a couple of turns.

dsmith10 wrote:
I'm looking for opinions on a tactic I've been planning but haven't used yet. An Iron Hands command squad with 5 plasma guns (or whatever special is needed in the force) and storm shields comming in by pod, maybe toss an IC in with artificer or terminator armor. Anyone tried this or something similar before?

I do exactly that. Command Squad with either Plasma or Melta, Storm Shield, Apothecari (stacks with IH CT, so 4+) and Chapter Master (TH, Shield Eternal) or Captain with SS. Depends on the points. Expensive as feth, but they can wreck what you need wracked, the character keeps them alive or scares off weaker melee units. But it can't be a suicide drop, that are way to many points to waste. They need support, preferably 2 more drop pods. I like an Assault Squad and an Ironclad, or two Ironclads.

Bikes are just better in general BUT i actually have run the cataphravctii captain with ss and grav guns. It's basically invulnerable to anything less than S8 and can gib a unit a turn. My opponent actually switched armies after watching 2 rounds of 1000pts of shooting do 1 wound.

What is the reason to take plasmaguns over melta's?

 Singleton Mosby wrote:
What is the reason to take plasmaguns over melta's?

Because they deal more damage to anything which isn't a vehicle, building, or multi-wound T4.