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I was discussing with a friend of mine what the best unit was for a non-terminator non-bike marine combat or multirole squad.

I'm aware that in the current environment these units are not really worth their price, but I'm interested for arguments sake.

Whilst it is probably Sternguard, they aren't really a 'combat' orientated unit. So just for interests sake, what is the best MEQ Elite unit?

The two that we boiled down to were White Scars Honour Guard vs Grey Knight Purifiers.

Honour Guard have a 2+ save. So, they don't really fit in here. Sorry.

Vanguard Veterans aren't bad, though.

They fit in a rhino, so for a lot of purposes, they have a similar dynamic to those with a 3+ save.

I accidentally hit the 3+ on the poll question. Just ignore that.

Which do people think it, in a vacuum, 'better'?

 Lurker wrote:
They fit in a rhino, so for a lot of purposes, they have a similar dynamic to those with a 3+ save.

I accidentally hit the 3+ on the poll question. Just ignore that.

In that case, it really depends on who you're facing. If I'm trying to clear hordes and tarpits, I'll take Purifiers any day. If I'm trying to clear mid-level enemies, like MEQs or even Necron-type enemies that have high wound saturation with mediocre armor (A 4+ save,) then I'm going with Honour Guard. If I want to kill someone with lots of AP2 high-initiative weapons in close combat, I'm taking neither.

Why no Wulfen?

Picking between Purifiers and Honour Guard...I'd give the edge to Honour Guard overall but that's only because Purifiers can't take Drop Pods or Deep Strike. If they could, Purifiers would be my choice as Cleansing Flame is devastating.

 JNAProductions wrote:
Why no Wulfen?

Wulfun are a 4+ iirc and this poll is about 3+.

They're a 3+ with Storm Shields. And Honour Guard are 2+.

In his above post he mentions that he didn't intend to add the 3+ requirement. My choice would be thunderwolves. Isn't much they can't handle.

Librarius Conclave with the right mix of powers with a pod.

Kitted out IH command squad on bikes: 3++, t. hammers, T5, FNP (4+)

Assault Centurions with a tanking, solid invulnerable character attached.

Wulfen with hammers/shields are pretty obscene. They always strike even if they die, recall.

Kitted out DC.

Death Company

Death guard Chosen

BrainFireBob wrote:
Librarius Conclave with the right mix of powers with a pod.

Kitted out IH command squad on bikes: 3++, t. hammers, T5, FNP (4+)

Assault Centurions with a tanking, solid invulnerable character attached.

Wulfen with hammers/shields are pretty obscene. They always strike even if they die, recall.

Kitted out DC.

Librarius Conclave lacks wounds and is easy to shut down without an escort. (Also, you're only casting two powers per turn if you use the manifestation bonus.)
That IH Command Squad is tough and strong, but incredibly expensive - You're looking at 315 points for only 5 3++4+++ wounds, and with only two attacks per model, you don't have the damage output to really . If someone has access to a lot of high-S firepower (Say, Scatterlasers,) you're going to die, screaming.
Assault Centurions don't have enough attacks to be a real threat to most enemies. With WS4 and two attacks each, you're looking at only 3 attacks hitting - 4.5, if you charge - And that's just not enough to deal with most real threats.

You're right, though. Wulfen are pretty obscene.

He also specified no bikes (so the command squad is out unless podded) which I would take as also excluding TWC's since they're basically bikes that hand out +1 str, rending an 2 extra attacks and no termies (so I'd suggest that the cents are out as well).

If you exclude the wulfen as the abominations that they are and look at power armoured marines, then probably death company, maybe VV's with shields and power weapons. Honourable mention to Sang Guard though.

If I had to choose between what I'd least like to see across the table though? Probably purifiers. I loathe being on the recieving end of cleansing flame.