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So I've been having success running a command squad with 4x plasma, 1x storm shield, 1x power weapon with a 2+Sv character attached(Vulkan). I kind of want to increase the durability by switching out the power weapon for another storm shield to look out sit the s8+ ap2 or lower, instant death shots that would threaten Vulkan. Is losing that extra Ap HtH hits worth the extra storm shield in your opinion.

Just put the Storm Shields and the Power Weapons on different models. If you're using them as ablative wounds for LOS then you don't want to be sacrificing a model with a power weapon on it anyway.

Well it would be a direct point for point replacement because I am out of points in the list. And if it came down to it yes they are ablative, durable(FNP, 2+save, multiple 3++), Killy wounds. I'd rather lose a 50 point model with a 66% chance of saving anything than a 190 point warlord.

do you really need the storm shield to protect Vulkan from ID? he gets a 2+ look out sir followed by a 3+ invul save. so a ID shot if allocated on Vulkan only has like a 6% chance to kill him.

I also want the plasma guns to keep firing ala not being dead :p So I feel like this squad works by mitigating damage and moving stuff around. I take it you think the power sword is a better choice? I've been quite successful with the power sword in meq challenges. I was just thinking of giving the squad 1 more invul save instead.

So, I might be misunderstanding, so please forgive, but are you talking about a squad like this:

Honor Guard w/ Plasmagun/SS
Honor Guard w/ Plasmagun/SS
Honor Guard w/ Plasmagun/Power Sword
Honor Guard w/ Plasmagun/Power Sword
Apothecary

Is that right or waaaaaaay off? Lol
Thanks!
T-

It's off but not way off. The squad I wanna do is this.

Command squad w/
Veteran w/plasma gun
Veteran w/plasma gun
Veteran w/plasma gun, storm shield
Veteran w/plasma gun, storm shield
Apothecary

Instead of this squad that I've been running which is
Vet w/plasma
Vet w/plasma
Vet w/plasma
Vet w/plasma, storm shield, power weapon
Apothecary

If you have a character with a PW already attached then you could do the dual shield version without losing too much CC punch.

As a side note, Vulkan cannot take a command squad on his own, you would need another captain to access it.

Yep I take Vulkan and Lysander at 2k. They offer amazing synergy. Lysander rolls with a tooled up sternguard squad and Vulkan rolls with the command squad. And the power weapon attached to the command squad is the spear of Vulkan so str 6 master crafted ap3 digital lasers.

I wasn't really sure the restrictions for having a ranged weapon paired with something like a Storm Shield. I've wanted to get a Command Squad for my Salamanders for quite some time now, but never got around to it.
I run Vulkan He'stan often, but as a rule. There are times I run one of two different Captains, Chaplain or Librarian just for variety.

A Captain with an Assault or Terminator squad and a Librarian with Divination leading a plasma Honor Guard would be nice too. I run a Jump Librarian with a squad of x4 Plasma Jump Honor Guard/Sanguinary Novitiate to nice effect. The re-rolls to hit and the addition of FnP makes the Gets Hot! almost nonexistent!

Thanks for the clarification!
T-

C:SM doesn't get divination ;(. Which is why I haven't been rolling with anything but allied librarians which doesn't allow them in my Vulkan/CS drop pod. I'd kill to have a Libby with prescience attached to 4 plasma guns, twin linked heavy flamer, multiple invulns squad. But I guess there is a reason we don't have it.

And there isn't a restriction for putting storm shields on command squad members. You switch out the bolter/pistol for a plasma, then any member of the squad can take a storm shield.

There is really no point adding a storm shield to a plasma command.

Except adding durability to a scary killy squad... Thanks for that terribly un-inciteful unbelievably unhelpful opinion.

Put your command squad on bikes instead of giving them storm shields, since this both increases their toughness, gives them speed, gives them a mobile cover save, and allows FNP against everything but str 10 and special stuff.

Or you could add some storm shields. Defiantly a better use a points.

A biker command squad is definately something I've thought about. That would also allow my warlord to not be on the front lines(despite being quite unfluffy for a space marine;p). I just don't have points for that in the list I've been running. A bike command squad with plasma is what 265 without any invulns? My squad I'm running is 240 with the storm shields and drop pod which isn't as big a difference as I was thinking initially. But with bikes they'd be exposed more often than in the pod as they'd start on the board. Thanks for actually bringing something helpful to think about. Because I can def shave 25 points to get the bikers in. I might give that a try soon, especially since I already run attack bikes they could synergize well together.

Be aware that one of the greatest threats to a unit like that isn't ID weapons, but volley fire from line weapons. That squad can easily survive high strength low AP weapons, but the lack of bodies makes basic fire more dangerous. Even with 3+/3++ enough flashlights can still drop the squad.

The bikes help make volley fire less of a pain against everyone but DE

Yah the way I mitigate damage to the squad from small arms at the moment is by attaching a IC with 2+ saves and multiple wounds. 2+ save with FNP is pretty hard to crush threw.

Chancetragedy wrote:
Yah the way I mitigate damage to the squad from small arms at the moment is by attaching a IC with 2+ saves and multiple wounds. 2+ save with FNP is pretty hard to crush threw.

A single lascannon disagrees.

That's why I have storm shields...

Chancetragedy wrote:
That's why I have storm shields...

And that's why lascannons rarely shoot alone. 3 Lascannon hits, and you've got a dead IC. Heck, even one, and you've got a 33% chance that he dies on the spot.

The tooled up command squad is something I love for vanilla players to sink their points into. Frag their transport, and then proceed to torrent them to death. If this takes a few turns, who cares, they are on foot. T4 W1 is a bitch on models that end up costing so much.

 CaptainGrey wrote:

Chancetragedy wrote:
That's why I have storm shields...

And that's why lascannons rarely shoot alone. 3 Lascannon hits, and you've got a dead IC. Heck, even one, and you've got a 33% chance that he dies on the spot.

Uhh what? It's like a 5% chance an ic with storm shield equivalent in a squad dies to 1 las cannon. Afte to hit, to wound, look out sir, and invulns it's nowhere even close to 33%. That's why I wanted more storm shields and was hoping for discussion about that. But everyone just wants to talk about other stuff with little thought into anything their saying. So thanks anyways to those who tried.

Chancetragedy wrote:

 CaptainGrey wrote:

Chancetragedy wrote:
That's why I have storm shields...

And that's why lascannons rarely shoot alone. 3 Lascannon hits, and you've got a dead IC. Heck, even one, and you've got a 33% chance that he dies on the spot.

Uhh what? It's like a 5% chance an ic with storm shield equivalent in a squad dies to 1 las cannon. Afte to hit, to wound, look out sir, and invulns it's nowhere even close to 33%. That's why I wanted more storm shields and was hoping for discussion about that. But everyone just wants to talk about other stuff with little thought into anything their saying. So thanks anyways to those who tried.

In my opinion, yes go with the Storm Shield. Basically a squad like that, once they're in range to fire, will draw enemy fire until they die. Surviving longer gives the rest of your army more time to work.
The power weapon is only useful in rare situations, if you're charged by a horde they don't care about power weapons. If you're charged by MEQs you're overwatching Vulkan's heavy flamer and a bunch of plasma shots. There's a good chance that overwatch will scare off anything with 3+ saves anyway. Against TEQs a power axe may help, but if you're that close to TEQs I hope you were blasting them with plasma.
If you launch an assault yourself you're not firing your plasmaguns.