captain_shrike Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 So I was wondering, how many of you out there take a Sternguard veteran squad? Are they any good? How do you equip them? Whats the best set up against certain armies/in certain scenarios? I'm wondering whether to have a squad in my army list. They could be pretty mean if taken in a Vulkan army, couln't they? What are your thoughts people? Let me here them! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hfran Morkai Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Sternguard ammunition is awesome, and this is coming from someone who's only seen it in use due to lacking it. Seriously you can give pretty much any monstrous creature/infantry a bad day with it. You've got hellfire which is perfect for dealing with those tricky monstrous creatures and high toughness targets, that carnifex can will roll 1's eventually! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2187990 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Mage Posted November 17, 2009 Share Posted November 17, 2009 Sterngaurd are what every codex marine wishes he could be. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2187995 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vash113 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Sterngaurd are what every codex marine wishes he could be. So the Codex says but I think Thunderwolf Riders are what every Codex Marine wishes he could be now... :D On a more serious note you can equip Sternguard to do almost anything. Heavy Flamers and Combi-Flamers are perfect for coming out of a Drop Pod or tank with and just annihilating infantry. Combi-Meltas are excelent at dealing out on demand death to tanks, combi-plasmas do the same for heavy infantry. Then of course you have the ammunition types, which allow the Sternguard to be one of the most versatile units in the game and without even needing a change in equipment. Dragonfire bolts are excelent at gutting Pathfinders who normally rely on their low cover saves to keep them safe, and do wonders for mauling Guard, Kroot, Orks and anything else with a 5/6+ save that tries to hide in cover. Hellfire rounds are excelent for wounding Plague Marines, Bikes and Monsterous Creatures. Kraken Bolts are nice for that little extra range and punching down Storm Troopers, Tau, Scouts and Aspect Warriors. Vengeance Rounds even allow Sternguard to gun down Marines like fish in a barrel. Heck if you take Pedro Kantor Sternguard can even take and hold objectives. If there's a job that needs doing, the Sternguard can do it. Wow I should really write advertisements... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188007 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Somar Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 10 sternguard in a drop pod with lysander are pretty bad news for anybody. one combat squad with 4 combi meltas will take out a vehicle of choice, 4 combi plasma in the other squad will maul any scary infantry unit and lysander hangs with one squad for a turn. then he leaves the unit and goes on a rampage hulk style. this scenario may vary, batteries not included... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188120 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Corpse. Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Drop Pod. Combi-Melta/Flamers, 5 of either. Drop pod, split them when they land. Take two targets out at once. Vulkan allows rerolls for great weapons. A rerolling BS4 meltagun is like having a BS7 meltagun. (Do the math, its the same %) Or your flamers are superior to heavy flamers with rerolls. Keeping the AP3 bolters in the process. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188208 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chapter Master Gabriel Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Sternguard Squad (10-man) Sergeant w/ Power Fist, Melta-Bombs Heavy Flamer (2) Combi-Melta (2) Drop Pod Face-wrecking ensues. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188217 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brother Captain Josef Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I LOVE Sternguard, they are awesome! I run mine in a drop pod with 2 combat squads. 4 combi melta + combi plasma to knock out that massive must die tank / monstrous gribbly / uber unit and other with heavy flamer + combi plasma + sergeant w/pf. They come in at a hefty 360 pts for what is essentially a suicide squad but I make damn sure they rip the heart out of my opponent's key unit before they go down. They are excellent against the super optimised 'one trick pony' uber lists that rely on one / two key units to do their hurt. I like to think of Sternguard as a kind of kill team to remove that threat and therefore I tooled them up to deal with anything. Lots of people stick them in drop pods and use them this way but I suggest to add survivability take 3 dp's and drop two in the first turn (as per usual). Teamed up with a dreadnought and one dp with deathwind missile launcher and the other with a homing beacon (or whatever its called) for your terminators/land speeder/assault squad etc your enemy will be faced with four very serious threats in his/her deployment zone. The final drop pod I reserve for a tac squad that drops on an objective at its leisure :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188350 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mughi3 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Buddy of mine runs 2X 10 man squads in his crimson fists both are set up the same- sarge with power fist X8 combi-melta X2 heavy flamer add in the special ammo and they kill everything they shoot at. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188388 Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhilArmstrong Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 only thing I worry about with the combat squading drop pod sternguard is that in KP games you are dropping 3 KP right in front of the enemy. 3 very expensive KPs as well. 360 points (as meantioned above) is nearly 20% of your army at 2000 points. Thats a large portion of your army. Granted they will cause a lot of damage, but will almost certainly be killed in the process. Do people who use these units find they earn their keep? (both in terms of points killed and KP earnt) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188390 Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain_shrike Posted November 18, 2009 Author Share Posted November 18, 2009 Do people who use these units find they earn their keep? (both in terms of points killed and KP earnt) Exactly what I'd like to know Buddy of mine runs 2X 10 man squads in his crimson fists both are set up the same- sarge with power fist X8 combi-melta X2 heavy flamer add in the special ammo and they kill everything they shoot at. Soooo dam expensive, but so dam fun to take, especially in a Vulkan army. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188394 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twin .44 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 There are very few times when my Sternguard squads have not made their points back in a game. That was back when I used only one drop pod with them in it, but before they attracted down the full weight of the opposing army, they did some major damage to it. For some stange reason that ork mob was halved, or that carnifex randomly disappeared. I want to try and run two full ten man sternguard units in drop pods with an Ironclad support dread and see how that does. So yes sir, the Sternguard rule! there is almost nothing they can't handle!!!!!! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188401 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 The thing to remember with dropping an expensive SG unit behind enemy lines is simply this... its a gamble... You take a chance that they cause sufficent damage to earn their points or give the rest of your army a tactical opening for later in the game... but its all a chance.. Just because you drop a SG unit next to a carni/raider/etc doesn't mean they will kill it... granted they are likely too... but I have seen them fail... and when they fail they fail big time. So please consider carefully when using SG what you will do if your precious vets die off before acheiving their objective. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188533 Share on other sites More sharing options...
mughi3 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Do people who use these units find they earn their keep? (both in terms of points killed and KP earnt) Exactly what I'd like to know Buddy of mine runs 2X 10 man squads in his crimson fists both are set up the same- sarge with power fist X8 combi-melta X2 heavy flamer add in the special ammo and they kill everything they shoot at. Soooo dam expensive, but so dam fun to take, especially in a Vulkan army. He is actually running a crimson fist list with cantor and sicarius LD 10 across the table and stubborn. the sterns are both in drop pods and they do a number on the enemy no matter if it is a land raider, carnifex or IG. So yes, they do earn their keep. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188541 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Antonius Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I'm working on building up my Sternguard/Deathwatch team. Currently, they are a six man squad consisting of Librarian with Avenger and either Gate of Infinity or Vortex of Doom, A single combi-melta, Heavy bolter and 3 regular bolters. The heavy bolter guy has a hard time getting the time to fire his gun, but it does come in handy once in a while. The next five men will be a double Lightning Claw sergeant, a Combi Melta, Combi Flamer and a Combi plasma and a Heavy Flamer. I'm gonna get them a drop pod also and maybe build a Deathwatch Captain to attach to the squad when I don't want the Librarian. My thoughts are to make a static support combat squad and a heavy assault combat squad. This may or may not work, but I think it will fit in with the Deathwatch fluff of the squad. While they are an expensive addition to my army, they have never failed to make an impact on the game when they are on the table. They normally run around in a heavy bolter razorback, hopping out and double tapping enemy units. Since I don't run Cantor in my army, they are just an elite choice, but a damn good elite choice. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188609 Share on other sites More sharing options...
DarkGuard Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I run a 5 man unit with power fist and 2 heavy flamers, joined by Vulkan, in a Razorback. When they disembark next to an infantry squad you just know that there's going to be hell, 3 TL-heavy flamers is not very pretty. Packs a punch in combat as well due to the power fist and Vulkan... Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188829 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Interrogator Stobz Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 How about: Libby, Gate of infinity, 7x SG with Combimelta 2x SG with Heavy Flamers Pod for 1st round reliability. land, shoot, kill, teleport, shoot, kill, ad nauseum.. Use cover and block the SG from return fire as best allowed. I sometimes wonder how any SMs get to become vets with the suicidal way they get deployed :yes: Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188852 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cadarn Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Only one problem with the big mob of Sternguard, and that is the fact that they die as easily as any other normal marine against shooting. One well placed pie-plate, or a couple of Plasma blasts and you're pretty much screwed. No matter how killy your unit is, you can only target one unit in your first turn. If the enemy has support to hand then you could very well be screwed. A phrase comes to mind about eggs in one basket. But then, it is such a pretty killy basket, that sometimes you just don't give a damn. :D Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2188965 Share on other sites More sharing options...
glayvin34 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 I LOVE Sternguard, they are awesome! I run mine in a drop pod with 2 combat squads. 4 combi melta + combi plasma to knock out that massive must die tank / monstrous gribbly / uber unit and other with heavy flamer + combi plasma + sergeant w/pf. They come in at a hefty 360 pts for what is essentially a suicide squad but I make damn sure they rip the heart out of my opponent's key unit before they go down. They are excellent against the super optimised 'one trick pony' uber lists that rely on one / two key units to do their hurt. I like to think of Sternguard as a kind of kill team to remove that threat and therefore I tooled them up to deal with anything. Hells yeah. They don't always make their points back tit-for-tat with me, but they usually make a good tactical advantage. Last weekend I dropped a 10 man Vulkan-supported squad with Heavy Flamer, plasma gun and combi-flamers on top of a 10 man assault squad with attached captain. They killed the whole squad and only the sergeant and captain (with one wound remaining) survived. The whole SG squad and their pod was wiped the next turn, so they arguably made up their points, but my opponent found himself without an assault force and short on fast attack. I've also dropped 2 combat squads, one with flamers and one with meltas, on some IG. They immobilized and stunned a Leman Russ and put around 8 wounds on a squad before getting gunned down the next turn, so it didn't work great, but I'm going to try it again. They're great for surgical strikes because they are so versatile, for anti-armor they have combi-melta and meltaguns, for infantry they have bolts and flamers and combi-flamers, and for heavy infantry (or SM) they have vengeance rounds and combi-plasma and plasmaguns. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189056 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Mage Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Why DP? Use a techy or lysander to bolster defenses... but them in cover, and us 30" AP 4 rounds to take down enemy infantry at range. Scare the crap out of a tau player with your Ranged Firepower. Suits get close? Switch over to vengeance rounds for the AP 3. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189096 Share on other sites More sharing options...
silversmith82 Posted November 18, 2009 Share Posted November 18, 2009 Why DP? Use a techy or lysander to bolster defenses... but them in cover, and us 30" AP 4 rounds to take down enemy infantry at range. Scare the crap out of a tau player with your Ranged Firepower. Suits get close? Switch over to vengeance rounds for the AP 3. Epic hotness right there. 10x sternguard in bolstered cover is an amazing strat. I hate how everyone just suicides things these days. I want to treat my veterans/dread with a little respect lol. Now the scout bikers? Weed out the weak I say! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189106 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Yay finally someone suggesting a non suicide tactic for their SG unit!! (you may care to note that in my IF army my SG foot slog with the rest of my army, and I also have lysander... 3++) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189148 Share on other sites More sharing options...
captain sox Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 In the process of building my SG unit. It will be 10 man with the following breakdown: 2 Heavy Bolters 5 Combi-Flamer 2 Combi-Melta Sarge with PW and Combi Melta Hide them in cover and fire like heck! When/if they are assaulted, unleash the flames... I think this will provide good support for Tacs and cause a bit of a headache for adversaries! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189262 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mal Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Personally I prefer heavy flamers if your going to take heavy weapons, as its the only one that allows you to move and shoot with it, and if targets are not in range, you can always fall back on your bolt pistols. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189484 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Grey Mage Posted November 19, 2009 Share Posted November 19, 2009 Yay finally someone suggesting a non suicide tactic for their SG unit!! (you may care to note that in my IF army my SG foot slog with the rest of my army, and I also have lysander... 3++) Well its not like their bloodclaws for the gods sakes! You cant just throw them away as a habit... veterans are a valuable resource, and you pay extra points to use thier abilities every single turn of a game you know? Hehe... and good to know Im not the only one who knows how to footslog. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/185065-sternguard-veterans/#findComment-2189489 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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