Equipping command squad or vanguard

[greatcrusade08]

Hi guys, i have a couple of queries that i could use some advice on.

 

firstly im running Khan as my HQ, probably in a LRC.. now do i run him with a command squad or vanguard veterans?

 

What would be a good layout for this unit to make the most out of khans bonuses?

 

Thanks in advance guys

[FlamingDeth]

I'm not sure I like either of the options to be honest. The vanguard squad will get expensive fast, and the command squad feels like wasting a lot of the LR's transport capacity. Between the two I think I'd take command squad as they're cheaper and Khan + LR is expensive already.

 

Alternatively, option C: Close combat scouts! Ten man squad, BP + CCW, power fist + shotgun sergeant, maybe a chaplain to make them extra kill-happy! And let's be honest, you probably have a foot locker full of CC scouts anyways. ;D

[Giga]

If you're going for a LRC, then just get a nice big unit of mixed assault terminators. Say, 3-4 termies with lightning claws, and the rest with thunder hammers.

 

With 4 LC termies + Khan, you got yourself 21 STR5 I5 power weapon attacks on charge, with a whole bunch of rerolls to wound from the termies. Then, if anything survives the initial strike, you got 9 str9 I1 power attacks coming to finish them off.

 

This unit, coming out of a LRC, can very safely deal with just about anything. Hell, with all those str9 thunder hammer attacks not even monoliths will be safe.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

On the other hand, if you really insist on vanguard, I'd use them with my standard loadout;

 

10 vanguard

Powerfist x2 (one on sergeant)

Storm shield x3

 

That's a whole lot of str 5 I5 attacks on charge, combined with some stormshields and STR9 powerfists to smash faces. they cost more then terminators, but at least you get more bodies.

[Koremu]

Why not use Khan in a biker command squad? cheaper than a Raider by a long shot.

 

That said, if you are using a Land Raider, use Termis, because then the Raider is a dedicated transport.

 

Lightning Claws are definitely the way forward. S5/I5/re-roll to wound? Good for hunting 'nid MCs and anything lower. Add a couple of Storm Shields for good measure and you are golden.

[Cadarn]

I've been on the receiving end of Khan running with a Vanguard squad, courtesy of Thantoes and they hurt. A lot. Depends what you want, really. The Command Squad are more durable and give more versatility, but for a dedicated CC unit then I'd say go with the Vanguard as you can get more bodies in the unit..

[thade]

If you are like me and you are dead-set against using melee terminators, allow me to answer your original query. ;)

 

If you want your HQ escort here to focus on range, a command squad is fun: load it down with plasma, the standard, and the apoc, and keep them at range.

 

If you want your HQ escort for massed melee (as I do) I recommend and support Vanguard. Give like 1/3 to 1/2 of the squad power weapons, then a quarter of the squad stormshields, and fill it out with vanilla vets (the latter half is to soak hits, the former is to dish out the pain). I 100% agree with Koremu, if you have the parts; single lit claws if you do Vanguard, of course double for termies. I seem to recall we all worked out the stats together on this site some months ago, and found that a single lit claw was much more likely to score a wound than a power weapon (including the hit and wound rolls both).

 

I don't recommend kitting out a command squad for melee as there are only five of them; it's just not enough to soak a mass of close range melee hits. Everyone with an upgrade (and at five models, that's basically all of them) will quickly find themselves taking 2-3 saves each, easy. What you could do is take a company champion, two or three vets with storm shields, and the apoc. THAT might work (I'll try it sometime myself). FnP and a couple invuln saves might make for a nice escort. I prefer having more bodies pile out of the Land Raider though...and with a Crusader I have (gleefully) piled out a ten man vanguard with two ICs (typically a nasty CC commander - even Calgar - and either a Librarian or a MotF) and held an ENTIRE army on their side of the board for the entire game, all tarpitted with my vanguard and land raider. It let the rest of my scoring troops ease around to firing positions and hold objectives until the game's end. <3 (Before anyone asks, I do not yet have a foot-slogging chaplain, otherwise he'd be in there too.)

[greatcrusade08]

Thanks guys ill probably ditch the command squad and go with either the termies or vanguard.

 

I was hoping to avoid using elites choices as i want to run 3 dreads, but ill see how it goes.

[Thantoes]

Well you know me, I loves my CC command squad B)

 

It all depends on how you want your army to run and what force orgs you have filled. Remember that a command squad doesnt use any slots. I am also not 100% sure on this but I think for the price you will do better with the command squad. I know that my CC orientated vanguard are hellishly expensive and you can get almost the exact same load out with the command squad and you get FNP as well as the benefits of the banner.

 

Its also not about the numbers. More than 5 vanguard are too expensive so you will find you end up running with around 5 anyways. Which means that you are going to take wounds regardless of which squad you run (and this is where the FNP can come in very handy). They both get the same number of attacks. The champion is WS5 which is a bonus as well.

 

Honestly, I cant really see myself taking a vanguard squad over my command squad.

[greatcrusade08]

aaarggh too many choices, playing scouts is so much easier

[Thantoes]

Just done a comparison between my command squad and a similarly armed vanguard squad.

 

The vanguard squad come out 20 points cheaper HOWEVER it does not have the combat shield, the banner or the FNP. Neither does it have a guy with WS 5

[thade]

What a vanguard does have is numbers. Don't make the mistake of equipping all of them or they will get prohibitive fast.

 

I field 3 dreads pretty routinely, GC08; and when I do I use Master of the Forge so I can still get terminators on the table. He's pretty nasty in CC (if that unit has no power weapon, he will wreck them with a 2+ save and a full servo harness) and his Bolster ability is very nice for ruins that my sniper scouts might hide in. =) 2+ cover save. Not to mention that he has a 4+ chance of fixing a non-wrecked vehicle of what ails it.

 

Or give him one of those pretty color-spray gunz and own some faces with him (from said bolstered building).

[alloyslayer]

go with a vanguard squad! after ultra meet 3 i can't stop telling people how great vanguard can be if used properly, don't go too heavy on extra equipment(power fist's/weapons) add a few extra bodie's and a couple of storm shield's and they will be devastating on the charge.