Sang Gaurd

[Chairman_woo]

I think the people that really like them (myself included) do so because they are extraordinarily good at "moping up"/"bullying". Throw them against med-light troops like tac squads, guardians etc. and they will mow through them shrugging off just about all but special weapons (assuming you brought along the almost mandatory preist). Keep them away from the enemys nasty stuff and they can slash away merily for most of the game doing in all those nuisance units while you make a concerted push with the rest of the army. (Chaos Marines hate them)

They can be waaaaaaaay more efficient than a regular assault squad in this role due to their ability to almost ignore small arms & regular CC attacks and thus knobble a few units without taking much if anything in the way of losses, plus their bolters are pretty dammned good once you get below a 3+ save (enough to hurt most hoard type units enough to make a charge stick I find).

 

Naturally if the enemy gets the jump on them with the right (or rather wrong) unit they are little more than expensive golden toast, but when ap2/special CC arnt a big issue (lootas, tacticals, devs etc.) they are like a RAS on speed and steroids! (for about the same kind of points as a well tooled RAS).

[BrotherMoses]

They're pretty sweet if its your thing. I'd get them all special pistols in a squad and stick them with Dante. They land precisely where you wish and can use their pistols to great effect. AND they have hit and run so they'll be using them again soon. I don't use them for personal reasons, but no they're not bad if used properly.

[Joasht]

And if you cant get teh drop on a squad of Banshees, then I'd suggest that you need to alter your target priorities or practice baiting them... Last time I faced them, I fed a 10-strong banshee squad a 5 man tactical squad (just bolters) then the LRC and AC pred ate them in a storm of close range gunfire. You just have to get in to the positon that if he doesnt charge your bait squad, you'll toast him in your next turn.

 

Banshees now aren't that big an issue, back in 3rd edition you could disembark and then charge, which gave them a virtually unbaitable threat distance (12" move + 2" disembark + D6" fleet + 6" charge). Granted my paranoia comes from a long-outdated combat situation and that I *probably* won't see anything the likes of that in 5th ed, it doesn't discount the fact there are still many other squads out there that can dish out alot of armor-ignoring close combat attacks.

[lorider2]

I like them against MEQ armies. Against xenos more wounds or the inv save usually helps more.

[SamaNagol]

They will kill pretty much anything they charge. They are excellent. But they are a luxury item in your list.

[Serath]

SG are very good for the points cost in my opinion nothing for 200 points in our codex is kitted out as well as them, however if you are charging any unit with a power weapon you better have i5 otherwise you will lose atleast one of your golden nippled wonders. In my jumpy list I have 2priests but I also have Astoroth who gives fc on a roll of 3.....if my sg don't get the roll I'll add in my priest and let them happily kill anything they want. I run mine nakid (even though nakid for these gies is very nice) plus the chapter banner because that extra attack can slay the power weapon in your opponents massive guard sqad.

 

And my best SG kill was a sqad of IG with a power fist in it, droped and bolterd killing about 6....my snipers killed 2 more and pinned them, then in my next turn the golden nipple power rangers killed everyone in a fc asault without a priest becuse he was killed by a bloody sniper....but can't complain it was funny because if I had missrolled 1 wound I would have been fisted by an angry looking commisar or whatever that pittiful humen was.

 

And that's what they are built for, your ras go after their veicles and our sg handle the troops like a hot knife through butter. They are the best basic infantry killer we have but they do take up a elite slot, but for some reason I don't usualy put more than 2 or even 1 ellite choice in my lists....that's probuy wrong of me but bugger it who needs priests when everyone is a dc model ;)

[SamaNagol]

SG with a PW Priest is tremendous value for the damage it can cause.