Sternguard

[1Drop]

Right so I've just been looking at the stengaurd entry in our codex and it appears they can have some pretty awesome weaponry, multimeltas, lascannons etc (for 2 of 5) and I really wanna make some but I don't want to buy the metal models so first question, what kit would be the best to buy to build stenguard? I'm guessing a box of tacticals as it has the most models in it and my second question is what way would you loadout stenguard at 5 marines and what way would you load them out at 10 marines? And finally for combi weapons are these easy to make and can anyone li k me to a tutorial or something?

 

*Stenguard (whoops)

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Right so I've just been looking at the stengaurd entry in our codex and it appears they can have some pretty awesome weaponry, multimeltas, lascannons etc (for 2 of 5) and I really wanna make some but I don't want to buy the metal models so first question, what kit would be the best to buy to build stenguard? I'm guessing a box of tacticals as it has the most models in it and my second question is what way would you loadout stenguard at 5 marines and what way would you load them out at 10 marines? And finally for combi weapons are these easy to make and can anyone li k me to a tutorial or something?

 

*Stenguard (whoops)

 

Hello mate,

 

their heavy weapons are great in C:SM, as devastatrs are more expensive in that book. For us, they're a bit meh (the heavy weapons). You should buy a tactical squad to make them. Simple as that, their fluff doesn't force you to do anything but to mark their veteran status by a different paint-job.

 

As for weapons, they usually like combi-meltas. Like, five of them. Those can be made from death company I.P's and boltguns. I've heard good things about their options to take heavy flamers, so that might be worth it if you drop pod them in.

 

As for making that combi weapon, you van either affix the I.P barrel under the boltgun barrel and add the little tanke, or you can make yourself something that looks like a shotgun.

 

So:

5 men: Naked + the ammount of combi-meltas you can afford

10 men: 5 combi-meltas, possibly 1 or 2 heavy flamers

 

The biggest problem with the heavy flamers, and all other heavy weapons, is that you forefit the bolter. Oh, and never get them a special weapon. Ever.

[1Drop]

Ok thanks.. So I have like 3 of those DC IP's spare so I could make 3 combi meltas. If I'm gonna make a full squad of combi meltas I'll probably have to try and get some from a bits website or something, what's it like for buying IP's online?

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Ok thanks.. So I have like 3 of those DC IP's spare so I could make 3 combi meltas. If I'm gonna make a full squad of combi meltas I'll probably have to try and get some from a bits website or something, what's it like for buying IP's online?

 

Those run at around a pound on eBay. I'd dry to hunt down som sanguinary guard ones actually, now that I think of it. If you just cut those off the arm, it's as simple as gluing it to the bottom of a bolter. If you want, you can of course make a little indentation to make a better fit, but it wouldn't be the end of the world.

[d@n]

Sturnguard can take out most things, you have ap3 stuff for meq, poison for monstrous creatures, ammo that ignores cover for stuff that's hiding and you can whittle stuff down from 30" away . So basically you need to fill in the gaps i.e hordes and and maybe 2+ armour stuff, take a few combimeltas do deal with mech and 2+ stuff and a heavy flamer or 2 to deal with hordes (there assault weapons too). A powerfist is always nice incase you get assaulted by dreads ect, to whack open vehicles and to assassinate multi wound models.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Sturnguard can take out most things, you have ap3 stuff for meq, poison for monstrous creatures, ammo that ignores cover for stuff that's hiding and you can whittle stuff down from 30" away . So basically you need to fill in the gaps i.e hordes and and maybe 2+ armour stuff, take a few combimeltas do deal with mech and 2+ stuff and a heavy flamer or 2 to deal with hordes (there assault weapons too). A powerfist is always nice incase you get assaulted by dreads ect, to whack open vehicles and to assassinate multi wound models.

 

The AP3 shells aren't what they would have been in 4th. Most of the time everyone sits in 4+ cover, thus all they usually do is reduce saves for MEQ by -1 (and kill some of your own guys). I've found that the poisoned shells are actually the stars of the Sternguard package. I'd pay 25 points for just those and the shots that ingore cover for non-meq XD

[d@n]

Sturnguard can take out most things, you have ap3 stuff for meq, poison for monstrous creatures, ammo that ignores cover for stuff that's hiding and you can whittle stuff down from 30" away . So basically you need to fill in the gaps i.e hordes and and maybe 2+ armour stuff, take a few combimeltas do deal with mech and 2+ stuff and a heavy flamer or 2 to deal with hordes (there assault weapons too). A powerfist is always nice incase you get assaulted by dreads ect, to whack open vehicles and to assassinate multi wound models.

 

The AP3 shells aren't what they would have been in 4th. Most of the time everyone sits in 4+ cover, thus all they usually do is reduce saves for MEQ by -1 (and kill some of your own guys). I've found that the poisoned shells are actually the stars of the Sternguard package. I'd pay 25 points for just those and the shots that ingore cover for non-meq XD

I know what your saying, they take a bit of time to learn how to use them best. I generally only get to use the ap3 shells after deep striking them right next to stuff, but when they do get a clear shot there amazing, they made about 300 points worth of chaos zerkers disappear for me once after i jumped them out of there drop pod killed a demon prince with poisoned and the zerkers tried to counter charge and were not in range. Just for that one game i love the ap3 rounds :D but i do concede that the poisened round probably would of worked just as well.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

As you say, clear shot on MEQ, AP3 is probably better... eeer.

 

66.7 x 0.5 = 0.335 chance to kill with the ap3 shot

 

66.7 x 0.5 x 0.33 = 0.16675 chance to kill with ap3 shot in 4+ cover

 

66.7 x 0.833 x 0.33 = 0.1833 chance to kill with poisoned

 

Mathammer at it's finest xD Although I might be off a bit.

 

Quite a bit better I see.

[1Drop]

Mathhammer eludes me, I haven't played in years and I'm busy reading the new 40k rulebook so mathhammer is a bit advanced for me at the moment.. Can't wait to be back in the game though. I've always been a modeller first and a gamer second but this time round I really wanna get the most out of my army and play competitively and joining this forum was the best thing I could have done, you lot have helped me undertake tons that would have taken me years to grasp.

 

Anyway I'm gonna make ten stenguard and I have enough bits to make 3 combi meltas to start with so I think I'll just start out with a 5 man squad with 3 combi's then add 2 more and 2 heavy flamers for my ten man squad then have the captin with a PF and bolter and 2 guys with just bolters.. How's that sound?

[shatter]

I revisited sternguard when considering the power of reserve rolls. I revisited what I thought was a silly SR loadout.

The more expensive a reserve roll, the better.

 

What?

 

That's right.

 

What?!?!

 

What don't you get?

 

How can expensive be better for anything by itself?

 

Well, I'm glad you asked that. One problem with reserving your force is the problem of piecemeal deployment. Getting 25% of your forces available each turn is an exercise in fail. The DoA rule circumvents a great deal of this by radically increasing the odds of a greater %age of forces being deployed in a given phase. Imagine if all your points were in one roll? On the roll's success, your forces are delivered at 100% in one turn.

 

But... vehicles don't get DoA.

 

Aye, true. True dat, as they say.

Corbolo can help, sure. As he's an IC infantryman, he's perfect for creating a ghetto DoA roll on a vehicle. But, the point stands, even if it's late in the game... How can your forces be destroyed if they aint on the table?

 

Err, what's this got to do with sternguard?

 

Well, if you're Deep Striking vehicles, they have cargo space (10/12/16 for Dpod, SR and LRC), and one may be late and pressed for turns left in the game to effect change. In short, waiting for a CC cargo to get into assault may mean they only have 2 or 3 turns to do anything beyond absorbing fire and hiding via no-LOS. A shooty cargo has 3-4 turns to do something as they can, with assault shooters, such as combi-m, special ammo (rapid fire) and HF, shoot and kill anything from the very turn they DS. Eg Stormraven lands, they pile out (like a drop pod with 12 space) and shoot with whatever equipment is appropriate (meltas & HF templates) at whatever target presents itself. next turn, they can do it again AND assault. Combine their shoot and assault power overall in a reduced turns game, and few CC units can compete in killiness for the phases to be played.

 

I've combined the SR TLAC & HuBs with 9 sternies 2HF & 7combi-m, a libby (shield and Urage) and 2 LC combi-m priests with a fragnaught (grapple and HF) for a very expensive reserve roll and it's DS and shoot phase has won me games and and bitter remarks. It's hard on the opponent when he can't shoot at much of anything for the game until then and must just watch you roll far too many vehicle damage rolls and then pass him far too many saves to make. For some it feels like they're thinking "Why the hell did I even turn up?"

 

Why HFs?

Try it and see what it does to anyone that castles.

 

Why not heavy weapons?

Can't shoot on DS.

[Rybnick]

I think Shatter's concept of a lot of poins in one reserve roles makes some sense, and I love Sternguard! Eventually I'd like to try them out in a jump pack/pod/stormraven list. What I have invisioned is:

 

Librarian - jump pack, X powers

Priest - Jump pack, Lightning Claw

Corbulo

Furioso - pod, frag cannon, heavy flamer, extra armor

Sternguard - pod, 3x combi-melta, 2x combi-flamer

2x 10 man Assault squad - 2x melta, power fist

death co dreadnought - pod, blood talons

lemartes

death co - thunder hammer, power weapon

Storm Raven - extra armor, TL MM, TL Plasmacannon

 

Corbulo accompanies the sternguard in a pod, lemartes and DC in raven, libby and priest with an assault squad. 2 pods come in first turn, with a lot of flexability as too what you have in them (2 dreads, 1 dread and stern, stern and empty pod, etc) second turn hopefully your jump packs arrive with the 3rd pod and the raven (corbulo's reroll and DoA help make sure you get enough in on turn 2).

[1Drop]

I think Shatter's concept of a lot of poins in one reserve roles makes some sense, and I love Sternguard! Eventually I'd like to try them out in a jump pack/pod/stormraven list. What I have invisioned is:

 

Librarian - jump pack, X powers

Priest - Jump pack, Lightning Claw

Corbulo

Furioso - pod, frag cannon, heavy flamer, extra armor

Sternguard - pod, 3x combi-melta, 2x combi-flamer

2x 10 man Assault squad - 2x melta, power fist

death co dreadnought - pod, blood talons

lemartes

death co - thunder hammer, power weapon

Storm Raven - extra armor, TL MM, TL Plasmacannon

 

Corbulo accompanies the sternguard in a pod, lemartes and DC in raven, libby and priest with an assault squad. 2 pods come in first turn, with a lot of flexability as too what you have in them (2 dreads, 1 dread and stern, stern and empty pod, etc) second turn hopefully your jump packs arrive with the 3rd pod and the raven (corbulo's reroll and DoA help make sure you get enough in on turn 2).

 

 

Sounds like a plan bro... I've got a question for you regarding the combi flamer, can you make them with a hand flamer the way you make a combi melta with an infernos pistol? And if so can you make combo plasma's the same way?

[Rybnick]

That seems like the easiest way to make them to me, just carefuly cut up the bolter and merge it with the infernus pistol/handflamer and voila combi-weapon. Fortunately I have a few combi-melta/plasma in my bitz box and enough flamers to cut up so I don't have to buy much beyond the tactical box for the bodies.

[1Drop]

'cut up the bolter'? I didn't think I'd have to cut the bolter, only the IP or HF and glue it to the bottom! Also what kits do you get combi weapons from?

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

'cut up the bolter'? I didn't think I'd have to cut the bolter, only the IP or HF and glue it to the bottom! Also what kits do you get combi weapons from?

 

That's pretty much the commander box. And black templars possibly. The cutting suggestion was to make it look more like tycho's, more merged than ad-hoc.

[Rybnick]

I believe the ones I have came from the company commander sprues, I bought a couple of them about a year ago for a project. Those sprues actually have a lot of neat things on them, from what I remeber a left handed power fist and lightning claw, combi plasma/melta, some back banners, a bionic chainsword arm (left arm), and loads of other flashy bits. I actually need a few more of the lightning claws, I failed pretty ahrd at trying to make some spare termy lightning claws into PA lightning claws.

[1Drop]

'cut up the bolter'? I didn't think I'd have to cut the bolter, only the IP or HF and glue it to the bottom! Also what kits do you get combi weapons from?

 

That's pretty much the commander box. And black templars possibly. The cutting suggestion was to make it look more like tycho's, more merged than ad-hoc.

 

I do like things looking perfect though.. What exactly would you cut from the bolter or rather how would you cut it?

[Rybnick]

I think typically people cut out the pump action looking bit right below the barrely and attach whatever combi part they are adding there. That might not be the best description but it's all I can think to call it at the moment.

[1Drop]

Yeah I know what you mean, thanks.

[Glendor]

Maybe I am playing the game wrong with my friends but we are not always in cover at all. Would this really help me out with shooty units like a tac squad? Sorry if this sounds noobish but than I cant move as quickly.

 

Either way I have used Stern guard to great effects I only have 2 combi meltas on a 7 man squad in a rhino and they are awesome I don't know why most ba players don't use them.

[Cpt. Blood Donator]

Maybe I am playing the game wrong with my friends but we are not always in cover at all. Would this really help me out with shooty units like a tac squad? Sorry if this sounds noobish but than I cant move as quickly.

 

Either way I have used Stern guard to great effects I only have 2 combi meltas on a 7 man squad in a rhino and they are awesome I don't know why most ba players don't use them.

 

Most players now wrap their own units in cover saves from their troops and transports.

 

Sternguard are not used so much as they don't synergise to well with the usual B.A choices.

[1Drop]

Maybe I am playing the game wrong with my friends but we are not always in cover at all. Would this really help me out with shooty units like a tac squad? Sorry if this sounds noobish but than I cant move as quickly.

 

Either way I have used Stern guard to great effects I only have 2 combi meltas on a 7 man squad in a rhino and they are awesome I don't know why most ba players don't use them.

 

Most players now wrap their own units in cover saves from their troops and transports.

 

Sternguard are not used so much as they don't synergise to well with the usual B.A choices.

 

I think they will synergise well with my current lists as they are mech and rather shooty!

[shatter]

Maybe I am playing the game wrong with my friends but we are not always in cover at all. Would this really help me out with shooty units like a tac squad? Sorry if this sounds noobish but than I cant move as quickly.

 

Either way I have used Stern guard to great effects I only have 2 combi meltas on a 7 man squad in a rhino and they are awesome I don't know why most ba players don't use them.

 

Most players now wrap their own units in cover saves from their troops and transports.

 

Sternguard are not used so much as they don't synergise to well with the usual B.A choices.

 

BA only has 2 elite slots.

 

?

 

2. That's right... once priests are taken.

 

I think the greatest reason is a desire to be different from C:SM so taking what was thought to be a C:SM unit in a BA list somehow betrays what it is to be BA... and our narcissistic imperative that we're right.. and they're not.

Space Hulk let us take termies and they have always been with us so, while slow, termies appear more and more in netlists. We have chaplains and DNs in the slots. Both are awesome and the DNs have special BA bits... that's gotta be good, right?

 

Sternguard? WTH? No ways! Those are C:SM stuff and they don't assault like a good BA should! BA shouldn't have them too!

Which is ridiculous as a Sternguard squad gets just as many CC attacks as a RAS does, has pistols like RAS and assault weapons for up to every member of the unit! So what that it doesn't score, it's job is to kill and to use the right specialised tools for the job. Which, is very VERY BA.

 

If anything, BA should get Sternguard and C:SM shouldn't.

 

Yeah, I said it.

[Brightguy]

There are a couple of nice tutorials on making combi-weapons in the librarium. That's where I learned to make mine. As mentioned, the space marine commander box has combi-plas and melta, no flamer though.

[JamesI]

I like Sternguard, I've used them in the past and will likley use them again in future hybrid/mech lists. Clearly they have no place in my DoA/Jumpy list.