Land Speeder Crew

[RebG]

Hi all,

 

After spending my morning commute Google-ing away I'm still left scratching my head in a little confusion. Most thing ive read say land speeders are most often crewed by assault marines, either from the company the force is based on or from reserve companies.

 

Can this role, in other circumstances, be taken up by say tactical or even devastatator marines? I ask here instead of the generic marine forum as, due to us quite uniquely having so many assault marines already on the table, who's piloting the speeders?

 

Im doing 'new fluff' Angels Sanguine so am using the standard codex astrates squad markings on the right shoulder (triangle, arrows etc) so need to decide how to designate these chaps. I don't currently run and tactical so there's a few of them sitting in reserve but the dual heavy weapons of the tornado speeder might lend itself more to the Devastator expertise?

 

Thoughts? Opinions?

[Judaz]

I have never understood why they would place the rookies in flying weapon platforms. I use tactical marines in my landspeeders, they are disciplined enough to be driving and shooting instead of assaulting things.

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

Land Speeders in a codex chapter (like the BA B) ) are crewed by marines from:

 

- the battle company's assault squads

- the 7th (tactical) reserve company or

- the 8th (assault) reserve company.

 

As to the matter of fielding so many assault marines and thus not leaving any to crew speeders, I never understood why that works without a TO&E change away from the codex anyway. So you're a BA battle company captain and you are on a mission with your company, now where do those 60 assault marines come from all of a sudden? A 2000-point-army represents maybe half of a battle company with supporting elements at most, so there would, just statistically, be no more than 10 assault marines. Even if the 8th company would be completely divided among the battle companies, there'd still be only be 12.5 more assault marines in a half-company. So yeah, I wouldn't worry about crew for speeders. Or rather, I'd make it a matter of what colour helmets you prefer on your land speeder pilots.

[RebG]

Land Speeders in a codex chapter (like the BA B) ) are crewed by marines from:

 

- the battle company's assault squads

- the 7th (tactical) reserve company or

- the 8th (assault) reserve company.

 

As to the matter of fielding so many assault marines and thus not leaving any to crew speeders, I never understood why that works without a TO&E change away from the codex anyway. So you're a BA battle company captain and you are on a mission with your company, now where do those 60 assault marines come from all of a sudden? A 2000-point-army represents maybe half of a battle company with supporting elements at most, so there would, just statistically, be no more than 10 assault marines. Even if the 8th company would be completely divided among the battle companies, there'd still be only be 12.5 more assault marines in a half-company. So yeah, I wouldn't worry about crew for speeders. Or rather, I'd make it a matter of what colour helmets you prefer on your land speeder pilots.

 

Thanks guys.

 

What you wrote above is basically what I found, and I know what you mean about thee dozens of assault marines. I'm trying to keep mine company sized so am sticking to the 2x10 RAS for now.

 

The support companies I get the idea behind, I'd just prefer my guys to stay 'in house' maybe they're out on tour in the company Battle Barge and come across a fight. Fast moving strike force is required (RAS) so maybe the boss tell the tac's to man the speeders so they can keep up?

 

Plus, tacticals are what I have the most shoulder decals for...

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

Battle companies shouldn't usually go 'on tour' without some troops from other companies and departments anyway, else the only vehicles they'd have would be Rhinos (even Razorbacks belong to the armoury), so I think it is not too much of a stretch to think that one or two squads of 7th Tactical Co. would usually be on lease to other companies as Land Speeder pilots most of the time. But it isn't at all unlikely that a captain would send on of his own tac squads to man the speeders either if no other personnel were available, so I'd just go with what you like best.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

I often think that people apply things like this too rigidly. Yes a Codex chapter has Assault or 7th/8th Co. Marines crewing Land Speeders but if a single Battle Company is deployed somewhere and they need two Assault Squads and some Speeders they're not just going to do without because the Codex says that non-7th Co. Tactical or Devastator Marines don't crew them, especially since every Marine came up through an Assault Squad and likely learned to crew Speeders anyway. "What's that Carcaterri? You know how to drive (fly?) a Land Speeder? Nonsense, boy. Your helmet is red, we shall simply have to do without that highly mobile Multi-Melta that we need so much. Go get your boltgun and prepare to stand around not doing much."

 

My BA army is Captain Castigon's 4th Company. The only non-4th units are a single Sanguinary Guard unit, a couple of ICs (Priests, Chaplain, Librarian) and ten Vanguard Veterans. I really wanted two full Assault Squads so my Speeders are crewed by Tactical Marines.

 

It is really up to you. It's your plastic crack.

[Res Ipsa Loquitur]

the only vehicles they'd have would be Rhinos (even Razorbacks belong to the armoury)

 

The BA Chapter Organisation doesn't list Razorbacks in the Armoury. True, they're not listed in the Battle Companies either but the bumpf says that each company, other than the 10th, maintains their own vehicles "ranging from Rhino and Razorback transports to bikes and Land Speeders".

[Wolf Priest Haelaeif]

I often think that people apply things like this too rigidly. Yes a Codex chapter has Assault or 7th/8th Co. Marines crewing Land Speeders but if a single Battle Company is deployed somewhere and they need two Assault Squads and some Speeders they're not just going to do without because the Codex says that non-7th Co. Tactical or Devastator Marines don't crew them, especially since every Marine came up through an Assault Squad and likely learned to crew Speeders anyway. "What's that Carcaterri? You know how to drive (fly?) a Land Speeder? Nonsense, boy. Your helmet is red, we shall simply have to do without that highly mobile Multi-Melta that we need so much. Go get your boltgun and prepare to stand around not doing much."

 

My BA army is Captain Castigon's 4th Company. The only non-4th units are a single Sanguinary Guard unit, a couple of ICs (Priests, Chaplain, Librarian) and ten Vanguard Veterans. I really wanted two full Assault Squads so my Speeders are crewed by Tactical Marines.

 

It is really up to you. It's your plastic crack.

 

I do agree, but that "needing a Land Speeder" part is where it usually stops. Sure, if they really need one - for scouting, for example, they'll send whoever is available. But when a company deploys for a battle with a less specific tactical situation, they'll usually go with their standard setup - because that is the way it is because it is most flexible. A captain could have his own basic setup however, so you could have a battle company where there are only 4 tactical squads because the rest are deployed as assault marines or on bikes or speeders.

[Brightguy]

Never made a bit of sense to me. My vehicle crews have black helmets. I assume they're specialists in that role. Anyone can do it, just as any marine can assault, dev or whatever. The specialists are just better at it, like the Rhino drivers and SR pilots. We don't seem to worry about reserve company marines piloting the Thunderhawk. Just another offshoot of the 1k marine myth.