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Sanguinary Guard Glaives


JamesI

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It seems to me like the main purpose of sanguinary guards is to take out units in power armor (or worse) while taking minimal casualties, which makes striking at initiative very important. In general, 2+ saves infantry will be armed with something that is ap2 (LCs or PW terminators are fairly rare, afterall) and the sanguinary guards, with no invul and the same cost as a terminator, are better off staying away from those and have the mean to do so.

 

I'd say mostly (if not all) swords for them. A two-handed axe is really just a bad power fist, might as well pay the points and get the potential to ID characters and damage vehicles.

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Well, unless you are one of those who argue that a model can only have gear that comes in its own box set, there are plenty of options. A single GK box would give you plenty of swords and decent spear-like weapons (for the hit-and-run crazy charge Dante squad with power lances).

 

If it is more axes that you would like, that's a bit more complicated but I do not see why one would want a whole squad to strike at S5 ap2 i1. For the ap2 squad, mixing power fists and power axes instead of all power axes may make sense and power fists are not that uncommon either.

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Its almost as though they expect us to convert and model these things! What the heck do they think i'm involved in! A miniature wargaming hobby!?

 

:)

Thanks for the support bro :P

 

:)

Anyway silliness aside, I mean, it is kinda a problem in a sense, because theres a lot of chopping involved in making those axes into swords, given the arm positioning and whatnot, unless you make super long-hilted swords......which I guess is alright, but might look out of place next to the other models.

 

Frankly, I liked them being just all-Power Swords. They are a good scalpel unit to support my other units, and are particularly good at ruining other MEQs. I guess its in part down to army construction; if you don't have another way to deal with 2+ saves, the axes might not be a terrible idea.

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Me too preferred them as being AP3 power-armour killing scalpels. I will run them with my currently modeled 2axe/3swords combination and see how they work out, but it might be very annoying to always lose up to 2 guys when you encounter a PF sarge.

The upside is, you can now use them to destroy GK-termies, as those usually don't run an overabundance of hammers :)

 

P.S. All the more reason to paint a Dantewing and run them as 5x swords, 5x axes :P

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I'm trying to decide if I need to remodel mine. I have 10, 4 axes, 5 swords, 1 fist.

 

I am considering making them into 2-3 axes, 1 fist, 6-7 swords.

 

I like having one or 2 axes in each unit, but think more than that is overkill. Which is too bad since I had split my units in 5th based on if they were armed with axe or sword.

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Axes are fantastic, they let you tackle those Units that have 2+ Sv ICs attached to them. They sit there tanking the AP3 swords, sure, but now you can hit with Str6 Axes. Hidden Axes that cannot be challenged out are really great guys-- my DC love them. That all being said, I'd go for the 3 Swords, 2 Axes split. Just happy I don't have to pay points for a PF anymore.
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They should be 2+ 5+FnP. They don't need to be striking first

 

They do however need to avoid Thunder Hammer Terminators at all costs though

But what exactly do you gain from axes if you avoid things with power fists or thunder hammers?

 

Since you are assuming FNP, let's assume furious charge too.. 3 attacks with a master-crafted weapon hit about twice, S5 ap3 would give 4/3 dead marine. 5 of them means 20/3 ~ 7 dead marines and if you charged from the proper direction, you most likely killed the power fist sergeant too. It leaves 3 marines to finish off in their turn, then you consolidate, move and charge something else. Even grey hunters (neglecting upgrades) will only kill 1-2 of them at i4, much less for most other MEQs. What's not to like?

 

By opposition, if you have axes, you get 2 hits, 5/3 dead marine per sanguinary guard. Striking at i1 means you are not unlikely to lose 1 guy before he strikes, in which case you end up exactly where the sword squad was in term of casualties inflicted. Lose more and then you kill less than the swords. Every guy that survives swings again before you do next turn. Furthermore, it means you strike simultaneously with any power fists/axes in the squad instead of being likely to kill them before they swing and every hit from a power fist is a flying terminator who's not taking off again. What's to like?

 

Unless you fight GK with 2+ saves and ap3 weapons, fellow sanguinary guards, or LC/PW terminators, the axe is not a winner. I would say all swords, maybe one fist to be a bit more versatile or if melta-pistols are not enough against vehicles.

 

Axes are fantastic, they let you tackle those Units that have 2+ Sv ICs attached to them. They sit there tanking the AP3 swords, sure, but now you can hit with Str6 Axes. Hidden Axes that cannot be challenged out are really great guys-- my DC love them. That all being said, I'd go for the 3 Swords, 2 Axes split. Just happy I don't have to pay points for a PF anymore.

That same 2+ save IC who will also have a 2+ save LoS! and at least a 4++ and most likely an ap2 weapon with which you will strike simultaneously. Seems to me like you may not even kill him while losing a fair few golden boys in return. You say they are awesome from experience with DC and I have nothing to dispute that. In fact, I quite like my power axe in a BT crusader squad (instead of the 1 attack power fist). But for SGs, I can't say I see a reason to take an axe. A spear (especially with Dante)? Sure. A sword? of course. A maul or an axe? Not really.

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Well, unless you are one of those who argue that a model can only have gear that comes in its own box set, there are plenty of options. A single GK box would give you plenty of swords and decent spear-like weapons (for the hit-and-run crazy charge Dante squad with power lances).

 

Oh it's not that they don't come in the box that's the problem - its the way the FAQ entry is worded.

 

A: Glaive Encarmines follow the rules as described in the Types

of Power Weapon section on page 61 of the Warhammer 40,000

rulebook, but also have the Master-crafted and Two-handed

special rules. They would therefore have the following profiles.

Range S AP Type

Glaive Encarmine - User 3 Melee,

(Sword) Master-crafted,

Two-handed.

Range S AP Type

Glaive Encarmine - +1 2 Melee,

(Axe) Master-crafted,

Two-handed,

Unwieldy.

 

You see, they spelled it out specifically that they are either swords, or axes.

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They also state that they "follow the rules as described in the Types of Power Weapon section". But I can see where you are coming from and it is not impossible that they would restrict it to axes and swords (after all, lances and maces are hardly glaives...).

 

I misunderstood your post as saying that you only had 3 swords and 2 axes in the box, thus had to arm your squad like that. Rereading your post and your answer, I think we agree that it can be any combination of swords and axes at the very least, maybe other types depending on your group's reading.

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Attacking at I1 is not a bum deal for ICs. It means he can't eliminate some return attacks before sub I6 models attack, but SMs are good at weathering attacks anyway.

 

The gain is he piles in last (protected) and has +1 str and the important AP2

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except he doesn't pile in last... he piles in at I6 and then strikes at I1 I thought?

Not according to the Rulebook FAQ. You pile in and fight at the same initiative.

 

Q: Does a model with an Unwieldy weapon Pile In at its normal

Initiative step and then fight at Initiative step 1? (p22/23)

A: No – it Piles In and fights at Initiative step 1.

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