Honour Guard in 6th

[LostGumball]

Hey everyone! Been lurking on the BA forums for the past few months. I'm thinking about making an Honour Guard unit instead of running a Sanguinary Priest separately in my BA army lists. I've noticed that not many players are using HG these days. Any reason? How do you guys run them?

 

I'm thinking about using Storm Bolters and Power Swords/Axes, maybe Combi-Plasmaguns since they're super cheap. I'll be using Jump Packs since my army is primarily jump.

 

What do you guys think?

[Sinful eyes]

If you want to, then go for it! Personally I think the unit is awesome; it gives you a good excuse to buy/convert some cool minis to add to your army.

[Joasht]

I think part of the issue is that the Noviate (i.e. priest) in the Honor Guard isn't an IC (so the LoS isn't 2+), and is forcibly stuck to a 5-man unit, thus making him overall more vulnerable.

[Red Fury]

I have a Honor guard ready to re-assymble, but here is the problem...they're too expensive.

 

If you want to go with a plasma/melta guard, I think those are viable options.

 

But, I was thinking of a Storm Shied guard to protect my HQ. So after you add 3 SSs and a bunch of PWs, and JPs, they end up costing way more than a Sang Guard unit. And if the HQ is Dante, the SG is scoring on top of it all. So with 2+ being SO much stronger in 6th, there is little need for the 3++ HG escort squad that I had planned and accumulated.

 

Back to the drawing board.

 

In other words, in 5th it was a good option to spend a ton o points on a HG with packs swords and shields, they could eat termies before they got hit back. Now in 6th with I1 ap2, or useless ap3 versus termies...you should just take the 200 point termie squad over a 300+ point HGuard.

 

that's the problem I have with them anyway...

[JamesI]

I have used my HG as a jumping plasma unit, but in the end I decided I was better off with 3 attack bikes and a jumpy priest.

[Zedrenael]

Unless you are going to fill a fluff role with this honour guard then like everyone else mentions you are better spending points elsewhere. I run a honour guard becuase I free handed the banner and I am not going to let that go to waist.

[Blindhamster]

I have a unit I made purely for looks, used them last edition in larger games.

 

Blood Champ, Standard Bearer w/ infernus pistol or power sword (both are holstered/sheathed), Sanguinary Novitiate and 1 w/Storm Shield and Power Sword and 1 w/Storm Shield and Power Axe.

 

Horribly expensive but fun to run alongside Dante

[Zedrenael]

I have a unit I made purely for looks, used them last edition in larger games.

 

Blood Champ, Standard Bearer w/ infernus pistol or power sword (both are holstered/sheathed), Sanguinary Novitiate and 1 w/Storm Shield and Power Sword and 1 w/Storm Shield and Power Axe.

 

Horribly expensive but fun to run alongside Dante

 

I hate to inform you but you can not give any upgrades to the Novitate becuase it says Honour Guard can exchange and he is not "Honour Guard".

[Blindhamster]

re read my post, novitiate is just a novitiate :blush:

[Zedrenael]

I apologize and resciend my last statement.

[Demoulius]

Ive got a combat squad setup with a Razorback intended for their transport :( Ive just never used them yet :(

[LostGumball]

Basically I have about five extra jump pack marines that I can't decide if I want them to be Veteran Vanguard, Honour Guard or just set them aside for another troop jump squad. My lists are usually rather heavy in the elite section and I almost always field my SG. I've also found it difficult to find points for my Sanguinary Priests in my lists along with it taking up my already full Elite section.

 

Maybe I just need to reevaluate my army construction since I do have these problems.... I'll post one of my army lists and see what people think I should do going forward. Thanks for the feedback!

[CitadelArmyGuy]

I'd say make them Vanguard Veterans. With only D6 scatter but 2D6 charge, they 'make their charge' on the drop more than 77% of the time. Just don't give them too much gear to make them too expensive.

[DominicJ]

My Reclusiarch has an "honour guard", its just a ten man RAS squad.

My captain is guarded by hammernators.

 

does seem like a reasonably cheap way to get a SP?

But havent looked into it that way

 

Let us know how you go on.

[Deschenus Maximus]

I'm really digging quad plasma HG. For mech lists they go great with a plasmaback, but jumpy is a fine way to go too.

[CitadelArmyGuy]

I'm really digging quad plasma HG. For mech lists they go great with a plasmaback, but jumpy is a fine way to go too.

 

Ditto this ^

 

Also, I once playtested a quad-Plasmagun Honor Guard footslogging of all things, with a Storm-Shield Terminator Librarian on point for tanking Damage and providing Prescience. They actually did quite well, suprisingly-- 6th edition gives them a 30" threat range, and they have really interesting Overwatch ability with that Prescience.

[Deschenus Maximus]

A bit off topic, but anyone tried running a Prescience libby with a quad plasma cannon dev squad? Sounds like it would be pretty brutal.

[LostGumball]

I'm really digging quad plasma HG. For mech lists they go great with a plasmaback, but jumpy is a fine way to go too.

 

Ditto this ^

 

Also, I once playtested a quad-Plasmagun Honor Guard footslogging of all things, with a Storm-Shield Terminator Librarian on point for tanking Damage and providing Prescience. They actually did quite well, suprisingly-- 6th edition gives them a 30" threat range, and they have really interesting Overwatch ability with that Prescience.

 

Hmm, I have been trying to figure out what to carry in my Stormraven. It seems that most people agree that it should carry something relatively cheap so that you aren't totally SOL when it gets blown out of the sky. I also like to keep most of my army relatively swift unless they're going to be stationary the whole game (Dev Squad, Snipers).

 

I just imagine dropping them wherever I want about mid-game to grab an objective or just totally blowing away an elite squad that the enemy has been hiding, plus creating a FnP bubble wherever they drop.

 

You don't have to bring the HQ with your HG, do you?

[CitadelArmyGuy]

No you don't have to attach your HQ to your HG.

 

For quad-plasmagun HG though, I'd strongly recommend a Divination Librarian.

 

Prescience: Protection from Gets Hot, Nearly doubles damage, 'BS2' Overwatch.

Foreboding: Full BS Overwatch and Counterattack... yes please. Prescience at range, then when the opponent closes pop this one.

Forewarning: General Purpose; good for any friendly within 12"; helps tackle Heavy Infantry/Shock Units

Misfortune: Makes SS-Termies cry. Affects cover saves too; Ties with Prescience for effectiveness, and better if mulitiple things are attacking a problem-unit.

Perfect Timing: Plasmaguns that Ignore Cover. Yep.

Precognition: A SS-Terminator Librarian becomes a super-Tank

Scrier's: Eh

 

It's almost as if almost the entire Divination table was purpose-built to benefit a multi-Plasmagun Unit.

[LostGumball]

I'm sold! Thanks for all those extra details!

 

Do you have any recommendations for a jump libby? I do have a SS Term Libby. Though I'll probably be running them as jump. Should I make the unit jump?

 

I'm still a bit leery about putting them into the raven since the points are adding up. I could always flatout the raven and use SoB with jump packs for a precision drop. The raven will stay a lot safer that way.

 

The major trade-off with making them all jump is that they are no longer able to use that SS Term Libby.

[Zedrenael]

I would just go with a Footslogging unit at that point. A SS Libby can save that squad more than the mobility.

[appiah4]

I run mine as infantry:

 

1 Company Banner & Power Sword

1 Flamer

1 Power Fist

1 Champion with Power Axe

1 Novitiate.

 

They are attached to my Librarian on foot. They are mostly anti-MEQ with some utility, and opportunity AV with Meltabomb and Power Fist.

 

I used to run an infantry Plasma HG as well, but since converted it into a Plasma+Combi-P Sternguard instead. I find it's a better use of points.

[SnorriSnorrison]

Normally, I'd go with a JP squad, but Sanguinary Guard really do a better job with their 2+ armour. I'd also go with a footslogging squad, but probably for a character such as Seth. His chainsword is really nice(even without AP) and his special rules are interesting as well.

 

I've thought about a Honour guard with chapter banner and meltagun, 2 stormshields and probably axes and a blood champion just for the rule of cool. Oh, I got a thunderhammer in there just in case. All of them had jump packs and if I remember that correctly, this squad was about 250 points. So I took my SG instead.

 

 

 

 

Snorri

[MadMek83]

I run my Honour Guard as General problem solver unit. Only few guys are magneted. I can turn my Sarge into Blood Champion and I have magnetized banner. But must of the time I run my 5 man unit with 4 plasma guns and sometimes packing few melta bombs with librarian attached who rolls of 2 powers from diviniation. Good unit to reduce number of terminators or assassin HQ or MC (as in local meta there quite few who run dual psychers and usually one is outside transport). But generally very un blood angelic way, they solve problems by shooting high value targets at safe( r ) distance.

 

They're good unit that work excellent assassin unit, albeit expensive one. In 5th I used Vanguard Veterans in that unit but overwatch changed that. I mean I really would not want to charge in unit with 10 sternguards with combi flamers, albeit I am considering building such unit for bait and trap, especially against nids, green skins and IG can really be hurt such unit being drop podded in startegically good location where they cannot ignore it.

[Taranis]

I often run 4 plasma/4 flamer in my honour guard. Versatile problem solver with good overwatch.