Legion assault squads

[spu00sed]

I have been thinking about the legion assault squad and its uses

 

Firstly it is not a cheap unit. A basic squad costs an extra 66% on a basic tactical, 53% on a tactical squad with close combat weapons.

 

On a full squad this turns to 60% and 37% for full squads.

 

So assault squads pay a lot or HoW, 12" move and lose of bolters.

 

However they do keep scoring and have the speed to grab or contest an objective in the last turn of the game.

 

 

Upgrades

Hand flamer

Against other marines it won't really cut it, unless they are really packed together.

 

Plasma pistol

If you are shooting these you are either about to charge or be charged. If you are trying to kill a few terminators then you have pissed off their mates and they are in range to punch you.

 

Power weapons

Different types and versatile, on top of these points they are focused on what assault squads want to do, hit things in the face.

 

Other options

Melta bombs

So everyone gets a melta bomb. On a 10 man squad you have a really dead tank. On a 20 man squad you will be hoping the enemy has a Titan to kill.

 

Combat shields

Turns the squad into a soaking unit.

 

However they still can't take much of a hit from range and suffer from having to take a 3+ or a 5++ save. In comparison the enemy squads can be carrying an apothecary for a 3+ then 5++ save.

 

It could be useful on a unit designed to tackle terminators, but other terminators can do th same

 

 

Possible builds

kill the tank[\b]

10 marines, melta bombs.

 

Aim for the nearest spartan and kill it. Shame the unit costs more than the spartan and will be killed by the transported unit.

 

Other chooses would be to add a few members and try to Multi charge enemy dreads.

 

termicide[\b]

Combat shields and as many power axes as you can it in (1 per 5 marines plus 1).

 

The cheapest version will cost you 310pts, vs a basic terminator squad cost of 175pts.

 

However you have

HoW S4 attacks

21 S4 attacks

10 S5 AP2 I1 attacks

 

Vs

 

10 S4 AP3 attacks, (hopefully they will have upgraded to fists)

 

You have 7 scrubs to take wounds and force saves

 

screw the costs[\b]

20 marines, 5 power swords (and a plasma pistol). Aim at enemy tacticals ( without apothecaries) and kill them with a silly number of attacks.

 

screw the costs and the mortgage[\b]

Same as before, but add in combat shields (and melta bombs, why not)

 

They can now dish it out and take it, and take on super heavies.

 

 

 

As you may have realised by now, I have no real idea on how to use assault marines effectively.

 

No build I can think of is efficient. Even naked for objective grabbing is cheaper using a tactical squad in a rhino.

[Jim AMM realgenius]

I have yet to try it, but I think 15 Sons of Horus Assault Squad with a few PW will be very effective at cutting down 20 man Tac Squads, because of the extra mobility and Merciless Fighter/Bulky combo. But you're right, they ain't cheap, especially under 2000 points. If you Deep Strike them, you get to re-roll 1s with SoH, so they have a better chance of coming in early.

 

Other Leegion rules benefit them as we'll, which is why I think they are pricey. WE special rules are easier to activate with more mobility to target a small squad. EC Crusader makes then pretty good, and DG not being able to be pinned keeps them a reliable threat.

[alex567]

I used a unit of ten + a power sword yesterday against some black templars, it was just a fun game so we screwed the time conundrum. But they charged a unit of terminators killed all 5 across two turns by weight of attacks, but they were then charged by a second unit of termies and minced, so it can be said against a unit of 5 termies + power fists (30k era), that the assault marines have the upper hand, they are more points yes but if I'd upgraded them with two plasma pistols they would have happily taken down those termies, and then maybe another squad, 31 attacks + hammer of wrath, +the extra ten really take their tole. The only downside was when I realised you can't use jump packs in the assault phase if you moved with them, otherwise I would have killed the terminators alot faster (charged into combat with 7 assault marines).

[depthcharge12]

Yeah unless you do SoH, which are crazy good with it, or WEs like me i wouldn't advise getting them with huge costs

 

If you do then by all means throw in the power swords and attach some sort of character to give it that oomph so u dont just throw 250 points at just some squad. Use it for sure though to make your opponent want to rearrange his deployment and movement though and don't keep them reserved as a last grasp objective holder, definitely not the points when you can get a 10 man tac squad rhino for cheaper to do that

 

Add a chaplain, its probably one of the better choices you can make since his zealot and his power weapon can be what you want (in HH book just says a pw not a maul). If you do EC throw a sonic shrieker on him

 

I would say with an hq and suitable amount of pws you can make it a useful squad to contest and grab an enemy held objective - like in their deployment area (but that's kind of a duh) just use the squad to put your enemy on the defensive so you can get board control - not a waac :D but i love me some strategery