How do you kit your sternguard vets?

[Robert2004]

Hey guys just wondering how you all kit out your sternguard vets?

 

Recently got a command sprue, some models and special weapons so am making my own squad rather than buy a new one! Thinking something along the lines of two combi melta, 1 combi plasma and two basic bolters? I may or may not add 2-3 models to the squad! How many do you usually take, maybe 5 is too low?

 

Got a drop pod too and basically was thinking of just dropping these guys in closest the biggest tank the enemy have and using my melta guns to hopfully knock it out, however my local has a few tau players who field fire warriors so would just use the posion ammo and rapid fire wounding on 2+ for that?

 

Don't want too big a points dump into a unit which will rarely last a turn or two, as once they pod in they will get wiped out! Perhaps they are best deployed as normal and used as basic infantry with special ammo?

 

Tips and advice please.

 

Thanks

[Huginn]

I use 8 in a pod. 4 combi melta, 4 combi flamer. I also add a priest and lib. But I play BA.

 

You can do the same minus the priest.

 

I don't pod them into danger. I bring them in on a flank if possible. Somewhere they can survive until JP support can arrive.

 

They have ammo for any occasion. Combis for the tanks and anti charge.

[corlinjewell]

take your idea for five guys, add a heavy flamer and bump up the number to seven or eight and I think you'll be pleased with the results.  However, if you are just planning on them to be a suicide squad, replace the combi-plasma with another combi-melta or two.  Another alternative is to just give them a Rhino transport.  Its pretty effective at carting them around.

[Zombie P]

I run them two ways now. Either 5 in a pod with 3-5 combi meltas as a suicide squad or 10 with some form of transport with 3 combi melt, 3 combi plas and 2 heavy flamers.

 

Tactically, I drop the suicide squad off somewhere remote or at least sheltered, but near a prized vehicle or precious small unit, and let rip. From trial and error, it takes a minimum of three meltas to (almost) guarantee a kill. Two just wont cut it. 

 

As for the larger squad, I normally take them in a rhino or a pod, and then combat squad them, 1 heavy with each squad, and dedicate them to specific roles. The plasma normally disembark and hide in cover somewhere midfield, and the others take the rhino to melta city. 

 

I hear that 10 naked sterns with a pod a lysander works well, just a thought.

 

ZP

[DarkGuard]

Generally with Sternguard you do 3 things:

 

1) Use them in a Rhino, 7-8 men, and just plug in gaps, lead the assault etc. Barebones can work well, as can combi-meltas, combi-plasmas and heavy flamers (don't bother with combi-flamers when you get heavy flamers). A mix of all 3 is good. A good unit to stick your HQ in.

 

2) Use them in backfield, 5-6 guys with 2 heavy weapons. It's a mini Dev squad, and often cheaper. Not as good as they were now as Devs can score in some missions, however, using Pedro can make having at least one of these squads a good idea.

 

3) Use them a suicide unit. Either 5 men with 1-2 meltaguns and rest with combi-meltas, double that number and loadout (obviously max of 2 meltaguns), or go for half and half of combi-meltas and a couple of heavy flamers, you drop this next the target you want to kill in a Drop Pod, and kill them. They'll die after though.

[Zombie P]

Ah, building from what Darkguard has just said, there is another tactic I forgot about. The old pop and burn. 

 

A drop pod with 10 sterns in, then have a few combi meltas and a pair of heavy flamers. With this you drop down, combat squad, and then pop and tank using the melta combat squad and burn the unit up with the flamer combat squad. Its expensive, somewhere in the reagion of 300 points, so I wouldn't recommend it in small games, but I have seen it work really well on people like DE, IG and Orks.

 

ZP

[Robert2004]

Some great ideas here, don't think I've the bits to make many more weapons, Think I can cut and stick a melta gun together with a bolter and use some purity seals to cover any holes ha ha!

 

Don't actually have any heavy flamers but I must get some the AP4 will just nuke a fire warrior squad!! Having a look at buying the sprue off the GW website, unless anyone can recommend a cheaper option, doesn't have to be GW models so long as it looks like a heavy flamer?!

 

Just wondering also with template weapons, is there a chance it won't hit or could damage the shooter or is it always just a template auto hit?

[Zombie P]

I would recommend Anvil Industries. They do some great combi weapons. As for the heavy flamer, GW do the best one I have found.

The GW sternguard sprues are actually really good, the heavy bolter is awesome and combi weapons are what you buy it for. The main problem I find is getting rid of the Lightning Claws.

 

ZP

[Robert2004]

Anvil have some lovely looking stuff will definitely use them in the future, quite like the look of the spartan type helmet for a vet Sergent or the likes! Placed an order with my local gaming center for a sternguard sprue so just the wait for it to arrive now! Will use it for some combi weapons and the heavy flamer! Thanks for the advice.

[DarkGuard]

Some great ideas here, don't think I've the bits to make many more weapons, Think I can cut and stick a melta gun together with a bolter and use some purity seals to cover any holes ha ha!

 

Don't actually have any heavy flamers but I must get some the AP4 will just nuke a fire warrior squad!! Having a look at buying the sprue off the GW website, unless anyone can recommend a cheaper option, doesn't have to be GW models so long as it looks like a heavy flamer?!

 

Just wondering also with template weapons, is there a chance it won't hit or could damage the shooter or is it always just a template auto hit?

 

Have a look at page 52 to answer that question. Short answer is "no, no problems".

[Koremu]

I tend to run mine barebones. If I want Deep Striking Multi-Melta or Heavy Flamer, I would prefer to use a Land Speeder.