Honour Guard: How do you equip yours?

[p34ce]

So I have a lot of nice resin parts, special weapons and assault marine bits spare, and I find myself wanting to put together a unit of Honour Guard.

 

I can see how they'd work as an alternative to a second HQ at 1500+ (in the same ballpark as a kitted out Reclusiarch) - but I've never used anything like them and was wondering how other people use them.

 

I'm like the possibility of having another Sanguinary Priest that disregards FoC, and spamming special weapons on the regular Honour Guard. I'm also curious about the Blood Champion upgrade, and any experience you might have with it.

 

For example, is it worth dropping a special weapon and upgrading to Champion to keep challengers off of the Novitiate? I don't have my rulebook to hand, so I can't check if the Novitiate is Infantry, Character like a Priest, or just Infantry.

 

Is there any standout preference for special (or combi-) weapons? I was thinking of a resilient Plasma unit myself, to tag along with my HQ. I have a Librarian and a Reclusiarch who can fit a fist - both with magnetized jump packs.

 

How do you get the most out of yours?

[Jorre]

I've got a nice magnitised honor guard, unfortunately they usually end up sitting on the shelf most the time.

 

I usually always run them with jump packs, but unfortunetly they get expensive really quickly! Plasma guns and jump packs are nice but expensive. Melta guns are done better by other cheaper units like bikes or assault squads.

 

I might use them in an apoc game when the new rules come out

[appiah4]

I have 2

 

1: 1x Storm Bolter, Storm Shield, 1x Storm Bolter, Power Fist, 2x Plasmagun (Mobile & durable 24" fire support)

2: Blood Champion with Power Axe, 1x Power Fist, 1x Meltagun, 1x Chapter Banner (All 2nd Ed. pewter figures)

[JamesI]

I pretty much never use my Honor Guard.  It has 4 plasmaguns and jump packs.

 

The last honor guard I ran was combaty, but that was for an Apoc game not something I'd do in a normal game.

[BloodTzar]

My HG i did use in Apoc and few games in 5th, and not muh after, but that is not that hard to guess why:

 

TH/SS, LC/SS , PF/SS flag, PW/ SS ...

[p34ce]

Sadly, the odds are I will never participate in an Apocalypse game, so that's out. :)

 

I can't say its a unit I'd ever consider getting for close combat, since that would be done infinitely better by SG with a hovering priest.

 

I've been reading through older posts, and came across one which also suggested 4xPG + JP, given that they can do a move followed by a single shot at 24", with Prescience if a JP libby is with them, which is appealing. As people are saying, though, they are expensive as anything, and you could practically get two Baals for similar points.

 

I might just make them to appease the inner hobbyist, or use the parts for sergeants.

[Hyuzanriu]

I use mine for MC hunting with either 4 meltaguns or 4 plasmaguns in a las/plaz razorback with a librarian with prescience and blood lance. Usually makes quick work on MC's (with the exception of an overcharged shield Riptide). It's not cheap, and the MC they kill is still usually worth less points, but they stop it from going on a rampage on my Baals/Dakka Preds/Razorbacks, so I think they earn their point back just from that.

[knife&fork]

Drop pod, 4 meltas and 4 flamers. Very general purpose and not ungodly expensive.

[p34ce]

I use mine for MC hunting with either 4 meltaguns or 4 plasmaguns in a las/plaz razorback with a librarian with prescience and blood lance. Usually makes quick work on MC's (with the exception of an overcharged shield Riptide). It's not cheap, and the MC they kill is still usually worth less points, but they stop it from going on a rampage on my Baals/Dakka Preds/Razorbacks, so I think they earn their point back just from that.

 

I've never been sold on the idea that a pure points vs. points trade is worth it - I can see the utility of getting rid of something dangerous. A 200pt Riptide left unchecked could win back its points x3, as you say. Also like the idea of a Razor, though I don't have any (I only have dakkapreds, baals and pods, but I am working on tacticals so I'll need Rhinos sooner or later).

 

Drop pod, 4 meltas and 4 flamers. Very general purpose and not ungodly expensive.

 

That they can carry two specials each didn't escape my attention, and it does work out to the same cost as plasma. I like that you could change your target just before dropping them, and your opponent couldn't possibly know which of his blobs or vehicles would be deleted. Do you have any examples where this has worked well?

[knife&fork]

That they can carry two specials each didn't escape my attention, and it does work out to the same cost as plasma. I like that you could change your target just before dropping them, and your opponent couldn't possibly know which of his blobs or vehicles would be deleted. Do you have any examples where this has worked well?

 

Actually no, unless you count a single game in 5th ed. But it's really the only build I can think of that they would do better than similar units. It's like the infantry version of the fragcannon dread. Been wanting to try it out again but I never seem to have the spare points. A friend however has been running a similar unit in a pod with his vanilla marines, only with 2 flamers and 2 meltas, usually together with a punchy captain or chapter master. It's a very annoying disruption unit to get in your back lines.

 

I only have plasma and CC honor guard built, but never use them. Plasma isn't quite worth it that price IMHO unless you can make it ignore cover. 

[The Yncarne]

Squad one with Dante: jump packs, 4 melta guns

Squad two without Dante: jump packs, 4 plasma guns

[p34ce]

Yeh 15pts per gun is a bit overpriced. Podding would definitely be an option for me, because I have the pods. Still, though, I have a full squad of combi-plasma/melta Sternguard that can do the exact same trick.

 

 

 

 

[Jolemai]

Hyuzaniu, sadly as you are unable to mix BRB and Codex powers, your Librarian is illegal.

[p34ce]

Hyuzaniu, sadly as you are unable to mix BRB and Codex powers, your Librarian is illegal.

 

Well spotted, I missed that myself.

[Hyuzanriu]

Hyuzaniu, sadly as you are unable to mix BRB and Codex powers, your Librarian is illegal.

 

Ahh ok sorry. I guess that's what happens when all your FAQ's and rules are in a different language than your native language =(

 

 

EDIT: Psychic Shriek looks like it may be able to get the job done, as it forces invuln saves if it does any wounds. Going to have to test that out. Since the ideal range for the honour gaurd is 12 inches for rapid fire, all seems well.

[knife&fork]

Yeh 15pts per gun is a bit overpriced. Podding would definitely be an option for me, because I have the pods. Still, though, I have a full squad of combi-plasma/melta Sternguard that can do the exact same trick.

 

Not exactly since you can only take one combi weapon and it's a one shot weapon. The specialist ammo is definitely useful (specially the hellfire rounds) but they don't do the exact same thing. 

 

The dual special weapon honor guard will excel at going after armor or forcing a lot of wounds while sternguard will be better at taking out things like MCs.