SM Command Squad question

[Black Templar 307th Comp.]

Okay, so in looking through the command squads, for the White Scars list I'm running (WS is practically my second army now) I wanted to give Kahn a command squad on bikes.  I also want to take Melta Bombs, Power Axes and Storm Shields for the lot.  I know I can do all that.  My questions are as follows:

 

When I buy the PA/SS for the veterans, do they lose their bolt pistols?

 

If not, since I can take a boltgun for free, can I still do that and have the PA/SS?

 

If I can do that, since the bikes are relentless can I then charge into close combat with Kahn and friends with no ill effects?

 

It seems to me that the bolt pistol isn't replaced when I buy a melee weapon and a storm shield, so in theory I can give them the bolter (for free) buy the power weapon and the storm shield fire their bolter, the bikes twin linked bolter, charge into combat, Hit & Run, rinse and repeat.  Am I interpreting this wrong?

[stinkenheim]

You can only fire one weapon so you probably won't need to worry about the bolter/bolt pistol problem.

Otherwise yes you are correct in that the storm shield doesn't replace a weapon it is taken in addition to other wargear.

[Dam13n]

1 - Command Squad on bikes have twin-linked bolters on their bikes, so no point taking a bolter (even if it's free) as a model can only fire one ranged weapon per shooting phase (unless they have a special rule saying otherwise - which bikes with 1 rider don't have.)

 

2 - "Any model may take... Storm Shield" means it's in addition to standard wargear, it doesn't replace anything.

 

3 - "A model may replace... with a Power Weapon" means he will replace either his bolt pistol or close combat weapon with a Power Weapon.

   - Read the wargear page, you aren't taking a Power Weapon in addition to standard kit, it's in place of.

 

4 - The bikes can shoot their twin-linked bolters (or any weapon for that matter) and still charge into combat, they are relentless.

 

So you can have a 5 man Command Squad on Bikes, all armed with:

- Twin-linked Bolters (on the bikes)

- Storm Shields

- Power Weapons (replacing the bolt pistols)

- and (thanks to the FAQ) a special weapon (Flamer/Melta/Plasma/Grav) replacing the close combat weapon (you can't have +1A for 2CCWs as you have Storm Shields so you might as well).

 

How's that for a beastly (and entirely legal) unit.

[Black Templar 307th Comp.]

Thanks for that, one small question, I thought the guys on bikes could fire one weapon as well, because all bikers come with bolt pistols in their standard wargear.  If the bike is relentless anyway, then what purpose do said Bolt Pistols serve?  I thought they could take a pot shot with the BP on the way in?

 

(I'm extremely new to anything that isn't Black Tide, or Black Tide Hybrid related, I've never used bikes before.)

[Dam13n]

For a standard biker the only purpose they serve is to be replaced (in order to get a melee weapon on the Sergeant.)

 

You may be getting confused with attack bikes which can fire 2 weapons because there are 2 riders on the bike.

"BRB page 45 - Bikes and Jetbikes, subsection - Shooting."

 

For a command squad, if you don't take the storm shields, they can be used alongside the melee weapon for +1A in combat (unless it's a specialist weapon).

[Black Templar 307th Comp.]

Ohhh, that makes a lot of sense now.  Thanks.

[greatcrusade08]

the pistols come in handy when your just using a power weapon as they would get +1A for dual ccws.. as mentioned above the storm shield precludes this anyway