Fitting out the sternguard

[ThatOneMarshal]

Hey guys I'm planning in running either a dual LRC list with mech support or a horde army for my black templars. One thing that I have thought about is having a couple of units drop podding in to distract the Enemy for a turn or two which would hopefully allow to get in assualt. I'm planning on three pods two with ironclads and the third with sternguard. I was thinking that the sternguard job is to kill something that threatens my large infantry or LRC. The one thing I can't figure out how to do is there equipment. Should I run them in a 10 man squad or 5 man squad? What combi weapons and special weapons would be good?

[Slave to Darkness]

. I was thinking that the sternguard job is to kill something that threatens my large infantry or LRC. 

What are you more likely to face, Vindcators and other pieplate and/or high strength armour, or troop killing squads?

Also how are you equipping the dreads? You gonna drop them in to support your Vets?

[Ming]

Stern guard are a lot of points. But I run 9 in a pod with 2 mg and 4 cmg and the pod is fitted with a death storm launcher. I'm looking to get back to a 10 man squad with 2 more cmg...

[shandwen]

Meta matters a lot for these guys. If you have ironclads to to tank hunting I would suggest trying a couple heavy flamers for an anti infantry combat squad (it can be fun to eat pathfinders or rangers turn one). Combi weapons are the real flexibility in the squad, but are expensive and I would personally not pay for more than six upgrades (so four combis and whatever else). Play around though and see what works for you.

[CrystalSeer]

I run raider-mech Black Templars and have 10 SG so hopefully my experience can help you figure your build out. I played with them a variety of ways and have found a few things:

 

- What makes sternguard better than a command squad is that you can run 10, and have special ammo

- If you are looking for a 5 man melta squad, command squad with melta is cheaper, and not 1 shot

- SG with combi's are freaking expensive, they are the most expensive unit in my army by 100pts, and I commonly run centurions

- Unless there are multiple threats, the enemy will destroy them easily. They are a very expensive suicide unit.

 

What this unit excells at is dropping in a pod turn 1, combat squading, using melta on two armored targets, then being a threat for later turns by using specialist ammo. They are built for a speciffic fire-mission. If this is not what you want to use them for, then I would run them as a command squad. A command squad is cheaper and is a good AA threat.

 

Cost will be a big thing, running 2 raiders will cost you 520 points off the bat. Add in the squad contents and you're likely looking at around 1000 pts, so fitting in support will become difficult. If you want Anti-infantry, grav-centurions or grav command squad on bikes do it cheaper. 

[Kaedes Nex]

It sounds like you want your Sternguard not to be the standard tank-hunters (Combi-Melta) or anti-infantry (2 HF/Combi-Flamers), so that only leaves basic Vengeance Rounds, Hellfire Rounds, and possibly Combi-Plasma or Combi-Grav. The targets you will most want to target to protect your own tanks will be MCs and squads that have Haywire, Melta, Grav, or Lance. Lance killing might require anti-tank setups though. Depending on your points, the full 10 is ideal because nothing is traveling with them and they can combat squad. Otherwise, simply go minimum 5, and add additional members when you have points leftover after everything else.

 

The hardest part about trying to do anti-anti-tank is you will sometimes have to get through a lot of bodies before you can reach the heavy weapons carrier. For this reason, I think something like a Vindicare, snipers, psykers, or an assault unit are better than Sternguard for doing this job as they will have a much easier time stopping specific problem models or immobilizing the unit entirely.

[ThatOneMarshal]

Hmm all good points. As of right now I'm leaning towards running a horde army because my meta has a lot of necrons and pretty much everyone and there mother has lots of anti tank in there list. I was planning on giving the ironclads heavy flamers because I'm notoriously nada at rolling melta. So far monstrous creatures and vehicles that carry large blast weapons will probably be the the biggest of my worries.

[Acebaur]

I like Sternguard as a 10 man unit so you can combat squad. I've run 3 combi melta's with a meltagun in 1 squad with bolters and a heavy flamer in the other. This works well because they can come in and kill a tank and also fry some infantry. Plus with the combat squad you now have 2 separate units to deal with instead of just one. 

 

They do need support though and Ironclads are good for that. 

[Prot]

I run raider-mech Black Templars and have 10 SG so hopefully my experience can help you figure your build out. I played with them a variety of ways and have found a few things:

 

- What makes sternguard better than a command squad is that you can run 10, and have special ammo

- If you are looking for a 5 man melta squad, command squad with melta is cheaper, and not 1 shot

- SG with combi's are freaking expensive, they are the most expensive unit in my army by 100pts, and I commonly run centurions

- Unless there are multiple threats, the enemy will destroy them easily. They are a very expensive suicide unit.

 

What this unit excells at is dropping in a pod turn 1, combat squading, using melta on two armored targets, then being a threat for later turns by using specialist ammo. They are built for a speciffic fire-mission. If this is not what you want to use them for, then I would run them as a command squad. A command squad is cheaper and is a good AA threat.

 

 

 

I agree with a lot of this and I have just started using Sternguard. At first everyone was telling me to use them as a suicide squad, but I don't think that's their role. I think their too expensive. With Chaos Termicide makes sense.... for 100+ pts you get three deep striking termies, and 3 combi melta/plasma's.

 

But Sternguard? Plus a pod? No way should a suicide squad be that expensive.

 

I agree with the above. If you want a melta squad, just take a cheap, small command squad. What I don't understand though is combat squading a 10 man group.... Why not just take two squads then? This way you can take a different number like 6+6 or whatever works for you?

 

When is combat squading occurring? Before the drop pod lands right? So this is where I'm confused.

 

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Config wise I go with 2 x 5 man squads in their own pods. Squad 1 = combi flamer +Hvy Flamer (HQ often goes here since it is close weapon oriented). Squad 2= 2 combi melta, 1 combi plasma. (I know it's weird but it works for me.)

 

Last game against nids, the poison rounds finally paid off. I rarely play against marines so I find a I fire the poison 2+ more than anything else.

[Acebaur]

You declare combat squads before the start of the game. But units that have combat squaded can ride in the same transport. So both squads come in on the same pod allowing you to deploy them both on turn one in addition to another pod(assuming the OP example of using 3 pods) or arriving from reserve on the same roll. 

[Prot]

Wow I did not know that. Is this clarified somewhere that I can show my opponents?

 

Just kind of surprised me. :)

[Acebaur]

Wow I did not know that. Is this clarified somewhere that I can show my opponents?

Just kind of surprised me.

It's written in the Combat Squads rule in C:SM :)

[Prot]

Thanks... I kind of zoomed through it when I zeroed in on Ultra's. :)

 

Back on topic though: I still love the sternguard and am not really liking them as a 5 man squad. I think unless you can take '10', I would go with higher than 5. A few ablative wounds for those combi's doesn't hurt, plus if you get lucky, they can be super useful in those specialty moments.

[Ming]

Yes, when I have 9 in a pod, they have a librarian hopefully casting either a invulnerable save or cover save for the group, to make them more survivable.  It is one reason for Pyromancy and Tigurius.  If you can be really bold, 9 invisible sternguard and a librarian delivered by drop pod can be pretty crazy. 

[ThatOneMarshal]

Yes, when I have 9 in a pod, they have a librarian hopefully casting either a invulnerable save or cover save for the group, to make them more survivable.  It is one reason for Pyromancy and Tigurius.  If you can be really bold, 9 invisible sternguard and a librarian delivered by drop pod can be pretty crazy. 

You see I would but us templars are into witches at all. Hmm how would  a 10 man squad with with maybe 4-5 combimeltas and a heavy flamer work? I'll have to try out a 5 melta command squad. At my club I face alot of nids,orks, space marines of all colors, chaos space marines, and necrons. One thing that I like about sternguard is that they can be very adaptive. The idea I had for them was to send them against say my oppents tervigon or synpase creature, defiler, centurions, etc.

[UnkyHamHam]

I have several Sternguard Squads (They are my favorite SM unit by far)

 

As said before, 10 marines, 3-4 combi-meltas, and 2 heavy flamers in a pod is quite potent and versatile.  Probably the most useful build IMO.

 

also, not applicable to Templars and psyker haters, but 9 sternguard with Combi-plasmas and allied Libraraian/Tiggy/Coteaz with Prescience in a pod can really alpha strike the crap out of death stars before powers can be cast.  Tis expensive though.  

 

And as said above (and they ain't joking) you MUST drop in support for them if you wish them to live.  Iron Clads, Dreads, Tacs, and Assault marines with flamers are good for this.

 

PS, i ususally always spend the points on melta bombs as well.

[ThatOneMarshal]

Just wondering but could four pods do well maybe have a fourth one with a tactical squad. I've heard that running an odd number of pods is good. 

[UnkyHamHam]

Odd pods is always best, but any amount is doable.  Remember that you don't always have to deploy INSIDE the pods.  Usually this means people purchase an extra pod or two for Devs or Thunderfire cannons.  

 

Even so I've found my best pod setups have been odd numbers.  1 pod for suicide, 3 pods for double whammy heavy strike, and 5 for a concentrated Alpha strike.  1 or 3 is best for a partial pod army, otherwise go big IMO.