What unit would you take?

[Niklaslinden]

A command squad with Jump Packs, 3x storm shields, 3x meltaguns.

 

Or

 

A regular assualt squad with 10 men and 2x meltaguns, 1x meltabomb.

 

 

They both cost the same. Which unit is better in your mind?

I'm leaning towards the regular assault squad.

[CaptainHelion]

I find there's a few too many variables there to ooutright say one or the other is better.

Command Squads take up a valuable Elite slot, and are capped at 5 marines, BUT they do have FNP, and some decent equipment options.

On the other hand, Assault Squads can have 5 to 10 marines, without compromising the loadout of special weapons. Also, they occupy the comparatively less competitive Fast Attack slot, which is a big point in their favour for me, as I rarely find myself using the other options in the slot.

Ultimately, the role you have planned for them, and the rest of your list are the deciding factors. If you've already used your Elite slots, then Ass Marines definitely win out. Command squads with Meltabombs and Meltaguns are a solid anti-armour unit, but without bodies, they often evaporate to small arms fire before they can do that. Stormshields don't help with that, and FNP only works slightly less than 1/3 of the time.

[bigted]

I would go with two 5 man assault squads in pods! More melta and more bodies, and only 20 pts more!

[the jeske]

the RAS arre an ok unit one can use, the vets set up seems to be odd at best. My point goes for the RAS unit. Even in a void not knowing how the rest of the army looks like.

[Deschenus Maximus]

Command Squad, hands down.

[Landrick]

I am actually working on a similar unit, but Plasma Guns instead of Melta on the Command Squad. the FNP makes them more resilient and plasma puts out a lot more firepower

[Deschenus Maximus]

I am actually working on a similar unit, but Plasma Guns instead of Melta on the Command Squad. the FNP makes them more resilient and plasma puts out a lot more firepower

 

Yeah but you can't charge if you go with plasma...

[Venemox]

The mandatory Blood Champion killed my shooty HG unit (4 x Plasma Guns with Feel No Pain).  Now I'm kitting them more for a combat/bodyguard roll.

 

Between those two, I like the RAS more.  The Fast Attack slot is not nearly as crowded as the Elite slot, and the ability to combat squad 5 bare bones assault marines into a speed bump can be invaluable.  When RAS were troops, I usually ran 2 Melta Guns and a Power Fist (swapping to a Melta Bomb to conserve points, or a Thunder Hammer to spend them as needed)

[Karhedron]

 

Yeah but you can't charge if you go with plasma...

You cannot charge if you Deep Strike either. So one solution is to DS close to a target and unload the plasma. Next turn you can charge in and smash stuff.

[Venemox]

With my plasma HG unit, I always preferred flying and shooting vs combat.  Play to their strengths:  Mobility and Firepower.  If I were using the melta unit, I would make the best attempt to end up in melta range of vehicles, and not get charged or charge.  You payed for the mobile melta platform, use it as a such, close combat nullifies it.  Now, it's not always going to be possible, and it is always better to charge than be charged (excpting circumstances like using them as a speedbump for a killy combat unit, then delaying is your friend).

[Karhedron]

There can be times when charging a melta squad is worthwhile. You damage a target vehicle but fail to kill it. Time to finish the job with krak grenades or melta bombs. Those Centurions/Tau suits/Dark reapers you just shot are bloodied but still standing. Charge them before they blow you away.

[Landrick]

i dont mind the champion so much, he is a disposable wound (easy to choose him to LoS for the Sanguinary Novitiate) and a charge deterrent with the power weapon. also if you charge with the full unit you still easily get 15 attacks on the charge

[Deschenus Maximus]

I just think if you're going to spend points on a mobile, shooty unit, yo might as well go with Bikes.

[Landrick]

I just think if you're going to spend points on a mobile, shooty unit, yo might as well go with Bikes.

your tactical logic is sound as they have great mobility and are T5, but they are actually more expensive. A similar unit (4 bikes with a sang priest - 3 with plasma, 1 power sword) is actually 24 points more expensive, and still is short 3 storm shields, a combat shield, and the bike marines have only one attack and L8 w/o the sargent.

[Deschenus Maximus]

I didn't mean try to replicate the squad exactly.

[Venemox]

Currently, if I was going to field a shooty bike squad, my preference would be Grav Guns.

[toaae]

If I was going to use a command squad as a jumpy, shooty option, I'd drop the storm shields, taking just the jump packs and meltaguns. Keep them cheap. 5 dudes in power armor don't need an invulnerable save. They are going to die to small arms anyways.

 

The advantage to this squad is three meltaguns that can deep strike and jump around. I don't know if the extra 50 points is justified by a WS5 power sword, FNP and an extra meltagun when compared to an assault squad.

 

The melts/storm shield command squad is a character escort. They absorb ID weapons, open transports, and take challenges.

[Deschenus Maximus]

Currently, if I was going to field a shooty bike squad, my preference would be Grav Guns.

 

Me too.

 

If I was going to use a command squad as a jumpy, shooty option, I'd drop the storm shields, taking just the jump packs and meltaguns. Keep them cheap. 5 dudes in power armor don't need an invulnerable save. They are going to die to small arms anyways.

 

The advantage to this squad is three meltaguns that can deep strike and jump around. I don't know if the extra 50 points is justified by a WS5 power sword, FNP and an extra meltagun when compared to an assault squad.

 

The melts/storm shield command squad is a character escort. They absorb ID weapons, open transports, and take challenges.

 

Heh, I'd always take the Shields, tbh. Yes, dieing to smalls arms can happen, but with the shield, you can just move around in open terrain and not worry about plasma/grav, AND you can tarpit annoying MCs.

[Landrick]

Currently, if I was going to field a shooty bike squad, my preference would be Grav Guns.

i just don't like the look of bikes, and feel like grav guns are cheap and dirty... personal preferences of course

 

If I was going to use a command squad as a jumpy, shooty option, I'd drop the storm shields, taking just the jump packs and meltaguns. Keep them cheap. 5 dudes in power armor don't need an invulnerable save. They are going to die to small arms anyways.

 

The advantage to this squad is three meltaguns that can deep strike and jump around. I don't know if the extra 50 points is justified by a WS5 power sword, FNP and an extra meltagun when compared to an assault squad.

 

The melts/storm shield command squad is a character escort. They absorb ID weapons, open transports, and take challenges.

i agree that its not worth it for melta, thats why i would go with plasma. FNP helps a lot. ANd they are definitely a character escort. They escort a Libby to give them prescience and maximize plasma death

[toaae]

I definitely like the command squad with 3x ranged weapons and storm shields as a character escort. I personally wouldn't take Plasma or Grav, since they don't allow a charge afterwards, but to each their own.

[Xenith]

If I was going to use a command squad as a jumpy, shooty option, I'd drop the storm shields, taking just the jump packs and meltaguns. Keep them cheap. 5 dudes in power armor don't need an invulnerable save. They are going to die to small arms anyways.

 

 

You see, I find the exact opposite, most armies are geared to wipe MEQ off the table which means lots of AP2/3.

 

I'd rather pay a bit more and actually have a chance to save my guys rather than just removing them!

 

In the listed command squad, making just one SS save that would have otherwise killed a marine justifies the point cost of the upgrade, especially when equipping them with melta guns.