Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I put together a platoon list and it seems like it is fairly balanced, it's pretty much using every model I have, to fill out the platoon. I have a stormtrooper squad left over to use as Carapace vets for the other troops choice. So the way the single platoon is set up, it is: PCS, 2 GL, 2 Flamer IS, GL Autocannon, chimera IS, GL Autocannon SWS, 3 melta HWS, 3 mortars I'd deploy the HWS and PCS in cover, and use the PCS to FRF SRF on the HWS allowing me to stack wounds on whatever they're shooting at. Veterans are cheaper, but they seem to get shot off the table really quickly. Vets seem to fit my concept of an elite force much better than a platoon of guardsmen. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/ Share on other sites More sharing options...
Father Mehman Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 It does feel quite balanced. I'd say go for it but, then again, I love my platoons ! Would you be putting any Vox-casters with the Infantry Squads? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090010 Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorFish Posted June 16, 2015 Share Posted June 16, 2015 I'd focus the PCS, they're a small and squishy unit best kept cheap in my opinion or if you want to build them do have some punch don't compromise! A Platoon like this can form a good core to a list, providing some bodies and fire power that will serve you well :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090044 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 16, 2015 Author Share Posted June 16, 2015 I can take vox, and it's not too bothersome, but since the only squad I'll really be giving orders to is the HWS, and they can't take vox, it as much as doesn't matter to me. I like the idea of platoons, I wanted to try it out, but I think I'm going to bite the bullet and just save it for a full up platoon of trenchers (I'd like krieg, but I'm going to try to get some old steel legion because they might end up cheaper and more available on this side of the pond). /edit/ nevermind on the trenchers, krieg is way too expensive as are steel legion. That's a project for down the road. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090059 Share on other sites More sharing options...
vampyrerodent Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Unfortunately a single platoon doesn't usually last long alone. Multiple platoons are the way to go in my opinion. It's just that in order to carry that out you need to do a lot of painting. I like what you have to start with. That is quite a bit of firepower you have there. I would probably put the SWS into the Chimera so they can get to where they need to be and keep them from being shot up while in the open. Or even the Command Squad with the launchers from the top. You can go many ways with that list Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090346 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 I agree, I'd like to have 2 of those platoons plus my vet squads. I'd need more chimeras to make the whole thing work properly. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090374 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inso Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 The Astra Militarum is two things... Millions of men/women and Armour. As far as I am concerned, unless you are going for the equivalent of special forces, platoons and armour is the way forward. A single platoon is great but the more the merrier is better. Have them supporting lots of tanks and you have embodied the spirit of the Astra Militarum :) The beauty of a platoon is that for a single slot on your Troops choices you can have 103 bodies (not including any HQ add ons)... that's a lot of bodies for a single troop choice :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090594 Share on other sites More sharing options...
WarriorFish Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 Platoons are flexible, so unless you're talking high point games you can get your trooper needs from a single one easily. Five squads is quite a few so I'd only consider a second Platoon as necessary if you wanted an infantry company approach - where you can put more models on the table than the enemy can deal with if you so wish :P Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090597 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoffeeGrunt Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 My personal favourite loadout for a PCS is 3 Flamers, 1 Heavy Flamer and a Chimera. Ruthless anti-Horde unit on the cheap that can throw out an Order a turn to keep other units rolling, (mainly FRFSRF.) Pop a Heavy Flamer on the Chimera and send them to dig out that entrenched unit of Scouts/Plaguebearers/Eldar Rangers that's giving you issues. Best part is that, with ObSec, they can take the point straight off them afterwards! :) Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090640 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 The Astra Militarum is two things... Millions of men/women and Armour. As far as I am concerned, unless you are going for the equivalent of special forces, platoons and armour is the way forward. A single platoon is great but the more the merrier is better. Have them supporting lots of tanks and you have embodied the spirit of the Astra Militarum The beauty of a platoon is that for a single slot on your Troops choices you can have 103 bodies (not including any HQ add ons)... that's a lot of bodies for a single troop choice When I started, I wanted my force to be made up of elite troops, but I've been realizing that this leads to high points and low model counts. The Platoon would need to be different models or reflect that they are drawn from a different unit. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090954 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Icechiang Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 I usually run a PCS with a las cannon and a platoon with 2 or 3 squads with flamers and so engines with auto cannons. The PCS sits behind giving orders and taking potshots with the las cannon and I blob up the squads to make a larger one. If I know they will be static I add in the auto cannons. If I want them more mobile I just give them flamers. I usually use Yarrick as an HQ so I attach him to the blob and they become such a nasty unit. Can hold objectives well, flush others off an objective, whatever they need to do. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090965 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 17, 2015 Author Share Posted June 17, 2015 I'm pretty sure I know how I'm going to equip my platoons, when I use them. I'd use a Mechanized infantry and command squads, with the PCS chimera parked in the back with the HWS. I'd move the IS up and drop them on objectives and then use the chimeras to run and cap objectives while the IS provide base of fire from cover. The problem I have is that I wanted my army to be elite, special operations light infantry. As such most of my models are stormtroopers, and I built my Cadian boxes as vet squads. Cadians are cheap and available, so I might have to give up on my trench coated infantrymen idea. What has me torn is how does a platoon fit in to what is supposed to be an elite unit? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4090985 Share on other sites More sharing options...
CoffeeGrunt Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 This is my current list, tailored for a meta with some fairly heavy vehicles. As far as Platoons go, both have a 50 man Conscript squad that get escorted to Objectives by a Primaris Psyker and a Priest, a 30 man Guardsman squad with 3 Meltaguns and Meltabombs escorted by Commissars to tackle vehicles, and one has a PCS with a loadout of Flamers in a Chimera for tackling Infantry, while the other pounces out of the Vendetta to tackle vehicles. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4091023 Share on other sites More sharing options...
morroccomole Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 My two cents based on platoon usage vs MEQs: Keep your heavy weapons in squads to the rear, and keep your infantry squads pure lasguns to take advantage of FRFSRF and rapid fire. Weight of dice has won me more games than plinking a hull point or two off a rhino has! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4091500 Share on other sites More sharing options...
march10k Posted June 17, 2015 Share Posted June 17, 2015 The Astra Militarum is two things... Millions of men/women and Armour. As far as I am concerned, unless you are going for the equivalent of special forces, platoons and armour is the way forward. A single platoon is great but the more the merrier is better. Have them supporting lots of tanks and you have embodied the spirit of the Astra Militarum The beauty of a platoon is that for a single slot on your Troops choices you can have 103 bodies (not including any HQ add ons)... that's a lot of bodies for a single troop choice When I started, I wanted my force to be made up of elite troops, but I've been realizing that this leads to high points and low model counts. The Platoon would need to be different models or reflect that they are drawn from a different unit. Funny...I've had the opposite experience. I started out with large numbers of troops who couldn't hit the broad side of a barn if you painted it with markerlights first, supported by a couple heavy support vehicles and a few sentinels...from there, I went full mech with nine chimeras, plus tanks and sentinels...and now I'm running chamelioline vets with empty superscoring chimeras, tons of TANKS, and occasionally a single squadron of sentinels. I have the models for a dismounted infantry horde, but I vastly prefer BS4 infantry with a 3++ lending fire support to an AV12 superscorer....and I'm working on repainting enough of my horde to run 2-3 line infantry squads as a small blob, a 51 man conscript blob, and 1-2 of the vet squads. Why? I foresee a future where chimeras no longer superscore...at that point, I'll need the ravening cross-eyed hordes to maneuver onto the distant objectives that are currently seized by empty chimeras. Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4091631 Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ulrik_Ironfist Posted June 18, 2015 Author Share Posted June 18, 2015 So, would a platoon with a lot of heavy weapons be a good thing to put in the back field for fire support and holding down those backfield objectives while my elite guys go do work? Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4091693 Share on other sites More sharing options...
morroccomole Posted June 18, 2015 Share Posted June 18, 2015 So, would a platoon with a lot of heavy weapons be a good thing to put in the back field for fire support and holding down those backfield objectives while my elite guys go do work? That, I feel, is the essence of the Guard. If you survive a battle or two of being slaughtered, you get to hang out in the back while the newbs throw themselves against the foe! Except trade your elites for your grunt squads! Link to comment https://bolterandchainsword.com/topic/309453-to-platoon-or-not/#findComment-4091746 Share on other sites More sharing options...
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