command squad or sternguard?

[kalenein]

command squad or sternguard I have been playing with the idea of swithing my sternguard out for a command squad with three melta guns either would arrive via drop pod. I mainly use my sternguard for poping armor so i run them with melta 4x combi melta. I am wondering what people think of using a command squad for this purpose. the advantage that I can see is about a 30 point savings possibly getting more melta shots after the turn they arrive and FNP. but I would loose special issue ammo and a couple of turn one melta shots. have people found sternguard are just better or has this substitution worked for any others?

[Dolchiate Remembrancer]

Im actually doing the switch but for the storm shield option on the veterans hoping to get some additional grav shots out of them before they die

[dakkamasta]

Command squads and sternguard are both very good units but their roles are different in my opinion. A command squad is mainly used for escorting a HQ of some sort, i.e Mephiston if you're running them in a pod. This gets more use out of the squad's FNP and storm shields to protect your HQ and likewise makes the unit harder to remove after the turn they arrive by presenting a bigger threat in close combat. Sternguard are better used as a flexible close range shooting unit capable of taking on many different types of units. Despite the fact that running them with 4-5 combi meltas in a pod can quickly deal with enemy armour, it's not very cost effective to do so especially when we have assault squads that can take 2 meltas and a combi-melta or 2 inferno pistols for significantly less points. Squads like these usually die the turn after they arrive so keeping them cheap is key. You're paying points for your special ammo and if you come down pop a tank and die then you've wasted points on expensive marines to do a job that your cheaper assault squads can do almost as well. I would personally take a 10 man squad with only 2-3 combi's mainly as a backup, and use the squad primarily for their special ammo which is what makes them unique.

 

This is a bit of a tangent but if you have the models, the Archangel's Sanguine Wing formation is an excellent way to use sternguard in my opinion (i just proxy the vanguard with jump assault marines, because who really has 20 vanguard veterans?). Their role changes because they have to start in the stormraven, but they all get free combi's so you can go nuts. Combat squad them and give them 5 combi-meltas/plasmas, or 5 melta/grav, or 10 melta, whatever suits your style or meta. When used this way i find them better use as a wild card, they have the weapons to take on anything, but don't arrive until turn 2 at the earliest, so they're best used to take out a nasty unit that the rest of the army has had trouble with.

 

So basically to sum up, command squad is best escorting a hq since you pay points for their durability, sternguard are better used utilising their special ammo since our assault squads can pop tanks just as well for far less points.