How many Commanders? Command Squads?

[olcottr]

How many Company Commanders, Platoon Commanders, and Command Squads do you usually run?  Do you try to have 1 order per infantry unit?

Also, what do you usually use Command Squads for?  Elite slots are at a premium for us this edition, it seems, so it's hard to justify such an expensive unit with only 4 models.

[our_baz]

Myself @ 1000pts. Running With 3 Inf Squads, Heavy Weap Team, and Bullgryns. 1 Company Commander and 1 platoon Commander.

[Galron]

Well I play Elysians and have 5 COs. My warlord wielding a PF and PP, 3 guys with just plasma pistols, and one regular guard officer commanding the spearhead detachment with the mortars and scout sentinels.

 

I field 4 command squads, each accompanied by a PP officer. Two with all meltas and two with all plasma. Their role is identical to the field role of what people are using scions for. Yeah the meltas don't get their roll two and pick the highest on damage but its still a d6 damage -4 on a str8 with 8 shots. The 3rd PP officer drops near wherever my heavy weapon squads drop to give them commands. Warlord rides in a Valk with a melta Vet squad and get out in people's faces.

 

I have the models painted and ready for a third plasma command squad but I might just make them a plasma vet squad in the future. I kinda forgot I had them already built and painted when I built the other 8 recently.

 

I don't see the purpose for platoon leaders since they have one less order and they take up an elite slot instead of an HQ slot and they aren't significantly less expensive.

[Halfpint100]

I run one order per squad (which worked well the last few games) i keep them in sections without vox (useless IMO). Command squads however, i run as special weapons that hit on 3+, usually 4 man with 2 weapons to keep price down and have bodies.

[TheShredder]

Well, I try to run my army as a series of platoons, each with their own commanders.

 

For example, the first army I built in 8th had this as a basis:
Company Commander
Company Commander
Commissar
Infantry Squad w/ Plasmagun, Lascannon
Infantry Squad w/ Plasmagun, Missile Launcher
Infantry Squad w/ Flamer
HWS w/ 3 Autocannons

 

This is enough to fill a Battalion, and I'd have about one of these per 500pts (which left a bit extra for some Scion Squads and such). It gives me enough Orders that I can issue one to every infantry and HWS each turn.

 

However, after trying this in a few games, I found it to be too top-heavy. As soon as one of my units was killed, I'd start to have useless commanders just hanging around with nothing to order. What's more, I found that I didn't really need to order every unit every turn. 

 

My revised list had just one Company Commander per platoon, with an extra one at the end (I also used a Brigade, rather than 2-4 Battalions). This gave me one order per 2 squads, plus those from the extra commander, who would usually go near 2 HWTs.

 

I found this to be a much better setup, as it means I'm almost never left with redundant officers, but I still have enough to order key units as and when needed. 

[Withershadow]

Part of me hopes that command squads and commanders become units again in the Codex.

 

For one, it doesn't make sense that command support staff operates separately from the commander. Second, his character status would keep them from being easily targeted, so you can use the standards and medics more aggressively.

 

I like to organize my stuff "realistically", so pretty much all divisions get a commander, command squad, and commissar, except specialists like Scions or Engineers.

 

High Command

Lord Marshall Venner

Commissar Lord (Yarrick)

Command Squad - Standard, Vox, 2x plasmas

Quartermasters x2, Servitors x4

 

Infantry Platoon

Commander

Commissar

Command Squad - Standard, Vox, 2x plasmas

Infantry Squad, Sgt, Vox, GL

Infantry Squad, Sgt, GL

Infantry Squad, Sgt, Vox, GL

Infantry Squad, Sgt, GL

Infantry Squad, Sgt, Vox, GL

Infantry Squad, Sgt, GL

 

Assault Platoon

Commander

Commissar

Command Squad - Standard, Vox, 2x melta

SWS - 3x flamers

SWS - 3x flamers

SWS - 3x flamers

SWS - 3x melta

SWS - 3x melta

 

Fire Support Platoon

Commander

Commissar

Command Squad - Standard, Vox, 2x plasmas

HWS - 2 autocannons, 1 lascannon

HWS - 2 autocannons, 1 lascannon

HWS - 2 autocannons, 1 lascannon

3x Earthshakers

3x Thudd Guns

 

Engineer Detachment

10x Engineers with 2x melta

10x Engineers with 2x melta

2x Hades Drills

3x Mole Mortars

 

Grenadier Detachment

Tempestor x2

Command Squad - 4x meltas

10x Grenadiers with 4x plasma

10x Grenadiers with 4x plasma

10x Grenadiers with 4x hotshots

 

Death Rider Platoon

Commander

Commissar

Command Squad

3x Squadrons

 

Aerial Support

2x Vendettas

1x Vulture

 

Armoured Transports

3x Chimeras

 

Mobile Artillery

3x Hydras

2x Basilisks

2x Manticores

 

Tank Division

2x Command Tanks

3x Dracosan Demolishers

2x Malcador Tanks

1x Malcador Infernus

 

Superheavy Division

1x Baneblade

1x Stormhammer

1x Shadowsword

 

I have a problem, lol.

Edited July 28, 2017 by Withershadow

[TheShredder]

@Withershadow That's a hell of an army you've got there. I really love your arrangement of units. Out of interest, is Lord Marshall Venner Commissar Yarrick or are the two separate?

 

Also, can I ask how many of those divisions you use in a typical army?

 

 

With regard to Command Squads, I'm in two minds about them. I know what you mean, but at the same time I never liked our commanders being permanently shackled to their command squads (which wasn't much better in terms of realism).

 

Maybe the Command Squad could be an upgrade for the Commander, a bit like St. Celestine's guards?

[Withershadow]

Venner is the Krieg company commander model.

 

"Yarrick" is just a Krieg Commissar with a power fist.

 

I don't always throw the entire divisions in the list, but 2-3 is typical.  For example the last two armies I ran had as much of the assault platoon as I could cram in my two Vendettas, supported by the fire support platoon.  Another list just ran all the tanks and mobile artillery in two Vanguard detachments.

 

The assault platoon is in a way the most annoying because Krieg don't have special weapon squads, so I have to run them as generic guard. 

 

It's painful for me right now, because I got tired of them being bare, and am having a commission painter do the whole lot.  Don't ask how much it's going to set me back, lol.

[duz_]

So far running up to 6 infantry squads I've only taken 1 CC and 2 PCs plus a Tempestus Prime.

I found that I probably should have taken a regular commissar instead of the second PC for how I was running the sqauds.

So far I have only take scion command squads.

[Altasmurf]

It sort of depends. Usually I have a company commander for 3 heavy weapon squads and one to babysit around 4 infantry squads. But I have been trying a platoon commander equipped for melee that hangs out right close to my front line squads to heroic intervention. This has also reduced the need for codes. So I'm thinking of now running 1 Co Com for every 3 heavy weapon squads and a mix of company commanders and platoon commander to have 1 order per 2 squads.

[Minsc]

4 games with my IG so far in 8th.

Haven't used a single Platoon Commander or Command Squad so far, and I only run 1 Company Commander and that's more or less because I need that HQ to either fill up a second Battalion Detachment or a Brigade Detachment.

Orders are good, and Company Commanders are a good source of them, but I just...simply don't play around them.
Probably because I've found that I don't need them. A infantry squad with a flamer and a poweraxe is only 52 pts, and while a order (usually FRFSRF) will improve their performance, they already do what I expect them to do.

With that said, if I where to start playing with HWT's I probably would invest in some more commanders.

[Galron]

I use as many as I do because simply I need it. I do a lot of fortune favors the bold kind of stuff and anything that puts the odds even slightly higher in my favor is worth it. My vet squad especially with their melta guns with their single shots need every bit of help they can to make sure those shots count because odds are, if they fail, I lost that squad and possibly the warlord. The rest of mine just buff the shooting of my heavy weapon and special weapon squads.  

[TheShredder]

Venner is the Krieg company commander model.

 

"Yarrick" is just a Krieg Commissar with a power fist.

 

Ah, okay. Sorry, I'm not very familiar with DKoK and I didn't recognise the name.

 

 

4 games with my IG so far in 8th.

 

Haven't used a single Platoon Commander or Command Squad so far, and I only run 1 Company Commander and that's more or less because I need that HQ to either fill up a second Battalion Detachment or a Brigade Detachment.

 

Orders are good, and Company Commanders are a good source of them, but I just...simply don't play around them.

Probably because I've found that I don't need them. A infantry squad with a flamer and a poweraxe is only 52 pts, and while a order (usually FRFSRF) will improve their performance, they already do what I expect them to do.

 

With that said, if I where to start playing with HWT's I probably would invest in some more commanders.

 

Can I ask how you use those Infantry Squads? And also how many you take?

[Die4Emprah]

If I'm playing mostly Krieg, I run 1 Venner+ 2 Field Officers, each with the standard forge world command squad. 

If I'm running AstroMil, I just buy a Junior Officer and a Komissar for each of my three conscript squads

[Tallarn Commander]

Hmm, I've generally been taking 1 officer per "platoon" and I've been taking 2-3 platoons. A platoon in the Tallarn 23rd consists of 3 squads of 10 infantry. I then toss in a company commander. If I can find the points, I often opt for more company commanders than lieutenants.

 

In 1500 points I haven't included any command squads but at 2000 points I sometimes take 2.

[Minsc]

 

 

 

Can I ask how you use those Infantry Squads? And also how many you take?

 

 

Last list contained 6 squads. (I ran a brigade detachment)

3 with flamer and poweraxe, 1 with grenade launcher* and power axe, and 2 with plasmaguns and lascannons.

(*due to WYSIWYG, I only have 3 flamers, otherwise this would be a Flamer as well.)

 

The Las-plas sit back and shoot.

The Axe-squads act as screeners and/or harass. They flame and rapid-fire something and then charge it if it's weakened enough.

[TheShredder]

Last list contained 6 squads. (I ran a brigade detachment)

3 with flamer and poweraxe, 1 with grenade launcher* and power axe, and 2 with plasmaguns and lascannons.

(*due to WYSIWYG, I only have 3 flamers, otherwise this would be a Flamer as well.)

 

The Las-plas sit back and shoot.

The Axe-squads act as screeners and/or harass. They flame and rapid-fire something and then charge it if it's weakened enough.

 

 

Do you find those Power Axes effective?

[Minsc]

Well, not really, but they do turn the Sergeants into someone who can suddenly put a dent in MEQ's, Monsters and Tanks. Easily worth 5 points imo.

[Naryn]

In my 2500 point Steel Legion lists, I run three Commanders. Two of them get boltguns, and are stuck in a Command Squad with a mortar and a voxcaster to give orders from somewhere with cover. The third gets a power maul and shotgun, and his Command Squad has a med-pack, heavy flamer, and flamer. These guys go behind the Russ spearhead with two chimera vet squads, to clean up what the Russes miss. In general the mortar squads don't do much besides give orders, but the mortars are occasionally worthwhile. The aggressive flamer squad are mostly there to bait a charge or to countercharge, but they usually make back their points if deployed right.

[TheShredder]

Well, not really, but they do turn the Sergeants into someone who can suddenly put a dent in MEQ's, Monsters and Tanks. Easily worth 5 points imo.

 

Fair enough. That aside, it's interesting that we use the opposite ratio of Heavy Weapon Squads to Screening Squads.

 

I have 2 Infantry Squads with Lascannons for every 1 I have with a Flamer, you have 2 screening squads for every 1 Lascannon squad.

 

I don't know why that amuses me.