Best loadout for infantry squads

[DrMonkeyface]

This is terribly noobish of me but I'm currently just getting up to speed on 8th edition having not played since around the 5th edition. I know that I need 3 squads in a 1000pt army to make it legit so whats the best advice on their kit? Keep them bare bones and not much stuff? It looks like Grenade launches are fairly flexible but I'm worried that its points wasted. Pick up a squad of Tempestus for the hell of it?

 

I'm mainly trying to work out what I need to buy at the moment and I've got a couple of Chimeras, a Vendetta, two beaten up Leman Russ, a Wyvern and a Basilisk converted from a Rhino (long story).

 

http://i.imgur.com/4guFmQ9l.jpg

 

I'm not going down the conscript route as the chap who runs the GW I get my stuff from seems to think they'll get nerfed soon and they don't look like they're that much fun to play with so I'd rather stick to a couple of flexible squads. My main opponent is likely to be a Wolf army so I'm thinking I just want the basics then throw in some armour for support.

 

Any suggestions on what I should do troop wise is appreciated.

[mertbl]

I like autocannon and flamers. I also spring for a voxcaster in each unit.

 

I usually use 4 of these squads as the base for my army. They are cheap. 65ish points each.

[Kinstryfe]

I tend to go either lascannon/plasma to let them disk out some potential hurt to armor, or run them with just a flamer as a screening squad. Both seem to do pretty well at the roles I use them for.

[wulfgar hammerfist]

Strength 5 is the sweet spot for being able to hurt most units in the game. When I run infantry squads I like to give them a heavy bolter and a plasma gun. It's cheap and helps mitigate the poor Guard ballistic skill through volume of fire. I prefer lascannons in a heavy weapon squad where they typically won't be moving.

[Halfpint100]

Personally I run 4 squads of guardsmen, with 2 plasma guns and 2 flamers. The plasmas go forward in chimeras along with a third chimera with a SWS of 3 flamers and a command squad of 2 meltas, plus 2 officers and 1 commissar. The 2 flamer squads sit at the back protecting my HWT and artillery tanks. 

 

I have been tempted to add in heavy weapons in the squads. but it limits mobility, adds points and I like my guard to have a LOT of mobility, with a small artillery base of a basilisk, manticore, HWT mortar x3, HWT auto x3, company commander and the 2 flamer squads.

 

I suppose it depends how you play your guard. Personally I love flamers and plasma (my regiment is not called the firedrakes for nothing!)

[DrMonkeyface]

Thanks for the suggestions all. It sounds like flamers seem to be a safer bet than the GL for the lowish BS of guards so I may add those in instead.  I'd imagine I'll mainly use them for protecting my artillery and I had planned on a heavy squad of 3 autocannons as an alternative to the Basilisk when I'm up against something with bigger numbers like orks or nids.

 

Vox seems to be a no brainer as well now that I've read up on them.

[Tyr13]

Plasma is generally a good choice, and its also a good idea to put some AT (LC preferred, missile launchers can also work) into your infantry squads - gives those expensive lascannons a nice meat shield. Voxes arent generally that useful at this point... Im kind of hoping for a buff in the codex. At 5 pts, its a bit to expensive for the negligible range increase. Better to load up on some more officers.

[mertbl]

Doesn't the range go from 6" to 18"?

 

Plasma is generally a good choice, and its also a good idea to put some AT (LC preferred, missile launchers can also work) into your infantry squads - gives those expensive lascannons a nice meat shield. Voxes arent generally that useful at this point... Im kind of hoping for a buff in the codex. At 5 pts, its a bit to expensive for the negligible range increase. Better to load up on some more officers.

[Kinstryfe]

The range goes up, but since for every 6 vox you buy you could buy an additional company Commander, most people tend to go for that instead. Vox seems more useful if you have a really specific strategy in mind where you need the extra range on orders.

[WarriorFish]

Squads are nice when kept cheap, but due to the improvements for 8th you don't break the bank if you spring for a few toys. Volume of fire has always been good for Guard but with ready access to orders you can really supplement that. As mentioned dropping in extra commanders is easy and cheap enough so you're probably better off with them rather than vox. I reckon there's use for them with the right build though, perhaps as a way of keeping commanders at a safer distance with a caddy squad to issue orders from?

[Feral_80]

In normal infantry squad, 1 flamer is all you need. That's it. For 47 points you get the following:

 

- maximize point/efficiency

- minimize loss of points when you'll inevitably lose the squad

- get a very good damage output, and your special ignores the BS 3+

- get a fairly decent protection against most charges, for the cost

- make best use of First rank fire, second rank fire: except for the flamer, everyone gets to use it (the sgt is always an exception - see below)

- many give sgt a plasma pistol, but at BS 4+ I do not think it is particularly worth it. Better to leave him free to toss a grenade instead, since he won't have a lasgun anyway.

 

Heavy weapons are much, much better deployed in their own teams now. Keep that infantry cheap and mobile!

[DrMonkeyface]

hmmm... I did want to keep the cost of my squads down as I'm only aiming for a 1k points value at the moment. I'm currently thinking two command squads with plasma and two squads with plasma in the front and two squads with flamers held back to protect the artillery. I was hoping to squeeze in a couple of sentinels to act as mobile guns mainly because I have some old ones that I want a good excuse to customise and upgrade. My Vendetta can act as a tank hunter if I need some extra welly.

 

my bank account is thinking 'golly gee are you doing?'

 

 

 

Heavy weapons are much, much better deployed in their own teams now. Keep that infantry cheap and mobile!

 

Thats something I had been pondering while flicking through the rules. I got the idea that heavies end up making the units less mobile so a team is a better way to go with them.

[WarriorFish]

Like Feral I go cheap, flamers have been reliable so far and continue to be so but Sentinels lose some of their lustre with the movement penalty to shooting heavy weapons :( I've used four squads at 1000pts and that's worked fine so I'd probably look at maintaining a rough ratio of at least two squads per 500pts. If you want plasma Stormtroopers might be an idea also, they're Troop too and have BS3+ :)

[Captain_Krash]

I wouldn't count Grenade Launchers out. I don't run flamers due to the nature of what Guardsmen are facing with lets face it majority of the time power armor. That and rolling a 1 is awful and you will most likely lose the unit after firing the flamer. I tend to like the range of the launcher as it covers majority of the board as well thus getting more milage out of it throughout the game. Just as cheap as the flamer and is a great if not better choice. 

 

Krash 

[Halfpint100]

With the vox question.... my squads end up so far apart, that i prefer having officers with them dotted around. in 2k points i run 3 CC and 2 PC. I just see voxs as too expensive and means my units need to (weirdly) closer together.

[duz_]

I like GLs especially with increase damage output they're cheap and effective

 

Vox are useful but you dont need 1 for every squad. My next list iterations will probably see 3-4 so my commander can be safely out of sight and still give the near by gunline orders

[WarriorFish]

Grenade launchers are also on my cheap and cheerful list, but I've yet to use them in 8th so the reports I'm hearing are encouraging. I'll probably try vox out at some point too, if only because I have lots of vox models and would want them to see use :P

[NatBrannigan]

I like GL's, the extra range is always useful. Flamers are great as well of course but it's a coin flip between them for me. No Heavy Weapons in Infantry squads  since HWT's are useable now. They want different orders to Infantry most of the time as well.

 

Vox's are also great. Plenty of times I would have been in trouble without the extra range on orders. Well worth 5 points in my experience.

 

I love Infantry Squads!

[PliskinAJ]

I am wanting to get rid of my special weapon on my line squads, I haven't done it yet and I'm still running the flamer. For only 2 more points than the flamer I can put in a heavy bolter and a SGT bolter and I have seen more use of of this. Getting a turn or two of shooting this seems to pay off more than 1 shot of a special weapon. 

 

The other special weapons while have some fluff for me I just don't think they are worth it.

- The plasma seems to be worth it but in my mind not really that fluffy. I do use them on scions and vets.

- I used to run the grenade launcher as it was nice wounding a MEQ on a 2+ with krack. Now everything short of str 8 wounds marines on a 3. The frag version seems to be a D6 lasgun. 

- Sniper rifle is cheap enough I might put them in to try but its another heavy weapon in a line squad. 

- Melta in my mind is just too expensive for what it does.

 

Heavy weapons wise:

- Autocannon used to me my go to heavy weapon for a squad. Threat to everything. Now its a 2 shot heavy bolter to MEQ and to any tank that isn't a light transport. 2 damage is nice but I would rather get 3 chances.

- Missile launcher is in my mind an expensive compromised lascannon. 

- Lascannon is too expensive to put in a line squad for me, I run 6+ squads. 

- The mortar is cool and cheap but since it can fire indirect just sit it in a heavy weapon squad in a hole somewhere. 

 

This is my opinion for line squads, I'm not a fan of any one shot weapon in line squads as they miss too often to depend on them. If they are in sws or vets/scions I'm more open to meltas. 

 

If your running 3 squads might as well put vox in them your going to have to spread them out occasionally. 

 

Another option you can do run them as vets and change your detachment to a vanguard and run them as vets, 3 times the special weapons and better BS. 

[NatBrannigan]

By the way OP, those are some fine looking Tanks you have there. I like the Basilisk conversion I must say.

[duz_]

This is terribly noobish of me but I'm currently just getting up to speed on 8th edition having not played since around the 5th edition. I know that I need 3 squads in a 1000pt army to make it legit so whats the best advice on their kit? Keep them bare bones and not much stuff? It looks like Grenade launches are fairly flexible but I'm worried that its points wasted. Pick up a squad of Tempestus for the hell of it?

 

I'm mainly trying to work out what I need to buy at the moment and I've got a couple of Chimeras, a Vendetta, two beaten up Leman Russ, a Wyvern and a Basilisk converted from a Rhino (long story).

 

http://i.imgur.com/4guFmQ9l.jpg

 

I'm not going down the conscript route as the chap who runs the GW I get my stuff from seems to think they'll get nerfed soon and they don't look like they're that much fun to play with so I'd rather stick to a couple of flexible squads. My main opponent is likely to be a Wolf army so I'm thinking I just want the basics then throw in some armour for support.

 

Any suggestions on what I should do troop wise is appreciated.

 

On a side note: 

I really like that Rhino  / Basilisk conversion! What is the barrel / turret you used?

Looks like it could be easily modified to suit a Chimera chassis too for an enclosed Basilisk! :)

[DrMonkeyface]

I am wanting to get rid of my special weapon on my line squads, I haven't done it yet and I'm still running the flamer. For only 2 more points than the flamer I can put in a heavy bolter and a SGT bolter and I have seen more use of of this. Getting a turn or two of shooting this seems to pay off more than 1 shot of a special weapon. 

 

The other special weapons while have some fluff for me I just don't think they are worth it.

- The plasma seems to be worth it but in my mind not really that fluffy. I do use them on scions and vets.

- I used to run the grenade launcher as it was nice wounding a MEQ on a 2+ with krack. Now everything short of str 8 wounds marines on a 3. The frag version seems to be a D6 lasgun. 

- Sniper rifle is cheap enough I might put them in to try but its another heavy weapon in a line squad. 

- Melta in my mind is just too expensive for what it does.

 

Heavy weapons wise:

- Autocannon used to me my go to heavy weapon for a squad. Threat to everything. Now its a 2 shot heavy bolter to MEQ and to any tank that isn't a light transport. 2 damage is nice but I would rather get 3 chances.

- Missile launcher is in my mind an expensive compromised lascannon. 

- Lascannon is too expensive to put in a line squad for me, I run 6+ squads. 

- The mortar is cool and cheap but since it can fire indirect just sit it in a heavy weapon squad in a hole somewhere. 

 

This is my opinion for line squads, I'm not a fan of any one shot weapon in line squads as they miss too often to depend on them. If they are in sws or vets/scions I'm more open to meltas. 

 

If your running 3 squads might as well put vox in them your going to have to spread them out occasionally. 

 

Another option you can do run them as vets and change your detachment to a vanguard and run them as vets, 3 times the special weapons and better BS. 

 

Thats interesting stuff. Thanks.

 

 

By the way OP, those are some fine looking Tanks you have there. I like the Basilisk conversion I must say.

 

 

 

On a side note: 

I really like that Rhino  / Basilisk conversion! What is the barrel / turret you used?

Looks like it could be easily modified to suit a Chimera chassis too for an enclosed Basilisk! 

 

 

Thanks guys. The Basilisk came about because a mate of mine dumped a load of his random 40k stuff on me when he moved and one part was a rhino that was missing the tracks, most of the armour/plates and a few other bits. As I don't use Marines, it sat in a box for ages untouched then I fished it out and built the bits from brass and plastic tubing, plasticard and some spare track parts as well as some random stuff from my bits box.

 

Sorry for the facebook link but you can see a WIP here: 

https://www.facebook.com/castingsofcthulhu/photos/a.436122786561884.1073741834.435170986657064/714884028685757/?type=3&theater

[HenricusTyranicus]

One of my problems in this edition is that plasma kinda outperforms everything. A sniper rifle is just about the only weapon that fulfills a role that it can't, but because Ratlings exist there's no good reason to give them to anyone who can take special weapons. 

[Withershadow]

I skip the heavy weapon for Infantry Squads, and my special weapon of choice for them is a grenade launcher. It's cheap and adds to their volume of fire. Voxes go in if I have points and a plan.

[DrLoveMonkey]

I'm actually going to say that they're all pretty good options, depending on what the squad is doing.

 

For example because of how badly my tanks and artillery get messed up by deepstriking chargers, I tend to have a dedicated infantry squad just sitting there acting as a screen for them, in which case generally I give them some kind of heavy weapon like an autocannon or even a LC and a long range special weapon, sometimes even a sniper.

 

On the other hand if their charging forward and forming a battle line I'm much more likely to just give them a flamer for close encounters and cheap firepower.

 

I've even had a bit of luck with kind of hybrid mid range squads, they usually take a HB or a ML and like plasma or a grenade launcher. The one half of the heavy weapon still gets first rank second rank if I need to, since it can split fire it, and it's not always super worth it to even use rank fire for 7 lasguns anyway. Then the other mid range weapons pick on priority targets while being relatively safe and somewhat mobile.

 

That's my experience anyway but I'm not usually playing mega competitive, or 1000 points.