Whats your experince with Jump pack marines?

[Zeruvar]

I wanted to start working on something new this edition, and since I only have 5 marines with jump packs I wanted to expand that part of my army.

 

Just trying to decide what loadout to go with, I plan on magnetizing the jump packs but for the weapons I'm torn between th/ss or 2x chainswords. Care to weight in anyone?

[thecapn226]

I like a 5 man vanguard squad with pistols and chainsword and a power weapon on the Sgt. Cheap and effective.

[Kisada]

I have a 5 man squad with 2 flamers.  I've been trying to use them as a harassment unit.  Jump in and tie up a vehicle.  In the 2 games I used them they were about 50/50 in effectiveness.  

 

Last game I played against a friend who had some company vets with jump packs.  lightning claw, thunder hammer, powersword + storm shield.  So annoying lol ... the storm shield tanked 15 hits from my hammernators and tied them up until Dante could arrive and finish off my 5 man assault terminator squad, then his jump pack vets jumped off to capture an objective.  So they seemed to work well for him lol

[Zeruvar]

I was thinking of making them as cheap backup/alternative to my assault tdas. Don't know how to mathhammer but I figure a 3x th and 2x ss loadout should be enough to help my terminators or even replace them in lower point games.

 

Gonna be a lot of magnetizing arms now since I still think 5 VV with double chainswords is still fun to look at.

[Kisada]

Let us know how it goes ... after my current project I can totally see myself making some sword brethren with magnetized pack and arms.

[Honda]

In previous editions, I always took melta bombs just as insurance against light vehicles. Things are different this edition, though at the same time, I still think some of our earlier lessons apply (e.g. power fists).

 

If you're playing Power levels, then there's no reason not to.

 

Note: I am assuming we can still take MB.

[Kisada]

In previous editions, I always took melta bombs just as insurance against light vehicles. Things are different this edition, though at the same time, I still think some of our earlier lessons apply (e.g. power fists).

 

If you're playing Power levels, then there's no reason not to.

 

Note: I am assuming we can still take MB.

 

Sarge can still take a melta bomb. 

[Kellevil]

So it sounds like; Vanguard Vets: good. Regular assault marines, dont bother.

 

I am currently building some assault marines, maybe I should add more storm shields and T hammers and call them vets?

[Zeruvar]

 

 

 

 

So I started working on the Vanguard/assault marines today. I'm surprised how all the options on the sprues are so magnetizing them should be a cinch. I did end up using shield/hammer bits from other models, but otherwise I can run them with all the options swappable.

[Link2edition]

I like 10 man units. I keep them cheap and cheerful and use them to destroy enemy screening units so my deepstrikers can make planetfall. They are great at this as 10 marines will mop up the majority of fodder units and still have the movement to redeploy where needed after.

[Ebon Hand]

I've been trying to make regular Assault Marines work for a while and I've consistently found them to be underwhelming in damage output for their points.

 

If taking them with another chapter, I would recommend taking them without the jump packs, but for Black Templars, Crusader squads make them obsolete so grab Vanguards instead. There are a few niche uses I have found for Assault Squads with Black Templars though:

 

A) Dropping them in to harass vehicles/Devastators/Havocs and their like: they do this job well enough if you are squeezed for points, otherwise use Vanguard

 

B) screening vehicles: Land Raiders Predators and Razorbacks all want to be shooting without worrying about being charged, and if they are advancing they will outpace your foot troops. You can deep strike the Assault Marines in a crescent shape to protect from incoming Dreadnoughts and are cheaper compared to Vanguards for this purpose (although still not exactly cheap). Neophyte commandos (scouts) can fulfill this role too with some planning and are a less durable but cheaper. Bikes can also do this.

 

 

C) Filling fast attack slots for cheaper, although I don't advocate them for this role. Tarantulas are far cheaper for slot fillers and Bikes and Land Speeders are competing as well.

 

What do Assault Squads get that the others don't? Flamers and Eviscerators on a flying body. Eviscerators seem over costed (they cost more than a Sergeant with a power fist!) and Flamers are not usable on the drop and probably better on Bikes as assault weapons.

Edited September 26, 2017 by Ebon Hand

[Castellan Doren]

For assault marines. Two flamers and sgt with lightning claws if they deploy with the army. Plasma pistols and sgt with plasma chainsword if they deep strike.

 

I'm about to build a 10 man vv squad all with plasma pistols and storm shields as a deep strike harassment squad. But i'm trying to not be hateful since the full squad will cost 300pts. That's cheap for a 10 man with a 3 inv save.

[stormsblade]

I have had great luck running 3 five man squads with 3 plasma pistols each as well as Captain with jump pack to reroll 1's and make supercharging more survivable with 9 S8 2W shots. Usually used to grab objectives or lay waste to anything not protected in the backfield.  I may make another unit of five vanguard jumpers with 10 plasma pistols if i can find enough in the bits box.

[Zeruvar]

Made a Vanguard detachment with my new VV and I'm excited to give them a whirl next game night. 

 

Vanguard Detachment 584 pts

Chaplain w/ jump pack Power Fist, Crusader Helm 102

5x VV w/ Jump packs 3x th/bp, 2x ss/bp 148

5x VV SB w/ Dual LC, 4x cs/cs 92

5x Assault TDA 3xth/ss, 2x Dual LC 242

 

 

 

With my main detachment of Veteran bikers, LRC and Stormraven, seems like it would be a fun mobile force.