Vanguard veterans loadout

[Paladin777]

So I know a lot of people use death company as their suicidal cannonball, but I’m not normally big on suicidal charges (not that I don’t plan on using death company at all, just more for surgical strikes). Fluff-wise, if I was going to make a nasty take all comers combat squad that is likely to survive longer I think vanguard vets might be a better fit... that and they have a couple of options that the DC don’t have to make them potentially last longer; most notably storm shields. Anyway, I was thinking about this for a squad of 8. I can be convinced to expand it to 10 at a later date but at the moment I used two jump packs to make captains.

 

Sergeant TH and plasma pistol

Power sword and plasma pistol

Power sword and plasma pistol

Pair of lightning claws

Chainsword and storm shield

Chainswords and storm shield

Dual chainswords

Dual chainswords

Edited January 12, 2018 by Paladin777

[Silverson]

Anything you drop in front of the enemy is going to die next turn (unless you saturate them with threats). The idea of the unit is less about them surviving but more about them accomplishing a job before they die.

 

What is the perpose of your vanguard veteran squad? Is the aim for them to deepstrike and 3d6 charge? This can be done in tandem with death company and forlorn fury to get the charge at the same time. Are they to deepstrike down and shoot a lot then only have a 2d6 chance of making a charge?, a very risky strategy that would either need MSUs with plasma pistols or a 10 man squad with plasma, both need a captain support, and maybe Melta gun command squads would be better?

 

Are they jumping up the field? If so death company with the possibility of and extra movement phase at the start of the game is better.

 

Take all comers units are ok if they are a threat to everything, I find getting a unit that packs enough punch and is survivable with blood angels is very difficult. To me we seem more glass hammers.

[Panzer]

I agree that if an opponent wants to get rid of them he will. A 5 man T4 W1 3++ unit is not very durable. If you want a durable unit to deep strike your best bet would be Terminators of any kind.

[Shaezus]

So I know a lot of people use death guard as their suicidal cannonball, but...

Can the nearest Commissar report to this thread asap, it seems a heretic made a Freudian slip :D

 

Seriously though if you want durability take termies or primaris. If I was going to run the squad listed, personally I would ditch the shields and the plasma pistols. Vanvets aren't a priority for high AP weaponry so shields are wasted IMO. As for the plasma, I suppose it just depends if multi tasking is your thing, but again Inceptors can specialise at that more effectively.

[Paladin777]

As far as deployment goes, in a larger game they would likely start off mounted in a LRC. I might take away one of the models and mount Astorath sometimes. But based on most everything you guys are saying, it seems like Vanguard veterans fill the exact same role as death company, and for the loadouts you guys are suggesting, DC would likely do it better. In regards to the possibility of taking terminators, I would rather go mobile. Would I be better suited to taking sanguinary guard then? Edited January 12, 2018 by Paladin777

[Panzer]

Sanguinary Guard or, for less melee and more shooting, Incestors, yes.

[Paladin777]

I’m kinda not a huge fan of the way most Primaris look so I’m trying to avoid being particularly reliant on them... Edited January 12, 2018 by Paladin777

[Claws and Effect]

Blood Angels get +1 attack on the charge, correct?

 

Assuming that is true, go with lots of claws. Reroll to wound will get you more net damage than the extra attack from chainswords.

[Panzer]

Blood Angels get +1 attack on the charge, correct?

 

Assuming that is true, go with lots of claws. Reroll to wound will get you more net damage than the extra attack from chainswords.

Not correct. Blood Angels get +1 to wound on the charge (or when getting charged) the first round.

[Paladin777]

Only models with the DEATH COMPANY keyword get the +1 attack on the charge.

[Spagunk]

Still going to go with my original plan and have 5 SS/Hammer vets and 5 gunslinger vets. Just trying to work out specifics on those gunslinger vets. Would really like to go 3 2xGrav, 1 2xplasma and 1 2x Flamer but my feelings are all over the place with that arrangement. Plus, I may not even have 6 sets of grav pistols to begin with lol.

[Brother Crimson]

As far as deployment goes, in a larger game they would likely start off mounted in a LRC. I might take away one of the models and mount Astorath sometimes. But based on most everything you guys are saying, it seems like Vanguard veterans fill the exact same role as death company, and for the loadouts you guys are suggesting, DC would likely do it better. In regards to the possibility of taking terminators, I would rather go mobile. Would I be better suited to taking sanguinary guard then?

Lightning claws are 200% cool but DC with power sword does about the same job.

Dual chainsword will do similar as DC too for cheap.

 

The two things vanguard do DC don’t is gunslingers (2 pistols) and stormshield.

 

You can spray 1-2 shield to endure ap weapon. If it enables you to make just one more save it payed back. This is the main reason I’d use them.

 

Gunslingers are interesting, two plasma pistols are not a bad loadout but there is also company vet and inceptors that are good plasma deep strike units. Adding a storm shield can be very good for those units too.

 

As for terminator I think sanguinary guards are better anyway: they are less expensive, have good damage output, better movement, synergy with warlord and can use JP stratagems. For all that you lose 5++ but it’s not the end of the world.