Command Squad worth it?

[Wassa]

Is having a command squad worth it?

 

I've read the Unit of the week post from last year. It seems the choices are to either use them as a special weapons squad or to have them support your team with the banner/medic.

 

 

My worry with the command squad, veterans, special weapons squads, is that they aren't any tougher than the other troops and they will just be targeted in the first turn?

[Hatarus]

a Company command Squad is honestly a three off in any guard list over 1500 points i've found they fill a role i like to call "and i'll take a spare [insert thing] with this command squad] or better named "take a spare", not only is a command squad cheap at 24 points base but it gives the Guard something Great value Lets say you give it a Mortar you now got a 29 point squad that is both small and can attack while hidden made even better by the fact it's so small. then you just got things that are outright Value like as you mentioned special weapons squads or medic/banner units    

[Captain_Krash]

Max out Plasma. You got a lot of dead enemies

 

Krash

[Wassa]

But whats the benefit of a command squad vs a veteran/special weapons squad?

[shandwen]

If you do go plasma heavy, you can fit three squads in a chimera... not cheap, not reliable (an enemy will target that box as soon as they realize what hatred it holds), but it will make for a great punch.

[duz_]

Max out Plasma. You got a lot of dead enemies

 

Krash

I have a new list I want to try which will be doing this.

 

Why command squad vs vet squad? That horrible term: points efficiency ... :ermm:

 

In my list its purely points I can get 4 plasma guys for less than a vet squad with only 3.

 

Not to say I dont like my vet squad :D

 

In friendlier games I like my command squad to be vox, banner and HWT for rule of kewl B)

[H311fi5h]

I only use then to fill Brigades (and only if I don't need any more orders). One heavy weapon at BS 3+ thats it. Don't take the Lascannon since they will just die turn one if the threat is too big.

[Tirak]

Maxed Plasma Command Squads are bolter fodder. Since they're not characters you can't protect them except by an expensive and useless Chimera. The workaround to this is Elysian Command Squads. At only 1 point more expensive per model than your average Command Squad, you can safely boat these guys with Plasma, put them in Deepstrike Reserve and then air drop them down to rain plasma on the enemy before they can react. With the recent nerf to deepstrike this makes this moderately less attractive on its own, but when compared to the average command squad this literally increases their survivabilty to near infinite levels since they can only be killed off before shooting if you either get tabled before they come on or if the enemy has an interception rule. The cost of a fast and dirty Vanguard equipped like this is 240 points. That's for 3 Command Squads all with Plasma and an Elysian Company Commander (who is data sheet distinct from your normal Company Commander and therefore no risk to the 'Rule of Three') with an Aux Grenade Launcher. That's a hell of a right hook.

 

Elysians make some fantastic quick reaction support to a normal guard army, and it's going to be sad when FW drops them entirely, so use them while you can for now.

[Inso]

If for no other reason, they are fluffy. 

 

An officer needs his support staff and no platoon/company/regiment officer would be without a command squad.

 

All of my platoons have a command squad and all of my army commanders do.

 

The only exception is Colonel Straken... he's mixing in with my veterans and doesn't feel the need for support staff :)

[Halfpint100]

They look cool and are cheap elite slots. I run mine with lascannon and banner for 49points, other heavy weapons might be better, haven't tried yet.... YET!

[crimsondave]

I use them as snipers. A command squad with 4 sniper rifles is 32 points for 4 BS+3 sniper shots. I hate ratlings.

[Diagramdude]

Lascannon and 2 snipers, deploy them tucked away far from the action.

[noigrim]

No

[CoffeeGrunt]

As Tallarn, maybe. I tend to run Veterans for that purpose instead, because I can lose seven guys before I lose any good guns.

[TheShredder]

They might be useful as slot-fillers in an infantry army, but otherwise I don't think they're particularly great.

 

That said, if I took them at all, I probably would give them each a Lascannon. Especially since I can't take more than 3 HWSs anymore.

[Feral_80]

One plasma command squad is a great complement for a special weapon squad on a Chimera/Valkyrie, where you will also want to have 1-2 characters.

 

This way, they get expensive soon, however. The other useful setup I've tried is as 4x snipers, camping on your backlines. It protects against deepstrikes, is dirty cheap, can be useful and sometimes even dangerous, and you won't cry if you lose it. Your opponent will not always have the firepower to spare to remove it, and often will leave your snipers there. 3x of these squads is a mere handful of pts, although you will need to have 3x Officers. They perform best as Cadians, of course, but you will never issue an order to them.

 

Sadly, very sadly, their most obvious and fluffy setup, as a support squad with vox, medic, and banner, is vastly underperforming, overpriced, and generally useless.

[Altasmurf]

I echo the snipers idea. And if you have a spare order or 2 us there roll 1s to wound order to fish for 6s. Anything else is a price egg and probably dead.

[GuardDaddy]

I take banner and snipers. Banner because it looks cool as much as anything else! Then just cheap snipers fishing for mortal wounds as Crimsondave notes.

 

9 sniper rifle shots needed on average to get a mortal wound against a target up to T7 (assuming BS 3).

 

Overall I've found the threat of sniper rifles (people worry about them so start doing silly things with their chars) more effective than the actual damage that they do. SO they work well as one of the things in the category of 'things my opponent needs to worry about'.

 

They are also especially good against the eldar where T3 makes wounding so much easier.

[zero88]

Try 4 Grenade Launchers. Only 44 points, with such a small footprint you can hide them out of LOS so they don't get wacked for first blood, then since they're assault weapons you can pop out with 4x BS3+ D3 Damage shots.. it's not going to win games but it's cool and can be helpful in a pinch

[Wassa]

Is putting 3 command squads in a Valkyrie a good/bad idea?

 

I was thinking that one squad could be loaded out with 4 melta guns to drop off close to enemy tanks, and the others with plasma, though that would be a lot of points for something that dies easily.

[Halfpint100]

Is putting 3 command squads in a Valkyrie a good/bad idea?

 

I was thinking that one squad could be loaded out with 4 melta guns to drop off close to enemy tanks, and the others with plasma, though that would be a lot of points for something that dies easily.

 

would work as an expensive, but effective glass cannon (if the valkyrie survives) 

[duz_]

Valks are surprisingly durable!

But I guess that would be for another thread

[Kinstryfe]

I'm finding sniper command squads to be particularly effective for some reason at kind of manipulating my opponents. They know that it's unlikely they'll do much, and they usually don't, but for some reason the threat of a bunch of mortal wounds on their characters is making them skittish around them. It's kind of fun in its own right.

[Imperator Deus]

I always take a command squad for each Company Commander in my army. I always give them a vox-caster and since the Commissar nerf, a banner. I give all of my squads vox-casters if they can take one, so that I can cover more ground with fewer Officers (and, of course, the rule of cool!). Taking a Command Squad means that the Officer can have a dedicated vox-caster nearby without having to expose himself to enemy fire. Depending on which regiment you play, Officers don't buff your units in any way other than issuing orders, so there's no need to be mixed in the front lines with your infantry squads in plain sight of enemy snipers. Dead Officers means no orders, after all!

 

I don't really bother with the Medic any more. I don't think it's worth it in 8th. Giving a squad Feel No Pain in 7th was way better than putting a single Guardsman per turn back on the table in 8th. The medic slot is better taken up with another special weapon, or to pair up with one of the other Veterans in the squad to make a Heavy Weapon Team.

[Closet Skeleton]

I'm finding sniper command squads to be particularly effective for some reason at kind of manipulating my opponents. They know that it's unlikely they'll do much, and they usually don't, but for some reason the threat of a bunch of mortal wounds on their characters is making them skittish around them. It's kind of fun in its own right.

 I found that my mixed medic/banner/sniper squad drew too much fire.

 

The medic is a good mitigation against perils at least.