Equipping an Astra Militarum Platoon

[Sevej]

My project of a Space Marine company is 90% completed (sans transports). So, I've been wondering about an Astra Militarum company. I have no experience of playing this army, and also not familiar to its background details.

 

So, I know it's going to be a command squad, a platoon commander, 5 infantry squads, 5 heavy weapons team, 3 special weapons squad, and a bunch of conscripts.

 

The question is, if I want to build a "fluffy" AM company, how would I equip it. How many squads of heavy weapons? Which heavy weapons? What about special weapons squad?

 

Note that I don't care much for gameplay, meta, or flavor of the week.

[The Ergonomic Enginseer]

What kind of "Fluff" are you after?

Is your Platoon on a Crusade with your Space Marines or Garrisoned on a back water planet?

[Slan Drakkos]

Building an imperial guard army depends on several things. You'll have to answer these questions before you can really start making them.

 

1. What do you want to play? By this, I'm trying to ascertain what type of guardsmen you like and what your play style is. Do you want the better weapons and armor that Scions sport? Do you want to be able to actually duke it out in close combat like the Catachans and Death Korps can? Do you care more about shooting like the Mordians and Valhallans? Answer this question and you'll find the rest of your army surprisingly easy to build.

 

2. What you you need to play? This isn't a question regarding your local meta. It's a question regarding what sort of armies you personally expect to go up against more often in a casual game. once you know what to expect on average, it's incredibly easy to properly kit out your guardsmen.

[Sevej]

What kind of "Fluff" are you after?

Is your Platoon on a Crusade with your Space Marines or Garrisoned on a back water planet?

Well, it's supposed to be the PDF of a average, well-developed planet.

 

1. What do you want to play? By this, I'm trying to ascertain what type of guardsmen you like and what your play style is. Do you want the better weapons and armor that Scions sport? Do you want to be able to actually duke it out in close combat like the Catachans and Death Korps can? Do you care more about shooting like the Mordians and Valhallans? Answer this question and you'll find the rest of your army surprisingly easy to build.

 

2. What you you need to play? This isn't a question regarding your local meta. It's a question regarding what sort of armies you personally expect to go up against more often in a casual game. once you know what to expect on average, it's incredibly easy to properly kit out your guardsmen. 

 

 

I don't expect to play. I have a company of Space Marines that I kitted out based on functions. Squad A for tank busting, squad B for infantry support, squad C for general purpose, this Devastator for anti-tank, that Assault Squad for anti-horde... something like that.

[Shamansky]

Just be careful. The Guard armies tend to grow fast.

[WarriorFish]

The lore supports anything easily for Guard, so whatever you want or need works fine ;) Generally speaking keeping costs down is a good idea, I've always liked flamers and grenade launchers and though flamers are a bit more expensive now they're still good. Heavy weapons are much the same, but due to their relative squishiness you don't want to spend too many points on them.

 

For example a lascannon squad will get targeted quickly, but you can mitigate this by spreading them around in other squads with cheaper weapons (Orders are less effective though). Mortars and heavy bolters have been a staple for my HWSs for some time and they're pretty good in 8th, and not too expensive either (mortars especially!) :)

 

Have you thought about what colour scheme you might like? It's a good opportunity to complement your Marines or do something completely different :tu:

[ProminusIV]

My project of a Space Marine company is 90% completed (sans transports). So, I've been wondering about an Astra Militarum company. I have no experience of playing this army, and also not familiar to its background details.

 

So, I know it's going to be a command squad, a platoon commander, 5 infantry squads, 5 heavy weapons team, 3 special weapons squad, and a bunch of conscripts.

 

The question is, if I want to build a "fluffy" AM company, how would I equip it. How many squads of heavy weapons? Which heavy weapons? What about special weapons squad?

 

Note that I don't care much for gameplay, meta, or flavor of the week.

Well, depending on the background-story you have written for your PDF army. I would say that an army often has 1 special weapon and 1 heavy weapon they are specialised in. Tallarn has the plasma gun and the missile launcher for example. For my personal army i have the heavy bolter, lascannon and plasma gun as specialised weapons based on the fact that they live on a manufactorum world where they have access to more costly weapons. 

 

My army structure is based on lore as well, having standard bearers is rooted in their culture, so each squad has a banner bearer. Since the army is partly privatised, promotions can be bought and are dealt to the super-rich and nobility. This means i have certain company commanders that look a bit different than the standard troops and have their own command squad for example. 

 

Bottomline, there is so much to work with, i would suggest starting with reading up on established lore about a couple companies and then writing an interesting back-story and taking it from there. Keeping the army structure close to established lore. 

[sairence]

You're generally pretty free there, but PDFs will usually be less well-equipped than frontline Guard regiments. So you'd likely have less of the more potent special and heavy weapons. Missile launchers for heavy instead of Las, Grenade Launchers instead of Plasma. If they have Leman Russ, it'll be the common types like Battletanks and Exterminators as opposed to the Siege-variants (Demolisher, Punisher, Executioner)

 

Probably also little in the way of power weapons or regimental advisors. Definitely some Commissars attached for maintaining moral.

[Sevej]

You're generally pretty free there, but PDFs will usually be less well-equipped than frontline Guard regiments. So you'd likely have less of the more potent special and heavy weapons. Missile launchers for heavy instead of Las, Grenade Launchers instead of Plasma. If they have Leman Russ, it'll be the common types like Battletanks and Exterminators as opposed to the Siege-variants (Demolisher, Punisher, Executioner)

 

Probably also little in the way of power weapons or regimental advisors. Definitely some Commissars attached for maintaining moral.

 

That's actually a good idea! For the platoon itself, would something like this make sense:

 

Platoon Commander

Power Sword (more like a... status symbol)

 

Command Squad

Vox Caster

Regimental Standard

Medi-pak

Sniper-rifle

 

Infantry Squad

Sergeant with Chain Sword

Flamer

 

Infantry Squad

Heavy Bolter

 

Infantry Squad

Heavy Bolter

 

Infantry Squad

Missile Launcher

 

Infantry Squad

Missile Launcher

 

HWT Autocannon x 3

 

HWT Autocannon x 3

 

HWT Mortar x 3

 

Special Weapons Squad

Grenade Launcher x 3

 

Special Weapons Squad

Grenade Launcher x 3

 

Special Weapons Squad

Flamer x 3

 

(assume all squads are fully manned)