Command Squad hijinks?

[Karhedron]

If we take a Captain, we can take a free Command squad. Even if we don't, we have 6 Elite slots to play with in a typical Battalion. At 20 points each, a 2-man squad is the cheapest Infantry unit in the army. Add a pair of Stormshields and you can still have a squad with 4W and a 2+4++ save for under 50 points. Granted their threat value is low but if kept away from the front lines, can they be useful for secondaries?

 

Engage on All Fronts and Deploy Scramblers are generally fairly easy to achieve periodically but as the game progresses, can become harder. Once you get to Turn 3, you may not have enough units left to contest all 4 quarters so having a dirt-cheap unit come on from Reserves T3 to claim whichever table quarter is safest could net you a few extra VPs. Similarly with Drop Pods, if you are running a Pod with a Dev squad then you may have a few spaces left over for a small squad to squeeze in.

 

Is this a worthwhile use of points or is it simply better to splash out 55 points on an MM attack bike which has 4 T5 wounds, its own mobility and can contribute a pair of tank-busting shots every turn to boot?

Edited November 6, 2020 by Karhedron

[Charlo]

1. Put five of these units in a drop pod.

Land it in the center of the table. 

Deploy them all in different quarters.

LAUGH

[MasterDeath]

 

• Put five of these units in a drop pod.
• Land it in the center of the table.
• Deploy them all in different quarters.
• LAUGH

Watch your opponent open the rulebook

Read the Line that does say the Units have to be 6" away from Center

Facepalm

[Karhedron]

The Drop Pod has a pretty large footprint. Add a 3" disembark move and they can be well beyond 6"of the centre.

[Jorin Helm-splitter]

It's hard to say if the bike or company veterans would be better because alot of the time a unit this cheap would be one of the last units selected.

 

Personally I've been using uncompromising fire on plasma inceptors to do the final deploy scramblers action. So I would tend to take the attack bike, but if your light on infantry than you may want the vets.

[Medicinal Carrots]

 

1. Put five of these units in a drop pod.
2. Land it in the center of the table. 
3. Deploy them all in different quarters.
4. LAUGH

 

Unless it's matched play, where you can only take 3 of them.

[Debauchery101]

 

 

 

• Put five of these units in a drop pod.
• Land it in the center of the table.
• Deploy them all in different quarters.
• LAUGH

Unless it's matched play, where you can only take 3 of them.

rule of 3 does not apply to transports <not transports from other force org roles> and troops choices.. Edited November 7, 2020 by Debauchery101

[Sword Brother Adelard]

 

 

 

• Put five of these units in a drop pod.
• Land it in the center of the table.
• Deploy them all in different quarters.
• LAUGH

Unless it's matched play, where you can only take 3 of them.

rule of 3 does not apply to transports <not transports from other force org roles> and troops choices..

But aren't we talking about company vets? Which are Elites?

Edited November 7, 2020 by Brother Adelard

[Jorin Helm-splitter]

Yeah the company vets would be limited to three slots.

 

The more I think about the unit the more I think the main reason to take them should be their bodyguard rule. I just don't see the value in running them just for secondaries. For example engage on all fronts was mentioned and the attack bike would be better at it, while bringing better firepower.

 

Where they shine is protecting a librarian or some other support character on the cheap.

[Charlo]

 

 

1. Put five of these units in a drop pod.
2. Land it in the center of the table. 
3. Deploy them all in different quarters.
4. LAUGH

 

Unless it's matched play, where you can only take 3 of them.

 

So take three and some characters idk 

[Mandragola]

Ok but that's not actually a plan. You're spending 270+ points to achieve a secondary objective once, maybe, if your opponent doesn't already hold the centre. Plus you should probably already have stuff in the two quarters on your side of the board, unless things have gone pretty terribly. Cute trick though, for sure.

 

Command squads might actually be a decent unit in 9th. They're basically intercessors with a load more weapon options that come as a free slot. They might be one of the best units to load into a rhino or drop pod, though VVs share a lot of the same options.

[dogfender]

I haven’t had the opportunity to pick up the new book yet & was happy to hear the command squad is back. Though I haven’t really seen how it works or what the options are.

Are these one in the same as upgrading the chapter champion, librarian etc?

[Sword Brother Adelard]

I haven’t had the opportunity to pick up the new book yet & was happy to hear the command squad is back. Though I haven’t really seen how it works or what the options are.

Are these one in the same as upgrading the chapter champion, librarian etc?

No, it's baked into the profiles of the individual old marine units which made up the squad, the captain, veterans apothecary and Techmarine. (Company ancient too? I don't have my book to hand)

[Kallas]

Basically:

• If you have a Captain, one unit of Company Veterans doesn't use up a slot
• If you have a unit of Company Veterans, one of each of the following don't use up a slot:

1. Apothecary
2. Company Champion
3. Company Ancient

So you can bring a Captain, a unit of Company Veterans, an Apothecary, a Champion and an Ancient and use up a single HQ slot in your detachment.

 

This is useful for Patrols, especially, which only pack two Elites slots. Battalions care if you're trying to pack in a bunch of other Elites units, and the Company Veterans are only 20pts per model anyway, so it's 40pts to make a bunch of support characters not use up a slot. Plus they are Bodyguards, so stop them being shot up until the Veterans are gone.

[dogfender]

Sounds awesome. Only wish you could do this with Primaris