Sternguard

[Montuhotep]

I apologise if this has been asked before, but Searchy came up with nothing that particular and I wanted some analysis from those who still use them as opposed to loading up on Intercessors.

 

 I have plans for a unit of 6 (read: enough parts for a squad of 6) and would like to know if people use combi-weapons instead of the special-issue bolters and, if heavy weapons are taken, which one? I have historically shied away from heavies as detracting from the utility of the squad, but are they more viable than I give them credit for?

 

I plan to drop them in a pod, maybe with a chaplain, for medium-range harassment duties.

[Rik Lightstar]

Combo-weapons on Sternguard are a great option at 5 points each.

 

For comparison; a naked Tactical Squad with ONE Plasma or Melta Gun is 100 points, while a Sternguard Squad with FOUR Combo-weapons is only 120 points.

 

Also as modifiers never go beyond +/-1 if you're already at -1 to hit you have free reign to take the bolter shots too.

 

Rik

[Karhedron]

That is quite a lot of special firepower that can be put in a Drop Pod unlike Primaris equivalents.

[Chaplain Augustus]

They are fully playable in a pod with combi weapons or with the spec bolters but it depends on the job you want them to do. With a chaplain buffing them they are gonna do work. I have been using two msu squads with 2 missile launchers as back field guys cause the bolters are longer range and Elite slots are easier to come by than Heavy Support slots... they are often ignored till they've done their share of damage.

[War of the Eagle]

I like the Special issue bolters abit. They are the same points as an Intercessor squad but lose Obsec for -3 AP that shreads.

[XeonDragon]

Stern guard make for an interesting, cheaper and slightly less effective 'glass hammer in a drop pod' than devastators. The ability to take 2 heavy weapons in a squad is good. Even better is that they are elites, so they can 'duplicate' to an extent the role that other squads in the heavy slot perform (e.g. MM devastators, assault hellblasters, eradicators). Some builds I think are interesting:

 

1. Combi-plasma all-round. A bit like a hellblaster squad, but cheaper and a little more fragile and little less effective.
2. Combi-plasmas and 1 or 2 grav cannons. Great for dropping within rapid-fire range of a target and inflicting great damage. No particularly mobile afterwards, but at least the combi-plasma has 24" range with single shots. Overall performance similar to hellblasters. 
3. Combi-plasmas and two-multi-meltas: 24" range on both the MM and combi-plasmas makes for good ball of death which then sits still afterwards. Surprisingly effective, and the 3 other combi-plasma bodies can act as "ablative wounds" for the MM models, preserving firepower for longer.
4. All combi-meltas. They can advance and shoot after they melt whatever they drop down near. Think of them as a cheaper, more fragile squad of eradicators with shorter range that can alpha-strike in turn 1 without spending CP

Option 4 is OK, and at least the survivors can sprint across the board and still shoot. I prefer all combi-plasma or combi-plasma plus some heavy weapons for better range post turn-1 shooting shenanigans myself. Also, you can take a squad of 10, so 2 MM + 8 combi-whatever in a drop pod can be surprisingly effective, cheap, takes up a single slot and can (unlike eradicators) split fire :D

 

So, TL;DR: stern guard can be good. Load up on combi weapons and consider heavy weapons, depending on what you want them to do if they survive after the turn they come down. 

 

Also look at company veterans, whilst they can't take 2 heavy weapons per squad they and combi-weapons cost more, they can take storm shields, including on the heavy weapon guy   A squad of 5 with combi-plasmas or combi-meltas can act as slightly less effective but substantially more durable hellblasters/eradicators

Edited March 15, 2022 by XeonDragon

[Helias_Tancred]

I've always used my Sternguard (BA) or the Dark Angel equivalent Company Veterans, as a unit to deliver a heavy firepower punch. Its been either combi-meltas or combi-plasma, going back to 6th edition when I started in 40k. For my Dark Angels I actually have two five-man squads, one with combi-melta, and the other with combi-plasma. For my Blood Angels its a full ten man Sternguard squad.

 

Back then I put them in drop pods. In 8th and 9th I've put them in razorbacks. They've always done well for me. Sadly I have no experience using special bolters, although I was tempted in 8th when we had that nice strat. 

Edited March 17, 2022 by Helias Tancred