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Author Topic: Captain and command squad....options?  (Read 3235 times)

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Offline The Reborn

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Captain and command squad....options?
« on: September 20, 2009, 10:44:25 AM »
I've been giving some real thought to building just such a squad, and wondered if any of you guys have done so already, and what your experiences are?
You look at their ability to survive, what with FNP granted by the Apothecary, but then you look at the lack of an invulnerable save should they get assaulted by a hidden fist or Klaw.....a couple of casualties could really damage such a small squad.
Do you use them?  Are they working for you?  Do you mount them on bikes?  Are Honour guard a better purchase with a Chater master?

All of these questions are whizzing around in my head.....help!!

-Cheers, VH.

Offline g3nius_monkey

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2009, 12:38:58 PM »
Here's what I have.

Vet #1 & #2 (Flamer, Stormshield)
Vet #3 (Power Sword, Plasma Pistol))
Vet #4 (Power Fist, Banner, Meltagun)
Apothecary


I pair these all with a Captain (artificer armor, stormshield, relic blade) and run them around in a Razorback. The squad costs roughly 430 points.

Here's what happened in the last game I played;

A wrecked Dreadnought blocked a bridge they were SUPPOSED to cross to get over the river. I drop them into it instead; apothecary gets lost to the current. I then attempt to move the squad OUT of the river, say good bye to the power sword guy. The two flamers wipe out an imperial guard squad to one man, Razorback finishes it off. Assloads of return fire from an amphibious craft and some other tank thing with an executioner cannon wipe out remaining memebers and land a wound on the Captain. Razorback pops the watercraft, Captain wipes out the crew, then goes on to immobilize and blow four weapons off the executioner thing.

Here's a match that I played before;

Razorback rushes a necron warrior squad. On turn two it wrecks, the squad unloads and takes cover. I save about 5 wounds between armor and FNP. Squad charges out of cover and attacks a warrior squad, wiping it out. Squad falls back and saves another 15 wounds (combined 40 shots from necron units). Squad works its way westward (running from a tomb spider) and takes 3 casualties along the way. Squad, with captain apoth and fist, regroup after falling out of assault range of the spider, then charge into a warrior squad with an accompanying lord. Game ends before either squad is killed.

It's really hard to get them to make their points worth, due to the short length of a standard game. They excell at doing special jobs though, like taking objectives or wiping out high-threat value units. FNP makes them very rugged (statistically as rugged as terminators).

I'd like to say they're working for me. Their numbers are their biggest fallback, but you can equip the veterans with just about anything you want, meaning the squad can fill any specialized role you'd need them to. They work best paired with the Captain they're brought along for.

I would ask yourself what you need them to do, then experiment with several wargear options. You can get past enemy power weapons by putting a pair of stormshields in the squad or on your Captain.
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Offline chokoman

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2009, 01:08:01 PM »
Do you use them?

Yes i do, My set up is usually:

Apothecary, Vet with storm shield and flamer, Vet with storm shield and meltagun, Vet with lightningclaw, Vet with powerfist.
A captain with artificer armour, storm shield and relic blade

All mounted in razorback. 400p

Are they working for you?

Sometimes, sometimes not. It really depends. I'm usually having them moving straitly toward my enemies covered by dreads, sternguard and things and when they arrive, its like throwing a hammer on the enemy.  ;D

Do you mount them on bikes? 

No, I'm not running a bike army and i think that they would be way overpriced.

Are Honour guard a better purchase with a Chapter master?

No, not IMO. They are even more pricey and statistically as survivable as the commandsquad.

Hope that helps.
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Offline The Reborn

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #3 on: September 21, 2009, 05:39:06 PM »
G3nius_monkey and Chokoman, thanks a lot guys, great ideas there and cheers too for the accounts of how your squads have performed in battles.  You seem to have answered some of my unasked questions too....ones concerning what i can get away with in terms of wargear.
You seem to have tinkered with the basic weapons outlay on the champion.  Also the Bearer has a banner, meltagun and fist.......legal?

Thanks for your ideas and savvy guys, VH. :)

Offline Lorizael

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #4 on: September 21, 2009, 05:46:06 PM »
My command Squad:
Command Squad - 130
Company Champion
Apothecary: chainsword, bolt pistol
3x marines: chainswords, bolt pistols

Cheap and cheerful extra wounds for my Captain but with plent yof attacks when in combat.
Doesn't matter so much of they die because I haven't equipped them with much. I normally take the Khan as my Captain and his bonuses of Furious Charge and Hit and Run are very useful.

Offline g3nius_monkey

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #5 on: September 21, 2009, 06:31:00 PM »
You seem to have tinkered with the basic weapons outlay on the champion.  Also the Bearer has a banner, meltagun and fist.......legal?

I actually don't take the Company Champion. For 15 points you get a model with a power sword and a combat shield that can't take ANY other wargear at all. I take four veterans instead, which are more expensive, but can carry a larger variety of stuff.

In addition, I could have had any model carry the company standard. It only says "Any model may take..." meaning in addition to other wargear, so the model is legal.
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Offline Sanctjud

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #6 on: September 21, 2009, 07:54:01 PM »
I don't use them, but have always been tempted.
But the low model count is a turn off.

Have any of you use the Standard Bearer, I've always been attracted to that option.

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Offline thebetter1

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #7 on: September 21, 2009, 10:47:47 PM »
I always use the standard bearer because of a lack of specialist models in my collection and for fluff reasons.  It doesn't help that much though; the assault bonus is much more helpful than the morale boost.

Offline Jet

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #8 on: September 21, 2009, 10:50:41 PM »
Command squad 190
-4 meltaguns
-drop pod

these guys always make up their points. Deepstriking four meltaguns in your enemy backyard safely is priceless on most occasions.
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Offline NewHeretic

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2009, 03:28:59 PM »
My Command Squad, in order of appearance:

  Veteran w/ Power Weapon, Storm Shield, & Bolt Pistol;
  Veteran w/ Lightning Claw, Storm Shield, & Bolt Pistol;
  Veteran w/ Thunder Hammer, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, & Standard;
  Veteran w/ Power Weapon, Storm Shield, Bolt Pistol, & Melta Bombs;
Total points = 270
  Extra Model w/ Power Weapon, Storm Shield, & Bolt Pistol.

Note that the first model can be used as the Champion, if I choose to upgrade one for the extra WS.  I've equipped them all uniquely so that I can take advantage of the Wound Allocation rules, though with only a single Wound apiece, that isn't very helpful.



I use these models as Vanguard Veterans, too, as the army list dictates.

Notice that I failed to include an Apothecary.  ::)  So, I konverted a new one for that squad.



Here are links to more pics:
  Command Squad
  Apothecary

NewHeretic
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Offline The Reborn

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #10 on: September 23, 2009, 03:34:52 PM »
Wow!! Thanks guys for adding some more ideas!!!  Really great list builds there....i have two favourites.....Lor's cheap and cheerful ablative wounds, and the super-nasty meltagun of death.....good stuff.

Gotta be honest, the squad that really appeals to me is one containing plenty of hammers and shields, as this more closely fits the Promeathian ideal.....or flamers and meltas....but the points, the points....gah!

Thanks guys.  Not the end of the topic though.  If this hasn't been stickied already, perhaps it may build into a tactica which might help other gamers?


What about jump pack command squads or bike squads?
-Thanks a lot guys, VH. :)

Offline NewHeretic

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Re: Captain and command squad....options?
« Reply #11 on: September 23, 2009, 03:52:07 PM »
What about jump pack command squads or bike squads?

Unfortunately, Command Squads can't be given Jump Packs.  Sucks, doesn't it?

However, putting them on Bikes is, in my opinion, the best way to get your money's worth out of them.  Unfortunately for me, I didn't have any Bikes to model mine on, so until then, I'll use them in a Razorback or Land Raider Crusader.

NewHeretic
Good advice from Joshua:

Choose you this day
Whom you will serve...
As for me and my house,
We will serve the Lord.

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