Sanguinary Guard- Must or Bust?

[Midge913]

Hey all,

I am a new member to the forums here and apparently my search-fu is miserably lacking. I am starting a Blood Angel army and I am reaching out to experienced Blood Angel players to get their input on the usefulness, or lack there of, of the Sanguinary Guard. I like the models, even though some people don't, and I like the fluff behind them. That being said they are pricey points wise and having not fielded them ever, it is hard to know how they will stand up in the day to day game. My thoughts were to put them in a unit with a Chaplain and a Sanguinary Priest just to make them incredibly hard hitting and survivable. Thoughts and comments appreciated.

Midge

[Darkwynn]

Midge,

I have been using Guard with a lot of success latly and Bigred will tell you. I have been attaching a chaplin, priest and a libby with Might of heros and Sanguinare sword to help deal with things that need str 10. Chapter banner I think is a must as you have to destory what ever they are charging and make sure you kill things with a power fist first. These guys can hit really hard but they can't take a beating at all. You have to pick your fights the best chance you can get then run off to pick out the next one. They take a lot of pratice getting used to but I think they are well worth it.

[blackarmchair]

Let me start off by saying I am not an experienced BA player (so take Darkwynn's advice over mine) but I've never been a HUGE fan of the Sang. Guard.

Since you can get past the way the models look I'll confine my critique to how they play

I think of Sanguinary Guard as essentially flying terminators - which really isn't as awesome as it sounds. First and foremost, they have no invuln (this is huge) Terminators the standard SM assault troop come with an invuln (a good one if you take TH/SS guys). And while the Sanguinary Guard DO have plenty of things they get in place of that invuln (frags, masks, special guns/weapon) the lack of an invuln makes them REALLY easy to kill. Plasma/Melta/Vindicators will absolutely make them cry.

That's my major beef with them, they're essentially terminators that can't get in a land raider to safely get up-field and have no invuln.

Plus the look like batman...and they have nipple armour...but I repeat myself

[Midge913]

Thanks Darkwynn.

Along those lines when I play I typically play a 3000 point apocalypse game, with a team mate that also has 3000 points. The guy I usually team with plays high long range firepower armies (tau, eldar, guard). That being said the list I was thinking of was as follows.

Sanguinary Guard-- PF, PP, Infernus, and chapter banner
-- attached to the squad: Priest- BP/PW, Reclusiarch, and Dante

Stern Guard-- 5 man, 2 combi-melta, 2 melta, Sarge w/PF and meltabombs
-- Mounted in razor back with lascannon TL Plasma gun

Assault Squad-- 10 man, flamer, meltagun, Sarge w/PW

Assault Squad-- 10 man, flamer, plasmagun, Sarge w/PW

Tactical Squad-- 10 man, meltagun, missile launcher, Sarge w/PF
-- Mounted in rhino

Tactical Squad-- 10 man, plasmagun, heavy bolter, Sarge w/PW
-- Mounted in rhino

Vanguard Veterans-- 8 man, 1 pair of lightning claws, 1 lightning claw, 2 PW, 1 PF, Sarge w/ Glaive and SS
-- Mounted in Storm Raven- TL AC, TL HB, Hurricane bolters
-- Attached Chaplain- PF, and Priest- PW

2 Baal predators with AC and HB

What we play against ranges from Guard, Orks, or Marines mostly. Would appreciate any suggestions anyone has to this list.

Midge

[Tynskel]

Midge,

I have been using Guard with a lot of success latly and Bigred will tell you. I have been attaching a chaplin, priest and a libby with Might of heros and Sanguinare sword to help deal with things that need str 10. Chapter banner I think is a must as you have to destory what ever they are charging and make sure you kill things with a power fist first. These guys can hit really hard but they can't take a beating at all. You have to pick your fights the best chance you can get then run off to pick out the next one. They take a lot of pratice getting used to but I think they are well worth it.

I disagree.

They certainly can take a beating--- especially with the Sanguinary Priest.

The Sanguinary Guard cannot take a beating from anyone with weapons that pierce or ignore their armor----- but isn't that the case with ANY unit in the game?

[Tynskel]

Aside from that---

OMG! Sanguinary Guard are worth their weight in gold. You have to use them as a precision instrument. See a Target, Destroy a Target, regroup in a position of defense--- repeat.

I like that you are slapping Dante with them--- it will be an expensive squad, but, as Darkwynn pointed out, he uses them as an expensive squad too.


I have had a chance to run them in Apocalypse. You'd be surprised what 5 Sanguinary Guard and Dante can do when leaping out of a Thunderhawk. I didn't even have a priest for them--- but they just hacked their way through everything they touched, and in a 100k game, those 500 points collected a quarter of my team's victory conditions. In the end, only Dante was left--- every member of the Guard sold their soul to protect him, and ensured victory!

[Darkwynn]

They die quickly to attration is my point above Tynskel and if in a touranment you have to becareful in what you use them in.

As for the people who are saying they suck... well on paper they suck 110% they really do but once you start working with them and playing them on the table top they are a good unit. Most units won't be in range to fire their ap2 weaposn like plasma or melta and if they do they will have to sacrfice that unit and they should be out of position still.

spread out two inches and a vindicator should maybe get one or two guys at most and you will get cover saves and if you are really worry about that just deep strike them on the table and with a run move spread them out.

[Duke]

Thought that I might throw in my .02.

Tynskel and darkwynn both have points... These aren't thss terms in a redmmer, that said don't play them like that. I run my sang guard like this:

5 guard, chapter banner, fist, 5 infernos pistols. Sang priest with power weapon and jump pack

I know five seems Ike overkill, but I want to make sure that what ever I shoot at opens up and gives me the squishy initial inside.

I also will run sanguinor behind them, this way they have 5 attacks on the charge, each! And the sang priest has 6! When I blow up the tank and kill the troops inside I usually find myself sitting in the rubble of the tank i just blew up, giving me a 4+ cover save.

The point is, use them a few times, but don't rush out. If you can let the enemy come to you for a turn and then jump out and pounce. If you don't have that option the attach Dante and deep strike them (in which case you might be better off with honor guard)

Hope this helps. Let us know how it works

Duke

[fuzzbuket]

sang guard are play like a assault squad marine BA army

BA arnt CC kings (-the dreads)

they arnt the most survivable

pick you fights get the charge overkill is better than to be killed

5 5man assaultys charging a tac squad is better tahn charging seperatly.


PICK your fights and win

( i pair sang with 1 infernus banner, PF and masks with a priest and astoath. its fun)

[isotope99]

I've never actually played this combo, but isn't the chaplain a bit of a waste?

They're already fearless and mostly have master crafted weapons. I would have thought the librarian would be a better choice.