How to Equip Sternguard Veterans?

[Chadmack]

One I ran at LOT with alot of success is

Power Fist, 2 x Combi Melta, Melta Gun, Heavy Flamer - 300 Points.
Usually dropped with a librarian with Gate and Avenger.

[ggg]

I run 10 in a drop pod with four combi meltas and one fist. Unless it is a kill point game I always combat squad them with 2 combies in each. I like your logic with the melta bomb but I don't have the points to spare. My unit is made up of tyrannic war vets and the stern guard box. I pinched an apocalypse upgrade command sprue or two and took the combi meltas from there. I am going to make one more sternguard squad with the death watch upgrade pack and a tatical squad box - I have seen several superb versions of the deathwatch kill team sternguard - allows you to use them with more than one marine army too!- unfortunately, it is a fairly common unit to see.

My sternguard do me proud in every game - their fire power and stats almost live up to marine fluff. Shame the bolters are not assault otherwise they would be perfect! I love the extra range shots they can pull. Although the winner is the hellfire round - the vengence round kills too many of my own squad for my liking, so I tend to rely on the hellfire round even against marines unless it is the fith turn or the situation is dire. Their effectiveness on the charge is also great, particularly with their best friend Pedro. Not used them with the Heavy flamer but I don't know whether it is warranted. Not tried them with a librarian either - although that seems popular - gate and 5+ invuln usually.

lock and load!

[Confuddled]

1) Stern Guard in drop pods?
6 combi-meltas, 2 combi-flamers, 2 melta guns

a) Assuming I combat-squad them to go after tanks, that works out to 3 hits per tank more or less – depends on whether the guys with combi-flamers are split evenly between both squads or concentrated in a single squad (much more likely if I’m dropping into the middle of an Ork army…)

b) 2 melta guns are pretty cheap, and so long as the unit survives, it gives me a second (and third, and fourth) shot at taking down enemy armour.


Combat upgrades for the Sergeant are nifty and all, but generally, not worth it.

The way I see it:
a) If the other guy’s melee units are still in decent shape after you bust up their transport, odds are the Sergeant isn’t going to contribute all that much before the unit gets swarmed under…

b) I could either spend all those points on a power fist OR bring along another 5 combi-weapons, maximising the impact of my first round of shooting - which is what Sternguard do best, after all!!.



2) Stern Guard deployed on the table with old Pedro to help them score?

2 heavy weapons (missile launchers or lascannon), maybe a Rhino, and 2-4 combi-flamers to deal with all those pesky deep-striking/outflanking/infiltrating units that keep popping up in my backfield.

MAYBE a power weapon or power fist for the Sergeant in this case – instead of being the first ones in, they’re the guys who’re going to be holding back to hold the fort and provide supporting fire, after all.

By the time the other guy is done chewing his way through the rest of my army, even a 5-man Sternguard squad can deliver a pretty respectable punch.

[Sitnam]

the vengence round kills too many of my own squad for my liking, so I tend to rely on the hellfire round even against marines unless it is the fith turn or the situation is dire

A friend of mine had a lil rule about vengeance rounds: He only uses them against assault MEQ's who looked to be charging his Sternguard. Worked rather well when holding an objective. He also used atleast one Missile Launcher in his squads, and he had no qualms about using it to pop marines with krak missiles (I do the same thing with ork Rokkits. May not be a tank, but even a tactical marine will go a long way to making points back.). No save allowed by marines, as such it is instakill to most Marine characters.

[Ming]

I have a 10-man, PF, 2xPC, 1xcombimelta or combiflamer squad. I split off the PCs together if I combat squad them.

[RocketRollRebel]

I've been trying forever to get a friend of mine to do something similar with his CF sternguard but he is too friggin obsessed with having them sit back and fire their 30in bolter shot... You sternguard sound much more threatening sir.

[zanzibarthefirst]

If you are wanting to use storm bolters you may as well jsut use grey knights. They have a threat range of 30", score and have a s6 stick, how bout that. However in alll seriousness, i cannot thing of any situation you would even think about putting stormbolters on a sternguard squad

[Brass Scorpion]

My Sternguard unit is equipped with:
1) Sgt. with power fist
2) Three combi-meltas
3) One combi-plasma
4) Standard kit on the rest for a total of 10 models.

[mjayc50]

a friend runs his sternguard with lysander in a drop pod. bolter drill with these guys hurts lots. He runs 2 melta. 2 plasma and 2 flamers. He has lots of success!

[Dingareth]

I run 2x 10 Sternguard with 6 Combi-Meltas, 2 Heavy Flamers, and a Power Fist in a Drop Pod.

They combat squad out, with 3 CM and 1 HF in each squad, pop 4 tanks, and then if they live, roast any infantry around.

Alternatively, I run:

2x 6 Sternguard with 3 C0mbi-Meltas, 1 Heavy Flamer, and a Power Fist in a Razorback.

Same idea, just more mobile.

Note: The Sergeant also has a Combi-Melta in addition to his Power Fist, helps keep the important bits on a minimum number of models.