Making a Fist list from HH set, want help choosing options pls

[John Bower]

As the title says; I've got 2 options I'm toying with:

2 tactical squads, Captain, Dread, Terminators: these are given, set in stone. Both tactical squads are using the old style meltas as Grav gun proxies (nobody I play with is going to have an issue with that).
The Termies will be your standard terminators, Sgt with p/sword and SB, 4 termies with SB + CF. One tactical will be armed with HB, the other with ML.

Now the options:

1/ 10 Devastators with 2 HB and 2 ML

or

2/ 5 Devastators as above with the remaining 5 marines as Sternguard, with Combi weapons where possible (meltas in preference). If I do this only 3 can have combis, the other will get either a flamer or bolter (I have a penchant for rolling 1's with plasma guns and my Ultras have enough of those anyhow).

So please tell me, which option would you go with and why? and it goes without saying; Keep it civil.

[Alaric]

Not too sure if this is what you are asking or not but I will give it a go.

Have you read the Horus Heresy rules fully? I think that should be your first step before asking for advice at large.

I will tell u the "issues" as I see them. Hopefully it doesn't come across condescending.

There are no special weapons in a Tac Squad so you can run them Tac squads as vet squads. Also, im not too sure what spec weapons they get so make sure you confirm before you build.

The termies will die horribly with that loadout unless you play people on the same level as yourself. Just one laser destroyer would wreck your day.

No sternguard in HH. Great modeling opportunities though. Seekers mebbe?

The Devestators all have the exact same weapons so you kinda gotta make your decision ahead of time. Its 5 of a heavy weapon with a max of ten of the same heavy weapon. I have had great success with plasma cannons. 5 plasma cannon shots can be Devestating (pun intended).

These are just a few things I see. Personally I wouldnt even consider playing HH until you got the rules in yer mitts.

[Hendrik Booraem VI]

I think he meant he's going to take the Betrayal at Calth set and turn it into a 40k Imperial Fists army...

At least, that's how *I* read it.

[Kirsten]

I'd say two devastator squads personally, they are pretty fluffy for Imperial Fists, so good to take several of them. but I would go for a small devastator squad and a sternguard squad personally out of your two options, more variety.

[Hendrik Booraem VI]

I would go with the two squads - 5 devastators / 5 sternguard. Seems to me like that adds more special/heavy weaponry to your army list. Will you be adding a drop pod for the sternguard, or will they be foot-sloggers?

[John Bower]

Hi Alaric, hendrik is right, it's going to be 40k IF, not Heresy as that doesn't really interest me.

They will for now be foot sloggers. The reason on the termies I didn't go with anything else is there isn't much option in the set. No Storm shields etc so the only option was a Heavy flamer and those old flamers frankly look horrid. Sorry but to me they do anyway, they look more like Space Crusade Plasma guns.

The army may have some bits added later on; if so only to raise the bar to 1500 points. For now they will likely ally with Guard, Ultras or Inquisition; perhaps with GK's when I need more than the 1290 I can manage from just the set.

I'm going to try and do the Chaplain generic so that he can be in there if I need a few more points, but will have to look at Chaplain iconography and see if he can be done that way. I expect plain black and gold with white face should suffice for him and that will open me up to having a chaplain for almost all my marine contingents. If I can't get away with the generic option he'll be Ultras since I have a full company that is missing a Chaplain. but for now it's one more option on top of the 1290. If so I can get 1420 points.

Kirsten, with what's in the set 2 devastator squads sadly isn't an option. I'd have to add more marines which I'm not looking to do right now. I'm just trying to build a small but reasonably able to care for itself Fists list as I've long liked the guys in Yellow. Don't know why I just like the colour scheme and it would round out my marines. Already got BA, DA, SW and Ultras. So IF as a small contingent for garrison and siege work mainly.

Thanks for the input folks, and Alaric, just to add not condescending at all. Sadly there are only 3 ML and 3 HB in the set. I bet that's why a lot of folk that are into 30k bought multiple sets. I like the armour; that's the main reason I got the set more than anything. Originally I'd planned on throwing the tac squads into my other marine contingents; but decided I really wanted to do an Imperial Fist army with it. Thanks again all, I'm still listening to ideas so All's good.

Edit: Right, a quick search of my bitz tin has revealed a (albeit not good) 3rd option:

2 tac squads, dev squad, assault/vanguard vets squad. I just discovered enough chainswords in there for that. But I don't think Assault/vanguard are any good without jump packs? personally they don't seem to do much with them but still....