Monday, August 6, 2012

Sanguinary Guard as troops

The last of the potential BA scoring units (barring special scenario rules) is the Sanguinary Guard.  I have never actually played with them, but I still go over how I would use them, and how I would equip them.

First, we have to define the roles that they fit into.  Before I started this article, I thought I would not take them as troops because they were too expensive.  Then I realized that 5 of them is 200 points, plus the cost on Dante.  I figure if you didn't take Dante, you would take a librarian with a jump pack (about same capability - Captain is probably a little closer, but you are probably not taking him).  Dante costs about 100 points more than the librarian, so if you took Dante to make the Guard scoring, you would have to divide those 100 points by the number of SG squads that you took (making the total cost of 5 more like 220-225 points).  So 5 Sanguinary Guard costs the same as 10 assault marines, with 2 flamers, led my a sgt with a power sword and combat shield.  Both of these shots can absorb 90 non-plasma, non-ap 2 or 3 shots.

This makes them actually very comparable to Assault marines.  In shooting, 1 SG = 2 marines, so the 5 marines vs 10 doesn't matter too much.  In assault, the SG all have power weapons, and are immune to most power weapons, so they are more combat-y there.  In fact, they only place SG really hurts is against AP 2 and 1 weapons (plasma guns, vindicators, etc).  5 plasma wounds will hurt an assault squad, they will push the SG of the table.

On the other hand, the SG is another unit (like DC) where non-sergeants can take power fists (which means they cannot be blocked in challenges), and they don't lose any attacks by doing it, which could make them decent terminator hunters (maybe something like 3 with swords and 2 with Fists)?

Their roles are very similar to the Assault Marines roles (at least the ones that matter).

1.  They can't take a rhino or razorback, and their weapons are still only range 12, so they are completely unsuitable for any back-field objective holding.

2. Running across the board.  They are the same as Assault marines here, just as durable, and just as vulnerable to massed fire.

3. Jump in / Disruption.  They are even more expensive than jump troops, so I would not be taking any chances trying to get into infernus pistol range (unless the unit was going to drop in with Dante).  They don't have real flamers, and I probably wouldn't get hand flamers because they are pretty weak).  Overall, they don't rock in this role, because the ranged weapons available to them aren't disruptful enough (unless you took 5 plasma pistols)

4. In an Assault Vehicle.  Same as assault marines.  Honestly, I like this better for SG than for Assault marines, because SG are SO MUCH better at hand to hand than shooting, that they really cannot fulfill their potential without getting into hand to hand (unless they are equipped as with plasma pistols or infernous pistols.  They would have to take the stormraven, since land raiders can't carry jump troops, which is still putting a lot of expensive eggs in 1 basket.

Honestly, I still don't think I like SG in the role of scorer, unless it is to grab an objective in the last turn.  There aren't enough of them - 5 SG might be equal to 10 Assault Marines in their ability to survive and kill, but 10 marines can combat squad and hit two targets, or split so that 1 unit covers the other (who has a relic), etc, at least I don't think I would make an army where they were my only scorers; more like fast terminators who happen to have the ability to score.

As for gear options - I think I have already covered it - Infernous pistol for "walkers" and plasma pistols for droppers, if I upgrade the weapons at all - if I am dropping a unit with Dante, I'd give them a few more infernous pistols, otherwise I would probably skip it (unless I was going for the plasma drop squad)

Masks - OK.  They are like pinning, nice if it happened, but unless you have a way to lower leadership, this isn't likely to happen enough to pay for itself.

Getting tired, but banner - don't like it.  We're already fearless, and the stuff that isn't has ATSKNF.  Occasionally it could come in handy, but the points are better spend elsewhere



No comments:

Post a Comment