Infantry Squads and Special Weapons

[Hawkeye252]

This is my first post so I apologize for any missed placement with this topic. Back in 3rd edition my squads were equipped with whatever GW made them with. In 7th I made melta-vets that don't seem worth it in 8th and subsequently have been given plasma instead. I have 3 regular squads to gear up to combat the armies I play most often, being DE and Crons. I'm at a loss with what to give them. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

[Inso]

Let them keep what they have and learn to use them properly.

 

No one enters a fight with exactly what they want/need... 

[Altasmurf]

Depends on what the squad is doing, but in the end plasma is the best. Now that to hit modifiers are coming in, the flamer might also be a good option.

[Withershadow]

Grenade launchers.

[Halfpint100]

I use a mix of plasma and flamers.

[Stylian_StHugh]

Plasma and flamers are best. Plasma has superior damage against MEQ and tanks vs melta per points, and flamers obviously bypass our poor BS

 

For Vets, I've been favouring them as a firebase (3 plasma and a lascannon) or run them hot out of a Valkyrie with shotguns and 3 flamers/1 heavy flamers

[TheShredder]

My foot-IG army runs 2-4 pseudo-platoons.

 

Each platoon has:
1 Company Commander
1 Commissar
2 Infantry Squads with Plasmagun and Lascannon
1 Infantry Squad with Flamer

1 Heavy Weapon Squad with Heavy Bolters

 

Anyway, my squads form layers. The HWS goes right at the back. Then one of the Lascannon/plasmagun squads goes in front of it. Then the other lascannon/plasmagun goes in front of that and finally the flamer squad goes in front of both (the Company Commander and Commissar usually go somewhere between the first and second squads).

I've found that layering my army in this manner makes it very resilient to melee armies.

 

One the game begins, the squads can separate a bit more - especially the flamer squad at the front. This makes it harder to multi-charge them and makes it very difficult to kill one in melee and then consolidate into another.

The back two squads offer good firepower - with their lascannons being able to reach into the back field and their plasmaguns and lascannons being able to do damage to anything in the mid-field or closer. The screening squad is entirely expendable but can still do damage with FRFSRK and its flamer. Its main job though is to absorb a charge. Even if it's wiped out in the process, it should leave the enemy unit exposed and in rapid-fire range of the lasguns and plasmaguns of the 2 remaining Infantry Squads. What's more, if it survives and kills the second infantry squad, it still has the third infantry squad to deal with (and will again be in rapid-fire range of lasguns and the plasmagun).

If you face primarily shooty armies, then I'd probably have a plasmagun in the front squad as well (the flamer is mostly for fun anyway) and also a Heavy Weapon - even if it's just a Heavy Bolter. 

[PliskinAJ]

I have been running flamer/heavy bolter and a SGT with a boltgun. For 1 point it is too cheap to not give him a decent shooting weapon. Last edition I didn't give the sgts anything but a few editions ago I gave all my SGTs storm bolters and while it isn't a huge amount of firepower bolt weapons are wounding most things on 3/4 opposed to 4/5.