Company Veteran Squad build help?

[Helias_Tancred]

I have one squad of 5 company vets built with combi-plasmas and storm shields, with the sergeant carrying a combi-plasma and power fist.

 

Because I was seeking to get my hands on two additional sets of helmet wings, I picked up two more company veteran boxes. So what are good ideas to do with them? I'm thinking of building two more company veteran squads but I'm looking for input on how to equip them? I've got a large amount of bits but sadly no more storm shields. I was toying with the idea of a melee squad and a melta-gun squad, or grav-guns, or flamers? If I went with those ideas I also have multi-meta, grav-cannon, or heavy-flamer bits that one of the squad could carry a heavy version of said weapon.

 

How about a melee squad designed to kill off enemy infantry, say armed with power swords and pistols?

 

Looking for good ideas.

Edited October 17, 2020 by Helias Tancred

[Brother Bahram]

I would go for melta- and put the squad in a drop pod.

[Jings]

5 thunder hammers

[G8Keeper]

I've also used a box or two for sergeants and the odd robed marine dotted around my 3rd company.

 

I think storm shields are going to be a decent shout again this edition, as for offensive weaponry that's pretty much been covered above., Thunder hammers are still pretty awesome.

[UtariOnzo]

I like storm shields and combi-meltas or combi plasmas. I have magnetised mine though for flexibility!

[Grand Master Raziel]

I second the robed sergeants idea. Gives your Greenwing squads a little pizzaz. 

 

I magnetized mine too. What I find works best is seating magnets in the torsos and arms. I use a little teeny tupperware type container to hold the extra arms in.

If it helps, when I was running them, I was using plasma/combi plasma+chainswords. The 5-man squad can put out a pretty respectable amount of attacks. The Sergeant having 3 attacks base makes him  a good candidate for a power fist or thunder hammer.

[Jings]

Joked with my earlier post, but I run my company vets as follows:

 

Sgt with Combi-plas, Thunder Hammer, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Chainswords, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Storm Shield

 

Sometimes run them as 4x Combat Shield build. 15pts to deck the entire unit out with 5++ is a bargain imo.

[G8Keeper]

If we retain weapons from the dark age stratagem then I think plasma is a good bet. Otherwise I think a rejig is in order, possibly melta.

[Cpt_Reaper]

I run a TH/SS, 2x power sword/Combat shield and 2x BP/CS set up. Makes for a decent bodyguard unit and has tricked more than one opponent into thinking they were a low damage output unit. With the buffs to power swords and chainswords they got a little better too.

[Jings]

If we retain weapons from the dark age stratagem then I think plasma is a good bet. Otherwise I think a rejig is in order, possibly melta.

I wouldn't count plasma out quite just yet. The changes to explodes (Nat 1s) make double tapping both parts of a combi a lot safer on the overcharge and we're getting higher quality Storm Bolter ROF if we sit still. Melts will still be better against vehicles, but nothing much goes through MEQ quite like plasma.

 

Plus we DA. We like being in the closet and plasma. That's our whole deal appare tly :P

[solarisqc]

 

If we retain weapons from the dark age stratagem then I think plasma is a good bet. Otherwise I think a rejig is in order, possibly melta.

I wouldn't count plasma out quite just yet. The changes to explodes (Nat 1s) make double tapping both parts of a combi a lot safer on the overcharge and we're getting higher quality Storm Bolter ROF if we sit still. Melts will still be better against vehicles, but nothing much goes through MEQ quite like plasma.

 

Plus we DA. We like being in the closet and plasma. That's our whole deal appare tly

 

The problem we have with plasma is we don't have anything special with it. the +1 to hit chapter tactic don't help for overcharge, we lost WFTDA and we don't have a stratagem like the UM for full reroll. Yjr only special plasma we have arePlasma pistol for Lieutenant, Blacknight, Plasma cannon on DW terminator and the Vengeance LS.

 

Until we have our supplement and new stratagem, there is no reason for us to give plasma to co. veteran vs other chapter.

[Helias_Tancred]

Joked with my earlier post, but I run my company vets as follows:

 

Sgt with Combi-plas, Thunder Hammer, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Chainswords, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Storm Shield

 

Sometimes run them as 4x Combat Shield build. 15pts to deck the entire unit out with 5++ is a bargain imo.

 

I like that!!!

[Jings]

 

Joked with my earlier post, but I run my company vets as follows:

 

Sgt with Combi-plas, Thunder Hammer, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Chainswords, Combat Shield

2x Combi-plas, Storm Shield

 

Sometimes run them as 4x Combat Shield build. 15pts to deck the entire unit out with 5++ is a bargain imo.

 

I like that!!!

 

 

Cheers mate! It might not be optimal mind you, but they're a nice thematic little unit. Require a fairly large amount of conversion work and kitbashing to get them looking the part though. If you fancy them though, an easy (if pricey) route could be to get hold of some of the FW Breacher arms and do a weapon swap and slap some of those holstered Chainswords from the Mark III kit on their legs. Or, if you can find them, the Assault Squad kit has an armless Combat Shield you can just stick onto a regular Bolter arm which would do the trick, then sprinkle some of those fancy DA Storm Shields around from the kit if you've got them still. 

 

They're a fun little unit though. Basically Hellblasters+ that can ride in cheap transports. No slouch in melee either. 18 attacks on either end of a charge, 4 being TH and another 8 at AP-1 will sting even before modifiers, and the two Storm Shield lads with their 2+/4++ can be a pain in the arse to move as well, meaning if your opponent wants them gone quick they will need a dedicated melee unit with a decent amount of attacks to get stuck in to do some real damage. 

 

Even barebone Combis and Chainswords are nice, though as I said I think 15 points for the 5++ is a fair price point (can't mind the difference for Storm Shields, they were cheaper in the last edition but I think they may have went up - but always nice addition regardless and easily proxied as Combat Shields should you want some extra melee punch at the expense of durability. 

 

I can snap a couple pics of my squad if you'd like some ideas. They're largely unpainted too so it should give an idea of the bits used etc. 

Edited October 20, 2020 by Jings

[Berzul]

PLease. help me out guys.

 

If I had a squad of 5 veterans, with storm shields, chainswords, and a power sword on the sgt. That would be 120 points, right?

[Master Sheol]

Even if the Storm shields are intriguing giving your PA a nice 2+/4++ i agree that combat shields are better for small units like the CoVets as they don't replace any weapon of the bearer giving them a better flexibility to operate in shooting fase and fight fase as well

The combo [melee weapon + ranged weapon + combat shield] is the best way to equip the CoVets IMHO

 

The reason to take SS equipped CoVets is to act as bodyguard of a character IMHO

Edited October 21, 2020 by Master Sheol

[DadJokes]

I'm building 2 squads now with combiplasma/lightning claws. Hopefully we'll retain the heavy weapon slot in the upcoming supplement. I think being able to swap one combi for a plasma cannon for the same points is fantastic.

 

Gonna magnetize the claw/storm shield arm, though I suspect I won't be taking the shields often

[aura_enchanted]

Combi meltas and storm shields, with a sgt with lighting claws maybe a heavy weapon for spice.

 

This lets you drop pod splash tanks, infantry, if gives you shields to hide the twin claws behind and upon touching enemy units in melee you have a lot of rifle butts backed by the double claws great for cleaving infantry.

 

Using a 5 man squad thats 162

 

You could even cut out two storm shields for chainswords for lowered cost by 8pts, and an mild improvement in melee.

 

Another option is that you can flip the graph and run chainswords and boltguns, and then the sgt goes storm shield + PF

 

With the 10 man squad id probably just run 5 guys with boltguns and use them to improve ranged output or run pistol + chainsword to improve melee output and be cheap ablative wounds for the sgt.

[Cpt_Reaper]

Just for a laugh I started throwing together some loadouts:

 

Dreadwing Interremptors

• 4x plasma gun
• plasma cannon

Diet Knights

• 5x power maul
• 5x storm shield

[Jings]

Looks like Combat Shields take up a weapon option with the roll in with the Space Marine codex which is a huge downer. Looks like I'll be house-ruling again so I can use my once-legal models now that GW have stripped the option away. Nightmare. 

Edited November 9, 2020 by Jings

[Master Sheol]

Looks like Combat Shields take up a weapon option with the roll in with the Space Marine codex which is a huge downer. Looks like I'll be house-ruling again so I can use my once-legal models now that GW have stripped the option away. Nightmare.

The combat shield is still an addiction and doesn't substitute one weapon of the model

[DadJokes]

The combat shield is still an addiction and doesn't substitute one weapon of the model

This has never been more true.

[Jings]

 

The combat shield is still an addiction and doesn't substitute one weapon of the model

This has never been more true.

 

 

So true. 

 

Able to get me a cite for that? You've got my fingers crossed that Battlescribe's wrong now. 

[bigtrouble]

It’s in the Codex, says if you’re a Dark Angels and you don’t have a storm shield, you can equip a combat shield. It does not specify that this replaces another weapon, which all the other wargear options do, including SS.

[DadJokes]

Require a fairly large amount of conversion work and kitbashing to get them looking the part though. If you fancy them though, an easy (if pricey) route could be to get hold of some of the FW Breacher arms and do a weapon swap and slap some of those holstered Chainswords from the Mark III kit on their legs. Or, if you can find them, the Assault Squad kit has an armless Combat Shield you can just stick onto a regular Bolter arm which would do the trick, then sprinkle some of those fancy DA Storm Shields around from the kit if you've got them still. 

 

I've been struggling with the concept of combat shields. I love the look of the breacher squads, but I feel they should be more akin to a buckler. I don't see proud astartes choosing an equally large, but lesser armored shield. But how do you model that and have it not look doofy, pinned between weapon and pauldron?

 

I was thinking of using the Crux Terminatus pads from the Vanguard Vets box as a flavorful hand-wave answer to this problem.

[Jings]

 

Require a fairly large amount of conversion work and kitbashing to get them looking the part though. If you fancy them though, an easy (if pricey) route could be to get hold of some of the FW Breacher arms and do a weapon swap and slap some of those holstered Chainswords from the Mark III kit on their legs. Or, if you can find them, the Assault Squad kit has an armless Combat Shield you can just stick onto a regular Bolter arm which would do the trick, then sprinkle some of those fancy DA Storm Shields around from the kit if you've got them still. 

 

I've been struggling with the concept of combat shields. I love the look of the breacher squads, but I feel they should be more akin to a buckler. I don't see proud astartes choosing an equally large, but lesser armored shield. But how do you model that and have it not look doofy, pinned between weapon and pauldron?

 

I was thinking of using the Crux Terminatus pads from the Vanguard Vets box as a flavorful hand-wave answer to this problem.

 

 

Eh, I think that's down to where you stand on the Space Marine aesthetic spectrum. I'll illustrate. 

 

Super soldiers who are also space knights < -------------------> Space knights who are also super soldiers

 

On the first side you have depictions like the Astartes short film, while on the other you're more in Helsreach territory (just using recent-ish fan movies as an example). 

 

The Dark Angels, as a chapter, tend to lean more heavily towards the space knight end of the spectrum so throwing on shields isn't too big an issue provided you get creative with your bits box. Though it can be difficult to get all three elements going at once as, as others have clarified (thanks dudes), you can have a primary weapon, a secondary weapon *and* a shield. 

 

Here are my vets. Forgive their tragic WIP nature because really who has the energy to paint these days?  

 

Shield bits are the DA Vets shield arm and both the old and current Assault Squad combat shields. Two guys have Storm Shields which are sorta different no one will care if you do that so long as you equip them appropriately. Two breachin', two fightin' and Sarge vibin with his hammer (which'll probably be getting a new head at some point). 

 

I think these fairly effectively mash the super soldier aesthetic with the knightly weirdness so might be useful for ideas if you're going down the shield route. 

 

 

https://i.imgur.com/Q9xjmgW.jpeg

 

https://i.imgur.com/LNB2WGS.jpeg

 

https://i.imgur.com/HauqerK.jpeg