Rediscovering Angels Part 10: Honor Guard

Hey there folks, it's been a while, but it's me again- Xaereth, from Delusions of Grandeur!  Today I want to talk about Honor Guard and what they can do for a Blood Angel army, in a competitive context.  For those of you interested, I've done quite a few other articles here for the Jawa, and I've compiled the links to them here.  So, feel free to read up on them, should you so desire :-p

So, let's talk about Honor Guards for Blood Angels.  This squad is likely one of the most 'hotly contested' units in the book (haha, if anything could be said to be hotly contested about Blood Angels any more), simply because nobody agrees on how they should be used, or whether they're even cost-efficient at all.  I think we can come up with a few good ideas on how they can be used, and in what situations they can really shine.  Heh, or maybe not, and we'll find that Honor Guards are pure rubbish and nobody should take them.  We'll see :)

Well, let's get the obvious stuff out of the way first, so we're all on the same page.  What's good about Honor Guard?

• Priest hidden in 'retinue'
• Lots of special weapon options
• Lots of weapons options
• Lots of options in general, really
• Better statline than average marine

What's bad about Honor Guard?

• Limited to a maximum of 5 dudes
• Have to pay for their mode of transportation (as opposed to Assault Squads)
• Upgrades get expensive quick
• Limited to how many HQ choices have been taken  

So, pretty obvious stuff.  Priest is cool, price to actually field a small 5-man unit isn't so cool.  I suppose now we can look at a little more advanced stuff- first let's look at a price comparison of an Honor Guard vs. 5-man Assault Squad w/ Priest, in a Rhino.

Honor Guard w/ 4x melta, HF Razorback- 210 Points
Assault Squad w/ 1x melta, HF Razorback, Priest- 198 Points

If we took out a single melta from the Honor Guard, the prices would be nearly identical.  Please don't misunderstand this comparison as what I personally think 'the way' is to run Honor Guard/Assault Squads, it's merely a price comparison.

What we can learn from this comparison is that Honor Guards, while not scoring, are more points-efficient than Assault Squads containing a Priest.  When equipped with similar wargear, they can not only carry more wargear than the RAS (Regular Assault Squad), but they also have a 'hidden' priest in there, giving the unit less total Kill Points you have to worry about.  The flip side to this is that the Priest isn't customizable, but I've never been a huge fan of getting my extremely important IC's into combat anyways, since I'm paying the points for him to buff units, not to kill 1 marine (or Ork!) per combat phase, lol.

So, we know that if we need a utility unit that doesn't necessarily need to score, Honor Guard is likely the way to go.  Since every player has to take at least one HQ per army, we will always have at least one Honor Guard as a possibility.

Now let's take a look at a few different roles an Honor Guard can fill in an army.

Role #1:  Plasma Bunker

Honor Guard w/ 4x Plasma Guns, Rhino- 225 Points

This one for me is the one I always think about for Honor Guard, since that's what I generally always do with my Company Command Squads in my IG army.  Not only is this your only reliable means of getting Plasma in the entire book (Sternguard are one-hit wonders), they have a built-in resistance to overheating called Feel No Pain.  8 shots vs. pretty much anything in cover will only kill about 2 dudes, but they could also pop tanks to a limited extent, or hunt Monstrous Creatures (like anyone brings those these days, lol).

I'd actually say that this is a generally poor choice for the Honor Guard.  They can't assault after they blow their load, and like I said earlier, they only cause a little bit of damage from their barrage.  Against good players, Honor Guard w/ plasma isn't amazing.  You may say "but, didn't you say you tooled your Guard CCS's the same way?" Well, yes I did.  However, those IG units are not only cheaper (180 w/ 9 shots vs. 225 w/ 8 shots), but also have built-in orders to make targets reroll successful cover saves, and have vehicles all of them can shoot out of whereas the max for the HG is a Rhino w/ 2 dudes.  IG do it much, much better than the Honor Guard ever will, sadly.  Luckily, most Blood Angels armies have no need of Plasma, as they have access to other things that can replace it.

Role #2:  Melta Bunker

Honor Guard w/ 4x Melta Guns, Razorback w/ Heavy Flamer- 210 Points

This one might be my personal favorite.  They can zoom up 12", turn the Razor around, disembark 2.9", and shoot their melta, giving them a nearly 21" threat range.  Sure, any other unit in the game with melta and a vehicle has the same threat range, but these guys not only have 4 meltas to go with them, they also have FNP, to make removing them much harder than the average melta suicide squad.  One might even argue that it isn't a suicide squad, since it's survivable enough to make an opponent shift significant resources to wipe them out entirely.

Role #3:  Utility Squad

Honor Guard w/ 2x Melta Guns, 2x Flamers, Rhino-  195 Points

What we get from this squad is the ability to bring down tanks, hordes, and a biggish FNP/FC bubble though the utilization of the Rhino chassis.  This squad is equipped to do any number of things, and can shoot all weapons then charge in (furiously) afterward.  I'm not sure I subscribe to this 'jack of all trades' mentality, but it does provide a good 'swiss army knife' -like unit.

A variant:

One variant might be this squad in a Las/Plas Razorback, surrounded by 15x Missile Launcher Devastators.  They can lay down some good fire, provide the FNP Bubble, and provide a solid counter-assault/shooting threat when enemies get too close.  You could of course do the same with a RAS + Priest, but as we discussed earlier, this way is far more cost-effective.  Simply including a Priest with the Devs might be another 'easier' way, but if that happens, it forces the Devs to bunch up quite a bit.  With the extra inches a Razorback chasis provides, the squads can actually be spread out quite a bit, since you measure the FNP/FC aura from the vehicle's hull.

Role #4:  Close combat Uberness

Honor Guard w/ 2x Melta Guns, 4x Lightning Claws, 2x Storm Shields, Chapter Banner, Rhino- 315 Points

This option is pretty expensive, but it does put out quite a few attacks.  Claws are statistically better than Swords against just about any opponent, despite less attacks.  This squad is going to be far more efficient with either a Chaplain or a Librarian (I'd pick a Libby, personally), giving them rerolls to hit.  If they do get rerolls + charge, they'll cause 10(ish) power wounds and 2 regular wounds to a WS4 T4 opponent, not counting the character accompanying them.  They can also open tanks with their two meltas, have FNP, and can even operate against other power weapons, with their own Storm Shields.

They're pretty expensive though.  315 points to wipe out a marine squad (or even nearly 5 TH/SS Termies) is alright, but they have to kill a lot of stuff to warrant their price tag.  Against some squads with higher Initiative, this squad will flounder, and if they get charged, their effectiveness is far less.  Not to mention, it's not really 315 points to wipe that marine squad- it's more like 415, after you add the Librarian.  Not my favorite choice, but these guys can fill the combat role if you want- some armies have enough shooting and need the extra combat.  Cool squad to customize/convert too :)

Role #5:  Jump Infantry Support

Honor Guard w/ 4x Melta, Jump Packs-  205 Points

These guys just jump around with your other 50-60 Jump Marines, and provide melta/FNP support.  Cool squad, I think I'd rather these guys look like this, honestly:

Honor Guard w/ 4x Melta, Rhino

It loses a little bit of the theme 60+ Jump Marines have, but it also gives a bigger FNP bubble for your squads, allowing them to spread out a little bit, for the same price.  It also allows a little more protection for a small squad, so opponents don't just turn their AP2/3 long-range fire at that squad immediately (since they won't have anything better to fire at, given the lack of diverse targets)

I think I saw Jawa's NOVA army will be going this route, though the Honor Guard will be Jumping around with the rest of them, which works.  I know that if I play him though, they'll be the first target for my Dark Lances :)

Conclusion:

Well, what more can I say?  Honor Guard can provide a lot for your army, and fill a bunch of roles that a Blood Angel player may have need of filling.  Combat, cheap melta, or FNP/FC coverage, these guys can do it all, and can even do it all well.  Not every army has need of these Role-players in their army, but it's nice to know these guys exist as an option, and can be used for pretty much anything.

Thoughts?  Questions?  Comments?  How do YOU tool your Honor Guard?

As an aside, hope you enjoyed the 'honor' pictures I found on Google.  Some of them I have no idea what they have to do with honor, but they were funny so I stuck them up there!  lol

Rediscovering Angels Part 9: Sternguard?

Hey there folks!  After a rather extended absence, it's me again, Xaereth from Delusions of Grandeur!  If you're new to Jawa's blog or have just now become interested in what I have to say, I've been a contributor here since sometime in the winter.  Here's a link to the other 'Rediscovering Angels' articles I've written, if you're interested!  Today I'm going to talk about Sternguard, and how they can interact with a Blood Angels army.

Well, as per usual, let's get the real obvious stuff out of the way.  The first is that Sternguard aren't at all a 'traditional' choice for Blood Angels armies.  They can shoot, but don't have armor (like Predators do).  They can close combat, but don't have two combat weapons (like assault squads do).  They're kind of like Grey Hunters in that they're a swiss-army-knife style unit, but they don't score.  Generally speaking, people would like them in a list, but usually run out of room before they can include them.

So, let's do a little more 'in depth' obviousness, so we're all on the same page.  First, their good qualities:

• Ammunition that wounds anything on a 2+
• Ability for every model to take a combi-weapon
• Ability for two models to take a special or heavy weapon
• 2 base attacks
• Can still combine with Sanguinary Priest for FNP/FC
• Can sit in a rhino with Independent Characters without the 'you can't take an extra meltagun' tax that happens with Assault Squads
• Much better squad for min/maxxing

Alright, some bad things now:

• Still die just the same as regular marines
• Can't take close combat weapons, so the 'same' amount of attacks as regular assault squad
• Pricy (points-wise AND dollar-wise)
• Don't score

Well, seems like they aren't too bad, right?  Only four things wrong with them, and way more good things.  Why doesn't everyone take them?  Well, I suppose we can do a comparison in points-costs to a Tactical Marine, since they're of a similar style.

Tactical Marine Point Cost in Blood Angel Codex:  16 (assuming the 'upgrade' to sergeant is 10)
Sternguard Point Cost:  25
Points difference:  Nine points, for a model that dies just as easily

In return for those points, Sternguard get the following considerations as their base characteristics:

• +1 Attack
• Ammo that hurts dudes on a 2+
• 'Hot' S4 AP3 Ammo
• Slightly better ranged ammo that also ignores cover saves?

Is that by itself worth 9 points per model?  The correct answer is:  no, it's not.  Why would anyone take them then?  Where's the 'hidden' efficiency?

The 'hidden' efficiency is the weapon options.  As stated before, you can min/max this unit like crazy.  It can be exactly what you want it to be, if you're willing to pay the points.  If you aren't taking the 2 special/heavy weapons or combi-weapons, these guys aren't going to be worth it.  They're going to be overpriced.

Random Uses for Sternguard:

Plasma 'Deathstar':

9x Sternguard w/ 9x Combi-plasmas, Priest, Rhino- 370 points

Yep, it's super expensive, but in a single turn of fire, you'll cause what... 10 AP2 wounds to a squad?  They'll single-handedly wipe out another marine squad, provided they don't get cover (which granted, isn't super likely).  Conversely, you can still charge in there with 31 S5 I5 Attacks- not terrible in a pinch, though you can be more efficient.  As a sidenote, I don't think they're actually a deathstar.  They do pack a punch though.  And they aren't exactly a glass cannon either, with FNP.

As another sidenote, this is probably the weakest choice for Sternguard that can actually be 'viable'.

Missile Bunker:

5x Sternguard w/ 2x Missile Launchers, optional rhino-  135/185

These guys don't seem super practical, do they?  I mean, you can get devastators w/ 4x missile launchers for the same price!  You're right, it just doesn't seem very efficient, unless you really want an AV13 spam army, which takes up all the Dev. slots.  On the surface not too practical, but look at this shooty list you can make (abbreviated to save space/time):





Librarian

5x Assault Marines w/ Melta, Las/Plas Razor
5x Assault Marines w/ Melta, Las/Plas Razor
5x Assault Marines w/ Melta, Las/Plas Razor
5x Assault Marines w/ Melta, Las/Plas Razor
5x Assault Marines w/ Melta, Las/Plas Razor

Sanguinary Priest
5x Sternguard w/ 2x Missiles
5x Sternguard w/ 2x Missiles

Baal Pred
Baal Pred
Baal Pred

Auto/Las Pred
Auto/Las Pred
Auto/Las Pred

Lol, it almost maxes the FOC.  Maybe not the most awesome of awesome, but in a list that you want more long-range shooty, Sternguard can fill in nicely.  They won't even be looked at- people will be shooting the 11 tanks first, since the missiles are hidden in a squad of 5, with FNP.  Which means they'll live to shoot their shots every turn, unlike cheaper/more efficient squads like Devs. Stronger choice in that context, don't you think?

Suicide Melta:

5x Sternguard w/ 2x Meltaguns, 3x Combi-melta, Rhino- 200

They're expensive no doubt, but it's actually cheaper than their counterpart:

10x Assault Marines w/ 2x Meltaguns, Rhino- 225

Sure, that squad can do the same(ish) thing, and has more bodies.  But the assault marines are a) in need of a fist and b) only have 2 meltaguns.  200 points to almost guarantee the death of the tank you need dead, is generally going to be worth it.  If nothing else, they can soak fire.  Note that Sternguard used in the same way but in a Drop Pod aren't very dependable- short range melta in drop pods for the fail.

Jack-of-all-trades Squad:

8x Sternguard w/ 2x Meltaguns, 3x Combi- Melta, 3x Combi-flamer, Rhino- 260

These guys can take whatever independent characters they want in their ride, while also providing some anti-troop and great anti-tank.  They even throw a handful of close combat attacks, if needed.  And the best thing?  You don't depend on them to score, so you can use them more aggressively.  lol

How they fit into a Blood Angels army:

Hm, I think the options above offered as good an insight as any, but I'll give a little more, since I know you love the sound of my voice (the look of my text? heh).  Sternguard are basically the hole-filling slot (which granted, sounds dirty).  Need some extra (really dependable) melta?  Take Sternguard.  Need more shooty?  Take Sternguard.  Want an implausible/stupid expensive squad that can do lots of damage before inevitably dying?  Take Sternguard.
  
Wrap up:

In an army full of melta, good anti-horde units, and long-range firepower, Sternguard are often easily forgotten.  They're expensive, and without a specific role to play in an army, they are incapable of doing a whole lot.  Still, they can play an important role in your army, if you choose to use them in the correct manner.  Hope this article was helpful. :)

Your thoughts on Sternguard? 

Your thoughts on my googled 'Stern' pictures?

Thanks for your great articles Xaereth. You add something truly special to my blog.  JB

Rediscovering Angels Part 1: What they do best

Hiya folks!  Xaereth here again from Delusions of Grandeur.  Today I'm going to talk about what Blood Angels as an army offer that other armies don't do as well.  It's basically a discussion on points efficiency in a really general sense.  Don't worry, later posts will be much more specific, as I move into analysis on different units.