Question about IG Veteran squads...

[Corpsemourn]

Good day,

I Was just going over the 40k errata and FAQ last night when I happened across a tidbit about veterans. Is it still legal to have one squad equipped with a heavy flamer, two normal flamers and a demo charge? All the rest of the squad has shotguns to my knowledge. I have a friend who uses 3 such units mounted inside Valkyries and one Vendetta. They are very effective but very squishy. I just don't understand the language all so well.

Thanks!

[Squirrel_Fish]

Yep. Perfectly legal and a very awesome way to get some short ranged "oomph" into your army. I give him mad props for using Shotguns.

[gwensdad]

Good day,

I Was just going over the 40k errata and FAQ last night when I happened across a tidbit about veterans. Is it still legal to have one squad equipped with a heavy flamer, two normal flamers and a demo charge? All the rest of the squad has shotguns to my knowledge. I have a friend who uses 3 such units mounted inside Valkyries and one Vendetta. They are very effective but very squishy. I just don't understand the language all so well.

Thanks!

Yep. The Demo charge isn't a special weapon, it's from their doctrine. And the 3 special weapons is great for tank hunting if you take 3 meltaguns. But yes, squishy. Very squishy.

[scadugenga]

Yep. The Demo charge isn't a special weapon, it's from their doctrine. And the 3 special weapons is great for tank hunting if you take 3 meltaguns. But yes, squishy. Very squishy.

They're not that squishy if they stick and move (via the transports) Or if you upgrade them to carapace armor (pricey.)

[erwos]

Problem with the 3 flamer outfit on veterans is that you're wasting their high BS on an auto-hit weapon. I'm not saying it's an awful idea, but you can stuff heavy flamers on the Chimeras if you really think you might need some extra templates.

[RocketRollRebel]

Problem with the 3 flamer outfit on veterans is that you're wasting their high BS on an auto-hit weapon. I'm not saying it's an awful idea, but you can stuff heavy flamers on the Chimeras if you really think you might need some extra templates.

I'm glad that I'm not the only one who feels like that! This guys unit sounds like a fairly effective unit(except for the heavy flamer part) but I cant seem to get away from giving them plasma or melta:o

[DarkLink]

Don't worry about wasting the ballistic skill. That's chasing a sunk cost. Even if you're wasting a few points on the unused ballistic skill, you might still get better profits from a unit that has three flamers in it. How many other units can you get that many flamers in (other than a command squad:rolleyes:).

[Corpsemourn]

He has not faced me since the new Tyranid book came to be. Not in a proper match anyway (battle missions). With the addition of hive guard, trygon primes and a brood of 2 dakkafexen accompanied by 2 tyranid primes... I think he might be nervous.

[Porty1119]

Well, all of that stuff is Vendetta-fodder anyways. Best way I worked out to deal with Hive Guard: Marbo does his DS/infiltrate/whatever right next to them and tosses his demo charge, hopefully inflicting 2-3 wounds. The Vendetta with heavy bolters then wipes out the remainder.

[Corpsemourn]

That would be an effective way to deal with them. If you can pull it off. Marbo isn't exactly a useful unit against tyranids. Unless the nid player fields warriors. Otherwise your demo charge is killing about 20 points worth of gants or removing a single wound from a MC. Then he dies and the consolidation move is used to the nid players advantage...

[erwos]

Don't worry about wasting the ballistic skill. That's chasing a sunk cost. Even if you're wasting a few points on the unused ballistic skill, you might still get better profits from a unit that has three flamers in it. How many other units can you get that many flamers in (other than a command squad:rolleyes:).
Two things:
1. I'm not sure I'd call anything in a theoretical list a "sunk cost". A sunk cost is something that you've already paid for. Once you're in the game, it's all a sunk cost.
2. And, yes, it may very well be a better choice to use a PCS and a couple infantry squads if you want a flamer squad, because you may have other uses for those infantry squads anyways (eg, sitting on a home objective).

Like I said, it's not an awful choice, but it does seem inefficient. Efficiency is the one big thing when it comes to list building, IMHO. A standard mech IG army is not lacking in anti-horde firepower.

[Melissia]

A PCS has more important things to do than go and get killed in a suicidal charge. They have Orders to deliver.

A veteran squad, however, can use their flamers, shoot their shotguns, and then assault what survives, and potentially do a lot of damage that way.

[Corpsemourn]

They are effective. There is also a powerfist in there somewhere. When inside a Valkyerie they are fast and deadly. Only just recently it has become rather easy to bring down AV12 vehicles. Not to mention if you deep strike a Trygon Prime so it has 12 shots at rear armor. They're tricky like that.

[DarkLink]

Two things:
1. I'm not sure I'd call anything in a theoretical list a "sunk cost". A sunk cost is something that you've already paid for. Once you're in the game, it's all a sunk cost.

Like I said, it's not an awful choice, but it does seem inefficient. Efficiency is the one big thing when it comes to list building, IMHO. A standard mech IG army is not lacking in anti-horde firepower.

Meh, my point was don't worry about it. If a Vet squad with 3 flamers fits your army better than a vet squad with 3 melta/plasma (for example, if you're playing against orks instead of Marines), then take them, because the flamers will perform better than the plasma/melta, even if their cost isn't quite as efficient. It's not the efficiency that matters in this case, it's the end effectiveness.