Optimizing the IG Platoon Command Squad?

[DoctorEvil]

I'm FINALLY painting up a complete infantry squad this weekend for my guard army (Wooo!!!! 10 down.....100+ to go)....and I'm thinking to myself, what is the optimum configuration for the infantray platoon command squad.

So, I start thinking in terms of purpose...what do I want them to do? Static Gunline? Mobile Element? It seems to me that really determines the purpose of the CS. This ends up detemining special weapons choice as Sniper Rifles, GLs, and Plasma are really better suit to static elements, while Flamers & Melta require close range, hence mobility. Heavy Weapons are good for static, not so much for mobile. Power Sword & platoon standard good for mobile, maybe wasted on static.

I guess where I'm having problems is in terms of things liek Commisar & Power Fists. I like both options, but I'm questioning the effectiveness of spending the points for an infantry platoon CS.

So, how do other people configure thier Infantry Platoon Command Squads?

[Talhydras]

I have 2 CS in my IG so far.

One has an officer with power fist and soldiers with a grenade launcher and a flamer and is meant to stick to my more mobile infantry squads. In addition to that, they are accompanied by an commissar with a power weapon (although I'd prefer power fists, S3 is some kind of useless in CC)
The other one has an officer with bolter (I like the look) and a lascannon or machinecannon. Obviously, this CS is designed for my more static squads. A commissar is attached as well (I don't know, they just... belong there? ^^).

An option I always take is the medic, but the rest depends on how you want to use it. Power weapons and power fists are just an option if the squad may encounter enemies in CC. If you use a static CS with heavy weapons etc. I wouldn't use them.

How do you use your infantry squads? Are they equipped with special AND heavy weapons, only special weapons, only heavy weapons?

Chain of command goes from top to bottom, but chain of equipment goes from bottom to top

Please don't mind if my english isn't always correct, it's not my mother language, but I guess I am still making myself clear enough, eh?...
Greets

[RocketRollRebel]

My platoon command squads tend to stay naked and hang near an infantry blob shouting "first rank
fire, second rank fire". Their low BS and
Body count keeps me from investing too many points into these guys. Maybe 4 flamers or 4 grenade launchers might be neat.

You HQ command squad is where the real party is happening. Their bs4 makes them a good candidate for meltas or plasma guns and all the other fun things that they can take. Giving them a
Chimera for extra protection and to help extend the range of the commanders orders.

Hope I don't sound too cynical hahaha, that's just my take on optimising
IG command squads.

Hope it helps! Good luck with your guard. May the Emperor guide your flashlights into the eyes of your foe!

[RocketRollRebel]

Al'Rahiem can be a fun choice for your platoon command squad. You just need to build the rest of your army around him and his platoon.

[Chumbalaya]

Use a PCS like a SWS, only it doesn't suck.

[Ataraxean]

I tend to go one of a couple of ways. A personal favorite of mine is to run them with a couple of flamers for when things get tight and sticky. Mine tend to be in the rear ranks of my meat shields, ready to leapfrog forward and roast whatever just finished assaulting the front rank. Orks and 'nids I'm looking at you.

Another thing that I find fun is taking that same loadout (flamers) and giving them a chimera with some sort of flamer as well (preferably on the turret in this case), and use them as 'ghetto' hellhounds. You can still give orders from in the vehicle, choose to be on foot at need, ect. Piling 4 flamer templates and one heavy flamer from a vehicle into an ork mob thats packed around a different vehicle it just finished assaulting is fun.

Personally I'd skip commissars in a PCS. Not enough warm bodies between them and near certain death from an incoming attack. They're much better in platoon squads. Also, sinking too many points into a PCS just invites extra fire that they can't handle. Though throwing a single power weapon in there will be more effective than its given credit for. Especially when assaulting remnants that have been shot up by the rest of your forces. Watching a JO carve up those last couple Sternguard is just fun.

Finally naked Platoon Command squads are not to be sneered at. I've won a number of games simply because opponents forgot that they are troops, not HQ units. Or because there were so many other higher value targets that it was never really worth shooting at them until it was far too late to peel them out of where they'd got stuck in and ordered themselves to ground. Guard on an objective with 2+ cover saves can make people cry.

Luck man.

[Aldramelech]

My Command squads are put together like a real squad from a modern infantry force, not put together to win a game......

Platoon Commander with Power fist, Plas Pistol, Melta Bomb/Power sword, Bolt pistol, Melta bomb.
Vox Operator.
Medic.
Sniper.
Melta Gunner.

I'm not interested in 'Why not do this, take that, why have you got that' I'm interested in my squad looking and behaving in a semi believable fashion.

If you want loads of flamers, grenade launchers, melta guns and all the rest, isn't that what the special weapons squad is for?

[Droofus]

My Command squads are put together like a real squad from a modern infantry force, not put together to win a game......

Platoon Commander with Power fist, Plas Pistol, Melta Bomb/Power sword, Bolt pistol, Melta bomb.

Yeah, I think they make you choose between "power fist boxing" or "power weapon fencing" in OTS. Also, "strapping a meltabomb to a moving tank 101" is recommended.

I think the equivalent to a modern infantry platoon command look something like this:

Platoon Commander with las-rifle
Vox operator
3 guardsmen with las-rifles

I figure that a PCS loaded with spec weapons basically represented the officer saying to the specialists in each squad "you all come with me, I've got a plan.!"

[Xas]

i usually equip mine with a vox (all my squads have vox for fluff), a plasma pistol and 3 grenade launchers. then they go, skimm the battlefront and try to take shots into transports, speeders or tank's side armor with 3 s6 and 1 s7 shots.

[mlambie]

working with the same problem myself at the moment. so far all i am sure of is that i want a vox and dont want a standard or medipac. the platoon standard doesnt seem that great to me, unless i really went and optimized them for close combat, which just seems like a bad idea in the first place and the medipac is as many points as the squad. I wouldnt bother with one heavy weapon probably. better left to the heavy squads. now as for the special weapons, this is where im stumped. do i want to keep the command squad bare bones, so they dont attract a lot of attention and can keep pumpin out orders? or would some special weapons be good, i was thinking if i went with special weapons, i would want them to have something more long ranged instead of a melta or a flamer, so they can stay back safe from assault and give orders. the sniper rifle would be cool but not being able to move and fire would be a big downside. if i am correct, the grenade launcher might be a nice in between. cheap enough to not make the squad too pointsy, 24" range moving or static, instead of the plasma, which are more costly anyway. this would leave the command squad at a cool 50 pts. i just hate the idea of tooling out a command squad for combat since they are only going to have 5 or 6 (w/commissar), and to do any damage, id have to take power fists. and theyd all die before they got to fight, most likely. i think that keeping them relatively cheap is important, seeing as in all likelihood, they could die to a single round of shooting.

thoughts?