Tactica Storm Trooper

[Rightnow]

Since Storm Troopers are available to so many armies I thought we should start a thread dealing with them. A Space Marine army can take them as ally troop choices from the WH or DH codex, the IG get them as grenadiers (troops) or as elite and the WH or DH can just take them as troops. So, they can be all over the place if one wants them to be.

I think they are a okay (but not great) deal for the points. A better weapon, BS, LD and AS than a basic guardsman plus grenades, but less points than a marine with good reason. The Kasrkin models look great too.

My current strategy is to take them six strong with two plasma guns and a PW. The small unit size is very maneuverable and the plasma is death to power armor and termies. At only 85 points a unit, I can sacrifice them as needed. Moving them up, rapid firing the assault oriented marines, and then getting lucky taking down a marine with the PW is a good use of points.

In fact, I've started to take the grenadiers doctrine and dropped regular platoons for storm troopers. I find that on 4x4 tables the horde of regular troops is too much of a tactical liability. I find the smaller units of ST, especially in Cities of Death, are much more useful. Line of sight issues is a big deal if there is a large amount of terrain, or a small board, so the small ST trooper units with plasma can move into position much more effectively than large units of guard.

I also plan on taking 5 ST with two meltas with a Chimera to run at enemy vehicles. If my opponent is wasting time shooting at the Chimera, my tanks, veterans, and hellhounds are untouched.

Any more thought about how you like to use Storm Troopers?

[heretics bane]

i like to give the VS a thunder hammer or someother deadly weapon, i love when a squad smashes a eldar skimmer or some termis

[LostTemplar]

i like to give the VS a thunder hammer or someother deadly weapon, i love when a squad smashes a eldar skimmer or some termis

You can give ThundeR Hammers to ST sargents...?

[god octo]

its a daemonhunters thing- they can give them lightening claws and things as well.

[Eisenhorn]

uh no i dont think so
at least ig ST cant. i dont know about dh and wh ST though

[Lord Hjamlar]

If he could have one... Or maybe the =][= one can have 'em??

[Eisenhorn]

And combi bolters as well or a storm shield. Just checked my dh codex and this checks out to be legal, as far as i know. Although expensive for a st vs.

On topic
I like to have them in chimeras as well with 2 meltas so they can deal with tanks

[lee]

i use one six man unit in my drop troop army. armed with two melta guns deep strike them in and watch them go to work.very good unit

[tuebor]

We have a local player who runs 5 8 man squads in Chimeras (with turret autocannons) with 2 plasmaguns each. He also uses a squad of Ogryn in a Chimera, 2 Demolishers and a Leman Russ. He does quite well with it. Oh, and his command squad is also in a Chimera.

[Carnelian]

I use them as part of my mech WH/SM army and take two units of 6 with 2 plasma in each mounted in chimeras (no vet serg as they don't want to be seeing combat). If you keep em together they shoudl be able to wipe out a unit once in rapid fire range (esp with two chimeras backing them up).

[Elcampbello]

I tend to mount them in rhinos with extra rmour for my WH and infiltrate them with my guard. Nearly awlays take two plasma guns but have started taking plasma/melta combo for some tank stalking as I tend to play them withing 12".

[Marshal_K]

I definitely think the 2 Plasma Gun tactic works well. This tactic probably works best with 2 squads working together.

Personally I prefer to use them as an anti-tank unit. Mounted in a Chimera with 2 Meltas per squad. With the BS 4 they will hit a decent amount of the time. Also, they have a huge ability to survive where an IG Special Weapon squad would get wrecked easily.

Random, but another tactic I like to employ is giving the sergeant a storm bolter. Even against SMs, two extra strength 4 hits has a chance of causing some damage.

[Lord Hjamlar]

Amd what about mixing such doctrines:
Veterans, Storm Troopers, Carpace Armour... Sthe else... 3 squads of Veterans each with 3 plasma guns and heavy weapon, fully equiped vet. sergatns, 3 squads of ST in Chimeras, some h. support...

[Rightnow]

Amd what about mixing such doctrines:
Veterans, Storm Troopers, Carpace Armour... Sthe else... 3 squads of Veterans each with 3 plasma guns and heavy weapon, fully equiped vet. sergatns, 3 squads of ST in Chimeras, some h. support...

You've essentially described my army. I've come to a conclusion that the "regular" guard setup of hordes of guys with heavy weapons is too much of a liability on smaller tables with terrain blocking line of sight. This is especially true in Cities of Death.

I'm making an Inquisitorial army that will have as my elites: 2 units of vets with carapace and one unit of Celestians, and grenadiers (storm troopers) some with chimeras as troop choices. Along with some SoB and their nice bolters to troops to help deal with hordes.

[shutupSHUTUP!!!]

Storm troopers aren't exactly a bargain for the cost, but their reliability is refreshing. I used to use a 10-man squad but I've reduced them to six for the same reasons as the original poster; the plasma guns kill something then they tend to die, whilst the power sword is just a laugh when it kills something worthwhile.

In my opinion you either give them plasma guns or meltaguns or don't bother. Flamers would be better served on cheaper guardsmen (maybe a chimera-born storm trooper squad at most) and grenade launchers just wouldn't justify the storm troopers cost overall.

They are something of a suicide squad too due to their close ranged nature when they're infiltrating or deep striking, storm trooper tactics are a case of "how much can they kill before they die" a lot of the time. If you just line them up with the rest of your guardsmen, then you're better off just buying two infantry squads for the same cost after all, so they're probably at their best in riskier roles.

[Try Again Bragg]

My current strategy is to take them six strong with two plasma guns and a PW. The small unit size is very maneuverable and the plasma is death to power armor and termies. At only 85 points a unit, I can sacrifice them as needed. Moving them up, rapid firing the assault oriented marines, and then getting lucky taking down a marine with the PW is a good use of points.

Sounds like I great idea that i plan to try, but I keep coming out at 91 points. Am I wrong?

And it would be another 6 points for Infiltrate or Deepstrike. Which do you use?

[FraustyTheSnowman]

91 is correct, not including infiltrate or deepstrike.

I go melta route, thinking about adding melta bombs to it. Infiltrate them just a little ahead in some good cover and use them as a tank deterent.

[StMachiavelli]

I run a Mechanized Company of these guys, squads of 8, with a veteran sergeant with a Stormbolter and power weapon, and a commissar with a Stormbolter and power fist. They either have two plasma guns, or two meltaguns and they do rather well.

Being short on doctrines (mech, rough riders, techpriests, and grenadiers) my HQ is upgraded to veterans and equipped with Stormbolters, and carapace armor.

Does rather well for itself. Most of the time.

[Vaktathi]

Once I ran through the IG codex for the first time, I came to really like the Stormtroopers for several reasons.

The first, is that they have a BS4 and a 4+ save, meaning they have far more survivability than normal IG and are more lethal with their fire as well. Throw in the AP5 on the hellguns and Stormtroopers become very attractive for opponents like Tyranids, Dark Eldar, and other guard units.

Also, they come pre-equipped with Frag and Krack grenades, and this coupled with their 4+ save and the possibility of a Veteran Sergeant with a power weapon means they can generally do a decent job in an assault, at least compared with an average Guard Infantry squad.

The fact that they can also use a Chimera really sort of sealed the deal for me. being able to jump out of a chimera and rapid fire plasma's or hop out of a chimera and Melta a tank to death was really cool to me.

Add in Deep Strike and Infiltrate capabilities (without the transport I know) and Stormtroopers are an excellent spearhead unit. To me, its seems best to deploy stormtroopers in a classic assault role, that is, to break an enemy line and allow the horde to exploit that hole, or to take out specific threats such as tanks and whatnot if the Guard Infantry cannot bring heavy weapons to bear.

[Try Again Bragg]

Everyone seems to like two plasmas or two meltas. Has anyone tried and/or had success with one of each in a squad?