Sternguard and Vanguard Changes

I had a conversation with a friend the other day that I really did not expect to have. He really is not a big fan of Space Marines so when he started talking about increasing the points cost for veteran units I had to roll my eyes thinking he was going to go into a tirade of how over powered terminators are, it was anything but. The following is the results of the conversation.

      The end goal was to make veteran units actually feel like veterans from the fluff. There are dozens of books from Black Library and instances brought up in the codexes in which precision fire from Sterguard or a timely charge from Vanguard veterans has changed the course of a battle. On the table top these units do not have that feel, they really just feel like expensive tactical or assault marines. I know that I have never read anywhere in which Sternguard Veterans have ever landed behind enemy lines in a drop pod with a bunch of cimbi-plasma to kill some armor units because just like in the game they would get wiped out by return fire.

      

      With that said we decided that Sternguard should play like a class between devastators and tactical marines. They get a significant point increase to 30 points a model, now before you scoff and stop reading give me a chance to explain why they become more expensive. They get one added to their ballistic skill so every single shot is going to count hitting on a 2+, they also get 3 base attacks. The biggest alteration we came up with was allowing heavy bolters to have access to the special ammunition with the limit of 2 per squad staying the same. The ammunition keeps the same profiles that they have now, they just get an extended range. Special ammunition is also a paid for addition at 2 points per ammunition type. 

     I have complained before about how I think Vanguard Veterans are not worth their points and they don't do what they are supposed to do in the fluff. After are discussion I believe I would happily play them again. At a hefty 45 points a model, yes the current cost of a Thunderhamer Stormshield Terminator, they come standard with weapon skill 5, 3 attacks base, and their jump pack. I will tell you there is nothing worse than getting into perfect position when declaring heroic intervention, making the charge, and then landing only a handful of attacks. Having 5 attacks at weapon skill 5 on the charge will really give these guys the punch needed to really make a differance, and at 225 points for 5 of them they will really give your opponent a bloody nose. 

 

    The current incarnation of veteran units is just guys with a bit higher leadership with access to the chapters shiny toys and that is not what they are at all. Every single time a veteran is talked about by a normal battle-brother they are spoken of with reverence and respect as being a master of their craft, an artisan of the art of war, not a guy they could be if a powersword was given to them. These changes really make a veteran unit feel like they are a step above their battle brothers and an asset to the chapter.

     Space Marine players are always criticized for playing the easy army because of the nice armor save we get, in a way they are right because having that save can really save a player from a bad mistake by minimizing the losses taken. Having these units changed to a more expensive choice that can change the outcome of a battle almost as well as terminators could change the culture of marine players. I say this because it is pretty easy for anyone to run a marine gun line and do well with it and chances are that is what the new marine players will run because it is easy and relatively cheap to buy into, but a new breed of marine players will be born in that running an army more tactically and efficiently with a veteran unit or two will in it will lead the way.

    Of course there are some changes that need to be made to somehow make these guys a bit more survivable or a bit cheaper so it's not as devastating to lose the unit. Off the top of my head take out the powerswords from the vanguard vets and make them 5 points cheaper, allowing them to buy the weapon for 5 points, giving vanguard fleet, both squads a 6+ inv save call it "survival reflexes," it makes the same amount of sense as Ragnar having a 4+ inv for being super fast. Before you  say that nobody would take these units because they are more expensive than terminators which are almost auto include units, I would like to stop you in your tracks because terminators are also going to get the same treatment we gave these two units which I will go into further detail in my next post. 

     Thank you for reading and have an Emperor blessed day!