# Using Tactical Squads For Your Space Marine Army



## Captain Roy (Feb 6, 2008)

I Have a questions for all space marines players. How
do you use your space marine tactical squads. What
special weapons and heavy weapons you use in your
squads. Also how many marines do you use like for a
example I would say 10 men or 8 men squad. Also
have you ever seen a ten man tactical squad with
no special and heavy weapons just all ten man
squad with bolters including the sergeant?. By
the way, I will be playing my first game of
warhammer 40k soon and haven't played since
the end of third edition. If anyone has any question
about my comments feel free to leave good advice
on using tactical squads. k:


----------



## spike12225 (Aug 21, 2008)

in a league/tourny i run lascannon and flamer in my tact squads and combat squad them into either razor backs or rhinos. before people say never do that i runa dev squad with 3 ML's and 1 PC 35 pts for a lascannon is bull dust 10pts is great.

essentially i get said lascannon but a missile launcher brother to help


----------



## Ferik (Nov 5, 2008)

Myself I keep my Tacts bare bones generally I may upgrade the Flamer for a Meltagun if anything and lately I only give my Sergeant a Combi-Flamer this is due to the fact that they are always in a Rhino so they usually don't get into combat as much and seeing as they are not as versitile as they were before I tend not to want to spend too many points on them.

Also on a side note I tend to be on the go with my army and generally wont be able to fire my heavies so I figured why spend points on something I will rarely use.


----------



## Vashtek (Nov 2, 2007)

This is one those questions that has no real answer as equipping your tactical squads depends on the rest of your army.

Personally, I am running Pedro in a terminator heavy army. This means my guys lack long range support, manouvreability and ways to deal with AV 12, 13, 14 vehicles. I therefore equip my 2 tactical squads with missile launcher, melta guns, powerfists (good with Pedro) and rhinos. I'd like to give my sargeants a combi melta but ran out of points.

A friend of mine uses a more land raider centric army and puts his tactical squads inside them. He might want to go for a flamer as this is good to use on squads that have been tank shocked, and a melta gun is less useful since all his LRs have multi-meltas on them. A powerfist is less good as he does not use Pedro, although he can charge straight from the raider (unlike me with my guys in ehinos) so he might consider it. He too lacks longe range fire so has missile launchers if he wants to combat squad his unit.

I used to play a vehicle heavy army with plenty of longe firepower. With them I struggled against horde so I equipped my tac squads with plasma cannons as these are relatively high strength templete weapons that work against hoirde as well as MEQ. I also equipped them with a plasma gun and a rhino but no powerfist as I didn't really want them to be in combat- and with no Pedro I could run away from losing combats using the combat tactics rule.

Like a lot of these types of questions, you should not look at any aspect of your army in isolation. The army list should be considered as a whole with units designed to support each other and cover weaknesses or enhance strengths.


----------



## Fugital357 (Jan 19, 2009)

I usually field en man tactical Squads with the basic (And now free:grin upgrades, split into two combat teams for most games. Various upgrades, usually power weapons, go to the Sargent. 

The Flamer is a awesome weapon for closing and assaulting. and when put in the same Combat Team as the Sargent, gives you great anti-infantry killing power. I've pwned CSM, IG, and Orks that way. 

This also works great since SM are now "equipped" Bolt Pistols, allowing everyone in the team to shoot into the target before they assault. 

The other combat team usually stays in cover and shoots out with either a free ML or HB, and might use the Bolters if a appropriate target gets close enough.


----------



## combatmedic (Feb 19, 2009)

As a shooty player I set my Tac squads up with the best heavy weapon for the situation. Plasma cannon and flamer for nids, ML and plasma for the necrons and chaos, and Heavy bolters and Melta for Imp guard. I love the option for combat squads and use it almost every time. It keeps my units farther apart so there is more space to maneuver (the nid and corn players hate it when I have two CS just break in different directions when they charge what they think will be a single unit.


----------



## Vaz (Mar 19, 2008)

Plasma Cannons as Heavy Weapon, Powerfist on Meltagun armed squads, Power Weapons on Flamer squads, Razorbacks with Heavy Bolters/Lascannons. If I have some points spare, they usually go on a combi weapon that's the same as the squad weapon.

If I know I've facing MEQ's, the Combi Weapons are always Plasma Guns.


----------



## Johnathanswift (Sep 30, 2008)

I usualy pack either a missil launcher or a plasma cannon and all sergants have power fists to squish those annoying chaos buggers, meltagus and flamers seem to me to be the way to go for the assault weapons.


----------



## Captain Roy (Feb 6, 2008)

I want to thank you guys for your advice on using
tactical squads in the space marine army. If anyone
have anymore questions and advice, please feel free
to post more information. Thank You :victory:


----------



## beeny13 (Mar 30, 2008)

i play blood angels mainly. and i suggest to assume that you won't combat squad. a lascannon combat squad costs 90 points. you can get a predator annihilator for not much more than that, and you can get a predator destructor about the same price as a missile launcher combat squad.
combat squad is a tactical decision, not an efficient way to build an army. instead plan on having your tactical squad fill a rhino. if there are 5 objectives and you can claim 2 or 3 with your heavy combat squad, then go for it. all most of your army has to do is keep the enemy from surviving to take them away from you. if there is one objective in your deployment zone, leave a single heavy combat squad back.

but in terms of killing power it is much better to have a rhino or drop pod getting your marines into rapid fire distance. the special weapon designates the squad specialty, melta for tanks, flamer for troops. the heavy weapon is more of a just in case. as in i have a missile launcher just in case i ever get to fire it, or just in case every other vehicle hunting unit dies.

always use all 10 men, always pick a special weapon. a bolter can be better than a heavy weapon, but i would rather have tactical flexibility. i like the multimelta best for heavy weapons. the tactical squad is at its most powerful within 18" so that it can move and rapid fire, and the multimelta gives you another option in that range. heavy bolters are pretty great, but i prefer missile launchers. a frag missile is almost as good against troops as a heavy bolter, and it has the added bonus of being able to take down some vehicles. a plasma cannon isn't too bad either. it gives your bolter squad the chance of taking down termies.

i like best using 2 tac squads with powerfists and rhinos
one melta/multimelta
the other flamer/missile,plasma,or heavy bolter
they are very tough to take an objective from in 1500 and under, only cost 500 points, leaving you with 1000 points or so to contest


----------

