MSU platoons

[sneakygit]

hey guys, i've seen this idea crop up in a few discussions about blobs in 6th ed, some people advocate not using the combined squad rule and instead using infantry squads solo with moral support of some form like regimental standards. This would negate some of the problems encountered by blobs like getting focus fired to death, wasting shots via over kill, and getting their commie or lord commie sniped out and then swept in CC. The MSU squads could do more things at once: one could run with move move move while others keep firing with BID and FRFSRF. Also the enemy will waste attacks killing the squads, for example some ymgarl gene stealers jump out of terrain and assault a squad, you kill one with overwatch then they wipe out the poor guardsmen with wounds to spare leving them selves open to shooting next turn, rather than them charging your large blob with warlord and killing like 15 guys and eventually slaying the LC. same goes for shooting, if one of those DE flyers drops 4 missles on your blob it probably wont be there at the end of the shooting phase but with MSU they could only kill 10 guardsmen max and even then you could just go to ground if your in area terrain to get a 3+ then just use get back in the fight to jump up next turn and if you fail it's only 10 guys stuck snap shooting not an entire blob. Of course LD would be an issue as well as less effective orders so that would have to be considered. so do you think that blobless platoons are the way to go in 6th or are blobs still better, post your opinions below and sorry for the all the text.

[Sgt. Rock]

Personally, I like the idea of running two platoons, one a smaller blob (20-30 men) and one as a 2-3 squad Armored Fist platoon. It gives you the staying power and strong firebase of a blob squad, but you also have some flexibility and mobility from the Armored Fists. Bring some HWS and a Vet squad or two in Chimeras, and you have substantial mobility, flexibility, and objective-capping power, as well as a ton of dakka. Sure, it's a lot of points to sink into infantry, but despite what the armored divisions and artillery corps would have you believe, it's the poor dumb bastard with a rifle that will win your wars.

[WestRider]

This is definitely a viable approach, especially with "kill points" being reduced to 1 Game in 6, rather than 1 Game in 3. You lose out on the ability to buff several Squads' worth of weaponry with a single Order/Blessing, but as you point out, there are definitely compensating advantages.

At higher Points Levels, Creed & Kell can help an Army like this immensely, being able to issue 4 Ld10 Orders even to Squads without a Vox or Commissar.

Even when I am running Blobs as my core, I often take 1-2 extra Infantry Squads to run separately, as Screening Units, Objective Grabbers, or general nuisances. Very handy to have around, and I can fold them into the Blob if I do end up playing Purge the Alien.

[sneakygit]

Ok I'll give this idea a spin in my next game, my current list looks like this:

CCS
4 melta
bolter
chimera

LC
PF

2 VS
3 plasma
chimera

PCS
4 flamers
bolter
chimera

3 IS
melta bombs
flamer
AC

2 vendetta

devil dog
smoke launchers
search light
MM

2 russ

2 griffons

manticore

ageis
quad gun

2000pts

so ill get rid of the LC and devil dog to make these changes

replace current CCS with 2 CCS with 3 plasma, standard, and chimera as well as switching my vet squads to melta and switching my 3 IS with 4 IS armed with plasma/AC. this would give me LD and order support from CCSs while moving my melta to a more expendable platform that isn't required for keeping the squads going and of course 4 IS that could from 2 20 man blobs in purge. the only issue is that i'm 17pts over, my first idea would be to replace the quad gun with a comms relay to help out my dettas because i dont have any bs 4 for the quad which would leave me with 19pts, odd numbers courtesy of the bolter now needed for wound allocation in light of the recent FAQ.