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It's been many months since the release of the 5th Ed SM Codex, and one unit has continually perplexed the marine community at large. One unit entry has been hailed as pure awesome but in the same breath is disregarded for it's prodigious expense. That is the Vanguard Veteran.

While this tactica does not propose to give the definitive answer, this is a suggestion as to how best to answer this question. I'm skipping the intro and cutting right to the meat. This my boys, is for SoC only. I hope you like it.

Note that throughout this article, i always assume that the vanguards are being given adequate support.


Vanguard Veterans

Pros:
-Mobile - Whichever way you have them, be it wearing jump packs or riding in pod/rhino, they can be where you want them to be. One thing that adds to their mobility is the fact that because of their expense, they will have lower numbers. They are thus, easier to hide and maneuver.
-Versatility - The sheer number of weapon loadouts possible with these boys. Fit them for any role, be it killing infantry or even monstrous creatures, they can do it all.
-Variety of Deployment - Having Shrike allows them to deploy in 4 ways (normal, outflank, infiltrate, deepstrike). Not only is it fluffy, combined with their mobility, it means that they can always be where you need them to be. Often times, catching opponents by surprise(which in itself is a huge advantage).
-Striking Power - The above factors combined with the fact that they have more attacks than normal marines means that not only will they hit, but when they do, they will hit hard


Cons:
-Expensive - No 2 ways about it, they are expensive. For a 10 man squad with minimal upgrades, you could get yourself 2 fully kitted 10 assault marine squads
-Fragile - Well, they're as fragile as any marine. This is exacerbated by their small numbers
-Unpredictable - You don't know when they'll come in. If you don't have locator beacons, then it would be foolhardy to try heroic intervention, outflanking is not reliable, etc...
-Expensive - This is mentioned a second time because it seems to be a very big issue for most players. After all, it does lower your model count drastically.

Summary: Get your head round these points, weigh the pros & cons and judge for yourself if they will work with your playstyle. If you think that for whatever reason, they are incompatible with you, then don't take them. It is very often said that their cons outweigh their pros. That other units give you more models, more bang for your buck, etc...

Here's my 2 cents. First you have to get yourself out of that "expensive=point sink" mentality. It's only a point sink when it's wasted and does not contribute to your victory. If you're only looking at it from the POV of getting your points worth, then you'll never be able to get around to making it viable, but if you look at how best to capitalize on their strengths, then you're getting somewhere.

So the question should be "How best to use this unit?" as opposed to "How best to maximize points worth?". This frees you from limiting yourself to what is cheaper. I will be the first one to tell you it takes skill to use these boys.

As an aside, i think they are extremely fluffy. Why? Because we are known for our mobile rapid reaction forces, it's very likely that the assault marines get promoted and choose to be Vanguard Vets. Anyway, because they are an expensive unit to field, model count will be lower. Providing a more "elite" feel to your Raven Guard army.




Tactics & Employment

This is where it all begins. An army that is unified is one that works in a self-supportive manner to achieve it's objective. Every unit must play its proper role for the army to achieve victory. So long as it fills its role then the fault lies not in the unit, but the commander's choice of role. Thus you must now look at your army and make sure every unit can work together and fulfill their individual roles towards achieving victory.

While the Vanguard squad can fill many roles (examples will be provided below), to really capitalize on their strengths the best role to use them for is: Striking. Every Pro mentioned above points to an exceptional offensive ability.

Striking here is a broad term, but what i mean is they are best used to take down a unit that is critical your opponent's army. Most armies will have a center of gravity/backbone/anvil/etc... The purpose of this is to provide support to the rest of the army, e.g. the gunline that holds down the center as the others charge the flanks. It is the grounding which the rest of your army relies on to carry out their maneuvers. While it is not always clear which units make up the backbone, through experience and analysis of a list you'll be able to find that center of gravity. If you want to take out elements of your opponent's army, then separate them from the backbone. The vanguard are good at this.

As most backbone units/formations are shooty to provide the ability to cover different maneuvers, you can separate them from the other elements by assaulting one or the other. This is where the Vanguards come in, their exceptional striking power and ability to appear anywhere means that they can destabilize an opponent's army, by either sweeping their backbone from beneath them, or by taking out the most dangerous units that the backbone is supporting.

But what about different forms of backbones? For example, a common RG backbone is the element of surprise. Without it, many of our armies cannot function effectively. Games against these kind of armies will be tough as it seems like whatever you shoot at doesn't hurt the enemy. In these instances work to punish your opponent for every mistake he makes, work to use your army to take down the weaker components of his army, here use your vanguard to hold his stronger/st unit at bay while you mop up the rest of his army.

Summary: Using this unit is simple. They're forte is striking. They are a force multiplier, use them like a sword to cut at the weaknesses of an enemy. If you want to annihilate something, hit a weak unit with the Vanguard.





Deployment

One of the Vanguard's major strengths is it's ability to get into combat in a number of ways. I'll compare each method based on the following 4 criteria:

Surprise: Surprise is very important. It can act as a force multiplier, disrupting your opponent's ability to think. Surprising an opponent makes him second-guess himself, puts him on the defensive and hands you the initiative. For a glass cannon like the Vanguard, this is essential to maximizing their effect on the battle.
Security: Security means just that. The less shots the vanguard encounter before reaching their point of contact, the more secure the route. Security is important, because the more damage they take, the less damage they do.
Stealth: Stealth is how well you can hide your intentions until it's too late for them. The stealthier it is, the more surprise and security you have.
Certainty: Certainty is how predictable this form of deployment. Here i mean specifically how predictable it is to you. Be it reserves rolls, scattering and so on. The more Certain, the easier it is to incorporate this form into your battle plans. The more certain, the more you can rely on them to work.


Basic Deployment

This really means just that. Deploying on the field like normal. Personally, i'd only do this if i had rhinos, or some other form of moving cover. Otherwise, they are too expensive to have flying across the board.

Surprise: Very little surprise value here. Opponents can spot it a mile away, and generally, they expect it. (1/5)
Security: A major plus point of this method is the security you get. Advancing Vanguards behind landraiders/rhinos is not easy to get at. And by the time you can do something, they're already close enough to your lines. (4/5)
Stealth: How well you can hide your intention with this depends on your skill really. As you learn to misdirect, deceive and maneuver, this form of deployment becomes better. Plus, sometimes, it's really sneaky because it creates a situation of a ready counter for your formation.(2/5)
Certainty: This is very certain, Nothing short of a lucky shot, good tactics, or killing the moving cover, can stop this. (4/5)

HI/DS

HIDS means Heroic Intervention/Deepstrike. With the use of Locator beacons, HI is an excellent way to surprise opponents. Just when they think they are winning, the vanguard come in from no where and bring their deadly close-combat weapons to bear. A point to remember about HI is that, you don't have to declare who you're charging, only that the vanguards are doing HI. Who they charge is up to you after they land.

Surprise: This is probably the most surprising method. Coming out of nowhere to help your men. This throws most opponents off, because they become so focused on what's on the board, they forget what is coming. (4/5)
Security: This is surprisingly quite secure. The distance they have to travel to reach their target is practically nil. The only danger comes if your locator beacons are destroyed(4/5)
Stealth: This one depends on your opponent. Some opponents can see where you are going to land, but most don't. The beauty of this is that you get to choose your targets. He may think you're going to charge his tactical, but instead you charge something else. (3/5)
Certainty: This is HIDS' main failure. It is very uncertain. From the reserves roll to the scattering(granted with locator beacons it becomes more certain). It takes balls of steel, or lots of face to feel secure using this. (2/5)

Infiltration

Infiltrating while taking 2nd turn is a BAD idea. However, taking 1st turn and infiltrating is fantastic! You get to place your men almost anywhere you want as your opponent watches helplessly. Use this to take out units that you think will be critical to his victory. Even better because if you equip your vanguard right, you can take out 2 units, one with Shrike, and one with the vanguard. Example, if you equip the vanguard with 5 meltabombs, and infiltrate them, use them to charge a landraider while shrike charges some infantry.

Surprise: Reasonable, considering, they only have a 1/6 chance of spoiling your plan. Other than them stealing the initiative, they can try and plan for your infiltrators, but other than that, all they can do is retaliate after blows have landed. (3/5)
Security: Quite secure, again they are quite safe unless for some reason or another, the opponent seizes the initiative. The only thing you really need to worry about is afterwards. But don't worry. If you've picked your targets right, and you're playing with drop pods or scouts, the vanguard will be able to do alot of killing without too much trouble. (4/5)
Stealth: They won't know what you'll hit before it's too late. Again, i advice you to put thought into what it is you want to destroy. Be careful that it isn't a trap. (4/5)
Certainty: Actually, quite certain. Short of the seize the initiative roll, it's dead certain you're going to do some damage. (4/5)

Outflank

Outflanking, This method means attaching the unit to shrike, and moving in from the table sides. This is quite an unpredictable method. Also something i wouldn't recommend. But it has it's uses. I wouldn't use this method because it's even more unpredictable than HIDS for what seems to be less returns. Granted, you could use this against an opponent who spreads out his army over a wide front, or if you're playing quarters. So i might use this if i'm going second. That way i can see his deployment, if it's conducive then outflanking would be a good option. But never rely on your opponent making a mistake like that.

Surprise: This can be quite surprising. Especially if a unit comes in from the table right table edge...But there's a 1/3 chance that you'll come in on the wrong table edge, and unless you have cover you're likely to be shot up.(3/5)
Security: It's pretty secure provided you hit the correct flank, if not it loses any and all security.(3/5)
Stealth: Here it scores quite high because opponents really won't know where their coming from. The best they can do is to hope that you don't come in from the correct side. Chances are they'll be too busy dealing with your other forces to be thinking about outflanking vanguard.(4/5)
Certainty: Not certain at all...first you roll for reserves, then you have to roll for your side. And unlike HIDS, you can't put any locator beacons to increase certainty. (1/5)






Builds

Now we get to the fun part. Equipment! Vanguard marines are just like every other marine...they can do anything, but it's their equipment that makes them really excel at a certain role. So it is very important to equip them effectively. Give them a role, decide the role and equip them accordingly. Below are a few examples of builds and roles you can use your vanguard for.

1) Uber-Assault Squad - This is simple. Use it as a stronger assault squad. Personally, i can't use Assault Marines anymore, i've become too spoilt with the 2 base attacks and free power weapon on the sgt. Have them with Jump packs and use them the same way you would an assault marine squad(of course this topic requires its own tactica). In this role, it would be better to take 10 men, sure it's expensive, but the ability to take an extra power weapon or two will make up for it. The rest can be left as ablative wounds. This is a good balanced unit. For added fear, attach a chaplain, and watch your opponent piss himself.

10 Vanguard Veterans
Jump Packs - Powerfist, 2 Power Weapons
-365

Granted for 245 points you can get just as many Assault Marines, with a Powerfist and 2 plasma pistols. So what are you really paying for?

You are paying for
-The 9 Extra attacks, both power weapon and normal
-The extra power weapons
-The Heroic intervention ability

Most would say that this isn't worth it. I beg to differ, as i've always seen it as a matter of how you use the unit. Weigh for yourself if this unit is worth the points, then decide to field them or not. One tip about unit survival in general, is to have ablative wounds. This squad is full of it, it's up to you to find that balance.


2) Magic Bullet - The idea behind this is that the squad is designed to come in and kill whatever it is you point your finger at. It's not meant to survive, but if/when it does, it's an added bonus. Example of this squad would be 5 men with jump packs and all lightning claws, meant to completely destroy an infantry squad in one turn. That's a good 20 S4 re-roll to wound power weapon attacks, enough to take down any squad. There are a few ways to make this really work. You could have it hiding behind a landraider as they advance. You could use locator beacons to have them surprise someone with Heroic Intervention. Infiltrating them with Shrike would work. The point is to find a unit that is absolutely key to his victory, and destroy it. So what if your vanguards get shot up afterwards, chances are they'll live to tell about it, even if they don't they've done their job.

5 Vanguards - Thunderhammer, 4 meltabombs
-210

Infiltrate this squad and kill ANY vehicle on the first turn. If you picked the right vehicle, or better yet, if you charged 2 vehicles at the same time, and disable both, you're well on your way to victory. Remember, we're not even talking about the drop pods your sending in on turn 1.

3) Spartan Phalanx - This squad is probably one of the best(albeit expensive) methods of balancing survival with killing power. What you do is have half of them with power weapons of some sort, be it fist, blade or claw, the other half with stormshields. When they get hit, allocate those really bad wounds (plasma, melta, etc) to the guys with shields and make your 3+ invul. With this squad you don't have to worry too much about being out in the open, as those with the shields should be able to absorb most blows that would trouble you. To make them even more resilient, give some of them meltabombs, to make more sub-groups.

7 Vanguard Veterans - Powerfist, 3 Power Swords, 3 Stormshields
-335

And now you have a squad that is arguably more resilient and more deadly than the Uber-Assault squad shown above. Something that i've discovered is that Stormshields are very very worth their cost. They allow the Vanguards to go against anything(short of the nightbringer) with a good amount of security.

4) Plasma Pistols Galore - Yes, i'm serious. This is one of those weird ways of using the vanguards that make people question your sanity. Answer them by destroying their forces under a hail of plasma fire. Get a large 7-10 squad (with or without jump packs it's up to you), exchange all their bolt pistols with plasma pistols, then send them at a target. They won't even need to get into close combat. 7-10 Plasma shots is going to hurt anyone. With this you can kill Deamons, Wraithlords, Avatars, etc. Even better if you drop pod them, they'll be safe, and unless you roll 11" or 12", you'll be in range to kill something the first turn you come in. I would actually make a squad of 5 men with plasmas and shields with jump packs. Let them fly around shooting things up.

One of my personal favourites and the unit i'm currently using.

5 Vanguard Veterans - Relic Blade, 2 Power Swords, 5 Plasma Pistols
-295

I've used this squad to deadly effect. I've used the plasmas to take down soft armoured vehicles before charging the crew inside. Also works wonders against plague marines, terminators, abbadon,etc...



Other than that, its up to you to discover more builds. The beauty of the Vanguard is that they are a highly customizable unit. Use this to your advantage by finding the right mix of whatever it is you want your Vanguard to do. Always remember though that all the above strategies can work if your tactics are in order. Things like basic target priority, foresight and so on are a must. If you don't have these, then no matter how cost efficient you make your vanguards, you're not going to get very far.





Conclusion

While many will argue that the Vanguard are overpriced, i will argue that you pay a high premium for a capability that only they can provide in the manner that they do. Outfitted correctly, they are undeniably the Kings of Close Combat, able to take on ANYTHING in close combat. Most people don't give them enough credit for the sheer offensive power they have. Then there are those who will tell you that for the price of the Vanguard, you can get more models and that is better. I tell you that while it's true you could get more models, perhaps more guns and so on. However, As i've stated at the beginning, the Vanguard have their own qualities that are unique to them.

They are the speedy assassins of the Space Marine army. Striking anything from anywhere. It is undeniably important to realize that some units are so critical to an opponent's victory that with them, they have no chance of winning, and it is these targets that you send the vanguard at. Let me reiterate this...you are paying a high premium for the ability to almost certainly destroy the source of your opponent's victory. They alone cannot guarantee you victory, but they most certainly can make it easier.

At the end, i would like to remind you that the success of your vanguard depends solely on you. You've heard the arguments against vanguards countless times. I can tell you, i've been using Vanguards ever since i started playing 5th ed, and they've been nothing but gold. Good Luck Brothers.

Victorus Aut Mortis.

Snazzy, lookin pretty good, I'll see about reading through it more in depth later and seeing if I have anything to add.

Thanks, I'm still open to comments. Looking to see if you guys have any ideas or any additions.

Excellent read Sy, I too have a few points to add to these somewhat imfamous vets.

They wont work against every opponent, in my experience i'd leave them at home against horde. Sure you could throw them at a nob mob or warlord, but in the big picture it wouldnt matter.

Do try all the builds to see what works for you, yes even without jump packs. Evaluate what their role is and minimize cost to do it. Over kill is something you cannot aford in a Vanguard squad. Get dice out and play some theory hammer. On average how many plasma psitol shots does it take to down a DP? etc.

I use the moving shield, basically behind rhinos and vindicators. Also behind assault squads, this can really confuse your opponent. Its about delivery and protection. Think Fed ex

As Sy says, don't be put off by the cost, this unit can win games. They just require a bit more thought than other units.

Nicely done, Sy.

As he said, every unit needs to be weighed on what it can do when fielded properly. Sometimes mathhammer doesn't always reign supreme.

Prime example: Blood Angel's Mephiston is extremely overpriced and doesnt even have an Invul save. But... I've seen him rip through the 5 Terminators and 10 Chaos Marines before contesting an objective.

Play around with them and how you would want to field them then decide.

Oh and Sy, I've given you some points to add.

This has been a hugely helpful thread - thanks all.

I've got an extra set of Assault Marines w/ plenty of extra pwr weapons, plasma pistols, shields, etc... that I'm planning on using to create a Vanguard squad. I'm going to take the extra seals, iconography and veteran shoulders that I have left over from my other sets to give them the Vanguard look.

Biggest thing I'm going to then try is magnetizing them so that 1 or both arms can be swapped out for different weapon sets, along w/ the jump pack / backpack being magnetized. I'm hoping that gives me the chance to try out several of the above builds for Vanguards.

~Hadrian

one thing i have noticed when using a vanguard?shrike compo is that people are terrified of them and will do just about anyting to stop them chewing up their army so take a lot of incoming. This isnt neccesarily a bad thing as while your opponents throwing everything bar the kitchen sink at them it means that the rest of your army is advancing into rapid fire/ assault range relatively unmolested.

yeah, but it doesnt exactly take alot of fire power to bring them down either. I mean, how hard is it to kill a combat squad? It'll be the same for vanguard. Might be a bit harder if the vanguard player is smart and tosses a storm shield in the mix, but not much.

yeah your right but from my experience people tend to want rid of them fast and while their on the table their a priority target. Especially if you combine them with shrike and then rip apart their favourite/most valuable squad.

If that is what you're after, take termies. They live a little longer and cause more problems for the enemy.
Vanguard are beautiful when used as a rapid / first turn assault unit, they just cost a fair amount to field. If you think of it like, a 5man vanguard unit will pump out as many hits as a 10man assault unit, then their cost is justified, they'll just die as fast as a 5man assault unit, lol...

i tend to go with the vanguard over cc termies for three reasons firstly mobility, secondly i like using fluffy armies and since mines a young chapter i think that they wouldnt have that many termies and thirdly, i really like the models!!

if you play against tournament tuned army lists you will see, that there is no problem to kill 6 marines in the first turn and having enough firepower left to kill something different. against that armies you will see further, that they are able to block you all intersting first round charges and you end with one blown up rhino or a killed combat squad and in rapid fire range or assault range of the whole enemy army.

vanguard are a good choice, but they are a glass dagger and they should never be the only thing your opponent has to think about. i think they perform better without shrike as they will be a lot less a fire magnet with shrike in another squad.

~hagg

lucky for me then the guys i used to play with were fluffy players as well so games werent taken to seriouslt i think we spent longer trying come up with new missions than anything else! Never actually been to a tournament although i really should just to give it a try.

haha well everyone has their own reason for playing 40k, some are fluff-seekers, others just want to trim the game down to mathematics and probability! Most people are somewhere in the spectrum between. If comming up with new missions works for you, then dont drop it because we said vanguard are tough to use in a tournament setting. Everybody should play in at least one though, your first one (if its a competitive tourney, not some fluff based thing with wierd unit restrictions or w.e) is always an eye opener to a new aspect of the game.