500pt Army Variations for the models I own

When I first started off collecting Warhammer (which is still pretty recent) I just purchased a couple of different squads to glue and paint so bought a terminator squad and a space marine unit or two (the ones I'm painting in the previous posts).  

It was only later that I decided to get into the actual game and not just the model side I had to pause.
Looking through the rules of terminator squads I could not for the life of me figure out a way to have a squad member equipped with both a power fist and lightening claw,  or for that matter nether the terminator squad or the terminator assault squad would not legally allow a storm bolter/ power sword combination.

This had effectively cut out 2 of my terminator squad members from my army,  then I remembered that some of the HQ selections allow for me to upgrade them with terminator armor.
As I turned the pages I was hoping that the 2 now seemingly doomed for decommission squad members could find a home in some other way.

SUCCESS !!!
The Space Marine Chapter Master & Space Marine Captain and Librarian HQ's allow for my variety of upgrades so all was not lost and these guys could actually form the bases of a smaller 500pt army for small skirmish games.  
Here are the variations that I can actualy use these 2 characters.  


Space Marine Captain 1
+ Terminator Armour
+ Storm Bolter
+ Power Sword
140
Space Marine Captain 2
+ Terminator Armour
+  Power Fist
+  Lightning Claw
115
Space Marine Chapter Master 1
+ Terminator Armour
+ Storm Bolter
+ Power Sword
165
Space Marine Chapter Master 2
+ Terminator Armour
+  Power Fist
+  Lightning Claw
140

Space Marine Terminator Librarian
+ Terminator Armour
+ Storm Bolter

130

This was both a relief and exciting as I had found 5 different variations to use 2 characters in,  now for the purpose of this post I will only be using them for a 500pt army variation as I still don't really have a huge amount to my army but I'm sure they will be something I think about using in larger games when my collection grows.

I have so far managed to create three 500 point variations for my army so far as follows.

Please note the army in these pictures are eBay bought and due a wash as most have not been painted and are purely being used for illustration purposes. 

Variation 1

Razorback is not present in picture as it is in the post

Space Marine Librarian

+ Terminator Armour

+ Storm Bolter

130

Tactical Squad x(10)

+ melta bombs

175

Sternguard Veteran Squad

+ Dual Lightening Claws

155

Razorback

40

= 500pts

In this variation the army is kept very small and I would most likely be running them close together and not splitting up very much but there may be chance for the stern-guard Squad to hold an enemy up while I got the tactical squad into a safe firing position using the razorback as stating covering fire and extraction if the unit falls below 7 models or to setup the flank with the stern-guard squad.
I chose the razorback over a rhino as for a small skirmish I don't really plan on using it as a transport unless to get out of a sticky situation and and it comes readily equipped with twin linked heavy bolters rather than the rhinos 1x storm bolter.

Variation 2

Rhino is not present in picture as it is in the post

Space Marine Captain

+Terminator Armour

+ Power Fist

+ Lightning Claw

115

Tactical Squad x (10)

170

Tactical Squad x (10)

170

Rhino

+ Hunter Killer Missile

45

= 500pts

This to me is a more objective based army using the Rhino to take a squad to the objective quickly and safely while the other squad follows soon after with the captain leaving the captain with the capturing unit to pack a punch in close combat.  Not really much else to say about this one.

Variation 3

Razorback is not present in picture as it is in the post
Space Marine Captain

+Terminator Armour

+ Power Fist

+ Lightning Claw

115

Tactical Squad x (10)

170

Tactical Squad x (10)

+  Melta Bombs

175

Razorback

40

= 500pts

This is allot like the previous iteration but with the subtle difference of adding melta bombs to the second tactical squad and using a Razorback rather than a Rhino.
This is more for annihilation games than capturing the objective taking advantage of the heavy bolters from the razorback for covering fire and using the second tactical squad to dish out some pain with there free missile launcher and melta bombs. 

From these 3 variations I see another strategy forming too though a little more risky and offers up more points to the enemy if it fails.

In variations 2 + 3 as both tactical squads are equipped with a single missile launcher and flamethrower each I may try using combat squads.

I'm sure many of you know that is when you take a 10 man unit and split it into 2 units of 5 creating a total of 4 separate units.

If I was to do this at the start of turn 1 I could effectively swap over the my units position to have 2 separate entities for close combat and mid to long range combat.

Lines around image show legal unit cohesion. 

As you can see in the picture arranging the, now 4 units I have created 2 lines of attack/ defense.  with the units in cohesion red and yellow now share 2 long range missile launchers while blue and green share 2 flame launchers and 2 Sargent's with chain swords to get up close and personal :)
This also leaves it very open to how I could use the razorback as it gives each unit the possibility to fit into it.

These last 2 options (especially variation 3) are definitely something I will be considering for the smaller games and something that I might incorporate in to bigger games at a later date.

anyway, hope you guys enjoyed this and it was easy to understand

bye

Dan