In this second part of the HQ’s I’m going to begin with the reliable and well loved Company Command Squad (CCS from now on).
I’m a big fan of this as my HQ choices and this was the same with the blob guard. One of the main reasons being the upgrade characters like Straken (Already Discussed) and Creed who can totally alter the unit’s role and abilities. Add to that the guys in the squad are BS 4 and you are really able to add in reliable shooting for the army.
In my case I had to lessen the points spent on them due to costs elsewhere, but still managed to get the regimental standard (A real bonus I’m finding to have close to the blobs to use it over commissars) which I’d recommend along with some meltas for anti tank and anti terminator. Although the choice of plasmas and the likes make them very versatile, but I’d leave the flamers out of the options due to the higher BS, and sure if you want flamers take them on the PCS’s but in a blob army with about 100+ guys you won’t find much lack in anti infantry fire power when you order a few of the blobs to FRFSRF, so I like to cater the squads to anti tank and support.
As mentioned already in Straken’s entry the medic could find a place if you wanted to take plasma or make a HTH command squad, but without upgrading to straken I found this a little lacklustre. Instead I saw the squad as more of a sit back with camo cloaks and support with orders unit adding some anti tank In case needed.
Most of the other non weapon upgrades aren’t point viable IMO, but that doesn’t mean they won’t have their uses to fit play styles, carapace armour is expensive for what it offers, krak nades are pretty but how often needed, and vox casters aren’t as needed if you have commissars leading the unit.
As for taking heavy weapons, I’d suggest maybe including one if you wanted the squad to sit back and fight, and of course after my heavy weapons article I’d be suggesting the Lascannon as with BS4 you could get a good shot which ruins something big in the enemy’s lines as well as giving you another separate shooting heavy weapon for picking targets.
Regarding the advisors... I’m taking the Astropath purely because of the outflanking blob, as I need the extra security that they will come on earlier and also for getting me the correct flank for arrival.
The master of the fleet isn’t going to be needed as much as enemies will most likely not reserve against you and the limited targets you can shoot your anti tank at, so can be left at home.
Master of ordinance I’ve never been fond of, but he may work in the sit back and shoot CCS, but the points could be spent better elsewhere I think.
Bodyguards may be included, purely to give the squad some extra wounds and to keep the Company Commander alive to keep issuing orders which is his main role in the army. Especially since the Blob armies benefit much more than mech guard armies in regards to orders.
This nicely brings me on to Creed, who makes the CCS even better for sit back and support purposes... with his increased order range and 4 orders per turn you can really put out some hurt with BID (Bring it Down) and other orders while keeping him at the back hidden.
I feel he would use the same sort of load out on the CC as mentioned above, but he himself is more of a if you have the points passive efficiency buff. The problem is the points, and while he is slightly cheaper than Straken you are still adding points to a squad who are primarily a hide and support squad, so you really have to decide if the extra points invested are worth it for his order range and 4 orders per turn. Personally in a shooty gun line guard blob army I think they are and he could be paired nicely with a Lord Commissar in one of the blobs giving them stealth and giving 1-2 of the squads his leadership allowing Creed’s orders a better chance to work, or Kell for his extra PF attacks in a blob and the ability to use Creed’s leadership for tests.
His other special rule, the out flank a unit one is very handy to have if you want a second outflanking blob! Imagine not one but 2 blobs arriving on the flank you want (Using Astropath).
sadly though his order is a bit of a liability in making the squads fearless which while the furious charge aspect is handy, the fearless may end up killing them too quickly over turns.
The final HQ choice is Yarrick who is similar to the Lord Commissar with his leadership aura, but also adds a 12inch stubborn aura! This could be very handy if you intend to keep the blobs close to each other and wanted to save points on not buying commissars, a risk yes but also an option to save points.
His ability to come back helps slightly but should not be relied upon, and while his PF will help in combat it may not get to swing if he gets focused on, but at least with eternal warrior you can oak some instant death wounds on him instead of other models if you really need, or have him charged in base to base by a model who with power fits or the likes, so it is some security but again only to a certain level.
The points for him though leave something to be desired especially when compared to CCS and other HQ choices which benefit the army a lot more, but if added to a blob for more CC ability he could find a place in lists alongside a cheap CCS or straken command squad.
In conclusion, I’ve personally found Straken or Creed the best of the buys depending if you want a better close combat efficient army, or a much more reliable long range shooty army, and if points are tight go for a CCS or lord commissar, and the load outs of the squads built to suit the role intended, but kept lean and not too costly. Those points are needed for extra bodies.
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