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What would some good IG army options/lists for a new player to 40k?

One of the best things is to simply browse the army lists for IG lists. Read the discussions about why to take certain units. There are a few threads talking about which tanks to take as well. There's a lot of stuff already here if you just look for it.

You can also find lot of info in the tactica articles: http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/Category:Imperial_Guard_Tactica

or look through the codex and choose the coolest models. Worked for me... sort of.

(I'm looking at you, armoured sentinels)

Hey! Armoured sentinels rock for me! ( You can never have enough plasma cannons!)

Browsing for 'net lists' on the army list thread is pretty much the last thing I'd recommend for a new Imperial Guard player.

However, I do have some tips for you, it's kind of a generally 'efficient' army list suggestions.

For what it's worth, pretend there's a 'generally speaking' in front of all these tips.

1) The autocannon tends to be the most efficient heavy weapon for Imperial Guard Infantry Squads. It's got multiple shots to offset the mediocre ballistic skill, yet a high enough strength to cause damage to enemy units, particularly transports. By comparison, the heavy bolter is definitely sub par to it for the same points.

2) When fielding chimera hulled vehicles, one shot off a heavy flamer is probably going to do far more damage than a heavy bolter firing away over the course of a game.

3) The best advice I can give for Imperial Guard is to pick units for your army and your weapons for each squad with a single 'role' in mind. For example, with veterans (or special weapons teams, though vets are better) you should take 3 of the same special weapon in each squad.

4) Chimeras are very cheap and are very good ablative armour for your squads, and guys can shoot out of them!

5) Think about ballistic skills when choosing your weapons. For example, it's more 'efficient' to give flamers to a platoon command squad than it is to a veteran squad.

6) Priests really are incredibly awful.

7) Going back to the role thing. Only give upgrades if you're certain that a unit is going to need them. Even the 'cheap' ones. For example, that power sword on one random sergeant isn't going to do much or very little. Conversely, for the same points, you could get another flamer for a counter 'attack' squad.

8) 1 is bad, 2 is fine, 3 is best. Redundancy is key for Imperial Guard. This doesn't mean making the same unit again and again and again (aka spamming). But you should have a system of backups so that you don't need to rely on any one thing. For example, in my army, my Vendetta is my 'main' anti tank, but I then have a melta gun veteran squad in a chimera as a first backup and a manticore artillary launcher as a second.

Compel wrote:6) Priests really are incredibly awful.

I'm going to have to disagree with that statement; about the only disagreement with Compel's suggestions
I've had great results from my Priest with his trusty eviscerator. In one game he took out 3 marines and a Chaplain as well as improving the CC results of the rest of his squad. In another he helped the CCS become a powerhouse in close combat. Both games I feel the priest was more than worth his cost. Probably not my first choice for a list, but fun if you plan on getting a unit into combat he can come in useful.

Compel wrote:7) Going back to the role thing. Only give upgrades if you're certain that a unit is going to need them. Even the 'cheap' ones. For example, that power sword on one random sergeant isn't going to do much or very little. Conversely, for the same points, you could get another flamer for a counter 'attack' squad.

8) 1 is bad, 2 is fine, 3 is best. Redundancy is key for Imperial Guard. This doesn't mean making the same unit again and again and again (aka spamming). But you should have a system of backups so that you don't need to rely on any one thing. For example, in my army, my Vendetta is my 'main' anti tank, but I then have a melta gun veteran squad in a chimera as a first backup and a manticore artillary launcher as a second.

Definitely agree with this. More bodies and redundancy are worth far more than a series of upgrades. Initially I started with a couple of units of carapaced vets; they did well, but removing the armour and getting another squad was far more effective.

Scout sentinels can be good for sneaking some weaponry behind the enemy for a shot or two at rear armour, or attacking artillery.

And of course. Chimera wherever possible.

As far as lists go, there are three common options: infantry horde, mechanized (chimeras) and air cavalry (vendettas). And then, of course, variations and flavors.

If there is one thing I could emphasize above all else with the guard it's that you have the option to take so many units for so cheap that there is no excuse for failing to specialize your squads. Only take weapons which are actually effective against the targets you want them to engage, and let some other unit be good against the things which the first unit isn't good against. As such, it's best to start by forgetting that the guard even has the option to take autocannons, missile launchers, or grenade launchers. Take only effective guns in your list, and make it your priority to make sure that they get there on the field.

it's not to say that you can't make use of units that aren't particularly effective against any given target, but you're going to lose a lot of games right away if you start with this as the nucleus of your list-building strategy.

Oh, and no unit sucks, it's just they have more or less specific roles, and are more or less difficult to use. It's easy to dismiss priests as specialized and difficult to use, but it's really hard to dismiss them when a 65 point unit tears a land raider to shreds all by itself.

Personally I think I might just attach a priest to a 50 man combined-unit guardsmen squad. Wound soak? Yes please. Plus, that fury of piddly guardsmen get to reroll hits.