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So I've finally gotten around to writing up a list for my long-planned IG Armored Cav regiment, and I need your critiques.

Now, before I post anything, please understand that this may not be the most competitive list, and it's not meant to be a tournament list, but if anything here is illegal or could be streamlined a bit, that's what I'm looking for. And as a side note, I didn't take any Valkyries of Vendettas because I don't like the models. Poor reason to avoid a unit? Probably. But there it is.

It's also worth mentioning that I'm going into this one cold. I've faced IG before, but usually footslogging infantry, usually not mech builds, and I have zero practical experience playing IG. So forgive any noobishness, please.

Anyway, here it is!

1497 Points

HQ

Company Command Squad 167
4 Plasma Guns, Boltgun
Chimera w/ Heavy Flamer

TROOPS

Veteran Squad 155
3 Meltaguns
Chimera

Veteran Squad 155
3 Meltaguns
Chimera

ELITES

Guardsman Marbo 65

FAST ATTACK

Hellhound Squadron 130
1 Hellhound
Heavy Flamer

Hellhound Squadron 130
1 Hellhound
Heavy Flamer

Hellhound Squadron 130
1 Hellhound
Heavy Flamer

HEAVY SUPPORT

Leman Russ Squadron 180
1 Leman Russ Demolisher
Lascannon

Leman Russ Squadron 180
1 Leman Russ Demolisher
Lascannon

Leman Russ Squadron 205
1 Leman Russ Battle Tank
Sponson Plasma Cannons
Lascannon

Your HQ's illegal. The squad only has four vets and a vet with a special weapon can't carry a vox.

Two ten-man troops units. That's highly unusual in the Guard.

I don't think highly of Vanquishers.
Likewise the lascannon sentinels.
Why does the Demolisher have three heavy flamers when you will hardly ever get the chance to fire more than one?

Needs more men in tiny aluminum transport. Seriously, you're gonna need like 2 more squads of Vets in chimeras if you want this list to do well. Downgrade those sentinels to having ACs and yes your HQ is illegal currently. I would drop the 2 Vanquishers and add 1 Demolisher in its place. Take off the Flamer Sponsons and give them both hull LCs. With the extra points you should be able to field 1 or 2 more squads of Vets in chimeras. What type of armies do you usually face btw? That will also determine how well your list will do in game.

I'm gonna go ahead and toss out the "more vets in Chimeras"

I'm going to have to see how this list does in an objective-based game with only two Troops choices before I do that.

But the idea is "Armored Cavalry," not "Mechanized Infantry." Themed and less than competitive? Yes. But I feel like it'd be more fun to play than Mech Infantry. That's all.

As for the other ideas, I fixed the HQ, removed the Vanquishers. Removed the flamer sponsons, because you're right, they'd never get the chance to be fired. Changed one to a Battle Tank, the other to a Demolisher.

I'm a little leery about the Demolisher's 24" range, though... what about a Battle Tank instead? Or two Battle Tanks? They're a bit cheaper than the Demolisher, and despite their ability to kill Terminators and the like, they'll still do some serious damage and from a much greater range.

After these changes, I had 30 points to blow, so I gave both Hellhounds Multi-Meltas, which is not entirely in keeping with their anti-infantry role, yes, but possibly makes them a bit more versatile? Let me know if this was a bad idea.

Anyway, suggestions applied, with the exception of "more troops," which, like I said, I kind of want to avoid for reasons that have nothing to do with being competitive. Besides that, how's it look now?

Hmm, well seeing now that's what you're going to be going for and the large amount of heavy armor you have, you might be able to pull this off. I wonder though if you should just replace that sentinel squadron with another Hellhound with multimelta and use the saved points to put some heavy bolter or multi-melta sponsons on the the Leman Russ or Demolisher respectively. I mean the Hellhound is more heavily armored and due to 5th edition vehicle squad rules those sentinels could go down quickly before they do anything. Then again you could also add another Leman russ in with your other one adding to your long range fire power. Sure due to squad rules immobilized is destroyed, but on a more heavily armored chassis you might be able to get away with it.

That's not a bad idea, I was considering something similar. I like Sentinels, but never having used them I don't know how effective they are - if you think a third Hellhound would be a better bet, I can try that.

What about Heavy Bolter sponsons on the Demolishers? If I add Heavy Bolters to one tank, I'll have exactly 20 points left, might as well add Heavy Bolters to another, and for the sake of homogeneity, the Demolishers are probably the best bet. Also because HBs have a range of 36"... would they even get to fire if they were on the Battle Tank?

Granted every time the Demolishers move they'd do nothing.

Hm.

What about Plasma Cannon sponsons on the Battle Tank? 36" range, and that'd use all 40 points I have left? It is the most likely of those tanks to remain stationary.

so this list is fine, but it's a bit back-heavy. You've got a lot of high-damage tanks, but you're taking a big risk by only taking 20 T3 models to capture all objectives on an objective game.

Oh yeah, there's no question I'd be at something of a disadvantage, running two scoring units, in 2/3 of the games I play. I'm willing to take that risk. And I'm okay with losing if I have fun doing it.

And if I'm really worried about losing, I'll run my Tau instead.

Personally I would take a plasma squad. The platoon command is a great spot as you can put 3 plasma guns and a plasma pistol with a medic giving feel no pain. You have 3 hellhounds so leave the flaming up to them.

The 3 hellhouds never seemed worth it to me. To each his own though. Have you considered replacing a hellhound with a banewolf? You get to move 12" and fire off the main cannon as well as the heavy flamer you would outfit it with. Double the burn on a 12" move.

You last russ seems out of place. You have a long range template throwing double toughness shots followed by sponsons thoughing less then double toughness. Also the mixed and matched Ap gives your opponet further help allocating wounds.

Hm, okay.

So possibly two Hellhounds and one Banewolf - I've gone up against a Banewolf before, they're a royal pain in the ass, even to MEqs, I could do that.

As for the plasma squad idea, I'm going to have to sit down tomorrow and play around with points values, that'll raise the cost of my command squad somewhat, but you're right, it's not a bad idea.

What would you replace the last Russ with? I want to steer clear of a third Demolisher, I want more range than that if possible. We ruled out the Vanquisher early on, and the Punisher seems to be less than worth it to me (no AP value, I don't want 20 shots bouncing off a unit of Crons just to have them laugh, turn around, and glance the crap out of it). Executioner is a bit too expensive unless I really start moving points around (which I can do - nix a Hellhound in favor of Plasma CCS and Executioner, perhaps?)... or I could just stick with the Battle Tank with different sponsons - HBs, for example, which would free up a few points.

What exactly is the problem with the Vanquisher? It's a bit specialized, but it seems to be a pretty solid anti-vehicle platform... Vanquisher with hull Lascannon and nothing else could dish out some serious hurt at a good distance, why'd we rule that one out?

You rule out Vanquisher because at BS3 you're gonna hit things 50% of the time and once all the armor on the field is gone it really has nothing to do. It's simply too specialized and that's its problem the way I see it. If you really want to take one take it with Pask. It has a higher chance of hitting and is essentially AP1. I think you should put Plasma sponsons on the Basic LRBT because with a long range gun, you're probably going to be keeping it stationary so why not add sponsons that compliment that at destroying MEQ. Sure at 48in they are shorter range than the turret, but 48in is usually enough.

Plasma Cannons have a 36" range, not 48".

Indeed they do. My bad, but even so imo a good sponson to throw on a basic Leman Russ.

bane wold and vanquisher are two if the worst vehicles in the guard arsenal. for the vanq, just do the math to see why it's awful. For the banewolf, remember that we're talking about a rear-av-10 vehicle with a 7" range on a template that can't pivot. Just exactly when do you think you will EVER use this vehicle to full effect. Over the course of many games, hellhounds will do much more damage to marines, as, unlike the banewolf, they will actually get to shoot at marines.

I've definitely seen that in action going up against a Banewolf. My opponent tried to kill one of my Meltavet squads with the thing, but he got too close and couldn't get everyone under the template. I lost 7 models from the squad, but passed my leadership test. The surviving meltagunnrers then slagged the tank on my next shooting phase!

No Bane Wolf it is then. No points gained or lost there.

And yes, I can see why the Vanquisher is less than useful, I'll avoid them.

What do we think of swapping one Hellhound and the LRBT for plasma for the CCS and an Executioner?

I'd actually swap out the hull multimeltas on the hellhounds (which you're not going to shoot as often as you think, and aren't going to do as much damage with as you hope) to take 4x plasma in the command squad and leave the russ as-is.

Swap out the MMs for what, HBs?

I can do that.

or anything free.

Personally, I'd take the heavy flamer. That way, if your anti-infantry flame tank loses it's main gun, what's left is still an anti-infantry flame tank.

That made me chuckle, but it's a good point. Hellhounds with HFs it is.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Alright, made the appropriate changes.

Gave the Commander a boltgun, since I'm 5 points shy of affording a plasma pistol.

So there it is.

OK you had a go at me in ur necron list so ill try and be more constructive.

You only have 2 troop choices which can be quite quite bad in objective games so i would reccomend getting some more troops to hold more objectives. Guardsmen marbo is really good in objective games for clearing out enemys near there home objective although i would take him out in anhilation games as he is a very easy kill point for the enemy.

Perhaps consider changing your hellhounds for bane wolfs as they are very good against all infantry and can move 12" and fire its chem cannon and heavy flamer where as a hellhound can move 12" and only fire the main gun or heavy flamer.

Actually, we've been over why I have so few Troops, and I said I'd add more if they really did poorly in an objective-based game. But yes, that's a sound suggestion.

As for the Bane Wolf, we've also discussed it, but this news regarding the Hellhound only firing one weapon and moving is new to me - I thought the Hellhound was a fast vehicle? Is it not?

yes the hellhound is a fast vehicle but the inferno cannon isnt a defensive weapon like the chem cannon so when it moves twelve inches it can fire the heavy flamer or the inferno cannon not both where as the bane wolf can fire both.

That makes sense. I wasn't aware the chem cannon was classified as a defensive weapon ... but I also don't have my codex in front of me.

Thats an intrusting list. looks like it would be fun to use. I do think that 2 troops choices isnt the best choise but other than that it looks good to me.

OMIGAWD I KNOW.

I am SO AWARE that I only have 2 troops choices! GAH!

We've said that like 500000000000000 times and I've said 5005056056945096456 times this is a themed list!

YOU ONLY HAVE 2 TROOPS!!!