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I am a new Imperial Guard commander, and well, new to the 40k world. I haven't bought much but plan to buy a lot, from Baneblades to Mauraders. However, I do not want to buy something and then have it unusable or something I hate using. So, I have compiled a 2500 points list that I might buy. However, it may be a mistake tailoring a list to such a big game if I haven't even played one. I have thought of this but I am going to submit a smaller one for... criticism (Read: Telling me I am doing it wrong.)

The current list is my "Goal List" so to speak. The one I am collecting for. I am a tread head. I loves me the smell of burning Promethium in the morning. If it can be taken out, it can be taken out with a Battle Cannon. It's why I chose IG. I think it's overloaded with Troops with too many upgrades, but I may be wrong . So, for the love of the God-Emperor, tell me what's wrong with my list and what I can do to improve. Don't be afraid to be mean, just give it to me straight. I have... already made some purchases, and I marked them with an * thing. And, I look forward to posting here and being a part of the community.

93rd Cadian/ 711th Armored Combined Arms Task Force (2500 pts [It's actually 2507 pts..])


HQ:
Company Command Squad:
1 Company Commander
-Bolt pistol
-Power weapon
Vet w/ Plasma Gun
Vet team/ Lascannon
Astropath

Troops

Platoon Command Squad:
Platoon Commander
-Bolt Pistol
-Power fist
-Melta Bombs
Guardsmen w/ Platoon Standard
3x Guardsmen with Meltaguns
Chimera

Tank Bustin' Vet Squad:
Sarge
-Bolt pistol/ Power weapon
3 Vets with Meltas
Demo Upgrade
Rest has Shotguns
Chimera

Ranged Vet Squad:*
Sarge
3x Plasma Guns Vets
Everyone else has Lasgun
Chimera

Mixed Vet Squad:
Sarge
2 Plasma Guns Vets
1 Melta Vet
Vet Heavy Squad (Auto Cannons)
Chimera

Heavy Hitting Vet Squad:
Sarge
-Shotgun
2 Melta Vets
1 Plasma Gun Vet
Lascannon Team
Chimera

Heavy Support:
Leman Russ Squadron: x2
Leman Russ Battle tank
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons
Leman Russ Battle Tank
Leman Russ Battle Tank

Leman Russ Squadron:
Leman Russ Demolisher
Leman Russ Executioner
-Plasma cannon Sponsons
Leman Russ Exterminator *
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons

1st thing I would do is read the posting guidelines and edit your list. They don't want you posting individual point costs for units or upgrade choices. It's an intellectual property thing. Just assume that everyone here knows what something costs. If their advice is worth something, they probably do. I'll check your list and add more.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

TheCustomLime wrote:The current list is my "Goal List" so to speak. The one I am collecting for. I am a tread head. I loves me the smell of burning Promethium in the morning. If it can be taken out, it can be taken out with a Battle Cannon. It's why I chose IG. That type of army is often called 'Mech IG'. Keep an eye out for threads talking about mech IG or Hybrid IG for good advice

HQ:
Company Command Squad: (132 pts)
1 Company Commander (12 pts)
-Bolt pistol
-Power weapon I'm a fan of the Power fist on the Company Comander, but it's often one of the 1st things I cut if I need more points. In general, the CCS should avoid close combat
Vet w/ Plasma Gun (15 pts) x2 generally you are better off with 4x special weapons OR a heavy weapons team here, not a mix
Vet team/ Lascannon (20 pts)
Astropath (30 pts) This is a good solid choice, but its effectiveness will depend upon your metagame. Drop it if your opponents rarely reserve things.

Troops

Platoon Command Squad: (158)
Platoon Commander (23 pts)
-Bolt Pistol No
-Power fist No
-Melta Bombs Maybe
Guardsmen w/ Platoon Standard (15 pts) No
3x Guardsmen with Meltaguns (30 pts) 4x is better
Chimera Very good. Vets, CCS or PCS with 3-4 special weapons in a chimera is usually a solid choice for guard.Hull heavy flamer on the chimera for the most utility

Tank Bustin' Vet Squad: (177 pts)
Sarge (12 pts)
-Bolt pistol/ Power weapon No
3 Vets with Meltas (10 pts)
Demo Upgrade (30 pts) If you want to do a Vet squad with Demo, I recommend upgrading to Harker. He really helps get you in position to use the Demo toys.
Rest has Shotguns I find shotguns are only really helpful if I intend to get into close combat. I rarely intend to
Chimera

Ranged Vet Squad: (140 pts)* This number is not correct, check your math
Sarge
3x Plasma Guns Vets (15 pts)
Everyone else has Lasgun
Chimera

Mixed Vet Squad: (170 pts)
Sarge
2 Plasma Guns Vets (15 pts) In general, don't mix special weapons. Mix units. For example, one Vet squad with 3x meltas and 2 vet squads with 3x plasma is good
1 Melta Vet (10 pts)
Vet Heavy Squad (Auto Cannons) In general, only put heavy weapons teams in units you are planing on not moving
Chimera

Heavy Hitting Vet Squad: (170 pts)
Sarge
-Shotgun
2 Melta Vets (10 Pts)
1 Plasma Gun Vet (15 pts)
Lascannon Team (20 Pts)
Chimera

Heavy Support:
Leman Russ Squadron: (470 pts) x2
Leman Russ Battle tank (20 pts)
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons Tactically, Sponsons are almost always a bad idea. If you move, you can't shoot all your guns, so either your firepower or your mobility will be handicapped each turn. they also make the vehichle a juicy target that gets blown up with one bad roll and costs you a lot of points
Leman Russ Battle Tank
Leman Russ Battle Tank LRBTs are great marine killers

Leman Russ Squadron: (565 pts)
Leman Russ Demolisher
Leman Russ Executioner (40 pts) These two are good at killing terminators, keep if you face them often
-Plasma cannon Sponsons
Leman Russ Exterminator (20 pts)* Not so good, check out Hydras
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons

I think you might misunderstand what you are required to take and have the option of taking with an Infantry platoon. Re-read the codex entry on it. Briefly, you must take a PCS and 2 Infantry squads. Everything else is optional after the required choices.

You didn't include any Vendettas. They are ridiculously good for their points cost. Even better, you can add heavy bolter sponsons to them for 1/2 the cost of LRBTs, move them 6" and fire everything.

Hope this helps. Welcome to the guard.

Ah, thank you. The name is merely for... I don't know, fun, but I did intend for a mech guard. I was going to add vendettas but I wasn't sure if I should trade out some tanks for them. I have a follow up question. Should I invest in Knight commander pask? He seems to have a nice oomph. And... I sorta... already built the Exterminator. Ah, well, I think they sell turrets for Russes.

Take most of the comments you get here with a grain of salt or three. Most people will try and steer you towards what they think is best. Something can be 'not best' and still be fun, if that makes any sense.

Pask is not best.

The exterminator is not so good. It has about 1/2 the firepower of 2 hydras for the same cost. It is a lot more mobile and has much better armor. So not bad, just not best. (IMO)

edit: best advice I can give is look at ten or so mech guard threads and see what people tend to put in them. If something appears over and over, or in a certain configuration, there is probably a good reason.

I know. I'll pick up some Hydras. Lotsa Dakka, and you can never have enuff. My exterminator has been converted to a Battle tank. I think it looks better, more powerful. Thank you all for the advice, see you on the battlefields.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
My new List:

93rd Cadian/ 711th Armored Assault force (2500 points)
HQ:
Platoon Command Squad:
Platoon Commander
Guardsmen w/ Meltas x4
Chimera
Troops:
2x Plasma Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Plasmas:
Chimera

2x Meltas Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Meltas
Chimera

Heavy Support:
2x Leman Russ Tank Battle tank Squadron

1 Hydra Flak Battery:
3x Hydra Flak Tanks

1 Medusa Squadron (2 tanks)

Fast Attack:
2 Vendettas:
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons

Again, don't be afraid to be harsh

My only comments with regard to the new list is the squadrons of vehicles. It reduces overall effectiveness of the tanks if they are limited to firing at the same target. In addition, if any get immobilized they're destroyed (I may be wrong here, don't have my rulebook with me) In addition, putting heavy bolters on the vendetta's is wasting points, as you want them firing at tanks, which the HB's will doing nothing against. My advice would be to tone back the heavy support a little to make sure there is one tank per squadron (ignore this with hydra's), and add in another vet squad and some psykers. The leadership reduction ability that the psykers have is awesome, and for a full unit with a tank its only 165 points.

TheCustomLime wrote:
My new List:

93rd Cadian/ 711th Armored Assault force (2500 points)
HQ:
Platoon Command Squad: Remember, A CCS is an HQ choice. A PCS is a troops chpoice and part of an Infantry Platoon
Platoon Commander
Guardsmen w/ Meltas x4
Chimera
Troops:
2x Plasma Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Plasmas:
Chimera

2x Meltas Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Meltas
Chimera

Heavy Support:
2x Leman Russ Tank Battle tank Squadron

1 Hydra Flak Battery:
3x Hydra Flak Tanks

1 Medusa Squadron (2 tanks) I like medusas, I sometimes play 3 myself. Consider the Manticore also, especially vs orks and necrons.

Fast Attack:
2 Vendettas:
-Heavy Bolter Sponsons I agree with Orkboy about the squandering in general. In Heavy Support, you have already used all 3 slots, but you could break the Vendettas into 2 groups of one. I disagree about the Heavy Bolters, but I believe I am in the minority on that opinion. I suggest you try playing a few games with them and see if they are worth 20 points to you.

Thanks, orkyboy. I always thought Squadrons were the best thing to happen to the IG since sliced bread... ah, well, that's what I'm here for. To learn. I also looked over the other lists and noticed a lack of heavy weapons, like autocannons, in my lists. So, I gave my Plasma vets some.

93rd Cadian/ 711th Armored Assault force
HQ:
Company Command Squad
Company Commander
4 vets w/ Plasmas
Chimera

Elites:

Psyker Battle Squad:
4 Psykers
1 Overseer
Chimera

Troops:

2x Plasma Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Plasmas:
Chimera
1 Lascannon
1 Autocannon

2x Meltas Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Meltas
Chimera

1 Vet w/ Plasmas in Chimera
Sarge
3 vets w/ Plasmas
Autocannon
Chimera

Heavy Support:
3x Leman Russes
1x Demolisher

1 Hydra Flak Battery:
3x Hydra Flak Tanks

1 Medusa Battery: (2 tanks)

Fast Attack:
2 Vendettas:

TheCustomLime wrote:

Troops:

2x Plasma Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Plasmas:
Chimera
1 Lascannon
1 Autocannon



Heavy Support:
3x Leman Russes
1x Demolisher
:

Just a couple of quick things, you can only take 1 heavy weapon per vet squad period. Not 1 of each type. You can have an autocannon or a lascannon, but not both in the same squad. Did you mean to put one of them in another vet squad maybe and just put it there by accident?

Other thing is, in that Leman Russ Squadron, are you saying you have 3 normal LR's and a demolisher (because this would be against the rules, you can only have a max of 3 tanks, no matter what distribution of variants you have), or 2 normal ones and a demolisher? Either way that seems like an odd choice, being as the demolisher and the normal Russ are completely different tanks. Your Demolisher is a linebreaker and takes the fight to the enemy. Your normal russ wants to hang back and pound the enemy at long range. Combining the two in a single squadron would seem to follow the same problems as having a vet squad with 2 plasmas and 1 melta. 2 guys that want to fire at long range, and one guy that wants to get up close and wreck some face.

I did mean one plasma squad would get a Lascannon and another would get the autocannon. Yeah, I sorta misread the FOC (Wrote it late at night, shouldn't have done that). I think I'll drop the demolisher.. and probably rewrite my entire heavy support section too, as squadroning Russes seems to be a bad idea. Maybe I'll drop the medusas and keep two Leman Russ Battle tanks separate.

I found running Russes separately better than in squadrons, course I was running Exterminators not Battle Tanks. If you do plan to run squadrons than run the same type of Russ, else you're crippling it.

Here is another version of the list. I'm considering just dropping the Leman Russ Battle tank all together, since with the Vets and Hydras I have enough firepower and people will just knock it out early on anyway. But.. I really like Tanks. Sigh, maybe another time. Maybe with a Hybrid list. Anyway, it's about 2165 pts. Any suggestions on filling it out?
93rd Cadian/ 711th Armored Assault force (2500 points)
HQ:
Company Command Squad
Company Commander
4 vets w/ Plasmas
Astropath
Master of Ordance
Chimera

Elites:

Psyker Battle Squad:
4 Psykers
1 Overseer
Chimera

Troops:

1x Plasma Vets in Chimera:
3x Vets w/ Plasmas
Chimera
Lascannon

2x Plasma Vets in Chimera:
Sarge
3 Vets/ Plasmas
Chimera
Autocannon


3x Meltas Vets in Chimeras
Sarge
3x Vets w/ Meltas
Chimera

Heavy Support:
Leman Russ Battle tank

1 Hydra Flak Battery:
3x Hydra Flak Tanks

1 Medusa Battery
3x Medusas

Fast Attack:
3 Vendettas (Each on it's own)