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A recent game has had me curious as to what the best method of deployment is using IG.  I ran into the problem of squads constantly consolidatiing into cc, with an assault squad eating thru 70% of my force.  So I ask you, what would be the best method of deployment?

I have two ideas that I would like to purpose; the first being assault tie ups, and the second being 2nd turn assault denial.  Please feel free to comment, or present your own ideas on this subject.  I am not too sure what would work, and I'm looking for advice to help.  I'd like to attend the tournament at Games Day Atlanta this year, but if I can't keep assaulters out of my gun lines, I won't be making the trip.

Assault tie ups - This method of recieving an assault employs a line of cheap, expendible squads at the limit of your deployment zone.  Considering a standard table is 48" deep, a SM assault squad that deployed at the limit of it's 12" deployment could conceiviably have second turn assault thru 2 12" movement phases, and a 6 inch assault, placing them 6" into your deployment zone.  The way to counter this is to deploy units such as heavybolter/flamer line squads that would serve as a buffer to the oncoming attack.    The second line of squads, your important las/plas infantry squads will be 5" behind, preventing the costly consolidation of H2H oppenents into your lines.  Behind these squads would be your counter assault squads such as Flamer HQs, RR, and melta/plasma vets.  At the end of combat, the guard squad would most likely be defeated, or fall back due to failed leadership, and then the assault squad would be unable to consolidate into another squad, leaving them sitting ducks for any return fire.  In your turn, counter charge jumps forward, back line squads rapid fire, and the threat is hopefully eliminated.

There are however, foreseeable problems in this strategy.  Because it relies on losing combat and falling back, not doing this would create a situation where you would most likely be defeated in your turn, and then the opponent would have his full 18" movement and assault.  You could not run away fast enough, and would be forced to do one  of two things:

1) Mass counter assault, throwing everything into the mix, or

2) counter with only one squad, hoping to tie assault squad up to avoid it gaining benefit of additional attacks, furious charge, etc...

My second idea,  2nd Turn Assault Denial consists of  deploying everything in the army 5" from the table edge, or deploying some forward units, but before turn two, marching them back behind the magic line.  This will prevent your opponent from assaulting with 2 full 12" moves, but would put your army in a very difficult situation if the assaulter  partially moves in one of his first two turns to avoid rapid fire, only to assault in the third turn with the majority of your force stuck, an inevitable victim of consolidation.

I feel that the first strategy would work the best, and look forward to play testing this weekend.  Would it work, or are there better ideas that you employ?

I think that the initial deployment for IG is more important for you to make sure that all your fire lanes are open. This is especially the case if you happen to take a lot of vehicles.

As for handeling assaults, by their very nature, your opponent is the one that is going to dictate where and when that takes place. So the best laid out deployment will be easily thwarted by some monuvering on his part. It is best to deal with them as they arise as opposed to try and plan for them in the deployment phase.

I like the idea, but 5" may not be enough distance. Wiiping out the sacrificial unit with a sweeping advance (likely) give d6" consolidation to the assaulting unit. Best to stay about 7" back from your front line units.

It would be ideal to space your units 7" apart sideways as well, so that your opponent can't roll the line by flanking you. That doesn't give a lot of leeway for deploying large gunlines and/or keeping everyone in the LD bubble of your command squads though, so playing the odds and going about 5" is probably good enough.

Taking roughriders and/or allied Seraphim for counterassault is a good plan. The RRs can hide behind a tank, and they have a great threat range. The Seras just kick butt, as long as you take an eviscerator and use their Hit and Run.

I find full gunline IG to be boring to play though. I prefer a few las/plas squads as the gunline, and lots of drop troop goodness.

This article was written for 3rd edition, but still has some good advice relevant to your ideas:

http://www.warmongerclub.com/articles/ig2.html

Check out especially the section on concentration/formations and the section on close combat.

As has been said, keeping your lines of fire overlapping is probably the best way to deal with assault troops.  If you deploy in a checkerboard pattern with your troops in base to base (unless he uses lots of blast templates) with 6+ inches of space between squads he will be hard pressed to consolidate effectively through your army and will hopefully find himself staring at a lot of guns.

Close order drill is good because it gives the squad a leadership boost and means that they will have a shot to kill I4 assault troops.  I like to use Flamer/HB squads as my forward sacrifice units because they are cheaper and can sometimes even get a pre-emptive strike against slower assault squads.  I use my plasma/ML troops as line squads and Lascannons in Anti-tank.  Another useful trick for lining up your troops is to have your heavy weapons squads function as light infantry.  That way they can deploy in the best positions to kill assaulters on their way in.