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As SM's use Thunderhawks, Drop Pods, etc. to make planetfall, what means do IG units use to get planet-side during an assault?

Parachutes

Arvus Lighter
Aquila Lander
Valks?

The Imperial Guard employ a variety of heavy transports and shuttles to land troops, often hundreds or thousands of soldiers and vehicles at a time. Due to the large size and ponderous nature of both the landers and the armies within, the Imperial Guard has a great deal of difficulty rapidly transferring soldiers into a combat zone. Usually, they need to find a large, isolated zone as a rallying point to allow the massive armies to organize. When such areas are not available due to the terrain or widespread enemy activity, grav-chute infantry usually precede the attack to clear away space for the heavier units following them. Because they require a great deal of time to deploy from these landers, the Imperial Guard themselves rarely drop directly into combat, preferring to set up as far away from the enemy as possible before moving in over land or sea to attack.

Yep, Sketchbook's really hit the nail on the head. In the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, they pretty frequently discuss the Ghosts being transported in these mass landers, although the books do also talk about them being transported in drop ships - they sound similar to Valkyries, but larger - carrying up to 3-4 squads. I think of them size-wise as similar to a Chinook helicopter.

I'd imagine if the guard need to execute a rapid insertion strike force kind of mission then they use stormtroopers in valkyries.

There is mention in the Apocalypse book of an entire IG regiment being lost when the giant transport was downed by Tau Barracudas, so they use some big boats.

For a really awesome description of what smaller scale deepstriking might be like, read Heinlein's "Starship Troopers." There is a description of a planet strike which gives a very neat idea of what deep-striking might be like.

*grumble grumble* Space marines are Heinlein's Colonial Marines, not IG. Contrary to the vile motion picture, they wear heavy armor that is powered and enhances their abilities (and has essentially the Marine jump packs), not flak jackets.
Nothing personal, just the movie pisses me off so much it is criminal. So far from the book, I am surprised they didn't get sued for libel or something.

what?? you DONT like the movie?? with the incredibly cheezy as hell bad acting?

and the corny lines?
"come on marines, you wanna live forever?"
"its a good day to die"
complete crap but the films hilarious. and the bugs are way cooler than the ones i imgined when i read the book.
still 2nd film is bs

There's a 40k film?

Xav, that's not what they're talking about, but yes. There's a 40k short film called Inquisitor or some such. It's corny as hell, and the special effects are bad, but it's fun and it wasn't meant to be a serious project. It's very hard to find nowadays as it was never released on DVD/video AFAIK, and I only managed to find it after wading through 4chan and various torrents for days on end.

ghosty wrote:what?? you DONT like the movie?? with the incredibly cheezy as hell bad acting?

and the corny lines?
"come on marines, you wanna live forever?"
"its a good day to die"
complete crap but the films hilarious. and the bugs are way cooler than the ones i imgined when i read the book.
still 2nd film is bs

The movie's a deliberate piss-take of the book. The book has a strong right-wing connection through Heinlein, and the film kinda parodies that. I agree it would have been better with powered armour, but they couldn't afford it, apparently...

Well if you consider that the book was written '59 right after commies got the next big bad guy.....its actually pretty middle for the US i guess.

Viewed from a nowaday point of view, its totally right wing though ^^.

But MI from the book would take a piss on Space Marines and then go for laugh while mopping up an IG regiment.

Imagine Space Marines with Jet packs Twin-linked flamers, auxiliary grenade launchers and missile launchers, and demo charges for standard, with an upgrade to nuclear payloads.

Anything less than a chapter master can go home ^^.