Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

I'm considering trying this out;

2 Infantry Platoons w/5 squads, no heavy weps & a mix of meltas, grenade launchers, & flamethrowers. Command squads kitted out for assault.

HW Platoon with Mortars & the Command Squad with grenade launchers, maybe a power sword. They protect the mortar teams.

Support units, a Demolisher and maybe Ogryn or Roughriders.

Doctrines; DH, ID & Light Infantry.

What say ye? Can Guard work with only mortars for heavies and 100+ grunts?

I dunno, but I have been toying with similar ideas myself. I've got about 15 of the things, and I think that I shall have to field such a list at some point just to see how it does.

grizgrin wrote:I dunno, but I have been toying with similar ideas myself. I've got about 15 of the things, and I think that I shall have to field such a list at some point just to see how it does.

That's pretty much where I'm at. I'm fielding two mortar squads now as support units in my HQ & they're a lot of fun. What's really got me thinking is what to do with the ~500 points left over, and what doctrines to use.

The Demolisher is a must, but beyond that..

Used 2x3 mortars in 'Ardboyz and loved them. I think they can be the staple anti-troop heavy in the army. That being said, I think you'll still need a handfull of heavy bolters or autocannons in there. The mortars have very difficult times finishing off squads. They pound on 10 man squads, but bounce off 3 man squads.

To the OP: I think all of the support units you listed would be bad ideas for the army you propose. A lone Demolisher is probably just going to get beat on. Ogryns will take the wrath of all the anti-tank that doesn't have anything else to shoot at. Rough riders would be a good choice if you honestly think you'll be able to hide them on the sorts of boards you play on. TLOS can make that tough since they're so high up.

It can be pricey, but I'll suggest Chameoline for a doctrine. If all you've got is infantry, might as well make them frustrating as hell to get rid of. Anti-tank weapons become wastes of points against you, and anti troop weapons are mediocre at best. If you consider this route, watch out for the new Marine stuff that ignores cover.

Would suggest the Camo cloaks and take a Leman instead of a Demolisher. Mass amounts of cover saves and the Leman can stand the fire thats going to be thrown at it as long as its only in the front.

Ran this through army builder and with all the doctrines, it's 2000 points with just the 2 platoons, HW platoon and HQ. !!

I love my treads too much to run this list regularly but I'm thinking about giving it a try in an upcoming Apoc game. Throw in some treads and some IA artillery, should be fun.

Mortars, got some nwever got good use from them.

Heavy mortars. Now that is something else entirely, sadly not tournament ready.

If you want to stop an ork army dead try two or three elites choices of heavy mortar batteries. 6-9 pie plates that kill orks on 2+ is a slate wiper. They dont cost a lot either.

3 S4 AP6 small blasts that go 48", don't need LOS, and ignore intervening cover? Eats orks for breakfast. They're not terrible for slapping marines in area terrain either, particularly for forcing pins. What's even better, as a squad with multiple barrage weapons, if the first one hits anything, the others all land around the first (read the 'multiple barrages' section). Oh, btw, they're only 80 pts. Oh btw again, they're pinning. Just bury these schmoes in the middle of all your other gunline guardsmen, and let them pop pop pop those orkies.

Hide a bassie behind some ruins full of your lascannon infantry platoons with a mortar squad, not a bad way to spend 200 points. who says IG can't throw artillery around? If you don't believe me, watch what happens when you knock open a rhino with las- or auto-cannons, then drop an Earthshaker on the tactical marines hiding behind it's smoking wreckage or just blow the rhino sky high with the basilisk, then plasma the poor suckers who pile out. This is the IG gunline, you've got more firepower than you can shake a stick at!

The Defenestrator wrote:3 S4 AP6 small blasts that go 48", don't need LOS, and ignore intervening cover? Eats orks for breakfast.

Ok, time for a mortar pissing contest.

You have three S4 Ap6 small blasts range 48" indirect fire. For 90pts
I have two S6 Ap4 large blasts indirect fire for 100pts.

I cannot confirm range at the moment as this is from memory but it is comperable to a mortars, both can hit the same targets from the same position and cost about the same, other than that heavy mortars win hands down.

I would pay 150pts for a battery of three mortars anytime, buying forgeworld models is the delimiter.

I'm gonna go out on a limb and assume this is IA material. I've never been a big fan, myself. I'm not even sure it's tourney legal. Besides, it all just feels so tacked on, like they decided to introduce new units via a website FAQ. Not to look down on Forgeworld in any way, kudos to them for not just making models and saying "OMG BUY THESE", I just don't feel like a new unit can be considered unless it was produced as part of the original codex, instead of something extraneous.

Until GW fixes (or attempts to) the IG codex for 5e, I'd rather just use the tools I already have in the IG toolbox.

Your right, can't use Heavy Mortars anyways so they should be taken out of the arguement, however if they were added they would most likely be 150 points for two Mortars.

Oh yah and Heavy Mortar, meet my Thunderfire Cannon.

Hey Nyarl, have you put that list to work yet? I'm a long ways away form a game table, it'll be a while before I can try to throw together some mortar action.