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With the IG dex coming out I thought it would be fun to post some proposed rules for units I think would ad to the IG, in a historic, thematic and a mechanical way. Here are 2 ideas for additions to the IG dex I think would be great.

IMPERIAL GUARD ASSAULT PLATOON

In the countless days of Imperial Guard recruitment nearly every concievable recruitment effort has been made in the name of defending the Empire. While standard conscripts are human regulars pressed into Imperial service, history has also seen many other, often more desperate measures: the arming of civilians and children, impressment of the Clergy of the Adeptus Mechanicus or the Imperial Cult, outright slavery, Penal Legions, anexation of the Adeptus Arbites police forces by the IG command chain, the arming of feudal societys, and even the recruitment of heretical Abhuman Mutant Beastman squads. This entry represents such efforts, for a time when the resources do not exist for recruitng, training and equiping even the most basic IG conscripts.

TROOPS

IMPERIAL GUARD ASSAULT PLATOON:

An Imperial Guard assault platoon consists of a command section chosen from the IG HQ section and 2-5 assault sqauds. An assault squad is a unit of 10 Imperial Guard.

1 Command Section w/ Junior Officer (see codex IG)

2-5 Assault Squads 40 points

UNIT WS BS S T W I A LD SV PV
Imperial Guardsman 3 3 3 1 1 3 1 7 - - 4

Laspistol
Close Combat Weapon
Chem Inhaler
Raising of the Regiment* (Special Rule)

SQUAD UPGRADES:

Replace Laspistols: Replace Close Combat Weapons:
Bolt Pistols 10 points Combat Shields (5+ Inv) 30 points
Shotguns Free Laspistols (counts las pistols as twin linked + 2 CCWs) 10 points
Power Maul* 20 points

Replace both weapons with:
Combat Shield and Power Maul* 50 points
Stub Pistols or Slug throwers (Twin linked 12" S2 AP- pistols) Free
Frag and Krak Grenades Free

Upgrade the squad:
Combat Drugs (Fearless) 10 points
Mesh Armor, Flak Vests or Primitive Armor (6+ save) 5 points
Flak Armor (5+ save) 10 points
Beastmen* (+1 S, FNP) Free
Jump Packs 40
Horses (move as cavalry) 20

Raising of the Regimnet (Special Rule)
IG assault squads are force conscripted in the most dire circumstances many receiving only an Imperial blessing and a single firearm or pair of grenades moments before battle. Those that do get training are under the most brutal of time restrictions, there is no individuality in assault squads and all squads within a platoon must be identically equiped. All squads in an assault platoon must carry like equipment and the same upgrades. Squads in an Imperial Guard Assault Platoon are considered already dead by their Imperial Commanders and as such they are never worth Kill Pionts in missions that use them.

Beastmen (Special Rule)
Beastmen are considered heretical mutants in the imperium despite their various forms, some are indeed mutants, some are chaos tainted individuals, some are even mis identified aliens, it matters not, the Imperium will press any creature capable of fighting into service if the need is dire enough. Many assault squads formed of Beastmen are scheduled for eradication following their duties on the field, kept loyal with antidote injections for lethal poisons. Sometimes they are even killed on sight by the Adeptus Astartes, Adeptus Sorroritas, Inquisition, Deathwatch, Ministorum or Adeptus Assisnorum, who see them as abominations. Only desperate Imperial commanders would even consider such a heresy as the open recruitment and arming of Beastmen. It happens none the less. Any IG army that chooses to include Beastmen units may not also include allies from the Space Marine, Whitch Hunters or Daemon Hunters codices. Furthermore no Imperial IG Officer will ever join a beastman squad under any circumstances. In addition Beastman squads do not count as troops for the purpose of taking objectives and Beastman Assault Squads can never be included in an Imperial army in greater numbers than regular Imperial Guard Squads. Beastmen Imperial Guardsmen are + 1 strength and subject to the "feel no pain" special rule. Beastmen assault squads are not permitted to take any other upgrades beyond the basic equipment, as Imperial Commanders are loathe to permit them even that.

Power Maul (Special Rule)
Power Mauls are considered obsolete by the fighting men of the Adeptus Administratum and Astartes and far inferior to power weapons and power fists, they are however still in use in the Imperium with the Adeptus Arbites and various planetary authorities and are a common tool of imperial slavers as well. Power Mauls are shock discharge devices that cause burns, overload nerves and cripple electrical systems, originally designed as non lethal crowd control devices for use by the Adeptus Arbites they can be much more lethal when overloaded as they are in Assault Platoons. Power Mauls count as 1 handed close combat weapons that always wound on a 2+. Because of their heft and the incredibly dangerous nature, Power Mauls do not benefit from the extra attack normally granted to 1 handed weapons.

IMPERIAL GUARDS HEAVY INFANTRY PLATOON

Heavy Infantry Platoons are another Imperial Guard answer to the massed formations and heavy infantry of other races. They tend to carry more firepower than regular imperial stormtroopers and are ideally suited for slugging it out in such situations. They are called upon to participate in assaults on objectives where the dug in style of conventional heavy weapons is not practical some increased degree of firepower is necesary. They are also commonly seen in mechanized formations where their practicised vehicle mounted shock tactics are impressive.

HEAVY SUPPORT

IMPERIAL GUARDS HEAVY INFANTRY PLATOON:

An Imperial Guard Heavy Infantry platoon consists of a command section chosen from the IG HQ section and 2-5 Heavy Infantry Platoon sqauds.

1 Command Section w/ Junior Officer (see codex IG)

2-5 Heavy Infantry Squads, 5 Imperial Guardsman 75 points

UNIT WS BS S T W I A LD SV PV
Imperial Heavy Guardsman 3 3 3 1 1 3 1 7 - 4+ 4
Veteran Heavy Guardsman 3 3 3 1 1 3 2 8 - 4+ 4

Heavy Stubber
Slow and Purposeful
Imperial Guard Infantry

Up to one Heavy Infantryman may be upgraded to a Veteran Guardsman for 5 points
This model can exchange his heavy stubber for:
Power weapon and Bolt Pistol (free)
Storm Bolter (free)
Combi Weapon plasma/flamer/melta(5 points)
Power fist and Bolt Pistol (5 points)
Bolter and Melta Bombs (5 points)

Up to 5 more Heavy Infantryman Can be added to the squad for 15 points each

Any Model may exchange their Heavy Stubber for:
Grenade Launcher (free)
Heavy Flamer (free)

1 in 5 Models in any squad can exchange their Heavy Stubber for:
Heavy Bolter (5 points)
Plasma Rifle (10 points)
Meltagun (10 points)
Rocket Launcher (10 points)
Autocannon (10 points)

The squad may be equiped with Krak Grenades for 2 points per model.

The squad may have a Chimera transport, if any squad in the platoon is upgraded as mechanized ALL squads in the platoon must be as well, including the command section, though their individual transports need not be similarly equiped.

IMO, neither of these will move forward in the new Codex. The Heavy Platoon infantry are just way too shooty for 5E, while the Assault Platoon is just too fighty for Guard.

I could see HWS attached to regular Platoons, and Conscripts getting LP&CCW. While I'd love to see Beastmen return as an Elite, that's a major longshot.

"The Heavy Platoon infantry are just way too shooty for 5E, while the Assault Platoon is just too fighty for Guard."


Does anyone even know what he means by this? Too shooty for 5th? WT-f'ing-F???

BYE

Did you mean for their Toughness to be 1?


And I'd reccomend commisars for the assault troops. You hand someone a club, pistol, and no armor or training and expect them to go out and run across the battlefield and charge into close combat against aliens that are tougher, faster, better armed, armored and trained, your likely to have them use the club on you...

This "Assault Platoon" seems more like something to be held over for the Elites Choice, at least by Imperial Guard standards and fluff.

JohnHwangDD wrote:IMO, neither of these will move forward in the new Codex. The Heavy Platoon infantry are just way too shooty for 5E, while the Assault Platoon is just too fighty for Guard.

I could see HWS attached to regular Platoons, and Conscripts getting LP&CCW. While I'd love to see Beastmen return as an Elite, that's a major longshot.

Oh of course none of these are moving forward, its just a purely academic hypothetical.

I would love to see beastmen return also.

*SPLEDIT

dancingcricket wrote:Did you mean for their Toughness to be 1?


And I'd reccomend commisars for the assault troops. You hand someone a club, pistol, and no armor or training and expect them to go out and run across the battlefield and charge into close combat against aliens that are tougher, faster, better armed, armored and trained, your likely to have them use the club on you...

No the line justifications dont match up so well, they all have normal IG stats.

..as far as charging with clubs... welcome to the IG heh. I suppose, assuming they are not beastmen, you could attach an indy commisar to any squad in the assault platoon! So sure!

OK, no problem. I guess my main thing is that they seem a bit OTT, rules-wise for Guard. I think Guard should be more streamlined rules-wise to fit into 5E, and that most of their stuff should be basic stats and USRs, with minimal Guard-specific rules (besides whatever is done for Officers, Platoons and Advisors).

I like the assault platoon idea because with a commisar behind you, you might want to charge the enemy rather than facing the wrath of a commisar or you get jacked up into a frenzy by the regiment's priest.

hmm, i like the idea about how the guard might have civialians join up...sort of like conscripts but with worse armour svs or even none(civi's might only have acces to flak jackets in limited quantitys and dont have fire training)
civilian milita...yah that sounds right but they would some other spcial rule.
i like the heavy stubber weapon idea but i think the power maul should wound on 3+ rather than 2 because it relies on shocking

king-newmic wrote:hmm, i like the idea about how the guard might have civialians join up...sort of like conscripts but with worse armour svs or even none(civi's might only have acces to flak jackets in limited quantitys and dont have fire training)
civilian milita...

'It is better to face the bullets than to be killed at home by a bomb.' From a WW1 Government Poster

I put the fluff into these rules to help people see the reasons I had and because I enjoyed writing it to share. I am glad you liked it. I also sort of combined all the fluff, description, special rules and army list entry into a conglomerate here. Perhaps I acould have laid it out a little better.

I included a lot of rules in the IG Assault Squad to cover things I remember distinctly from older versions of the game (and other GW games and fictions), namely:

Frateris Militia
Beastmen Assault Squads
Penal Legion Troops
Imperial Guard Jump Pack Troopers
Adeptus Arbites
Hive Gangers
Planetary Defense Forces

All of which I think could be represented easily in the IG dex as a troops choice, and therefore also show up in Daemon or Witch hunter armies as well as allies. This would also draw a little circle around a lot of old concepts in one elegant swoop.

Should IG get assault units like this? Maybe not, are the points values OK? Maybe not. I don't think anything here would be over the top, but who knows in light of other codex rules.

After considering it, I am afraid a bit of the paradiogm of allowing platoon level formations to come in anything other than the troop choice sections. One elite choice of a heavy infantry platoon could define an entire 1500-2000 point army by itself, especially with transports. I think that would be ok, but it does set a new precedent that is possibly to rash. Maybe the heavy infantry platoons should be single squads as an elite choice instead, like veteran IG?

thehod wrote:I like the assault platoon idea because with a commisar behind you, you might want to charge the enemy rather than facing the wrath of a commisar or you get jacked up into a frenzy by the regiment's priest.

Thanks Hod! I don't think it would always take a commisar...

In my story a lot of good people might choose the pistol and a fighting death over say...

Certain consumption by the hive mind.
Slavery to Dark Eldar.
Sacrifice by Chaos worshippers.

Commisar or no don't you think?

See? Now *THAT* is the sort of propaganda poster that belongs in 40k.


Aside from the "King" business.

Better?

Haha, *love* it!

Without some sort of training, or other period of indoctrination, you're going to have a heck of a time getting all the people in the unit to move in the same direction, at the same time, and on command as opposed to when/if they feel like it. And those bad guys are scary, you're going to have a few how are a bit hesitant (to put it mildly) to run into the jaws of the genestealers, collars of the DE, or onto the altars of the CSM, and choose flight over fight.

Perhaps, but it is a game where guys with big swords are better than guns and daemons flip tanks over so...

Story arguments are circular.

Do you not like these proposed rules because of theme?

I like the heavy platoons idea but i think it would not work in a guard army. My reasoning is that even if they are relay shooty just 2 full squads costs the same as a Russ.

maybe reducing the range to 18 and cost could make them more applicable to guard army's?

Harr harr, "Warhammer 40k: The place where only an idiot brings a gun to a knife fight."

I would put it, "Welcome to Warhammer 40k: Where people bring knives to a gun fight. And win."

Ha, indeed.

Also where it is easier to charge into certain death by machine gunfire than it is to stay in a close melee with significant numeric odds in your advantage.

???

Silly indeed...

I hope the IG get a new CC unit, a Roughrider fix, or some special rule to at least lesson their ineptitude in CC which is breaking the army right now along with KP.

Lets hope!

*SPLEDIT

A Rough Rider model would be great too (Ghengus Khan doesn't count!)

dude IG with jump packs thats just great. I get the mental image of regular Ig with SM jump packs move super fast and super far just they dont know which way they are going to move. Anyways I think the 4 points would be good for the assult Ig however i would think that they could have conscript assult unites for 4 points which dont get the upgrades and then an elite choice of assult units that have the stats of a storm trooper and can get a wider veritery of upgrades.

i do like how you reduced the points cost for powerfists...for the next IG codex they should at least decrese its points to 15 rather than the rediculous 20