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I know there aren't rules for Catachans, but I like the models, fluff, and special characters. I therefore plan to collect Catachans, but I want to base my list on the fluff. It will be led by Straken, and will also include Sly Marbo and Sergeant Harker, and my Veterans will have foward sentries. There will be lots of sniper rifles on my Veteran squads and flamers on my regular guardsmen. I was considering taking Ratlings, but the T2/Ld6 really hurts. Besides, Veterans are BS4, so no need to waste money on the runts.

So tell me, would a catachan force usually include Leman Russ tanks and artillery, or would it have more heavy weapons teams and sentinels?

It would have HW teams Sentinals and maybe some penal Legions to represent the hard core dogs. AND NO COMMISARS!

Agreed, the hats make them stick out.

Put a squad of Ogryns in there too

MARBO!(i know hes already on you're list but just want to remind you )

ok now that thats over, demo charges are also very fluffy
-Setinels with heavy flamers and the chainsaw things too!
-Make sure the setinels are scout versions, the heavily armoured ones would have less maneuverability.
-Heavy flamers wherever you can get them in fact.
-I dont think they use storm troopers as the carapace armour is kinda clunky in the jungle
-I guess you could get some leman russ tanks as long as they look the part of a jungle tank (ie camo netting, dozer blade, etc...) Just don't include too many, maybe 1 or 2
-Ogryns, as stated above
-special weapon squads

Edit: Valkyrie?

and order of points

If you feel creative you could always modify Valkyrie to look more Helicopter like ala Vietnam.

Now that I mention it, perhaps you should go for Vendettas with a LOAD of missiles and guns like Operation Rolling Thunder.

EDIT: About the Commissar, indeed don't take one, but be sure to have his head or at least his hat in one of the models (not wearing it, on the side), like if they got rid of the "black suit wimp"

Using the jungle fighters doctrine from 4e, they used heavy flamers and no lascannons. I honestly can't remember enough about the really old catchan codex that is worthy of note.

Catachan fluffy?

Tons of mortar
tons of flamers
tons of sentinels

no heavy tanks
valkyries are fine.

No lascannons? That'll make AT hard, but I suppose I could make an exception for my Vendetta and HW squads.

LunaHound wrote:Catachan fluffy?

Tons of mortar
tons of flamers
tons of sentinels

no heavy tanks
valkyries are fine.

Thanks for the tips, but I think Russes should be OK. There's a Catachan Russ in the new codex. It's just a Cadian one with stripes though.

I seem to recall that the Catachans rarely, if ever, use heavy vehicles such as tanks. You can't drive them through a forest. The same is true with Sniper Rifles, I seem to recall, since you can't see far enough through a rain forest for it to be worth it.

And yes, Commisars attatched to Catachan units tend to meet with unfortunate accidents.

The new codex states that Catachan snipers are the best in the Imperium, actually. It does explain why there are models for them.

And a tank CAN be driven into a forest. Think about it; a tank the size of a Russ plowing into a tree. Who's going to win?

...on Catachan? Probably the trees, which will then eat the Russ.

As for Snipers, I may well be wrong. Hence the 'I seem to recall'. Hell, I've got some Catachan snipers for some reason. It was just something that surfaced in my mind.

Also be sure to pack some Hellhounds (the flamer and toxic gas variant), very very fluffy.

Alright, according to the last dex catachans prefer heavy bolters and flamers.

They wear light armor(got a 6+ save instead of a 5+), carry sniper rifles(sacrifice 1 HW per squad for a sniper), tanks are okay(especially hellhounds). Ratlings, techpriests, commissars, stormtroopers, ogryns, and conscripts not okay.

Jungle fighters and anything that gives them extra sneakyness. Camo cloaks for commanders, penal legion yes(especially the stabby ones). Grenades and demo charges all around. Melta bombs more than likely.

Definitely no heavy sentinels, only lighter ones. Originally they had flamers and a chainsaw attached for clearing "obstacles". Leaves everywhere.
If you want to learn a little more, look for an old IG codex(last edition) or look for the actual catachan codex(it does exist, but its old and likes to hide).

Cheese Elemental wrote:So tell me, would a catachan force usually include Leman Russ tanks and artillery, or would it have more heavy weapons teams and sentinels?

Heavy weapon teams and sentinels. Catachans are light infantry. They have tanks, but they're focused on light infantry.

No artillery, but tanks. There would be too much indirect fire for it to be any good.

Scanning through the old Catachan Codex, they have snipers for sure (why did I think they didn't? I have no idea) and no vehicles at all bar Scout Sentinels. Apparently Death World terrain, such as on Catachan, is simply too inhospitable even for the mighty Russ. It mentions it in the blurb for Sentinels.

However, this isn't exactly the most up to date book, and the new Guard codex does have a Russ in Catachan colours. If I was you I'd stick to Valkyries and Vendettas, but the choice is, of course, yours. And, of course, I wouldn't be doing a Catachan army.

If you can read it, take a gander at Death World, it is a book about the catachan. It mentions ogyrns and vets, so those are good. As for heavy tanks that is your choice, but doing some Valkyries and vendettas to resemble air cavalry would look cool and be a way to get heavy weapons.

All right kids, the thing to remember is that there are different kinds of catachan formations. Catachan itself is a jungle death world, and forms tough natural soldiers. There is a way they fight in such terrain, which is what the old Catachan Codex represented: a Death World Veteran force fighting in it's own terrain. that is the type of formation that is heavy on the infantry, no tanks, snipers/mortars/heavy flamers, etc.

Most of the time, however, Catachan regiments aren't fighting in Death World Class jungle. In those instances, much like how the 101st went into battle as light infantry more than paratroopers, Catachans fight with whatever they can get their hands on. They would still favor closer weapons over longer ranged ones, and based on the model and fluffl favor the Exterminator over the basic russ, but in general they can do whatever they put their minds too.

Think of it like this: Catachans and Cadians essentially are inducted into the IG from PDF forces that are already top notch. If the munitorium wants to train them to drive tanks or hop out of Valkyries, it's not a problem since they're already top notch soldiers.

You could have some fun with tanks and artillery by having them commandered by the Catachan regiment. Paint them in a different camo scheme, and then make it look like the previous owner's regiment and squadron numbers were painted over and replaced by catachan numbers. I'd guess the catachans make pretty good scavengers.

Deathworld snipers used to have an option that let them reroll to wound rolls due to "deathworld toxins". DW snipers also had hidden deployment.

The old DWV list was infantry based, no lascannons, and a preference for flamers and heavy flamers. Squads could also take demo charges.

When the IG codex was revised with doctrines, you could include tanks and other stuff along with your DWV, but if you want a fluffy list then you should have no tanks, no rough riders, no lascannons, no commissars, and try to include flamers and heavy flamers.

Malaria outbreaks, prisoners of war, and claymores.

Basically death world catachan = they are troops that are raised in THAT certain planet.

They'll only be supplied with local weaponry , certainly no tanks ( because no factories )

So no complicated weaponry at all. And then only the basic jungle warfare weapons. flamer + mortars+demo charges

For heavys I would think about taking the Colossus.

Fits with the mortar theme, and ignores cover...which the Catachans would find very useful in their jungle environment.

Rangerrob wrote:For heavys I would think about taking the Colossus.

Fits with the mortar theme, and ignores cover...which the Catachans would find very useful in their jungle environment.

Yes its good for jungle however death world armies normally have no access to anything thats not produced on their own planet.

LunaHound wrote:

Rangerrob wrote:For heavys I would think about taking the Colossus.

Fits with the mortar theme, and ignores cover...which the Catachans would find very useful in their jungle environment.

Yes its good for jungle however death world armies normally have no access to anything thats not produced on their own planet.

Yeah, I would say take 0-1...not a squadron of them or 9. There is Fluffy...then there is fluffy and never winning. I think they would be more likely to have one of these than a Leman Russ. Just looking at all the heavy choices, imho, this is the one they would most likely have.

You just have to think about what would feel right at home in the Jungle. They are based off of Vietnam so just think what was used to fight there. A catachan Airborne Calvary army would be freaking sweet as hell.

My catachans hhave a colossus and griffon in support, cause I think that self propelled mortars fit with a decent catachan regiment. But my squads are all footsloggers, all vets with sniper rifles, flamers, etc. And ratlings, for added sniper power. And rough riders because cavalry is good to have with footslogging catachans.