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This list is meant to be hard to crack with enough quick anti-tank and anti-horde to take all comers.

HQ
CCS Auto-Cannon Chimera HB

Troops
Vets 3x Melta Chimera HF
Vets 2x Plasma Chimera HF

Fast Attack
Hydra

"hard to crack" "to take all comers"

These statements are usually pretty inconsistent with friendly play... lol. However, it looks pretty good for what you can and cannot expect to play against at in 500 point bracket. That stated, I might substitute Marbo for the hydra, for style points and because that single model is pretty cheap.

We like to play for keeps.

Well, I would probably just give the CCS a meltagun, you have to stay put to use the AC so it might not be so worth it. I would also just give the second vet squad maybe Melta/Flamer/Heavy Flamer just because plasma is to risky at that points level imo. I would also replace the hydra with maybe either a Banewolf, Devildog, or Hellhound. All of these are just so nasty.

I dunno if I'd bother with plasmaguns at 500 points, you'll likely be able to use meltaguns on whatever you'd need plasma for anyway. Unfortunately 2 ork mobs will still tear you apart, but I suppose they'd do that to anyone at 500.

come to think of it....

big mek - kustom force field, PK 125
25 slugga boyz - nob, PK, bosspole 190
24 slugga boyz - nob, PK, bosspole 184

Lordy, lordy that's a painful list. 3 Power Klaws, 50 bodies, 5+ invuln to fend off any flamer spams. Run up the table, then WAAAGH. The Mek can even split off and pop tanks all by his lonesome once you hit enemy lines.




SORRY! back to guardsmen...

I would honestly be tempted to throw a heavy flamer and 2 regular flamers on the 2nd vet squad, instead of the plasma guns. Even if you get a meager 3 or 4 hits with each (very unlikely considering you get your 12" move, 2" disembark, then the 8" template), that's a pair of marines likely dead. Plasmas will also kill ~2 out of cover, or ~1 in cover. Granted, you're not taking advantage of the BS4 on the vets, but at this point level it's not so bad.

That, or go for a 2nd squad of triple melta. Again, 6 meltas will pull apart any marine unit you catch out of cover (especially if you get up the courage to double charge the remainder....), and leave the horde killing to your 3 multilasers, 2 heavy flamers, and lots of rapid firing lasguns out of chimeras. I'd probably field the following:

HQ
CCS Auto-Cannon 60
Chimera: multilaser, hull HF 55

Troops
Vets 2x Melta, autocannon 100
Chimera: multilaser, hull HF 55
Vets 2x Melta, autocannon 100
Chimera: multilaser, hull HF 55

Heavy Support
Griffon: hull HF 75

Now, the army just sits in the back blasting away with 3 autocannons and 3 multilasers, knocking open any enemy transports you face as well as whittle away at infantry. The griffon bombards the crap out of whatever you like, doing some pretty heavy casualties due to the accurate bombardment rule (rerolled scatter). Once people get up close and personal, you've got FOUR vehicle mounted heavy flamers, meaning lots more dead infantry

If you face another shooty mech army, you can do the opposite, and drive up there with those meltaguns and lay into enemies. With the CCS using bring it down, you can put both melta hits from 1 unit on an enemy tank pretty reliably. Those 4 meltas can do some painful damage to monsterous creatures, terminators, and even tac squads and such. (the only reason I gave each squad autocannons is to make a mess of mechanized assault armies: enough S6 and S7 fire can put the can opener to rhinos eventually.)

Just my two cents, but that's how I'd run it

Defenestrator, your list has each squad kitted for two things and normally I wouldn't like that, but in this list that could work. However I think getting 2 TL AC's is more important than the Griffon and I can use the extra points from ditching the squad AC's for two vet HF's.

The reason the unit's are multi-purpose is because they have two jobs: sit around in the back shooting, then crack out the meltas late game. At 500 points, you usually can't fit in enough units to have each with a dedicated job to get all the jobs done. The griffon vs. hydra debate is up to you, but I prefer the rerolled scatter S6 AP4 barrage over the 4 TL AC shots. The 20 points for the autocannons in the vets will only buy you 1 HF, unfortunately....

"hard to crack"...sure you're playing guard? =)


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Who do you normally play, though? If you're against DE or equiv (or a tau piranha spam etc) i'd take the hydra.

I don't see the point in putting heavy weapons and meltas in the same squad unless you're against a close-combat-y MEQ army.

If you keep the griffon i'd give it a heavy bolter instead of a heavy flamer. They're meant to be kept back and shooting.

I normally face Chaos, SM, 'Nids, and Tau. I have another friend who, when he gets back from Australia in a year or so, will play Guard and Orks. I was just thinking, would a Valk with rockets be better than a Hydra and a Chimera in my list?

Given those enemies, Hydras won't be that good. Take a Valk with missile pods vs Nids, Orks and even guard.

I was also thinking that this might be interesting.

HQ
CCS

Troops
Vets 2x Melta Chimera HF
Vets 2x Melta Chimera HF

Heavy Support
Manticore

I like the Manticore for the scare factor.

and we do all love a good scare but a LR fills it's role and will do it's job more reliablely and it can take more punishment

Maybe a naked Russ and a melta in the CCS

A vanilla russ would be nice, but if I'm going that route I would really want to press in a Demolisher by cutting a Vet squad's melta out and adding a flamer instead. Then I would really have a fear factor weapon on the table.

Yeah a Demolisher might be good but it'd need to rush forward with your Chimera's to 'do good'. Might be an idea to give it some flamers

Norade wrote:A vanilla russ would be nice, but if I'm going that route I would really want to press in a Demolisher by cutting a Vet squad's melta out and adding a flamer instead. Then I would really have a fear factor weapon on the table.

A much cheaper options would be to drop a MOO into your CCS. I have been loving my MOO, who has consistently dropped horrible death on my opponents in all the games I've fielded him in

Also for friendly games there is nothing more amusing than close fire support from a S9 ordnance barrage!

MOO is just to inaccurate, and won't draw fire like the Demolisher will. The way I see it, if I make a triangle with the Chims behind the Demolisher then they're safe, can still get a decent view of the field to shot at stuff. I basically start them close and plow into the enemy, anything gets slowed up then they can pop smoke and break off.

However a second Vet squad in a Chim would also be awesome, but I don't like the extra KP's that would add. So many options for the new guard and so little room at this point level.

MOO's are made of pure awesome vs nids, orks. Make sure when you use them that you target a squad in the middle of the enemy's line. As it will scatter (it has to), make sure that if you scatter you actually hit something. (oh, and make sure he has LOS, -4 to those scatter rolls really does help)

Defenestrator:

I like your suggestion for the autocannons on the vet squads for a different reason- right now there appears to be a big debate as to whether or not you can fire squad weapons out of the hatches of a Chimera. RAW, (if not RAI), appear to suggest that you can fire a heavy weapon out of the hatch, along with the rest of the squads special weapons, to a max of 5.

If true, this could make chimeras very very useful in keeping an infantry team alive amid a swarm- particularly if they also have a lot of flamers and HF.

Thoughts?