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Howdy,

I just played my first (tiny) WH40k game this weekend with my brother using the assault on black reach starter kit. We really enjoyed the game and although we didn't get into a lot of the depth of the game and I'm sure we had a lot of the rules wrong, we had a lot of fun building the models and stumbling through the game.

We've decided to get into it a bit more. He is going to build a space marine army and I am going to try Imperial Guard.

Today I picked up the IG codex and the Cadian Battleforce package, as well as 2 metal cadian snipers to see how the metal models feel (they seem pretty awesome). I've been reading the codex and trying to figure out how I should put the models together and I have to admit I am feeling a little overwhelmed. My brother's friend (the one who suggested we give the game a try and is giving us advice, etc) mentioned that its important to build your miniatures correctly because what you see is what you get as far as weapons, etc.

Can any IG guard players give me some advice on how I can build a (legal) army (as far as weapon types, squad types etc) from the pieces I mentioned above? I have some ebay bids in to try and get some more minis but for now this is what I have.

Appreciate any help / advice you'd care to share,

Thanks.

Well, WYSIWYG is more about making sure the snipers you have are actually snipers. Which is to say, you wouldn't do stuff like calling a Grenade Launcher a Flamer or a Powerfist or anything like that. Granted, WYSIWYG can be bent once you learn how to model well (like using an awesome looking Powerfist on a Lord of Chaos and, with a little modeling puddy((called green stuff)), calling it a Daemon Weapon). Just look at the diagrams for what weapons are what, then build what you want to be taking in your army.

Make a 500 point army list. Build and buy your models according to what you need to do that.

WYSIWYG is a convention that means I should be able to look at your models and have a general idea of what they're armed with.

If I see a unit of ten guys, all with lasguns, that means it's a unit of ten guys with lasguns. We're not going to get to your shooting phase, and you point to a model with a lasgun and say, 'okay that guy, he doesn't actually have a lasgun, he's got an autocannon. That other guy, he's got a plasma. And that guy (who looks like all the others) is actually a commissar with a power fist.

So put together a list that looks good to you, and then repost the rest of your OP in the army list forum and get some feedback on it.

WYSIWYG is important, but when you're first building up an army, especially one as model heavy as Imperial Guard, it is difficult to run a proper army list exact WYSIWYG. What I did when first building up my IG force was I would proxy miniatures for ones I hadn't built/purchased yet. Of course, you have to first clear this with your opponents, but most people (as long as it isn't tournament or league play) should be fine with it. Just make sure that you a) keep straight which models are being proxied and b) keep on building that army.

For example, I was waiting for an order of melta gun bits to come in for my guard to make the guardsmen with the meltaguns, but I wanted to play a game. Hence, I asked my opponent (in a friendly match) if it was ok that I proxy my grenade launcher miniatures for meltaguns for the game. He said it was fine. Of course you don't want to go overboard, like counting a heavy weapons team as a basilisk or some such.

That's great general advice written above.

Specific to the IG, I think there are two basic infantry squad types to focus on: A platoon with PCS armed with four flamers and two squads with Autocannon and Grenade Launcher, and a veteran squad with three melta guns.

The real key for you is avoid building too many Grenade Launcher or Flamer guys. When building the heavies, stick to Autocannons and Lascannons (although Missile Launchers can be built with the extra bits and basic bodies), as those are the two most useful weapons.

You will almost assuredly make a few mistakes, and buy/build way too much of something you end up not using (I think as I look at 14 Missile Launcher teams), but that's how you learn. Take a look at the lists posted here, put up lists to critique, etc.

A decent fun 500pt IG list would be something like this:

CCS, Standard, Autocannon

PCS, four flamers
Chimera

2x Infantry squad with autocannon, grenade launcher

Vets with three melta guns
Chimera

Sentinel with multilaser

That will use evrything you have, and only require two Chimeras, another box of infantry and three melta guns.

I appreciate both the general and specific advice from all of you...

If work is slow this morning I will try to see what I can build with what I have in the box and post on the list forum for critique,

A question.. so I have 3 heavy weapon teams (the guys on the big discs). I also have 2 snipers (Which I believe count as heavy weapons). Is it customary to mix them in with your regular squads, replacing regular infantry, or do they get their own squad? I ask because I thought if you moved your infantry then you wouldnt be able to fire your heavy weapons... whereas if they were in a separate squad then youd be able to rain fire from afar.

Just curious.

Thanks again.

JRedbeard wrote: Is it customary to mix them in with your regular squads, replacing regular infantry, or do they get their own squad?

Both.

A heavy weapons squad is three heavy weapon teams in a unit of it's own. You try and find a good place for them at the start of the game and hope that you don't have to move them after that.

A heavy weapon team in a regular infantry squad is probably going to lose some turns of firing when the unit moves, but it's deployment is more situational, since it's part of a more mobile unit.

Thanks again all,

Posted here http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/243588.page#766755