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.

With chimeras being all the rage these days, I built this list with the hope of returning to a more conventional guard deployment. It is designed to do three things
- shut down enemy light armor/transports
- destroy heavy armor early
- redundancy to absorb losses

HQ - 90
CCS + autocannon + officer of the fleet

Troops

infantry platoon: 365
CS: 30

infantry: 50

infantry: 50

infantry: 50

HWT (3x autocannons): 75
HWT (3x autocannons): 75

Veterans + 3 meltaguns (mounted in vendetta): 100

Veterans + 3 meltaguns (mounted in vendetta): 100

Fast Attack: 260
Vendetta: 130

Vendetta: 130

Heavy Support
manticore: 160

Squadron:
Leman Russ + lascannon + bolters: 185
Leman Russ + lascannon + bolters: 185

Squadron: 150
Hydra: 75
Hydra: 75

The theory - The majority of this build has the opportunity to fire on targets in the first turn of the game. autocannons can disable light armor freeing up the vendettas, tanks, and veterans to engage heavy armor. It is my hope that the vendetta's scout move can be used to drop veterans in range of any heavy armor - failing that they can just act as interdiction and snipers.

The infantry simply acts as a interdiction against deepstrike, flankers, or incoming heavy troops. The ccs can hang around the hwt and issue orders.

Firstly, I think you would accomplish your goal #1 better if your platoon had guns, 45 points for an AC/GL in each squad could come from the leman russ squadron - lascannon and HB sponsons are both marginal upgrades. Or better yet, 3 autocannons for the infantry squads, 3 flamers for the PCS, and 3 voxes for the platoon+CCS. Then you'd have an infantry base that could shoot effectively rather than just sit there absorbing wounds.

I think all veterans in chimeras might well be more effective, but all the individual units in this list are competitive, and as a whole it seems balanced. Try it out, see how it works, although I predict you may eventually swap HWSs for more infantry, to increase the list's survivability.

You may want to just throw the Autocannons in with your infantry and forget about the HTW's.

Low LD will see them running pretty fast as they will be a big target. If they're in with the infantry they will last longer and, actually cost less.

10 points per squad for an autocannon, rather than paying the 70 or so points for the HWT + Weaps. Codex isnt in front of me so its just a guestimate on the cost.

-Lasfire

Thanks for the feedback - I am interesting in elaborating on the use of infantry squads and getting your response. I have limited experience using vanilla ig troops and I am curious how you all deploy.

theorycraft -
I have long been on the fence about including weapons in infantry squads (other than flamers.) The games I have participated in, my troops are moving around too much to use their heavy weapons. There are various reasons for this, but it usually boils down to using ig squads in an offensive manner rather than a defensive one. I have newfound respect for lasguns after 3 squads and a ccs, using 1st rank 2nd rank, took down an avatar inside a turn. Hence, i am typically loath to spend points on wargear that will potentially lessen the lethality of the squad. That being said, hwts do tend to be a weak use of points - but i am worried about trading them for units that will potentially spend the first couple of turns doing little.

on leman russ sponsoons - I view part of the leman russ's duty as drawing fire away from the rest of the army. at 150 points a vanilla russ is typically far less scary than the vendettas or other support craft. Therefore, I typically see sponsoons and the hull lascannon accomplishing two things -
- increasing the lethality of a relatively safe firing platform
- making the tank scary enough to be shot at first

I don't play IG at all, however it looks like a fun list, I'm not sure how competitive however, and In theory wouldn't the fast moving vets be more offensive allowing the infantry platoons to be defensive...

grevjoy wrote:i am typically loath to spend points on wargear that will potentially lessen the lethality of the squad

Bit of a contradiction isn't it? Surely special weapons increase lethality, at a cost!


Tell you what though, you speaking like a true IG general - including units so they can be shot! (namely the bog-standard infantry and leman russ!)

Nice Army though! x

Foot slogging large units are as stated above best used as a filter for your command squad to deter a quick assault to your leadership.

If you run Vets try to run them with either Plasma guns or meltaguns so you have some tank killing and some heavy armour punch.

Also don't underestimate Marbo. He is an excellent tank killer and is a huge distraction for your opponent. I've had him take out 3 units of Chaos Space marines in on game. Note he almost always takes out one squad from the game or stalls them for 2 turns.

I like this list, I only had two 600p game yet, so not much experience, but I want to almost the same

1500p like this. My opinions (I dont have here my codex so sorry if I remember something wrong...):
- we played 2 against 2, and the enemy had some terminators. i dont see how you gonna kill them. I am thinking about 1 or 2 LR exterminators with plasma sponsons. point heavy but so many plasma blasts sound like they can take care of armor and infantry too

- I thought for the second veteran team to go in a chimera, to be more versatile transporting them, and the chimera is good for anti infantry too

- I wonder what the hydras are good to? i dont really get that...

- I would consider making at least one more infantry squad with one more platoon (as i see one more command/turn + a PCS is worth 30p), because as i see: more infantry = more fun & good against light enemy infantry

- I agree with no heavy weapons in the moving squad, but then why in the HQ? they should be at the back of infantry, so maybe a plasma or melta?

- If you like manticore then maybe OoF would be fun, and it's cheap too. And I see that manticore is not a big thing. For armour the is the ordenance, tanks, and lascannons for infantry - there is your infantry with 1st rank - 2nd rank

I'd like to know your opinions on these, because it affects my army list too...
oh, and sorry for bad english :-)

I've fielded a squadron of 3 hydras before and found them woefully lacking. Particularly in the anti-armor roll. Just to kill your own valkyries and chimeras you'd need 5s to glance. I'd suggest building out more infantry units and adding transport to those units if your big on mobility.

I'm also not big on the Manticore. It has 4 rockets so your missing atleast 2 turns of firing. Not to mention scattering onto stuff you can't kill with it or missing all together.

Lastly not big on heavy weapons sections. They're too easy to pick on.