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ok so for my newest army im going to play IG (Cadian) and i just need to know what units are a good solid start for an IG army. And what tactics should i use (i played SM for a while and i assume SM tactics arent the same as IG)

I'm talking like troop choices, Elites, HQ, Fast Attack, dedicated transport, and Heavy support.

Well first off you'll need a company command squad to lead your army. Guard have an orders system, where company and platoon commanders can issue orders to squads letting them shoot more, twin link versus monstrous creatures, run more, or whatever. You need to deploy your army around said command squads to maximize your effectiveness.

The core of your army is infantry platoons. These are usually multiple 10 man squads of guardsmen supported by a command squad and some heavy weapons squads. In an objective game these guys are awesome since you can spread them out everywhere. In killpoints, you can actually blob the infantry together (although not command or heavy weapons) and make a relatively hard unit. These platoons are the heart of your army, and can be used to make gunlines, strike forward, and set up a firebase. Alternately, you could take veterans who can spam special weapons. You could also mechanize pretty much the whole platoon by sticking them in chimeras. This can get pricey though, and will screw you over in killpoints games.

Elites are a mixed bag. Ratling snipers are awesome, and cheap. Ogryn are expensive, durable, but not that great. Stormtroopers are really cool, but veterans do their job better. I still use them though. Psyker battle squads have some crazy powers, like one that can lower an enemy's leadership 1 point for ever model in the squad. This means you can use it on an enemy squad to bring them down to leadership 2, then force them to take a morale test. It's scary. Also Sly Marbo is in the Elites section. He's hilarious.

Heavy support is awesome all around. Leman Russ squadrons are reasonably priced, really hard to break, and packed with lots of firepower. Artillery batteries are really situational, but each type of gun is alright for it's own job. Manticores are really awesome, and the Deathstrike is really cool, even if it's kind of unreliable.

Fast attack is also pretty good. Valkyries/Vendettas are hovertanks better than most Eldar hovertanks. Sentinels are tricky bastards that can carry some chunky firepower. Hellhounds and their variants are all cool and pretty good.

The codex is well rounded and it's hard to really screw up in the list building process. Just consider what would be fun to play and what would be fun to paint. Guard are a great army for a few different playstyles.

Or you could just play mechvets and everyone will hate you forever. Don't take more than one or two squads of veterans with 3x melta guns in a chimera or valkyrie if you want to have friends anymore, because after that you won't. Have fun using the same list as every Guard tournament player.

I think that's pretty good advice, but one thing that was missed-- pick a theme and stick with it when building a list. If your list is unfocused, it'll not do that well.

Go read the imperiall guard codex review by polonius, its in reviews or something on this site.

Its a very good starting point.

Set-up 1: Mechanized; every unit in a Chimera, take vets instead of Platoons for the multiple Special weapons(roughly half the units with Meltas, half with Plasmas, do not mix the 2 in the same unit), Take a Command squad but only for the 4 Special weapons, ignore the orders since troops in transports cannot receive them. Take Russ's as Heavy Support, Do not Take any units without there being an available transport for them(dedicated Chimeras, or Valkaryies/Vendettas), If you Have a Spare Fast Attack(not filled by Valks/Vendys) take a Hell-hound or variant, Elites should be Psyker battle Squads in Chimeras(1 or 2), but all other Elite Choices ignored.

Set-up 2: Gunline Infantry; Platoons in "Blobs"(combined Platoon Rule under the description for Platoon infantry) Mix each Platoon with Anti-tank and Anti-troop weapons, "blob" them together into Like-armed units. Take 2 or more Such Platoons(total of 4 Blobbed units, and 2 Command sections, Scale up for each extra Platoon[i.e. 1 more command, 1 more Anti-tank blob, 1 more anti-troop blob]) Give your Platoon Command squads Assault Special weapons, and have them move to grab objectives(A Medic cannot hurt here either to keep the command unit alive). Command Squad should have a Heavy Weapon(a Versitile one such as an Auotcannon or a Missile launcher), a Special Weapon or 2, and a Medic if available. I find Kell and Creed work well in this type of squad for the 4 orders and all orders given tested at LD10. Remember to add 1 Commissar for each Blob to keep them from breaking in melee. Refrain from using any Vehicles unless you cvan fit 3 or more into your list as any less and they will die quickly. Ratlings Fit into this style army exceptionally well.

Set-up 3: Assault Infantry; Again Blobbed squads with a Commissar each, a power weapon on every Sgt and the Commissars. Flamers or Maybe grenade launchers on your Squads, no heavy weapons. Company Command Squad should be led by Iron hand Straken or maybe Creed and Kell(just for the "for the honor of Cadia" order), Take a medic in the Company Command squad along with Flamers/Grenade launchers(or naked laspistol/ccw Vets), also Take every available advisor for the bodies/extra attacks in CC. Sentinels would be the only good vehicles here excepting maybe Hellhounds and variants, if you are taking Sentinels, any armament on the Scout kind will work, but Armored should only have a heavy Flamer. Speaking of heavy Flamer, while it seems like a Good idea on your Command Squads(both Company and Platoon) it is simply not worth the cost as you will likely only fire it once/game. Penal legionaries fit in rather well here as no matter what Ability you get in the Roll you can have them do it and it will fit your overall plans.

Set-up 4: Hybrid; This is the Weakest set-up unless played exactly right(making it very difficult) This is where you want all your Heavy-hitters; an Ordinance battery, Leman Russ variants, Hellhound and Variants, Some foot-slogging troops(Gunline, or Assault) and Some mechanized Troops(either from platoons or Veterans). This is where you can fit in most of the Low-tier units and have them actually accomplish something.

Final Note: there are some units just not worth taking those are; Storm troopers(just plain too overpriced, and vets can fulfill most of the Same jobs while also counting as Scoring units), Sentinels(of either variety) in any role other than a distraction/Tar-pit for enemy melee troops, and Ogryn, who are a little more fragile than they seem at first.

Note on weapon Choices: never put a Sniper rifle on any model. if you want Sniper rifles take ratlings; Vets can only have 3(company Command Squads can take 4), and(both) cost far too much for those 3(4) compared to a unit of ratlings, and every other model with the option only has a BS of 3. I already stated that the Infantry heavy Flamer is far over-costed(4X the cost for +1 Str, -1 AP), but it is free or low cost on all vehicles. Lascannons belong in Blob Squads in a gunline, or Vendettas; if it is not(or cannot become) Twin-linked do not take it. The only exception to this is Outflanking Scout Sentinels, which are more distractionary in role, than effective in battle.

Moving to Tactics.

Kommissar Kel wrote:
Set-up 4: Hybrid; This is the Weakest set-up unless played exactly right(making it very difficult)

I agree with pretty much everything in Kel's post except this. I think hybrid is not only stronger than pure mech & pure gunline--because it allows you to combine the massed firepower and durability of an infantry army with the mobility of a mech army--but is also fairly forgiving and easy to play. A power blob or two, some HW squads, and 2-5 chimeras with artillery backup can handle just about everything.

It also depends on the nature of the hybrid. I play mostly mech, but I include a single infantry platoon. I mount up a PCS with flamers, but I keep two AC/GL squads on foot for objective holding and other utility needs. I'm very technically a hybrid, but I only mixed to add cheaper units than veterans.

Meh, I don't play any of the above builds and I seem to do alright. I think the main question we are missing here is this a IG list for friendly play or for 'ardboys