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I want to start a footguard army. I usually play mech IG so I tend to use a manticore or two and maybe an executionor or standard leman russ. Although not heavy choices I run at least three vendettas to boot. Would the heavy choices for footguard change dramatically or would some stay the same? What are good combos for footguard? Experiences? Would you even need much heavy support choices even?

in foot guard you are going to be alot more stationary then your usual mech guard. You have to use your lascannons and autocannons. Your lasguns will be pretty decent horde killers just by the sheer amount number of shots they will put out put i still recommend putting some artillery in there. Manticores are always good maybe go for some colossus or basilisks they are all decent choices. On another note personally i say get a hellhound or 2 you will have more than enough lascannons so you really don't need to stress to much on the vendettas.

I'm going to vote for Hydras for HS, you want to be careful with blast weapons when you're filling half the board the guys.

BishopX wrote:I'm going to vote for Hydras for HS, you want to be careful with blast weapons when you're filling half the board the guys.

+1 this. not to mention you want to slow down fast moving targets heading for you. and at least a Manticore. you're still going to need something to crack hard armored targets.

Between access to melta SWS and PCS with quad flamers foot guard is well set up to place expendable units in a flying transport, and the vendettas are also useful for capturing objectives. If the foot guard includes any vendettas/valks Hydras will also add av12 target saturation without taking too many points away from the infantry.

I'd say 2x Hydra and 2x Manticore.

The Hydras are nice but your HWS and orders can mimic them if needed. The blast template is something that is just not there for foot guard. They might have volume of fire, but to get your opponent to spread out before that charge, can mean a real difference.

I run foot guard, and since I find the infantry can specialize for any target, I use my HS slots to Bring the Pie. I find the LRBT and Bassy to be great choices as they have general killing power and the range to sit snugly in bubblewrap. I fill it out with a LRD at higher point levels - another general 'kill anything' unit imo.

As a foot guard commander myself, I've found the only real problem I have is against the REALLY fast stuff (on annihilation games). It's tough to catch up with a nightshield raider with plasma guns on foot.

As such, against these types of targets, I've had success with hydras and their beefier bigger brother, the exterminator. The only problem with autocannon-based heavy support choices is that they don't do much once AV starts getting much higher than 10, and they won't do much of anything against fast BA predators or fleeting death company dreadnoughts.

I've also run artillery, but my biggest problem with them was that the only thing basilisks and manticores did was put out firepower, which, given the guard's mediocre accuracy, never quite put out enough. Meanwhile, they don't add AV12 to an AV12 wall, or provide cover for other vehicles because you don't have other vehicles, and they don't help with field position. I'm going to try artillery out some more in the near future again and see how it goes.

But in general, HS slots ARE less necessary for foot commanders, and I've played several a game without any at all. Foot lists tend to benefit from more troops choices and elites slots, compared to mech lists which can do more with HS and FA slots.

Hydras and Mantas seem to be the popular choice then, if any.

The best foot IG lists I've seen use no vehicles at all, or only a token Chimera or two (always kept in cover) to shield particularly critical units.

It's a shame we can't take a Guard equivalent of Marine Dev squads. Give me four HWS with BS 4 and they'd make a perfect Heavy choice for infantry teams. Or, you know, fix the misprint in the codex where HWS don't get Vox casters and SWS don't get Krak Grenades.

In turn, the two types of heavy are the backfield and the mobile. Most choices are stationary, and have long ranges. These units can't support aggressive infantry in terms of field position. They get left behind and are easy targets that tend to sit on their own. They need to be able to cause enough damage in the first few turns to make a difference, as they'll probably get taken out relatively easily. They're the only AV target on the table, and they're alone and vulnerable. I think the Manticore takes that role the best; it drops the most power per point, and is able to hurt everything on the table. Squadrons of basilisks would be my next choices, or maybe of Colossi if you face enough marines on foot.

The mobile are the Demolisher and the Executioner Russ variants. You can also include the Medusa in this, as neither shell choice can fire indirectly, so it should be mobile most of the game. I'd probably say the Demolisher is the best of these choices, again because of versatility. They can hurt anything while providing a wall for the infantry to hide behind while they advance. Medusas can do similar things for cheaper, but only provide AV 12.

I think the key is that you have to take a lot of them for them to work out. Either take enough artillery to do the damage, or take enough Russes to provide a wall. Having two of something in the backfield seems like they'll just get picked off by the abundance of anti-armor that has nothing else to focus on.