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Hello im totally new the game im looking to start my first army within the next week, heres where i need help.

The way iv played RTS is hit em from range drop a few rush infantry and then cav rush, iv done some research but i just cannot for the life of me decide on an army please help.
also what is the most common army? and what plays them best.

Space Marines are the most common army, since you don't need a whole hell of a lot of them, you can get them cheap through eBay and the Assault on Black Reach starter set, and they're easy to play. A lot of people play them with Marines mounted in Rhino APCs for mobility's sake, and depend on the Marines' durability to get through the game.

However, your strategy sounds very good for the Imperial Guard. You can get some Leman Russes and Basilisks to drop artillery on your opponents from turn 1, then rush in with massed infantry on foot and mounted in Chimera APCs. This army is more expensive than Marines though, since you'll generally need a lot of guys to get anything done. For the same points cost of 10 Marines you can get 30-40 Guardsmen or a tank depending on what they're equipped with.

Welcome to the hobby.

Errrm, for what you describe your best bet is a Space Marine based army.

Be it Space Wolves, Blood Angels or any other type of Marine.

They are good for beginners too as they are a very forgiving army for anyone who makes a mistake.

They are also the most popular army played.

Personally though, I would go for an army with the models you like the look of. Nothing worse than an army where you hate painting them.

on the ig hows the movment?

I dont wanna play the marines if so many people are

To start IG in the most expensive army to build, and generally they suit those who want to build a gun line from what I have seen at my FLGS

btemple0 wrote:To start IG in the most expensive army to build, and generally they suit those who want to build a gun line from what I have seen at my FLGS

that could be a problem i dont wanna but a ton of money into it just yet

If you wanna spend heaps of money and generally crush all opposition, then IG is you.

You may have to get used to loosing swaths of infantry though. I think thats what turned me off them, I couldnt stand watching them all die.

You are not a very faithful servant of the Emperor Jaon! But yes, the type of tactics you are describing best fit a few factions. THe most obvious is IG, with Leman Russes, Basilisks and all kinds of other nice fancy big guns, and with the proper build, the subsequent charge of massed infantry will sweep through most opposition through sheer weight of numbers. However, as Jaon said, expect to loose lots of infantry if you go this path. Imperial Guardsman are grunts, and if there's one thing the Imperium has in ample supply it's manpower, and they don't hesitate to spend their supplies.

As far as speed goes, the Imperial Guard army we're talking about will be relatively slow. It's a ponderous army, that wins through overunning the enemy with body after body. TVTropes puts it best with the quote 'The goal of the Imperial Guard is to clog the enemy's barrels with dead bodies.'

You could also go for Marines. marines don't have the same ability to blast from Long Range that the IG does, but Land Raiders and other units could give you that hard hitting infantry force you like. From what you're describing, it sounds like you would prefer more elite infantry, and the Space Marines are just that. Not to mention, the reason they're the most popular is because they're the easiest to pick up and play, and are very very forgiving.


One final suggestion (if you want to be a heretic and betray the God-Emperor) is the Tau. Now yes, the Tau aren't a very competitive army, and it'll take a lot of experience for you to even start winning games with them, but for the tactics you described? Well, the Tau have pretty good ranged firepower, the main gun on their standard tank is decent against even the thickest armor you will find, and even they're basic infantry have some of the stonger guns in the setting. Additionally, I think the Tau may fit your tactics the best out of all of the factions. From what I can tell, you like softening the enemy up with armor, and then closing with infantry to finish the job. Well, the Tau can do this. You have battlesuits which are well armored, highly mobile, and pack a terrific punch to serve as your elite infantry, and if you want to kill the enemy in close combat, you can send in a huge wave of Kroot. I personally think that this army fits you best. It's a realtively uncommon army, and its playstyle seems to line up with your own. However, be aware that this is a very...hard to play army. So if you want to be uber competitive, avoid the Tau, otherwise I'd recommend them to you.

Sounds like you want Space Wolves,

Get razorbacks with las\plas and long fangs with missile launches.

You're army will look the same as ever other space wolves player though

perk56 wrote:on the ig hows the movment?

I dont wanna play the marines if so many people are

On foot they don't move any faster than anybody else, but almost everybody can be mounted in a Chimera APC to keep mobile. They also have Rough Riders, who are cavalry. Unfortunately the models for Rough Riders are old and not very pretty, so you'd have to convert your own.

obsidianaura wrote:Sounds like you want Space Wolves,

Get razorbacks with las\plas and long fangs with missile launches.

You're army will look the same as ever other space wolves player though

Don't forget thunderwolves! He did say he uses cavalry charges.

Welcome Perk56 glad to see another 40k player join our ranks. However i am here to save you before you make a most grievious of mistakes. The Space Marine recruiters are at it again and i will not stand by before another player falls from grace into a world mediocre tactics thanks to amazingly good units. I am here to save yourself from making the worst desicion of your life by going Marines. Son...if you want to be a real man you will join THE IMPERIAL GUARD!

Yes sir the Guard would be a perfect fit your a fine soldier like you, recruiting stations are open 24/7 and we are always looking for brave men like you to join our ever glorious armies in campaigns against the foul xenos. Why just look at the comparisons between the Guard and Marines:

-Why jump into a suit of fancy panzy ass power armor when you get, dare I say, A Lasgun! Bring retribution upon your enemies with the flashlight of the future! But do not fret, you will have over a hundred more with you to back you up!

-Who needs Thunderwolf Cavalry or Deep Striking Landraiders when you get TANKS!, Lots and lots of tanks (you could take up to 9 you know) of the meanest, toughest and nastiest pieces of Armor this side of terra. Destroy your opponents and crush their blown apart corpses with your treads!

-Who wants to try and keep your men alive all game with a 3+ save? Just send in a front wave of conscripts to soak up the damage! Hid behind your lesser brethren on a glorious bonzai charge against Nids or Orks while your ranks of massive and magnificent artillery blast them to pieces!

Yes sir the guard is the perfect place for you, if you need help General in getting started there will be plenty of fellow Regimental Commanders to help you on this forum to learn brilliant tactics with even more brilliant (and better) men!

gmaleron wrote:The Space Marine recruiters are at it again and i will not stand by before another player falls from grace into a world mediocre tactics thanks to amazingly good units.

...because the Imperial Guard don't have amaizingly good units?

Oh, and bonsai is a tree, just sayin'.

Bonsai is a tree, but banzai is the Imperial Japanese Army's charge cry.

But still, they won't be shouting BANZAI! they'll be shouting FOR THE EMPEROR!!....which the Imperial Japanes could have been shouting too...

AlmightyWalrus wrote:

gmaleron wrote:The Space Marine recruiters are at it again and i will not stand by before another player falls from grace into a world mediocre tactics thanks to amazingly good units.

...because the Imperial Guard don't have amaizingly good units?

Oh, and bonsai is a tree, just sayin'.

We have the LRBT, the Manticore, the Valk/Vendtta, the Bisilisk, the Chimara, Vets, Commissar Yarick and Chuck Noris possing as Marbo.
What have you got?

I'm gonna say one that no one else said:

Tyranids.

Long range support- Biovores (basically artillery), and tyrannofexes...ok basically the long range support is kinda lean compared to IG, but some Biovores can certainly subsitute for Basilisks.

Infantry- Um...let me see...anything in the troop choice category. Termagants, hormagaunts, genestealers. All of these could easily swarm, and bring some serious hurt.

Cav Rush- Carnifex (though they have been nerfed, they are still plenty nasty), Hive Guard, Ymgarl, Hive Tyrant, even podding Zoanthropes. All will certainly substitute for a tank rush.

Oh course the Tyranid codex isn't as cut and paste for this play style as IG, or even SM, but they can certainly replicate it pretty closely, and are a unique army.

I think Raveners would be better suited for cav rush in the Tyranid Army

Nulipuli2 wrote:I think Raveners would be better suited for cav rush in the Tyranid Army

Your right! I also totally forgot about Mawlocs, and trygons! So many possibilities.

Im pretty sure im going with ig should i get the codex and look through it befor i start buying an army?

Yes, definitely. If you're trying to avoid spending too much money, buy the codex, write up an army list for most point values (500, 1000, 1500, 2000), and try to make sure you make it so each is an expansion on the last. This gives you the cheapest way to build up an army.

Feel free to post up your lists on dakka so we can critique them and make sure that no only will your playing with tactics you like, but you'll be winning too!

Oh, and welcome to the glorious Imperial Guard. Here's your t-shirt, flashlight, Uplifiting Primer and bodybag!

Yeah definitely get the codex. I would also start picking up some men to paint up. Just look around ebay, and find some infantry you like. The next purchase would be a battleforce. yes they are expensive up front, but the IG battleforce saves you almost $40, which is pretty nice. yeah it comes with a sentinal which isn't great, but you can always try to hawk that on ebay. With a battleforce, you have somewhere around 200-300 points of guys. That is plenty to start with.

Ribon Fox wrote:

AlmightyWalrus wrote:

gmaleron wrote:The Space Marine recruiters are at it again and i will not stand by before another player falls from grace into a world mediocre tactics thanks to amazingly good units.

...because the Imperial Guard don't have amaizingly good units?

Oh, and bonsai is a tree, just sayin'.

We have the LRBT, the Manticore, the Valk/Vendtta, the Bisilisk, the Chimara, Vets, Commissar Yarick and Chuck Noris possing as Marbo.
What have you got?

Tank hunter terminators, drop pods and land speeders. 'Tis enough for the Templars though. Still, looks like you get the long stick...

perk56 wrote:Im pretty sure im going with ig should i get the codex and look through it befor i start buying an army?

Guard Wins ! Welcome to the ranks of the Emperors true army! And Almighty Walrus you dont need to know how to spell in the Imperail Guard, just kill foul xenos!

I sent you a pm did you not get it