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.

I'm new to the game and decided to play IG. I bought a battleforce after reading up on it, so I know it's not the best to start out with. I'll be playing with friends and combining my army with someone else's. I have made a list of what I want to buy in the future. I would like to play a mech style army, and I figured tanks were the best units to use. Since this is my first attempt at an army any criticism or suggestions are welcome.

HQ

Company Command Squad

Commander with power fist and bolt pistol
Regimental Standard
Meltagun x3

112 Points

Troops

2 Infantry Squads

Each squad will have

Sergeant with bolt pistol and power fist
Guardsman with plasma gun

Heavy Weapons Squad

Lascannon
Missile launcher x2

249 Points

Fast Attack

Armoured Sentinel Squadron

Each will have a Plasma Cannon

225 Points

Heavy Support

Leman Russ Squadron x2

Battle Tank
Lascannon
Sponsons with multi-meltas

Battle Tank
Lascannon
Sponsons with multi-meltas

Punisher
Lascannon
Sponsons with heavy bolters
Hunter killer missile

1230 Points

Knight Commander Pask

50 points



Adds up to 1866 points. As stated before this is my first attempt at an army. It might be terrible, so any suggestions are welcome. I didn't think I needed chimeras because of the low amount of ground troops. I figured that the small ground army I get from my battleforce could provide some force at the front lines while my tanks stay bank and blast things away. One thing I thought might work better was taking out the armoured sentinel squadron and adding some more forces to make an infantry platoon.

Since your new, did you know, you can't have Infantry sqauds and Heavy weapons in your list with out having a Platoon comand in it. These are called Infantry Platoon and they compose of (mandatory)1 PCS, (must have minium of 2 sqauds)2-5 Infanty, 0-5 heavy weapons teams, 0-2 special weapons teams, and 0-1 conscripts. The thing about Platoons are that they only cost one troop choice in you army.

Oh, I didn't think it was required to have an infantry platoon. Could i just turn my CCS into a PCS or do I have to have a CCS?

Anyway, my recomandations are that you drop the armoured walkers, they are exspensive (more then a tank!) for what they do. Scout walkers are better but some people don't like them. If you are taking the punisher, then you must put Pask into it; it is very deadly combo. Multi-meltas on tanks are NOT favorable for me because that would mean you would have to get very close to the enemy, use the 72" range and replace with bolters. I would do some other things different based on my prefernce, but i think it is important for you to learn what works for you and use what YOU think is more suitable. The things I pointed out, are things i would change first, before you go out buying exspenive things that won't help you. Good luck out there.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Yes, you have to have a CCS, because it is the best HQ choice there is, and one is mandatory.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
One HQ choice i mean


Automatically Appended Next Post:
But your right, you don't have to use Platoons. the only other choice though are penal legions and vetern sqauds though

A CCS is an HQ choice. An Infantry platoon is a troop choice. It requires a minimum of 1 pcs and 2 IS for it to be legal. Also I would recommend not mixing heavy weapons, keep HWS all the same, 3xLC or 3xML. I wouldn't take the sentinels. It seems like your list is going everywhere, decide whether or not you want a blob, mech etc list and go from there.

Also infantry sergeants cannot have power fists.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/wiki/en/5th_Edition_Imperial_Guard_Codex_HQ_Review_%28Polonius%29

Read that.

Could I just use my 2 infantry squads as veteran squads until I get a PCS? And I will probably end up using the sentinel as a scout sentinel since I get it with the battleforce, and take it out later on if i have to.

If you do not own the figs, get a base rule book and get the codex. You really will want both so you do not make mistakes like the first list, specially if your buying figs based off of the list. Read the rules concerning your units, rules, and equipment.

With that aside, look up on YouTube how to magnetize your vehicles, this way you will have /alot/ more versatility. Alot of people will tell you not to put sponsons on your Russes. Read the Lumbering Behemoth rule, the Ordnance rule, and the moving and shooting rules. To dumb it down, you can only shoot 1 weapon and the turret if you move. Thus you will have these sponsons and will not be able to fire them since they count as two weapons.

Get a PCS, maybe even two. Get a couple of Commissars and about 25 more troops. To be honest, if your going to use heavy weapon squads, you want to use infantry platoons. Vet squads and the CCS can have heavy weapons. So you can have 2 squads with a ML and the CCS with a Lascannon as their heavy weapon selection. Vets also get 3 special weapon slots, and you want to fill every special weapon slot you have. You could turn those two infantry squads into Vet squads with 3 plasmaguns and a missile launcher with the Sergeant kitted out like he is... just give them Sentries and plant them in cover to camp an objective... they would not be bad at all in this role.

As for equipment, Guard are not very good in melee combat due to a lack-luster statline and no armor. You either accept that fact and use multiple waves of men or you read up on the Blob rules for platoon infantry squads (and only platoon infantry squads). With blob rules, you can combine 2-5 infantry squads from a single platoon to form one giant unit. People add in Commissars (at least one) to make the unit Stubborn and to add in a power weapon and then give all the sergeants power weapons. The goal is to get the power weapons in base contact or within 2" of one of your guys in base contact to get a bunch of swings with these power weapons (which ignore armor). The other 18-45 guys (barring special weapon and heavy weapon purchases) are there to soak casualties. These squads can't use power fists, only Vet sergeants can use power fists.

Pask is fine, but you need to choose which tank he goes in, because only that tank gets his bonuses. Some people like him, some hate him.