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.

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/399641.page

So the above battle report was for my IG at 1000 pts. It was a 1v1v1 with tau and dark eldar. Granted a 3 man free for all is very different than a one on one, I think it pointed out very well the pros and cons of my force. So as not to repeat myself, I summarized my thoughts there and then linked to here as I'm planning on taking a similar army to my first small tourney at the gaming store we played that game at. I think they'll be another mech guard player, the tau and dark eldar might also be there and I think the rest are chaos marines, space marines and space wolves, but there might be others so I want a very all commers list for fluff, versitility and entertainment. I think I've got the baseline down, but I'm wondering about fine tuning.

I'm thinking:

HQ:

CCS: 70
>lascannon

Troops

Platoon1
PCS:50
>lascannon
Infantry Squad 1 :70
>lascannon
Infantry Squad 2 :70
>lascannon
Infantry Squad 3 :60
>autocannon
Infantry Squad 4 :60
>autocannon

Platoon 2
PCS:125
>4xMelta, Chimera w/Heavy flamer
Infantry Squad 1 :120
>Flamer, Power weapon, Chimera w/Heavy Bolter
Infantry Squad 2 :120
>Flamer, Power weapon, Chimera w/Heavy Bolter

Veteran Squad :170
>3xPlasma Guns, Chimera w/Heavy Flamer

Heavy Support

Leman Russ Battle Tank :205
>lascannon, plasma sponsons

Leman Russ Exterminator :170
>heavy bolter, heavy bolter sponsons

Leman Russ Demolisher :210
>lascannon, multimelta sponsons


General battle plans:

Platoon 2, the veterans and the demolisher head towards either the most strategically important area of the table, or right at the heart of the enemies forces firing on the biggest things first. Platoon 1, the HQ and the two other tanks pour fire into the enemies armour and transports if possible, anything else if not. The general idea is to acheive armour superiority through weight of fire and using the chimeras as alternative targets, since at the very least they'll get my primary objective takers closer, faster. They'll either move full and pop smoke, or move at 6 and take pot shots with the hull mounted guns. The transported troops will force them to be targets and the acompanying demolisher can fire at anything big with the lascannon until it gets close enough. Once it gets into range it just sits there until there is nothing big within 24 inches. The 4 lascannons and 2 autocannons aim for tanks/transports to cripple the enemy's mobility striking power, and any time there isn't a target of oportunity, they can advance to get better firing lanes or to try to help take objectives. The Plasma Russ targets heavy troops, large groups or vehicles, advancing to better positions if nothing is withing 36" plasma cannon range. The Third Russ, the Heavy bolter one is the odd man out. I added it because I want another tank and with nice, cheap heavy bolters, it can put out a pretty decent amout of fire at infantry and light to medium vehicles makes it a threat to many things, expecially in my mind at least, monsterous creatures. It just troubleshoots as nessissary, probably in the most vulnerable position of my line to draw fire and make itself usefull.

Question:
Since the third leman russ was added in last, am I right to feel I need three tanks? Would I be better served replacing it with a manticore, or with 3 addition chimeras? Or I could add a hellhound and a Flamer SWS for platoon 2 for 10 points more. Since I found myself unable to advance very far in the 3 man free for all, I made sure to include 4 chimeras in my army this time, but without them and the veterans I can add another autocannon squad to platoon 1, along with 2 SWS and have platoon 2 be a PCS and 4 squads along with 2 SWS as well. So really, I'm just wondering if these three tanks reach my goal of usefull overkill, or would extra chimeras be more usefull? Do I even need mounted troops or can I make it with a much slower hoard of men, or will most armies simply outmaneuver me or dig in before I reach them?

Your infantry squads need to be blobbed with a commissar so they don't run away. I'm personally not a fan of static gunline infantry squads, but if you're going to do it, you'll need that stubborn Ld9 to stick around.

Don't mix special weapons. Take either 4x melta or 4x Gl, not two of each.

I also don't like sponsons on my russes, but they're not terrible here.

So... how are you getting Multi-meltas on those Chimeras?

You do understand your sponson fire arcs on your LRBTs? And that it is pretty hard to actually get both sponsons to fire on a target. Also due to Lumbering Behemoth special rule, you can only fire 1 weapon and the turret weapon (plus defensive weapons like heavy stubbers and storm bolters) when you move.

To be frank, empty special weapon slots make me weep, as special weapons are the back bone of the IG.

To repeat: Don't mix weapons.

I think your going to have a very interesting time dealing with power armor. Look at every weapon you have...see how many are AP 3 or less. Then prepare for those marines to roll 3+ on their armor save, hit with what ever they are shooting at with BS 4, and kill everything they do hit since they do not have a weapon that is less than Str 4.

I think this will be a good learning experience for you. I think you will have a better idea of morale and weapon selections.

I liked your last battle report. Give us another! Pictures would be great.

Thanks for pointing that out BlkTom!!! I was mixing up the options for the hellhounds and chimeras. That frees up 30 points so I can spend 10 on changing the grenade launchers to meltas in the PCS. I edited in power weapons in my mounted platoon squads and the PCS has 4 meltas now. Yes, I also get the sponson arcs, but after my last game where my plasma russ had the turret knowcked off it was still a game changer because of the sponsons, wiping out the last tau troops choice attacking me, so I definately want to have them. Otherwise I'm worried that with a weapon destroyed result my tanks will become roving lascannons only. :(

As for power armour... I'm hoping that weight of fire will be the key along with a few clutch lascannon shots. I could drop platoon 2 and make them veterans, but then I have more veteran squads then platoons (as well as one less chimera) and that doesn't feel right. That's also why my main goal, first and formost will be to knock out rhinos. Even marines can drop to lasguns if there's a) enough lasguns and b) they're footslogging it to my lines for 2 or 3 turns (or at least I hope that'll work).

Sadly the last 2 gaming get togethers were cancelled due to work conflicts, but for sure I'm doing the tourney. It should be at least 3 games so I'll try to make sure I take some pics so I can do a report of the tourney and we'll see if my lack of ap 3 weapons cripples me. I just don't see the guard as an all veteran army with plasma guns. I'm sure that out of the billions of men fighting on a planet there are units and small forces like that (which are well represented by other IG armies), but some of us have to be the regular grunts.

I have done FRF, SRF to generate 50+ lasgun shots on a marine unit and killed 3 guys. I am not saying go all Vet, but a melta gun or two shot in there /will/ kill a marine if hit, so I suggest packing them... much less vehicles, drop pod dreads or DSing Terminators.

Don't put power weapons on the troops in the Chimeras, it is better off in a blob where you have enough las guns to work as ablative wounds to soak damage and keep them swinging. This is also why a Commissar is key for a properly kitted out blob. Do not underestimate Stubborn or the increase of Ld to 9.

here is an example of a attacking 20 man blob with a proper kit...

PIS - 120pts
Commissar, 2x Power weapons, Melta gun, Melta bomb

PIS - 75pts
Power weapon, Melta gun, Melta bomb

Defensive blob I would add in two ACs.

People will talk about weapon synergy and say that GLs or plasma work better when ACs are added, but I counter that with the fact that meltas mean DSing, Drop pods, or Outflanking vehicles/walkers will be wary of the blob and you now have a weapon that can effectivily deal with them vs the GL. The plasmas have difficulty against walkers and higher AV vehicles, so I prefer the Melta as a defensive weapon. Plus you can shoot them and still charge, unlike rapid fire weapons like the plasma or lasguns.
The Melta bombs are a last resort defensive weapon against walkers that your Str 3 power weapons can't hurt. You still have a hole that if a high Toughness (7+)Monsterous Creatures gets in Close Combat with your blob you really have nothing that can hurt it. Your only defence against a foe like that is to shoot the holy living hell out of it before it can get into CC with your blob.

If you run Orders and feel you can issue 4+ Orders a turn, consider Creed. 'Bring it Down!' and Creed's special Order 'For Cadia!' can really make your special weapons and heavy weapons effective, specially heavy weapon squads.

Good luck...