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I'm starting an IG army for the first time, and I'm trying to base it around lots of cheap infantry supported by barrage and tanks, but I can't seem to get it just right. Here's what I have so far, comments and criticism more than welcome!

HQ:
CCS - 100pts
-1 Heavy Flamer
-1 Grenade Launcher
-Vox Caster
-Carapace Armor

Troops:
2 Infantry Platoons - 260pts each
-Platoon Command -35pts
-Vox Caster

Infantry Squad - 55pts
-Vox Caster

Infantry Squad - 55pts
-Vox Caster

Infantry Squad - 55pts
-Vox caster

Heavy Weapons Squad - 60pts
-3xMortars

Heavy Support:
LRBT - 200pts
-Heavy Bolter
-Side sponson Plasma Cannons
-Dozer Blade

LRBT - 180pts
-Heavy Bolter
-Side sponson Heavy Bolters
-Dozer Blade

This comes to 1,000 exactly. I've never played IG before, so this is more a template to work with and hopefully bump out a decent Infantry/Barrage army. I was thinking of also removing an Infantry squad from each platoon and adding a Chimera, but I'm not that familiar with IG strategy. Any suggestions would be great, thanks!

So, first thing I see is you have two different weapons in your CCS. This is good for variety, but you really want a unit to be able to kill something no problem, consider giving them plasma (making use of their BS of 4). Second power blobs are very good, but you might want to throw in power weapons on the sergeants, and add some special weapons for each squad. While having the numbers is good, a mere human can not puncture the armor of a tank. As for the leman russ, I enjoy the Plasma Cannons but other people will probably say drop them. Also, in the HWS mortars are kinda bad, so try using autocannons, they have good Str and with 6 str 7 shots you can pop tanks and people alike. Finally, consider a little bit more powerful artillery units such as the manticore, or basilisk. Manticores eat everything...lol

The dozer blades on the tanks are useless. It's either move and fire the turret and one weapon or stay still and fire all weapons.
If you're staying still you don't need a dozer blade. Take a stubber instead.

Thanks for the input, I think I'll take both your advice. I might drop the LRBTs and take basilisks instead and use the extra points to pad out the HWSs and infantry. And I might drop the second platoon and put in a vet squad with plasma guns and camo cloaks for dedicated barrage defense. What do you guys think?

Too much stuff on your tanks, not enough on your troops. Motors and GLs are also subpar weapons.

Special weapons are the backbone of IG because they can put more on the table then most of their opponents. Matching the right special weapon to the right unit depends on BS skill. For instance, you do not want to give flamers to BS 4 troops.

Your list is also illegal, as a minimum platoon is a PCS and two PISs. I do not see a second PCS so you do not have a second troop choice.

BlkTom wrote:Too much stuff on your tanks, not enough on your troops. Motors and GLs are also subpar weapons.

Special weapons are the backbone of IG because they can put more on the table then most of their opponents. Matching the right special weapon to the right unit depends on BS skill. For instance, you do not want to give flamers to BS 4 troops.

Your list is also illegal, as a minimum platoon is a PCS and two PISs. I do not see a second PCS so you do not have a second troop choice.

on the list it says 2 identical platoons...

Mate, you need to look into Power Blobs.

Basically, you "blob" your infantry squads together, with at least one Commissar with power weapon, plus power weapons and melta bombs on the sergeants. You then have LD9, stubborn, horde of nastiness...

Lose the voxes - they are way over pointed and with the Commissar you don't really need them anyway.

As above, mortars and Grenade Launchers suck! Try and get anything with BS4 to have a plasma gun.

What role do you have in mind for your Company Command Squad? Potentially to sit back and give "fire on my target" or "bring it down" orders to the Heavy Weapon Squad, in which case it'd be better with a lascannon.

And echo the dozer blades comments - how often do you really need to drive through a forest anyway?

I'm no professional IG player, but in keeping with the spirit of the list, here's my take:

CCS: 165
4x Plasma Guns
Camo Cloaks
Master of Ordinance
Melta Bombs


2 Identical Platoons consisting of:

PCS: 45 x2 (90)
Autocannon Team

3x Infantry Squads 195 x2 (390)
-Autocannon Teams
-Grenade Launchers (often derided, but cheap and pairs well with ACs)

1x Heavy Weapon Squad (105)
-3x Lascannon

2x Basilisk Artillery Tanks (250)


Total: 1000


Thoughts: I know the Master of Ordinance is ridiculously inaccurate, but for 30pts, and with your artillery theme, I think it might fit. Your CCS can play close defense against deepstriking terminators and the like while issuing 'bring it down!' to the lascannon HWS. This is a mostly stagnant list movement-wise, and if you wanted more mobility you could drop the heavy weapons on one platoon and add plasma guns instead.

A vox network sounds better then it is. In my experience (batreps & playing) the battle never hinges on sucsessful orders being issued. The only place orders can really be critical is on hwt and they can't take voxs anyway!

I'm not sure what your vision is for you ccs. Are they running alongside the infantry advance? If so, give them 4 melta guns or 4 plasma to take advantage of the BS 4 you are paying for anyways. If you'd rather they sit back, drop the extras and give them a heavy weapon (I have found autocannons or lascannons to be best). In any case there is never really a good reason to take a heavy flamer with infantry, if you want flamers take 4 regular flamers for the same price.

Your platoons have a lot of bodies (good) but no special or heavy weapons (not so good). You currently have 300 points into units that have neither firepower, durability, or mobility. If you want your boys advancing on foot, I would suggest blobbing up into 2 30 man blobs with a commissar, and 3x melta guns. If you would rather sit back and shoot then leave the squads seperate and take grenade launchers. Also if you are going to sit back and shoot you may consider breaking up the hwt into the squads to protect them. 3 W2 T3 models with leadership 7 are not all that survivable.

Lastly your tanks. Your best bet with LRBT is to run them naked. Use the points you gained there to flesh out your special weapons.

My plan for the CCS was to be on the front firing line, I was under the impression orders would be more important, but from what you guys have said, I'll rethink the vox casters. I wanted to try to build a front line of infantry to slow push with mortar fire. I've only played Space Marines, so commanding so many units is kind of new to me. The army I'm making isn't supposed to be competitive by any means, just tactically interesting. This is also my first post here, and I really appreciate the help!

@Jamumools and BlkTom- It didn't really occur to me that taking grenade launchers and flamers with the only unit with BS4 would be a total waste haha, that's a good point. I only really took mortars because they were the cheapest, and I wanted a barrage style army. I got where I should put the barrage and firepower mixed up with the HWT and LRBT, probably gonna switch that around with Basilisks and lascannons or ACs. Thanks.

@Oedable - I like that list. I might swap out the GLs for flamers, and try to throw some power weapons in the mix too, but I think you're list is close to what I was looking for while actually being viable.

@ MarbosMiyagi - I want to have the infantry more involved than sitting back with HWTs, hopefully. CCS up front as well. What's the advantage of taking a commissar with your infantry platoons? Where exactly do commissars do what they do the best? I definitely saw more into the vox casters than it seems they're worth, that alone would free up 45pts to be put to better use doing what you said, taking meltas or plasma guns.

Thanks again for the input guys, you've been really helpful.

You dont really have much anti armor. Yeah you have 2x LRBTs, but they are only str 8 and can scatter off your target pretty easily. Also, I dont like putting anthing other than heavy bolter sponsons on any Russ besides the Executioner. If you drop those plasma cannons you leave some room for something else. You could drop a squad or 2 in addition to the cannons and get a manticore or basilisk.

The commissar confers re-rolling stubborn leadership 9. Add this to the fact that he is not an IC and can take a powerweapon, he is a must have for blobs. He can give all those benefits for 45 points to 30+ guardsmen.

I would be wary of taking a lascannon HWS. At leadership seven and toughness 3 they are pricey and not very survivable.