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I started an Imperial Guard army for a few reasons. One of which I really enjoy moving infantry around the table a lot more than I enjoy moving tanks. The other reason is that I really enjoy the aethetic of the vostroyan first born. I've painted 3 off them (ooo man) and plan on painting each on individually (after all they are all some mothers son) I'm not totally opposed to tanks, and I do want to back up my forces with a healthy amount of artillery. This is the 2000 point list I am thinking about getting, a lot of the choices are based on my experience with my small 600 point force that I'm messing around with. I would like to hear what some of the guard gorus have to say about this list, and point out any errors in my theory craft below! thanks a bunch, I really don't know guard like I do my elves... <3

if you are curious, these are the models I own currently, most of this came from a 150 dollar ebay purchase, a few were ordered from the old flgs to fill out the list to 600 points


Here is the list I am thinking of building up to over time.

HQ:
[140] company command squad- las cannon, 2 sniper rifles, Master of Ordinance, Officer of the Fleet
[90] Lord Commissar- cameo cloak, plasma pistol

Troop 1:
[135] platoon command squad- commissar, 2 power fists, medic, 2 grenade launchers
-------
[140] infantry squad- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
[95] infantry squad- power weapon, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
-------
[140] infantry squad- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
[95] infantry squad- power weapon, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
-------
Troop 2:
[60] platoon command squad- plasma pistol, 4 flamers
---------
[135] infantry squad- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, grenade launcher, las cannon
[90] infantry squad- power weapon, melta bombs, grenade launcher, las cannon
[90] infantry squad- power weapon, melta bombs, grenade launcher, las cannon
---------
[75] hws- 3 auto cannons
[75] hws- 3 auto cannons

Fast Attack:
[130] Vendetta

Heavy Support:
[190] Leman Russ- Heavy Bolter, Heavy Bolter Sponsons, Cameo Netting
[150] 2 Griffons
[160] Manticore

total: 1990


Anyway, here is some reasoning behind my choices.
- The first glaring issue is that my first platoon command squad is horrendously inefficient. That said it is absolutely hilarious and the fist commissar and the Vostroyan medic model have a lot of character, it would be a shame not to use them. Same with the Snipers in the Company Command Squad. The Vostroyan Sniper models are positively stunning and i definitely want to field them. What better place than the ccs which has bs4 and will be staying put and issuing orders anyway. If I can avoid it I'd like to keep these for aethetic purposes, I'm open to pretty much any other suggestions as long as they don't involve playing mech vets (which would defeat the entire purpose in me starting guard)

- I put a plasma pistol on the Lord Commissar because otherwise I would feel like I'm wasting his bs5. Hes mainly there to provide a bit of improved leadership, but with only 2 hws I'm not sure if hes needed. 90 points to give a blob stealth though is nothing to scoff at however. So he may be worth it just for that. Plus I have a thing for the Commissariat, but who doesn't ?

- the flamer pcs is going to go in the vendetta. I realize that it doesn't have much target saturation but I took it for a few reasons. One of which is its alpha striking capabilities and the fact that it has a searchlight. In my mind if I can get an important enemy target lite up with searchlights on the first turn in dawn of war or against newcrons, then I'm in business, and if I can fire nuke something at the same time all the better. I have a plasma pistol on him because I already have the model and went through the trouble of converting his power sword into a chain sword (blade swap with a spare chain blade I had from a commissar model who was using the power sword)

- I like the look of the 2 griffons more than a second manticore. I pay 10 less points, get 2 shots per turn, and improved accuracy. The downside of course is that forgeworld Griffons are expensive and I doubt I'd be able to convert them from bassilisks or something similar and still have them look acceptable. Such is life, the forgeworld griffons do look really good too.

- heavy weapons are in all of my blobs because I find they are more reliable there. Whenever I put a hws on the table they get obliterated really quickly, and since it doesn't have any ablative wounds, its a huge pain when my fire power evaporates. The blobs can stay put for the first few turns anyway to help with improved fire power.

-the leman russ has cameo netting because I want it to be difficult to remove through shooting. I'm not too concerned with folks getting into close combat with it, or deep striking behind it, because they'll have to chew through nearly 70 guardsmen flooding my deployment zone before they get the chance. The idea is to stick it in cover somewhere with good line of sight to my enemy, then surround it with a swath of vossies who should prevent units from getting into melta / assault range. Forcing the opponent to deal with av14 with a 3+ cover save is lulzy to me. Same general idea applies to the artillery. You can't get to em by outflank or coming in on my board edge if all your entry points have guardsmen on it! Anyway forcing Snikrot Kommandos and Wolf Scouts to assault into a power blob is a lot better then letting them hit artillery.

- I have 10 points left over and I'm not sure what to do with em. HB sponsons on the Vendetta seems like a poor choice because that tank is most certainly going to die fast, 10 points for a heavy stubber on the russ seems like a bad deal. I could drop a grenade launcher from somewhere and pick up a body guard for the ccs to give them a little bit more durability. Overall I'm not really sure what to do with that last 10 points.

Interested to see what people have to say about this army!

I wouldn't want a Commissar killing my PCS officer.
Or give either a PF.
I'd lose the PFs, MoO, PCS Medic, LC's PP and PIS GL's.
Personally i think the Snipers are a waste as well.
Don't like the GLs with the Lascannons. Plasma is the best match, but sucks in PIS.
I'd suggest a second Vendetta, at least. 1 (or 2)will not last long @ 2000 points.
My last thought, 2 Hydras will give you more than 2 Griffons.
as always, IMHO.

Heh... you know your weaknesses and you already covered what I would say.

That being said, I am not sold on the LRBT. Know why? Because I think your taking the wrong type! Yup, I am going to run with your idea and I am going to suggest a Exterminator or a Punisher. Heck, the Exterminator is the same cost even... Hell, throw Pask in there too! Now you will have a dedicated anti-infantry vehicle there will tear up hoards, light AV (Exterminator), and MCs with the best of them. Dude, if your gonna do it, go all the way...

I actually really like throwing a AC and two Sniper Rifles in a PCS as a dedicated MC hunting unit in larger games. Worse comes to worse, they can fire on transports (got the same chance as a GL due to the rend) and troops (better than the GL due to the rend and near auto-wound).

Take you PF Commissar and make him your Lord Commissar. Give him a Camo Cloak and a Plasma pistol and he can give your wwhole blob 3+ cover saves. Heck, keep the reg Commissar in it, since he will never be exicuted at least. Then just keep your HWSs within 6" of him... off-hand, I am now not sure if they only need to be within 6" of the blob or him... look it up and make sure.

But this means you don't have to do the silliness of a Commissar in a PCS.

As for your medic, throw him in your CCS... the CCS is more valuable anyways due to 'Bring it Down!' and since your rocking the Generic Commander with the 12" Order Range, throw a Regimental Standard in there to boot. Totally leave the LC in there. If you have seen enough of my posts, then I will just make my obigitory 'insert Creed here' referance and walk away.

I also hate GLs, and say upgrade them to melta guns.

To help pay for stuff, I say three 20 man blobs should be plenty. I /would/ like to see a second Vendetta in your list. You can then make both PCSs the same and each ride one, but that is up to you.

Good luck either way!

hmmm, I see what you are saying,

A Pask Punisher has always interested me ever since I saw what it was, but then again i'm sure that has happend to a lot of people. Of course I would be running a model costing 270 points when you factor in the 30 point premium for the Gatling gun, the sponsons and camo, and pask himself... That said 29 s6 shots against vehicles at bs4 is incredibly hxcore. Anyway here is a second hypothetical list taking into account these suggestions

ccs- las cannon, medic, camo, MoO, OotF
Lord Commissar- Power Fist, Camo

pcs- plasma pistol, 4 flamers

is- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
is- power weapon, melta bombs, melta gun, law cannon

is- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, melta gun, las cannon
is- power weapon, melta bombs, melta gun, law cannon

pcs- 4 flamers

is- commissar, 2 power weapons, melta bombs, sniper rifle, las cannon
is- power weapon, melta bombs, sniper rifle, law cannon

hws- 3 auto cannons
hws- 3 auto cannons

Vendetta
Vendetta

Punisher- Pask, HB Sponsons, Camo
Griffon
Manticore

Trades a Griffon and an Infantry squad, as well as the hilarious lolfist squad, picks up another Vendetta, and a bit more streamlined. I threw on Camo for the CCS and moved the medic over there, this seems like a good idea just to give them even more survivability, as you did say they are rather important since I need them for orders

Punisher still looks weird, 270 points is a lot, more than any land raider variant! It also loses a Griffin :(

Yeah, I kinda hate to see you lose a Griffon too, but I think your list looks a heck of alot more streamlined.

Tell you what... if you drop Pask and the Punisher down to a Exterminator (think of it as a super hydra), you can get that second Griffon and 5pts extra.

On the other hand, if your worried about the RL model cost, you /could/ make that last Griffon a Hydra or a 3rd AC HWS.

I say play test it as a Punisher, Exterminator, and with and without Pask... the problem is getting a consistant test against the same enemy with all 4. Got a buddy you can play against to test it out? Worse comes to worse, math hammer it out.

But yeah, I am sure most people go '270pts!?! I could get 2 Valkyries with MRPs for that!', and that /is/ a valid point. That /could/ be another Manticore and a second Griffon. But I think your experienced enough to run a Punisher or Exterminator and camp it out to tear up troops and make sure it is hard to take out. It honestly might last longer being AV 14 and getting cover saves with a blob protecting it and that /is/ the goal after all... but yeah, in a serious game, I would be scared to play it too!

Send me a message if you play test it to let me know how it worked out for you... test it out, then run a 5th game with the 2nd Manticore and Griffon and see what list works better.