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Hey guys I'm bran new to warhammer 40k and this is my first army (and it probably sucks hehe). I just really needed some direction on where to go because I am so new I almost have no idea where to start so please forgive my noobness and I'm sure i messed up a lot of things (not on purpose!)

* HQ (75)
Vox-caster, Lascannon

* Platoon command squad (50)
Vox-Caster, Plasma Gun

* Infantry Squad (55)
Flamer

* Infantry Squad (50)

*Platoon command squad (35)
Vox-Caster

* Infantry Squad (55)
Flamer

*Infantry Squad (50)

* Veteran Squad (125)
Flamer, Grenade launcher, Carapace armor

* Chimera (55)

* Leman Russ Battle Tank (205)
Lascannon, Plasma cannons

* Lemon Russ Executioner (245)
Lascannon, Plasma cannons

Again I am new so I'm sorry if I didn't make this right! Thanks for the help!

the list is okay as a casual one, but some of your weapon options are a little odd.

voxes are not really worth it, as your deployment should leave you in range to deliver orders.

for the command squads (company and platoon) go with multiple weapon options. lascannon and autocannon are both good, as are multiple (2-4) flamers, meltas, or plasma. Don't be afraid to put multiple special weapons in these squads, it's what can make them very effective.

Infantry squads like autocannon, it gives them a bit of long range firepower for the first couple of turns. Most of the special weapons are not that great on them.

Drop the veteran squad. 1 chimera squad on its own will not last long, you want at least 3 chimeras to get some of them through. Vet squads like 3xmelta or 3xplasma.

For the normal russ keep it cheap, maybe with a hull lascannon and heavy bolter sponsons, the other sponsons are not worth it for that tank.

The lascannon is not amazing on the executioner, but the plasma sponsons are the perfect fit for it.

As I said the basics of it makes a decent list, just the special and heavy weapon loadouts need tweaking.

hope this is useful.

I congratulate you on assembling a legal platoon, something that not all new guard players get right.

Vox casters only work if both the unit issuing the order and the unit receiving it have one. Giving them to just the command squads and nothing else isn't completely ineffective but it's highly questionable. If you're new to this and have no particular plan for what you're going to do with orders it'd be reasonable to drop the voxes entirely.

The squads are mostly underarmed. Infantry squads aren't terribly useful without at least one upgrade weapon of some sort and one of the major perks of command and veteran squads is the ability to mass special weapons. Exactly what weapons to pick out depends on what you're trying to do.

The battle tanks look overloaded. It's a lot of points to invest in things that can get destroyed or suppressed in a single shot. You're spending nearly half your points on two models and that is worrisome.

I find it useful to keep all your sqauds with the same loadout, it really depends on what your enemy is. A flamer for all your squads isn't bad if your facing a horde army, or someone who's not very good in close combat. My personal favorite combo is a plasma rifle with a missile launcher.

Vets are another favorite of mine, you usually want to give them a single purpose. Say, 3 snipers and an autocannon and you have a powerful long range support squad, or 3 meltas and demolitions with shotguns and your brutal in close combat.

And I agree with everyone else, your tanks or heavily overloaded. I'd go with a leman russ with just the las and heavy bolters, the executioner with just the plasma cannons and a heavy bolter.

My suggestion would be, make your command squads your counter assult squads, give them meltas or flamers. Your squads I'd arm with something like a grenade launcher and missile launcher, then how ever you loadout your vets, Harker is a good one to add to them, because he gives them stealth, infultrate and a heavy bolter he can assault with.

I hope that helps!

-LoS

Yikes... to the list and some of the advice.

voxes are not really worth it, as your deployment should leave you in range to deliver orders.

Voxs do NOT increase Order range. They allow a re-roll of a failed Order if the unit giving and recieving has one. You can give Orders to yourself (for CCS,PCS, Bastonne) and you would be allowed a re-roll if you failed your Leadership test. Dank, please carefully read the Order rules in the IG Codex, pg 29. Are voxs worth it? Maybe, if you have the points for them or you have empty slots for them in your command squads.... and that should be rare.

Balistic Skill (BS) 3 troops hit 50% of the time, BS 4 troops hit 66% of the time. Do not give expensive special weapons and heavy weapons to BS 3 troops that you /need/ to hit with.Give that to the better troops that can hit with them more often. I would never put a single plasma gun in a BS 3 unit. If you decide to go this route anyways, such as go Heavy Weapon Squads (HWSs), it is fine due to mass volley of shots... 3 Lascannon (LC) shots from a HWS at BS 3 means 1.5 of them should hit. It breaks down the same with special weapons too.

The backbone of a Guard list is the number of special weapons you can field. Empty special weapon slots make me weep for the children and give away your advantage of playing Guard. Even a crappy Grenade Launcher (GL) is better than nothing. I would top out with Melta guns on BS 3 troops, as they effect everything (except Eldar Avatar) and at Str 8, Assault, AP 2 and a extra d6 against vehicles for armor penetration in 6" make it the best all around weapon you can have. Flamers are also good because they do not need to hit... anything you cover with the template is effected, but they are not very strong and are AP 5, so alot of things get their armor save against it... well, power armor at least. I would either go Plasma or Melta guns on BS 4 troops. As for GLs and Sniper Rifles... in low point games, the GLs are useful, even if their effectivness is questionable. They are still Assault and have a good range (36"). Sniper Rifles have the Rending rule, so if you roll a 6 to Wound, you ignore armor. They wound anyway on a 4+ (no matter the Toughness of the target) and the Rending rule means that if you roll a 6 on the D6 to penetrate a Vehicle, you get an extra d3. Against vehicles, Sniper Rifles are a base Str 3, as per the base rule book (pg 31). This means they have a chance to glance AV 12 vehicles. They are Heavy though, so they are static and can't move and fire. I feel they pair well with ACs in a PCS (2x Sniper Rifles and a AC) to make a good MC killing unit that can fire on light vehicles and then troops last. SRs can also force Pinning checks, but don't count on this, think of it as frosting on the cake.

Heavy Weapons... there are only two (2) good choices. The rest are fluff picks. Autocannon (AC) and Lascannon. Lascannon is Str 9... this is your best vehicle killer in the game at long range, well second best next to the Vanquisher LRBT. At AP 1, it ignores all infantry armor saves to boot, but you do not waste shots with this weapon on Infantry unless you have no better targets. The highest Armor Value (AV) in the game is AV 14, and you roll a d6 + the Strength of the weapon. Glancing the vehicle means you equal the AV, to penetrate you have to have a total greater. You use the LC for all vehicles that are AV 12 or higher.
The AC is Str 7 and gets two shots. It's AP 4 value against troops is not great, allowing basic Marines their power armor save, but that is it's only drawback. It is cheap at 10pts, can take out AV 12 or less vehicles and with the second shot, that BS 3 trooper have effectivily a 75% chance to hit with atleast one shot. This versitility means if there are no light AV vehicles (usally transports) on the board, you have an effective anti-infantry weapon that has a damn good chance to wound anything it hits, unlike the other dedicated anti-infantry weapons. If you compare that to the Missile Launcher (ML), for instance, you will see that the ML ends up firing on the same vehicles because it is only Str 8 krak and kills about the same number of infantry due to the Str 4 frag... but with a single shot and for 5pts more. Oh, and since the Frag is a blast marker weapon, your ability to hit is lowered to 33% because your now using the scatter dice to hit.
This is were Orders like 'Bring it Down!' can be very effective if both the CCS and unit with the heavy weapon can see the legal target (Monsterous Creature or Vehicle) to make all weapons Twin Linked... you re-roll all missed shots.

Your tanks... look at the points alone.. the enemy destroys them turn 1 (which is very possible BTW) and what do you have left? Nothing... your best unit is your CCS with the LC. A LRBT that doesn't move is a dead LRBT. To fire more than a single weapon plus the Turret weapon (as per the 'Lumbering Behemoth' rule) you can't move. Even though you pay for the sponsons once and you can't mix or match, each weapon is a seperate weapon (for the above rule and for weapon destroyed results). LRBTs that fire blast marker weapons now only hit 33% of the time due to using the scatter dice with that weapon. Your also not able to split your fire... so if you have a hull Lascannon (at BS 3? Really?) and you fire at another LRBT (head to head), none of your other weapons are really going to do squat and jack against that AV 14, so they are wasted points.
When you read the ordnance rules, combined with the scatter dice to hit, you will understand why all LRBTs (except the Vanquisher) are anti-infantry vehicles. The Vanquisher, as BS 3, is just to damn unreliable for the points your spending on it. And no... you can not give Orders to Vehicles or units inside Vehicles.

read the 'Combined Squad' rule for the Platoon Infantry Squads (PISs) and look at combining them. Buy a Commissar, power weapons and melta bombs for all who can get them and get Melta guns or Flamers and decide if they are attacking or camping. If they are camping, look at adding in ACs.

For your Vets, you can make an effective (if expensive) fire base/team out of them with 3x Plasma guns, a LC for long range AT duty and Forward Sentries to give them 3+ cover saves (the only thing that ignores cover saves are flamer templates, because Cover saves are not armor saves). If your sitting /inside/ a woods, you can even use the Cover save for 'Gets Hot!' checks.

Good luck and welcome to Guard. Die well.

Wow, biktom, that was an amazing introduction for the new guy, good job.

To the op , think about whether you would like to go in with lot's of transports, or go in with lot's of infantry. The transports idea is generally used with veterans and plasma guns or melta guns. The foot army is using platoons and alot of infantry and heavy weapons. I personally like hybrids as I get bored with foot guard as it is just point and click. Hybrids are harder lists to make and I'm not the best at them but know the basics. WHatever you do take one path, take biktom's advice(one of the few people who know what they're talking about) and have fun with the army.

Wow thanks guys for all responses! Once thing I would like to clear up is that I believe the Lumbering Behemoth rule allows me to fire all my weapons if I moved at combat speed (pg 48) maybe I'm reading it wrong? But I clearly have my work cut out for me and would like to thank everyone (especially biktom) for their input and the time they took to help me a noob couldn't ask for more! I will work to improve this list and re-post and see if I'm learning or just getting dumber thanks again everyone!

Bik Tom nailed it. If you're parked with the LR Executioner it's good, but I bet my money it will be target number one. The benefit to the aditional SS plasma cannons is that it won't lose it's effectiveness with a weapon destroyed roll. Go with a scaled down LRBT with the other one so you'll still have an effective long range BT incase you lose the other. I highly second the other posts to be careful of the BS3. I love the flamer in my troop choices for this. Maybe load out the PCS with 3 or 4 flamers, this makes a great counter-attack force. Get rid of the voxs unless everyone has one and appropriate weapons that will be effective.

Not too bad for your first go.

BlkTom wrote:Yikes... to the list and some of the advice.

1. I would top out with Melta guns on BS 3 troops, as they effect everything (except Eldar Avatar) and at Str 8, Assault, AP 2 and a extra d6 against vehicles for armor penetration in 6" make it the best all around weapon you can have.

2. As for GLs and Sniper Rifles... in low point games, the GLs are useful, even if their effectivness is questionable. They are still Assault and have a good range (36"). Sniper Rifles

3. Heavy Weapons... there are only two (2) good choices. The rest are fluff picks. Autocannon (AC) and Lascannon. Lascannon is Str 9... this is your best vehicle killer in the game at long range, well second best next to the Vanquisher LRBT. At AP 1, it ignores all infantry armor saves to boot, but you do not waste shots with this weapon on Infantry unless you have no better targets. The highest Armor Value (AV) in the game is AV 14, and you roll a d6 + the Strength of the weapon. Glancing the vehicle means you equal the AV, to penetrate you have to have a total greater. You use the LC for all vehicles that are AV 12 or higher.

Good luck and welcome to Guard. Die well.

Not trying to be a jerk, just pointing out a few little mistakes you had in your advice for the new guy so he knows. The typos are bolded so they're easier to see. Everything else he said is great advice and I would deffinitely listen to it.

1. Melta guns are AP 1, not 2. This makes them awesome. You will love melta guns. They are your friends. Just make sure you have a way to get close or else they won't do much. If you ever need a ton of them or Plasmas you can order them here for much cheaper than bitz sellers will give them to you. http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1400031

2. GL's have a range of 24" for both krak and frag grenades. I think you accidentally mixed up the range with the SR, or just worded it weird. Sniper Rifles are the only IG special weapon that has a 36" range.

3. Lascannons have AP 2, not AP 1. That said, its still the best Anti tank HW guard infantry can use, so that doesn't change much. Make sure you use Bring it down as much as possible, because once you learn of the awesomeness that is IG accuracy, you'll really want that twin linked.

Now for advice I would offer you if you're going to be using a lot of infantry and orders:

1: Remember that all orders are given during the Shooting phase, and remember that you MUST give all orders before you commence normal shooting. If you shoot with say your LRBT before you issue any orders, well, you're screwed, and now you can't issue any orders that turn.

2: Make sure you use orders as often as you can, and make sure you familiarize yourself with all of them, as well as who can issue what. For example, PCS cannot issue Bring it down, only Al'rahem (a special PCS character) Bastonne (a vet squad special character sgt), and CCS can. Read the rulebook a few times and it'll be pretty easy to remember who gets what. CCS gets all orders, while PCS only get the more basic orders with FRFSRF, Move! Move! Move!, and Incoming!.

3: Orders are given in order of chain of command, I.E. CCS, then PCS, then Sgt. Bastonne (if you use him) So for example, you can't issue your PCS order first, then your CCS orders second.

4: If for example a CCS ordered his own unit to use Bring it Down!, then he can't issue any more orders that turn. Make sure you remember this, as I've screwed myself over several times over by forgetting this.

5: Remember that when you do a LD check for the unit that gets the order, they take it on their LD, so if you ordered a blob with a commissar and 3 sgt's to FRFSRF, you take the order based on the Commissar's LD (9) instead of the Sgt's (8) This makes orders a heck of a lot more powerful.

I would just like to add that platoons really come into their own in the power blob configuration.

2-4 squads, special weapons in each and a power weapon on each Sargent. Possibly melta bombs and/or a heavy weapon too if thats your thing.

Then you attach a commissar to one of the squads with a power weapon.

What you get is a big block of troops, who pass order and leadership on 9, are stubborn, and can beat most opponents in close combat in a war of attrition. Worth every point.

Just watch out for orc boyz and purifiers...

Or you can even add Straken to your CCS and keep it within 12" of your power blob, giving it counter-attack and furious charge on top of stubborn, and Straken can help your blob if anyone is foolish enough to assault it.
I've also taken to dishing out the extra points for a lord commissar attached to the power blob, as it gives stubborn and aura of discipline to nearby units, so you get leadership 10 and an extra power weapon. I have used a regular commissar, but was unlucky to roll a 10 twice for a morale test which knocked my power blob out of the game. So never again! Now I run a LC for the extra assurance. It makes the power blob virtually unbreakable.

MrMoustaffa wrote:

Not trying to be a jerk, just pointing out a few little mistakes you had in your advice for the new guy so he knows. The typos are bolded so they're easier to see. Everything else he said is great advice and I would deffinitely listen to it.

1. Melta guns are AP 1, not 2. This makes them awesome. You will love melta guns. They are your friends. Just make sure you have a way to get close or else they won't do much. If you ever need a ton of them or Plasmas you can order them here for much cheaper than bitz sellers will give them to you. http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440277a&prodId=prod1400031

2. GL's have a range of 24" for both krak and frag grenades. I think you accidentally mixed up the range with the SR, or just worded it weird. Sniper Rifles are the only IG special weapon that has a 36" range.

3. Lascannons have AP 2, not AP 1. That said, its still the best Anti tank HW guard infantry can use, so that doesn't change much. Make sure you use Bring it down as much as possible, because once you learn of the awesomeness that is IG accuracy, you'll really want that twin linked.

NP MrMoustaffa... AP 2 or less is the important thing. And GLs sucked more than I realised, because I thought they were 36". Thank you for the corrections.

Once thing I would like to clear up is that I believe the Lumbering Behemoth rule allows me to fire all my weapons if I moved at combat speed (pg 48) maybe I'm reading it wrong?

Seems confusing... but you have to go through the rule book to figure out why they worded it as they did. I will start out by typing out the core bit of the rule...

A LR that moved at combat speed or remains stationary can fire it's turret weapon in addition to any other weapons it is usually allowed to fire (even if the turret weapon is Ordnance!).

The rule on firing weapons and moving...pg 58 BRB
Vehicles that remain stationary may fire all of their weapons (remember that pivoting on the spot does not count as moving).
Vehicles that moved at combat speed may fire a single weapon (and it's defensive weapons, as explained below).
Defensive weapons
Any vehicle weapons of str 4 or less (or with no str value) are classified as 'defensive' weapons.
A vehicle that moved at combat speed can fire all of it's defensive weapons in addition to the single weapon it is usually allowed to fire.
Ordnance weapons
Firing a massive ordnance weapon requires the attention of all the gunners of the vehicle, so no other weapons may be fired that turn (not even defensive weapons!).

Standard rule is your only allowed to fire a single weapon and move plus defensive weapons, unless that single weapon is an ordnance weapon (then no defensive weapons). The LRBT can move forward 6", shoot it's turret weapon (no matter what it is) and one other weapon, plus defensive weapons due to 'Lumbering Behemoth'. This also means that Ordnance weapons, like the standard LRBT's Battle Cannon, will not prevent you from firing your defensive weapon (if you buy one) or any other weapon (hull or sponson). The key line in the 'Lumbering Behemoth' rule is 'any other weapon it is usually allowed to fire'. There is nothing else in the 'Lumbering Behemoth' rule to allow you to fire more weapons than the one and the turret weapon. So you can't move and fire the hull weapon and a sponsons weapon, for example.

I hope this clears it up for you.