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I've always been a fan of the 40k universe, but this is the first time I'm building an army. I'm using Imperial guard. I just want to build a solid 500 point army to play with a few friends.

The models/units I've bought so far are

Commisar Lord
Infantry Squad (also, I recieved a box of 5 infantry units, not sure if I'm aloud to add them to the 10 man infantry squad and make a 15 man squad)
Tech Priest Engineseer

Get two khymeras and veteran troops for them, meltas or plasmaguns.

This is going to be a solid base to play with all the way to 2k points.

I don't play IG, but take my advice as an opponent who dislikes facing these units constantly.

You can get the Manticore/Vendetta/Executioner silliness when heading for higher points.

Thanks.

Also, will I need a commander and a company command squad?

It really depends on how you want to build your IG army. The two main ways to build are either mechanized vets or blobbed platoons. Both are competitive at medium point games IMO (1500-1850) After that its usually a good idea to make a hybrid list of the two to be able to tackle all comers. I'll give my 500 point mech list as an idea for how to build a decent one.

Mech List
HQ
CCS - 4xmelta, chimera w. ML/HF
(145)

Troops
Veteran Squad - 3xmelta, chimera w. ML/HF
(155)
Veteran Squad - 3xplasma, chimera w. ML/HF
(170)

Total - 470 points, leaving 30 points for upgrades. I usually run an OotF in the CCS. If you want even more armored saturation though, you can drop the plasma squad to melta, and then remove a special weapon in each to add in a hydra flak tank. These are honestly one of my favorite vehicles in the codex, as 75 points gets you 4 TL autocannon shots w. a 72" range. Seems like a real bargain to me

What kind of army do you want to play? For your first army (or any army really) you should pick something you A) think is cool and B) think you'll enjoy. If you can play a few "proxy" games with a friend or at your Friendly Local Game Store even better. Armies in W40K are a bit of an investment. Both monetarily and time/effort wise. Armies like Orks and Imperial Guard, even more so.

So do you want to play with a lot of Infantry on the table? Or are you a Tread Head and want to roll out a bunch of tanks? Or do you want a mix? Do you think it'll be more fun to maneuver around or setup lines of fire and go to town?

There's a lot of different ways to play Imperial Guard but only you can say which you'll enjoy, or think you'll enjoy.

In any event, grab their Codex and start trying to learn their rules. They have some interesting ones. Either way, what you have now will be getting used!

cowmonaut wrote:
So do you want to play with a lot of Infantry on the table? Or are you a Tread Head and want to roll out a bunch of tanks? Or do you want a mix? Do you think it'll be more fun to maneuver around or setup lines of fire and go to town?

I kind of want the true imperial guard feel. So blobs of expendable units I can throw at my enemy while vehicles rain a folly of death upon the battlefield. Though with a 500 point army, is that possible? Probably on a smaller scale I would assume. I imagine that when you start getting up to 1500-2000 points, the imagery I described becomes more apparent?

Really, what I imagine probably isn't that good of a strategy. XD

What kind of "way" would you recommend me play if its my first time?

At 500 pts. you don't need to worry about AV 14. It sounds like you might like a foot list with a couple of infantry platoons. Take a walker or two, maybe proxy a Guardsman Marbo. You have a leader with the lord commissar but I think you would be better of with a CCS.

Maybe something like this:

CCS- LC, 2 plasma guns.

PCS- 4 with flamers

2x infantry squad

Repeat Above

Scout sentinel

Guardsman Marbo

2 plain infantry squads will get wiped by almost anything, even if they're blobbed. At 500 points you don't really have the points to field a really good foot list IMO. Thats the reason I play vets.

Even with lots of foot-soldiers you'll still want transports (maybe not a tone like vet lists). Most games are objective-based and static armies are at a huge disadvantage. Maybe getting chimeras for your CCS/PCS squads. Because of course the officers and their posses get rides....the schmucks can walk.

Just a suggestion, don't have to take it.

At such a low point game it isn't a matter of having chimeras, they will still get popped. Each one is over 10% of the points allowed. I know standard guard are pretty vulnerable but at such a low game fielding over 50 plus guys with little to no armor would minimize your opponents special weapons like meltaguns and plasma guns. The list I suggested I think would lean towards the strength of Guard orders. Again I think you would be going against smaller troop choices with maybe 20 to 25 guys tops.

kazmohdim wrote:
I kind of want the true imperial guard feel. So blobs of expendable units I can throw at my enemy while vehicles rain a folly of death upon the battlefield. Though with a 500 point army, is that possible? Probably on a smaller scale I would assume. I imagine that when you start getting up to 1500-2000 points, the imagery I described becomes more apparent?

Really, what I imagine probably isn't that good of a strategy. XD

What kind of "way" would you recommend me play if its my first time?

Try out my 500 point guard army. I think it encompasses what you are going for. And it is most certainly a valid way to play the guard. What you want are power blobs. Essentially have a commissar (for leadership 9 and stubborn). and as many power weapons in the squad as you can. Since you have stubborn and leadership 9 with a re roll, you'll pretty much be able to beat most units in close combat in a war of attrition. It is important to know what you CANNOT beat however. Purifiers will shred you with cleansing flame, especially if more than one squad is engaged in the combat. Also things like Ork Boyz, or really anything with a huge number of attacks. Point is- shoot the choppy ones, charge the shooty ones!

(85) Company Command Squad- Las Cannon, Standard
(45) Platoon Command Squad- Auto Cannon, Grenade Launcher
(120) Infantry Squad- Commissar, 2 Power Weapons, Flamer, Auto Cannon
(75) Infantry Squad- Power Weapon, Flamer, Auto Cannon
(100) Veteran Squad- 2 Sniper Rifles, Las Cannon
(75) Griffon Heavy Mortar

You get 50 imperial guard infantry men (counting hwt as 2 models) as well as some ordinance battery support. This list has performed admirably against other well built and commanded 500 point armies. You basically shoot them off the table, any stragglers that make it to your lines get run over by the power blob!

If you wanted you could probably sub the Lord Commissar instead of the Company Command squad. Give him a Camo Cloak, and you can essentially make any squad of your choosing have stealth for a 3+ cover save. Probably the veterans. I don't think it will make up for the lack of orders, as bring it down and fire on my target can go a long way towards fire superiority. You will of course still have First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire from the Platoon Commander, so you can still up your damage against infantry targets like that.

3 auto cannons, 2 las cannons, and a tl s6 large blast is nothing to scoff at