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Imperial Guard POWER FIST blob ... a noob trying to understand how to properly use a blob.

I'm sure there's already been a thread about this, but I couldn't find it.

The blob's failing point is assault, in my experience. All is well while they can shoot, but they get into a slap-fight with something and they are the definition of pathetic. Usually they get tied up in assault for the rest of the game, so all that good autocannon and lasgun fire is gone.

So last night I threw in 5 power fists and a priest, vs Tyranids. It didn't make them into an assault unit, but it DID help me win combat and actually do some damage. Is this how most IG roll with their blobs? How else do you keep them on their feet?

I struggle with WS3. The only way to get attacks off is with pure volume, so I guess that's a good reason to have a priest, and assault first for Righteous Fury.

Does this sound right, or am I messing this up?

Ug - last night I lost 20 men when a biovore hit them, then the blob got mauled by gaunts. Tyranids are brutal.

Just a quick question. How are you getting power fists for infanty squad sergeants? Is this a forge world list of some kind? If not then the sergeants can only take power weapons. Power axes are probably the best choice here. You get str. 4 and ap 2 so that will give you some punch.

My blobs don't touch CC weapons unless I have 10 left over points and no other upgrades I can think of, I'll throw a power axe on my commissar (WS 4). I focus on ranged upgrades for them. Let them do what they do best. If they're in CC it's over anyway.

The CC blob isn't really a viable tactic, it's more of a "hah! You weren't expecting to deal with this!"

Remember, they're guard, they die. Don't expect them to do a lot in combat other than tie the enemy up if you have a commissar in there.

There are more experienced IG players who'll give better advice, but I've recently had similar issues with 'nids so here's my two cents.

First, not sure you can take 5 power fists in a blob, sarges can only take power weapons in infantry squads? However, power axes aren't too bad to give a bit of bite to a blob (although if you're tailoring for 'nids, consider power mauls as the str is better than the AP). Its only a 10pt upgrade on a sarge, and if you're charged, if it means you kill one marine it's made it's cost back.

WS3 isn't really an issue. If your opponent is WS4, then you're still rolling a 4+ to hit regardless of whether you're 3 or 4. The Str 3 is the problem, which is where the extra from axes/ mauls help.

The best thing I can recommend with a blob against 'nids is to take flamers. The wall of death on overwatch can be a killer, and the lasgun and autocannon can sometimes take out a couple as well. However, next time I play against nids, unless it's a kill point game, I think I'll split the blob into their small units. This at least means one squad gets nommed by the 'nids, breaks and then you can do what the Guard are good at, and shoot them before they charge again. It'll depend on your playstyle and list, but just my experience.

Oooooooooops, you are all correct, Sargents can't take powerfists, only Platoon Cmdr and Commpany Cmdr. So that's out (ill tell the 'nid player who beat me that i cheated, lol).

Right, so, even worse. How do you keep the blob from completely deflating in assault? Seems pretty weak if all it takes is a suicide squad of marines, or 'nids, or orks to tie up your blob, or even kill them all.

Mech? In last night's battle i had 2 hydras hammering away at his tervigons. I've played tanks vs 'nids too, which sometimes helps.

I guess I just don't know how to fight hordes with the IG - I seem to beat Eldar, DE and Marines pretty often, but never Orks or 'nids.

But yeah, no powerfist sergeants, that's all cheat-sauce.

Last I checked blobs can't take power fists. Power axes on the other hand are different. How do you go about running your blobs? Do you focus more on shooting w/orders, or do you try and charge into combat as you primary goal? With 6th ed I think the focus has changed for blobs in that they should be primarily focused on moving, shooting, and staying out of assault. If the do get into assault your power weapons are there as a insurance policy to put some wounds on the enemy. At least in my experience that is the role blobs play in my list. Usually I avoid the priest since I have no reason to charge into combat anymore so I'd rather let the enemy come to me as I fill it full of las shot, and hope it whittles down the unit enough for my blob to handle it better in cc.

But it is also why you take other units to assist with this. Hopefully your guardsmen are taking on completely healthy units.

As for weapons, usually I take power axes, but lately I've been considering the merits of the power maul. Sure it is AP4 but with the better str boost and the fact I hit at my initiatve, I think in the long run it will serve me better.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Yeah, if you want to deal with hordes you're gonna wanna stay outta cc. Guard do shooty horde better than cc horde. Large blasts help, flamers help, the punisher tank is good for a number of things especially hordes. Commissars will help prevent your blobs from folding, but never have them accept any challenges unless they are the last character and thus your last resort. You need that stubborn. You said other units are tarpitting your guard, but it should be the other way around so if your statement is correct than your blobs are doing their job. Guard blobs might not always win combat, but they make the enemy work for it.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
However if you want to play blob guard with powerfists and ws4 across the board, play krieg.

Thanks all, I appreciate the insights!

You could take a blob with power mauls, add a Comissar with a power fist, a priest with an eviscerator, and a Lord Comissar with a power fist. Thats a bunch of str 6 attacks in close combat. Toss in some flamers, run n gun. In this configuration, its probably better to let them assault you, so you can overwatch them to thin out their numbers before you get to smashing.

Ironically, even though its not their strong suit, IG have a couple of characters that help with close combat.

The way that blobs used to work was by having these big mobs of guys rush forward with the meltaguns and the commissars/sergeants with power weapons at the front. Majority cover rules made it so that you had a 4+ cover save for those couple of turns until you made it into close combat with everything. Once you got there, your power weapons were untargetable, which allowed for turn after turn of face bashing in a slow battle of attrition that odds were, you'd eventually win.

And then 6th edition came by, which got rid of by-unit cover, got rid of taking casualties from the rear, added random assault ranges and overwatch, while making cover worse. And power weapons are only Ap3, and they're not hidden anymore. And that's all if you can keep your infantry on the board in the first place, which I've found increasingly unlikely in a world where it's shockingly easy to throw dozens of guardsmen off the board in a single turn.

It's possible to make A blob work by huddling them around a strong independent character, but the era of blobs running around everywhere beating face are now long gone.