Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Just want to get some thoughts on a mech guard list I'm writing up for a new army. Fluff dictates I can't take certain things (plasma weapons being chief among them) though most units I can find a way to convert to fit my theme

HQ
CCS - 4xmelta, chimera
(145)

Troops
Veteran Squad - 3xmelta, chimera
(155)
Veteran Squad - 3xmelta, chimera
(155)
Veteran Squad - 3xmelta, chimera
(155)

Heavy Support
Leman Russ
(150)
2xHydra Flak Tanks
(150)
Griffon - enclosed crew compartment
(90)

Total 1000pts

I've never run a full 3 heavy support choices with this few points, but I can't really think of any other way to fill the 90 points I had left over after the main part of the army. That said if anyone has any suggestions, I'm all ears

Is the list really that bad?

Hello,

Looks good on paper
Just sit back and shoot for a couple of turns; don't hesitate to swamp any deep striking chaps with your veterans to protect the weaker armour on the tanks.
(And don't disappear into the battle field with all vets and leave the tanks unsupported.)
Good use of a griffon, don't see many of these around.

Which opponents do you usually face and it this a army taylored for them or for all comers?

Tried to make it an all comers list. With the griffon I've had pretty good luck with them in the past, though I've usually run at least 2 in a unit.

I'm surprised more people don't take griffons, they are awesome against most things; either cleanly wiping out lightly armoured troops or getting the heavy armoured ones to take lots of saves.

I suppose its all to do with the cost of a Forgeworld kit or the hassle of converting something.

The biggest problem will be people playing the same style as you but has less tanks and can sit in cover. Whilst you can get your troops into cover the tanks will be easier targets and account for 50% of the force. But you've got the chimera rush to counter that.

Just wondering if you could drop a hyrda tank and a few melta guns (maybe replace a squads with flamers) to free up some points for something sllightly more agressive. Sentinals possibly, either to flank and hunt or to act as a speed hump.

Some pointers:
Personally plasmas, medipack and 4+ armour for the command squad, as melta is not everything.
I think melta vets would like demo charges.


Leman russ battle tanks are now really expensive for what they do, take a different type.

One unit of AA is a sitting target. Then hydras are useless the rest of the time, pretty much.

Griffin are pretty cool. However, they for me are for higher points where you can have a unit solely designated for a particular duty.

How about some aeroplanes? Aeroplanes are awesome. Seriously 3 aeroplanes would be so much better than your choice of heavies yet do the same job.

Aeroplanes are over rated at the moment; once people have developed their preferred way to deal with them and the codexes are updates to include AA capabilities in each arym they will suddenly become distinctly average choices. They already are against some armies.

I like it. Chimelta spam is actually incredibly fun, although it can be frustrating to your opponent, lol.

Hydras were once beastly against both ground and air, but they were recently made to only snapfire against ground targets. Unless you know for a fact that your opponent is going to be fielding a lot of flyers, I don't think you should have more than one of them. You could drop one Hydra and the Griffon and replace them with a Manticore, which gets you D3 str10 ap4 large blasts per turn (downside is you only can only fire 4 times, but that's a small price to pay).

I would also consider swapping out some meltas for plasmas. Don't get me wrong, meltas are really good, but being able to rapid fire 3 plasma guns at a horde of oncoming infantry (or even light vehicles) out of a Chimera can be very satisfying.