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Hi,

My guard are about to face another tournament, and I am slightly worried about aircraft. Games I've had since 6th edition began show that I have virtually nothing to deal with them.
I know of Valkyries and Hydras, but I do not own these models nor do I wish to buy them. (Artillery Train + boatload of cheap men is my style).
So, is there anything I may have overlooked? Something else that can at least do something against those evil sky machines? (Especially Necron air force, I am 100% certain this will be one of the armies).

Volume of fire. If there's one thing horde guard do well, it's cramming loads and loads of autocannons into a list. Heck, even Grenade Launchers can touch aircraft at a reasonable range.

Another solid option is to give your Command Squad camo-cloaks and put them in control of an Aegis Defence Line and its Icarus Lascannon. They order themselves to "Bring It Down" and you have a twin-linked skyfire Lascannon. Not too shabby. Of course, quad-guns are also good calls, in which case they want to "Fire on my Target"

The other options, as you have alluded, are Vendettas and Hydras, or alternatively Allies - Tau can provide a truly fearsome anti-air gunline even in the Ally detachment.

Can a CCS give an order when using the interceptor rule? I thought orders were only useful during the guard's shooting phase.

No it can't. You can only issue orders on your own turn, however you can if you're not using interceptor.

 Griddlelol wrote:
No it can't. You can only issue orders on your own turn, however you can if you're not using interceptor.

Exactly. Interceptor isn't compulsory, and this is an example of why you might not use it.

The only anti air Guard needs are Vendettas and Quad Guns

Sabre guns. TL lascannons with skyfire and interceptor. Say goodbye to flyerspam lists.

 Peregrine wrote:
Sabre guns. TL lascannons with skyfire and interceptor. Say goodbye to flyerspam lists.

+1

And matches with your artillery theme.

You can do just fine with a proper melta hedge. Either with orders, or with the force concentration benefits offered by chimeras, you can do just fine with infantry-borne melta guns. Yeah, you've got to roll 6's, but throw enough shots at them, and you'll get some. Make sure those shots are Ap1 and in melta range, and most fliers are in for some very serious hurt.

I've shot down plenty of fliers without skyfire weapons thanks to having good enough ground weapons. To make things even better, fliers have some often-overlooked strategic weaknesses as well. If you focus hard on winning the ground game, you can usually just ignore stuff floating around in the air.

Thanks for the replies everyone!
I was thinking about using an aegis defence line, with a 20 man infantry squad and a commisar to commisar and also to fire the quad gun. But mostly I hope to destroy the enemy on the ground so their air won't make any difference anymore

At least get a defence line, but otherwise just hammer their ground to pieces and you should be fine. Weight of fire with guard will kill about anything.

Necron flyer spam wont be a problem if you can blow their ground forces off the table turn 1.

Dont they have the hydra tank thingy that burchers all airplanes in sight?

 BoomWolf wrote:
Dont they have the hydra tank thingy that burchers all airplanes in sight?

Yes, but the OP says: "I know of Valkyries and Hydras, but I do not own these models nor do I wish to buy them."
The Hydra is sort of a quad-gun on a chimera chassis. It's how I intend to model one, anyway.

If you don't want to use vehicles to do it as guard (It's kind of their thing, but meh ) All you can really do is bring lots of anti-tank heavy weapons teams, enough so you can be pretty sure of rolling at least one 6.

Also, aegis with quad gun. Aegis is incredibly usefull for foot-guard anyway.

Also, having a positive attitude. Thinking "Ahhhh, I will never hit with my lascannon without skyfire", isn't going to get you anywhere. You will hit more than you think you will.

You will not be good at dealing with fliers without Valks or Hydras, but you can get by (most of the time.)
Cron air will end you. Don't try to build the list to deal with 7 fliers, because without the aformentioned models, it will not.

Quad gun on a defense line, and TONS of autocannons are your best bet.

Bring it down ordered to a plasma vet squad or CCS with meltas or plasma seems effective.

 ansacs wrote:

 Peregrine wrote:
Sabre guns. TL lascannons with skyfire and interceptor. Say goodbye to flyerspam lists.

+1

And matches with your artillery theme.

+2 and if you don't have any flyer to target you can shoot at Tanks, Termies, MC's and anything else thats big and scary.

If you take some Space Wolves as well you can cast some pretty good buffs on them. Re-roll saves, Ignore Cover etc.

Only a option if the tourney allows Forgeworld. Otherwise a Lord Commissar (BS 5) is my preferred gunner on a Icarus ADL. Orders can be issued to him, and he can have a Camo Cloak and also has a Invuln save to give him a better than average chance to stick around.

Since I have him hanging around HWSs, giving him a gun to fire is pretty cool.

 Ailaros wrote:
You can do just fine with a proper melta hedge. Either with orders, or with the force concentration benefits offered by chimeras, you can do just fine with infantry-borne melta guns.

This too. Last game my SoB met Tau that tried out the new bomber. My Dominions managed to score a Penetrating hit that stunned it so it had to fly straight and leave the battlefield.