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Hi,

I'm starting out in 40k and am trying to make a fun Imperial Guard list which is competitive enough so that I don't lose every game. I'm not fond of Chimera's therefore I don't want to go mech. Therefore I'm left with the options of blob or gunline. Here's a gunline list, but I'd be prepared to adjust it to blob if the arguments for doing so are strong enough.

I'm a little bit fluffy and would like to run Kasrkin (because I think they look cool) as either Vets with Grenadiers doctrine or Storm Troopers. Apart from that, I'm not precious over any selections, I've just picked what I thought would work well together.

All advice welcome.

90 - HQ
- CCS - Lascannon, Regimental, Vox

665 Infantry
- PCS - Lascannon, Flamer, Vox

- Inf 1a - Flamer, vox
- Inf 1b - Flamer, Autocannon
- - Commissar joins blob 1

- Inf 2a - Melta, Vox
- Inf 2b - Melta, Autocannon
- - Commissar joins blob 2

- Vet Squad A - Grenadiers, 3 x Melta
- Vet Squad B - Grenadiers, 3 x Plasma

145 Elite
- Marbo
- Psyker Battle Squad (6 Psykers + Overseer)

100 Fortification
- Aegis Defence + Quad Gun

Total = 1000

Options:
Drop Vet Squad B and replace with Colossus Ordinance
Lord Commissar instead of 2 x regular Commissars

Tactics:
Sit CCS, Infantry platoon and Psykers behind Aegis acting as gunline. Everything can go to ground behind Aegis for great Cover roles including Psykers (who can still use Weaken Resolve whilst sat down), I can then use GBITF order when I want to shoot, with help from the Vox's. Quad Gun is manned by my Veteran Vox chap in the CCS because he has BS4 - hopefully good defence against flyers.

The 2 Vet squads with Grenadiers are my attackers. One with Meltas against Tanks, the others with Plasmas against MEQS.

Marbo breaks the line and tries to blow stuff up.

I didn't want to only have a gunline so I hope that the 2 Vet squads and Marbo add some movement and fun to the list.

Alternatives would be to replace one Vet squad with a Colossus for some ordinance fun (and the forgeworld bombard model is cool) and/or replace the 2 Commissars for a Lord Commissar (same points and he could man the Quad Gun with BS5). Not sure on either option.

Advice please

Ta,
Pete

Looks good, I would see if you can get lascannons in the PIS, as you are a little light on anti-tank. Other than that, I would go with the lord commissar over two normals, with clever positioning he can benefit more units.

145 Elite
- Marbo
- Psyker Battle Squad (6 Psykers + Overseer)

Im pretty sure the psyker battle squads were FAQed out of the IG codex into the GK codex...might want to double check on that...

PBS are still in the IG codex.

I have a hard time believing that those two veteran squads are actually going to be able to survive and claim midfield objectives.

 Talore wrote:
PBS are still in the IG codex.

I have a hard time believing that those two veteran squads are actually going to be able to survive and claim midfield objectives.

Grenadiers are actually far more survivable than you'd think, especially in cover. And by keeping the specials at the back, you can maintain high killing power even with half a squad.

 Talore wrote:
PBS are still in the IG codex.

I have a hard time believing that those two veteran squads are actually going to be able to survive and claim midfield objectives.

i would mount the vets in chimeras, they will be a target but race the chimeras onto objectives, dismount and use the chimeras to block line of sight to opponents guns. Your going to have a real hard time getting these guys into effective positions without a delivery system, whether it be chimera or Valkyrie. Boltguns and a whole slew of other weapons pierce carapace armor so grenadiers is virtually useless, if you dont want to mount them in anything i would choose forward sentries for the camo cloaks and jump them from cover to cover.
Or maybe race up hellhounds to draw fire away from them as they take midfield...?

Thanks very much for the help thus far

 Paradigm wrote:
I would go with the lord commissar over two normals, with clever positioning he can benefit more units.

I agree, he is better, but is he also not much more easily targeted being that he is an independent character? - from what I've read, IC's are easily picked off in 6th.

 lonedrow02 wrote:
if you dont want to mount them in anything i would choose forward sentries for the camo cloaks and jump them from cover to cover.

I really don't like the model for Chimeras and am trying to avoid using them (I know that's irrational). I like Vendettas, but I went to a local store here in Berlin yesterday and the model is absolutely massive (I thought this was supposed to be a miniatures game!) and if I bought one the wife would kill me!

As such, maybe Forward Sentries is a better idea as you say, jumping from cover to cover. Is Forward Sentries generally considered better than Grenadiers?

Any opinions on the idea of replacing one Vet squad with a colossus? - I like the idea of hiding it behind cover and lobbing large pie plates everywhere or is it better to keep 2 vet squads as they are scoring units?

Thanks,
Pete

 pforson wrote:
Thanks very much for the help thus far

 Paradigm wrote:
I would go with the lord commissar over two normals, with clever positioning he can benefit more units.

I agree, he is better, but is he also not much more easily targeted being that he is an independent character? - from what I've read, IC's are easily picked off in 6th.

 lonedrow02 wrote:
if you dont want to mount them in anything i would choose forward sentries for the camo cloaks and jump them from cover to cover.

I really don't like the model for Chimeras and am trying to avoid using them (I know that's irrational). I like Vendettas, but I went to a local store here in Berlin yesterday and the model is absolutely massive (I thought this was supposed to be a miniatures game!) and if I bought one the wife would kill me!

As such, maybe Forward Sentries is a better idea as you say, jumping from cover to cover. Is Forward Sentries generally considered better than Grenadiers?

Any opinions on the idea of replacing one Vet squad with a colossus? - I like the idea of hiding it behind cover and lobbing large pie plates everywhere or is it better to keep 2 vet squads as they are scoring units?

Thanks,
Pete

I personally think forward sentries is a way better upgrade. If your facing tau with marker lights your out of luck because they'll negate your cover save and pen any carapace armoured units anyway. So many guns penetrate armour 4+ that i like to rely on the 4+/3+ cover saves that stealth gives you. If your thinking of using ordinance(witch i suggest personally) i would find points for a manticore over the colossus.
I will say that all of the veteran upgrades are overpriced for what you get.

Iif you're going to run vets with special weapons, you want them to be mobile, i.e. in a vendetta or chimera. Otherwise they don't have the range to live up to their full potential!

That being said, I totally understand not wanting to use the chimera model and that the valkyrie is a costly model. My workarounds for your situation would probably be to disperse the special weapons into your CCS and PCS, then split your 4 IS into 2 so you get the extra orders from an additional PCS. This way you have the special weapons with the rest of your troops to deter potential DSing baddies.

You'll now have some points which you can use to buy a nice manticore or basilisk, depending on your meta, to drop ordinance from a nice safe distance on their unsuspecting heads!

RE: lord commissars, they are actually harder to kill off than normal ones, as they get a 2+ LOS rather than a 4+, and you have sergeants to take challanges for him.