Making rough riders work at 1750

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**Castitas**

Okay folks.

I understand there are indeed better FA choices. But I am dead set on bringing rough riders to a your be and I want to figure out the best way to bring them.

So Dakka, if you HAD to take rough riders in IG, how would you do it? How would you make them worth it?

Keep it small and cheap 55pt bare min, it's a waste anyways
Max them out. Full 3 squads of 10 with some upgrades?
3 minimum squads with melta guns for more rapidly a delivery (75 each squad)

Or any other ideas?

(I am willing to build a list around these guys to make me work) right now tho I am using mech vets with colossus/medusa support..

**Talore**

Having them cheap isn't a total waste of points. Give the sergeant meltabombs, and optionally two of the riders meltaguns, and you have a highly-mobile tank-buster squadron. They have a large threat range where they can quickly move around LOS-blockers and through difficult terrain to pop an expensive vehicle.

**mortetvie**

Honestly, rough riders are one of my FAVORITE units in the game and in the IG book. I had an all pewter tallarn army with 20 riders and it was glorious and fun.

Anyway, I find that they are prob not that good in 6th so perhaps 2 melts guns or Flamers and a power axe/melta bomb sgt would work? They are very fast and can get a good jump on certain targets. Hiding them behind terrain/vehicles helps-as does having other more juicy targets in front of them.

10 strong for no other reason than to have more bodies in the unit. They should be able to take out a small squad or some vehicles before dying horribly as a guardsman should!

Bonus if you can cast prescience off on them or en invisibility (Tigris as an ally for reliable psychic powers ftw!?)

**Aleinikov**

Rough Riders are not the best of choices, and they are one of the most underestimated units in the codex. I love to play one bigger unit of them, hide them as good as possible and then obliterate an unexpecting enemy squad. The 6th ed IG FAQ made them a lot better than they used to be.

Kamir makes all the difference in the unit. Fearless is huge, and now 10 Rough Riders charge with a ridiculous 41-42 attacks at S6, AP3, I5.

Overwatch and dangerous terrain still kills them way too easily, but getting that charge off with even a reduced unit can still work.

**easysauce**

rough riders work really well, dont know why all the hate on them, though dettas might be more competitive,

I find RR's work really well in a counter charge/counter deep strike/counter vehicle role,

as above, meltas+melta bombs, synergized with a very artilarry heavy IG army (gun carridges, mortars, ect barrage all the way, with maybe a tank/chimera screen in front, so that ou enemy cannot see half your army, but you still get to shoot at them.

that way they HAVE to come to you, and thats where RR shine as counter charges or hitting stuff that just DStriked

I love my mongolian RR models too, even have some of the sweet tallarn RR's, and some converted bretonnians.

serioulsy been one of my favorite units since 3rd ed

**Flinty**

Talore wrote:
Having them cheap isn't a total waste of points. Give the sergeant meltabombs, and optionally two of the riders meltaguns, and you have a highly-mobile tank-buster squadron. They have a large threat range where they can quickly move around LOS-blockers and through difficult terrain to pop an expensive vehicle.

This is what I use them for in a squad of 6. the 4 ramaining hunting lances are still handy at taking out an understrength unit or cutting down a particularly threatening enemy squad to a more manageable size.

Of course they evaporate as soon as someone looks at them funny though

**Castitas**

What about using creed to scout one. And using for the honor of Cadia on them?

**Talore**

Castitas wrote:
What about using creed to scout one. And using for the honor of Cadia on them?

Rough riders are the only unit in the whole IG codex that Creed cannot scout/outflank since his Tactical Genius rule says "Infantry or Vehicle unit," and rough riders are the only non-vehicle non-infantry unit in the codex IIRC. It is pretty daft, especially given that he has a unique order that increases melee prowess, but that's the way it is.

**gmaleron**

Run a Mechnized or Leman Russ heavy army and run these guys behind them as they will form an armor 12 or 14 wall for you. When you have moved up close enough or your opponent has gotten close to you (depending on what you are using them for) move them out to engage them. A fellow IG player (Tallarn IG) uses this tactic to pretty good success.

**Illumini**

If it wasn't for the fast attack fliers, rough riders would get a lot of love from me, I would probably run three full units, one with Khan and two with meltabomb sarges. Full special weapons on all units