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Hello everyone.

I've considered making an Amphibious Guard regiment with the advent of the new codex. This idea was inspired by the Gorgon amphibious armored transport, and the Amphibious special rule for Chimeras. However, I have some important questions.

1) Fluff: I've considered making the regiment from a water world, from which the Imperium extracts resources by employing vast floating mining barges. Does this sound adequate?

2) Models: I've considered two awesome-sounding options: chimerae with portholes instead of the lasgun-fireports and stormtroopers with scuba gear. Any other ideas?

3) Army list: What exactly does everyone think an Amphibious regiment would have? Any equipment restrictions (i.e. no Flamers or something)? Any equipment must-haves (such as carapace armor? Chimeras?) Personally, I feel Chimeras are nearly mandatory.

Any ideas would be appreciated.

hmmmm id look to ww2 landing forces and go from there. Like tanks with gear to make em float on water etc. and lots of imperial navy

sounds cool but yea look into marines of the 2 world wars and see what they are geared up like

lots of chimeras are very needed i think.

This link may help, it details the divisional and battalion organisation along with equipment of the US Marines. It's amateur website, but it gives a wealth of detail that sounds like the thing you after....

Since they're amphibious, have you considered using hovercraft to represent the Chimeras and Gorgons?

necrovamp wrote:This link may help, it details the divisional and battalion organisation along with equipment of the US Marines. It's amateur website, but it gives a wealth of detail that sounds like the thing you after....

What link? Your sig?

AlexHolker wrote:Since they're amphibious, have you considered using hovercraft to represent the Chimeras and Gorgons?

They're amphibious without the need for hovercraft - they're like the Soviet BMP in that regard. Besides, according to the fluff I do not believe the IG are permitted to have antigrav craft, and a sort of air-hovercraft (like modern ones) isn't an aesthetic in which I'm interested.

My bad, lets try again!

http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/UnitedStates/Marine/united_states_marines.htm

 necrovamp wrote:
My bad, lets try again!

http://www.bayonetstrength.150m.com/UnitedStates/Marine/united_states_marines.htm

That's awesome and helpful. Thank you very much! Your efforts are appreciated!

Why am I seeing the non-chimera models a hovercraft without treads?

Powered deep sea diving suits as Ogryns?

I think as soon as the troops hit the beach, they wouldn't necessarily have anything recognizably aquatic left on their person. As you say maybe no flamers, because the troops are likeyl to be fighting on the same boat the enemy is on. You could consider lots of veterans with shotguns and meltas for close range boarding actions. Maybe have some with life vests still attached because they haven't managed to remove them before getting into combat? engineers with equipment in well sealed waterproof cases?

Regarding the Chimeras, while they are amphibious, they've never really looked like they would be effective in a marine environment (i.e. big waves woudl sink them). What about trying to make them more seaworthy, like Amtraks?

Guard aren't specifically prevented from using anti-grav vehicles, its just the most common forgeworld variants of their kit don't have the capability. Its well within the ability of the background fro specific worlds to have a different technology base, so AG chimeras for wave skimming would make sense.

If you were so inclined, and your worlds background allowed for nautical vessels, you could always make one of your platoons a 'Shore party' of sailors/naval officers, armed and equipped for shore fighting;

Ratings & Officers of the Royal Navy;




Could also be worth looking into Great War-era Marines, such as the Royal Navy's Royal Marines;



Might break up the look of the army a little (depending on how you'd be painting them - be interesting to have an army painted in camouflage and then one squad or a platoon in navy blue with white gaiters & webbing etc).

For the rest of my suggestions it really does depend on how you view their homeworld. If there are nautical vessels then I'd suggest dropping flamers as they could be a dangerous hazard when fighting aboard ships, due to the often confined and cramped areas involved. It could also pose a threat to ready ammunition which, if set off, might destroy the ship*. If you're going to be using them as an assault wave that has just landed, I'd definitely put in a Master of Ordnance in the CCS, painted up as a naval officer, of course, to represent nautical vessels bombarding areas as directed. Other than that... I can't think of anything that hasn't been suggested already.

*Hood was sunk after a shell detonated 4" 'ready ammunition', the subsequent fireball ripped through the ship and detonated munitions stored in an ammunition locker which sealed the ships fate.

 Sparks_Havelock wrote:
If you were so inclined, and your worlds background allowed for nautical vessels, you could always make one of your platoons a 'Shore party' of sailors/naval officers, armed and equipped for shore fighting;
[snip][/snip]
Might break up the look of the army a little (depending on how you'd be painting them - be interesting to have an army painted in camouflage and then one squad or a platoon in navy blue with white gaiters & webbing etc).

For the rest of my suggestions it really does depend on how you view their homeworld. If there are nautical vessels then I'd suggest dropping flamers as they could be a dangerous hazard when fighting aboard ships, due to the often confined and cramped areas involved. It could also pose a threat to ready ammunition which, if set off, might destroy the ship*. If you're going to be using them as an assault wave that has just landed, I'd definitely put in a Master of Ordnance in the CCS, painted up as a naval officer, of course, to represent nautical vessels bombarding areas as directed. Other than that... I can't think of anything that hasn't been suggested already.

These are great ideas, and part of the problem is that I haven't set upon what my fluff truly is.

I was thinking initially of land units, that merely had to be water-mobile, because they would primarily fight in the urbanized ginormous mining barges, and in some cases would have to assault these barges from a ship (in the case that a whole barge rebelled). Basically, think hive world, except the hives are floating mining colonies rather than true hives. (Don't ask me how they float. Archaeotech Cybertheurgy.)

On the other hand, it would also be cool to have a bunch of smaller ships, a'la the movie Water World, that have to co-exist. There can be bad-guy ships, official Imperial ships, neutral civilians, pirates, et cetera.

Or, a mixture would work best, I think. Say, there's thirty of these huge mining colony-things (need not be floating, I guess, but maybe small man-made islands) across the planet. In between are fleets of boats: some seek to cash in on the mineral riches of the world, and prey upon the overloaded transports carrying the resources about. Others are civilian getaways for the rich, while still more are private security firms hired by mining magnates to protect said transports. The Planetary Defense Force, of course, is aloof and unconcerned with local affairs so long as the output quotas from the mines are met, and the tithe is fulfilled.

I think that last option would allow for great army variety, and even some interesting characters (say, a merchant magnate's private security force commander who was drafted into the Guard having to serve alongside a pirate he had hunted for most of his life).

Led by comissar aquaman!

Dalymiddleboro wrote:
Led by comissar aquaman!

It's pronounced sea-man!!

I like the idea of an amphibious IG regiment. It is very original. I am not sure about port holes, as that sounds like it might look a bit funky. I do like that hovercraft idea though.

I love the idea.

In a Gaunt Ghost short story they land on a beach in hover craft, that might be a good place to go for some ideas.

I think the idea of hover craft would be pretty cool. Do some research on the composition of the American assault companies that landed on the beaches during D-Day. They were supposed to be self supporting units, so have the flame throwers, demo teams, MG teams, etc, so they could deal with anything they came up against.

Cant believe people are liking my hovercraft idea. Was expect all kinds of flak about them flying back from recoil. lol

ould be n excuse to break out the old deodorant bottle template for them from years ago.

Modelling wise I would use the most stripped down bodies available (Catachans?) No way would I want to end up like some of the poor soldiers whose gear dragged them to the bottom of the deep blue sea during beach landing operations.

Or use the stripped down bodies for Veterans as they have learned the hard way the dangers of lots of heavy gear?

 Archer wrote:
Modelling wise I would use the most stripped down bodies available (Catachans?) No way would I want to end up like some of the poor soldiers whose gear dragged them to the bottom of the deep blue sea during beach landing operations.

Or use the stripped down bodies for Veterans as they have learned the hard way the dangers of lots of heavy gear?

Those are great ideas! I hate Catachan models though. If anyone knows of any good 28mm soldiers with little/no gear, that'd be great.

Honestly, I was planning on using regular Cadians - hadn't thought of this at all.

That's okay dood! If you explore the whole site it has the same thing for pretty much every major participant in WW2. I don't much about amphibious forces but If I come across anything else I shall send them your way.

I do remeber watching a documentary on the training of a US Marine diving team which sounds like your scuba troopers, I'll see if I can find it.

What about Bioshock style Diving Suits (Big Daddy was it?) instead of Ogryn? They would be awesome conversions, pity that Ogryns are so frowned upon.

Archer wrote:What about Bioshock style Diving Suits (Big Daddy was it?) instead of Ogryn? They would be awesome conversions, pity that Ogryns are so frowned upon.

Flinty wrote:Powered deep sea diving suits as Ogryns?

Oh oh, do all the intakes for the tanks like the mud buggies! They stick way up in the air so they don't get flooded.

Imnewherewheresthebathroom wrote:
Oh oh, do all the intakes for the tanks like the mud buggies! They stick way up in the air so they don't get flooded.

I should do this and then make them hover tanks. For the lulz.

I'm also seeing vendttas done up amphibious like the plane on the Expendables.

You may be interested in the book "Flesh and Iron" by Henry Zou. It is about a Guard regiment that specialises in amphibious assault and river warfare.

 EVIL INC wrote:
I'm also seeing vendttas done up amphibious like the plane on the Expendables.

<not an IG player, so just some ideas>

Pontoon seaplane valks/vendettas would be awesome, and probably used in lieu of heavy armor. In that vein it might be worth looking at the FW drop trooper list: if you can air drop it, you can sea lift it.

Isn’t one of the baneblade chassis variants a big troop carrier? You could make a landing craft counts-as using those rules.

Are all chimera hull vehicles amphibious, or just the basic troop carrier? Even if they aren’t, I might stick with that hull for thematic reasons.

From a painting perspective, you might want to use a different color (red?) paint below the waterline, to show the anti-fouling paint they use to keep barnacles from growing on the hull. Or sculpt on some barnacles to show that they’ve been at sea for a while. You could also use some water effects dripping/slucing off to show a tank that has just emerged from the drink.

I didnt fully read what people had said so I may be repeating.

Chimeras would be great, along with hell hounds. Convert them so they have some float capability.

the Mordian troops would also look great as old era sailors and would look awesome with the old Navy Colours.

thats just my 5 cent.

 Nevelon wrote:

 EVIL INC wrote:
I'm also seeing vendttas done up amphibious like the plane on the Expendables.

<not an IG player, so just some ideas>

Pontoon seaplane valks/vendettas would be awesome, and probably used in lieu of heavy armor. In that vein it might be worth looking at the FW drop trooper list: if you can air drop it, you can sea lift it.

Isn’t one of the baneblade chassis variants a big troop carrier? You could make a landing craft counts-as using those rules.

Are all chimera hull vehicles amphibious, or just the basic troop carrier? Even if they aren’t, I might stick with that hull for thematic reasons.

From a painting perspective, you might want to use a different color (red?) paint below the waterline, to show the anti-fouling paint they use to keep barnacles from growing on the hull. Or sculpt on some barnacles to show that they’ve been at sea for a while. You could also use some water effects dripping/slucing off to show a tank that has just emerged from the drink.

I hadn't thought of pontoon aircraft! That's pretty epic sounding, although I would be unsure how exactly to go about it.

The superheavy I had in mind is the Gorgon, a huge amphibious troop carrier. (Think a LVT from World War 2, except the size of a baneblade).

I am unsure how to do the painting really. I kind of like the idea of the anti-fouling paint.

Just a few pics i found.. Mainly Tanks used in the Normandy Landings and just afterwards.






These 2 pics show the canopy extended and folded. This allowed it to 'swim' in the sea with the help of propellers. It's know as a DD Sherman (Duplex Drive)


This Tank has been fitted with a wading trunks to assist fording deep water.

And for troop carriers? the DUKW



or





An LVT Assualt craft used by the US in the pacific in WW2