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So I really want to start Imperial Guard as both Allies for my Orks and as a standalone army. I was wondering what I should get to start with. Obviously the basic 2-8 packs of Guardsmen and a Command Squad or 2. But where from there? I want to go sorta of a mix of Tanks & Infantry. And avoiding Metal models is a plus whenever possible. I'd rather have Finecrast over heavy lumps of gak like that (I really frigging hate metal models) People of Dakka! I need your help! Will thou answer the call?


Overlord Ghazghkull Mag Uruk Thraka

honestly I'd just get basic infantry guys for right meow. Guard has all sorts of fun toys but no since in buying them when they could completely change in a few weeks. I'd hate to tell you to go out and buy X cause its so awesome and then the new dex completely changes it

As someone with an all-metal infantry horde IG army, I resent your remarks!

Start with a platoon. You'll probably want about 30 dudes in the platoon itself and a Commissar to keep them in line, stuck behind an Aegis with the Commissar manning the quadgun. Next you'll want a command squad - getting one box of these will give you bits to spread to your other IG squads and make them look more interesting, along with letting you make said command squad. Load the command squad up with flamers and get some heavy weapons teams with autocannons to hold down your home objective. If you're looking for a mix of tanks and infantry, you could probably stick with these guys as your backfield guys and do some vets in Chimeras for another Troops choice or two.

For armored fire support, standard Leman Russes are good, and Demolishers are nasty close range main battle tanks. I can't speak much on the variants. Manticores are absolutely brutal, and so long as you can keep one guarded in your backfield you'll have something that can cause some serious damage for 4 turns.

There's nothing I can say about Valks or Vendettas that hasn't already been said, but wait til the new codex since they're bound to get changed.

I'd probably wait 2-3 weeks when the new models and codex come out. If you want tanks it's best to get enough of them to give your opponent target overload, a few Leman Russes, some Chimeras, some Hellhounds, maybe a Manticore. Some of the artillery tanks are good too, but I'd wait for the codex to drop and see what new models come out and whether the balance shifts.

Always magnetise your tanks so you can change variants easily.

If you want to go infantry, get enough models for a platoon or two. Otherwise just go for Veterans in Chimeras...

...however most of all just wait until the Codex comes out because it would suck to buy a bunch of stuff and find out it doesn't work great (ideally, GW wouldn't suck at Codex balance and you could buy whatever and then turn it in to an army, but that's probably not going to happen).

Okay then. Brother SRM I meant no diss to your army, it's just that I hate metal models as they tend to fall over and scratch the paint off themselves.

That taken care of, I'll just buy a few Guardsmen for now with the limited funds I currently have. By the time the Codex comes out perhaps I'll have 30 models. I'm going to wait to see a new Commissar model comes out as all the current ones are metal. Until then. Thanks!

Finecast Commissar:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440173a&prodId=prod1160042a&rootCatGameStyle=

It's also the best looking one (outside of the Death Korps) in my opinion.

 Paradigm wrote:
Finecast Commissar:
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440173a&prodId=prod1160042a&rootCatGameStyle=

It's also the best looking one (outside of the Death Korps) in my opinion.

ive always liked the one reading a book, but i chopped off the power fist arm and replaced it with an out stretched bolt pistol arm as if hes quoting the good book as he shoots some poor LT
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?catId=cat440247a&prodId=prod1070036

I wouldn't go with a platoon yet. Just run 2 vet squads since you'll be allies with orks for a while.

so 1 command squad, 2 infantry squads. Heavy weapons squad. (You'll actually save 2 dollars and get a free sentinel if you get the battle force.)

I imagine you'll have hordes of orks running forwards, you don't need platoons doing that too. Sure when you go just guard in the future do that but for now 2 vets hanging back holding objectives shooting lascannons maybe with camo cloaks while the command squad has the master of ordnance and some special weapons. If you really want to get vehicles now before the new codex comes out, leman russ demolisher kit. (comes with demolisher, punisher and executioner (plasma tank)) Magnetize the gun barrel and sponsons so you can try out the different types later when you play just guard. For now as allies with orks I would probably get the executioner since you already probably spit out tons of anti infantry shooting and you won't be able to get close enough with the demolisher with all your boyz in the way.

with a new IG codex right around the corner I'd buy your "core troops" that you'll have to have no matter what, and then wait for the new codex. cause right now we could tell you "ohh man lemen russes are awesome" (thats just an example) and they could be nerfed into the ground in less then a month

 Overlord Thraka wrote:
Okay then. Brother SRM I meant no diss to your army, it's just that I hate metal models as they tend to fall over and scratch the paint off themselves.

That taken care of, I'll just buy a few Guardsmen for now with the limited funds I currently have. By the time the Codex comes out perhaps I'll have 30 models. I'm going to wait to see a new Commissar model comes out as all the current ones are metal. Until then. Thanks!

Nah man, I'm just goofin. I know metal models aren't for everybody. I grew up with them, so I have no qualms with pewter minis.

You can also try converting your own Commissar models as well. There are peaked caps in the tank kits and some officer-looking bits in the command squad kits that would be great. It would be lacking the cool coat Commissars have, but you can make an acceptable proxy. But yeah, so long as it's plastic, you're good to buy stuff right now. Models that are already plastic don't tend to go anywhere.

I'm waiting, I want a guard force but waiting for new codex, + abnle to adapt to any massive changes

+ being on limited income slows progress, so I'll wait