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Standard procedure for planetary invasion by IG is to bombard defences and everything else they can hurt from orbit and then land Shuttles (carrying 500+ guardsmen and some tanks) in safe zones. From many sources I've read that when landing large shuttles isn't feasible (defences can't be taken out from orbit or the enemy has air superiority etc.), they resort to using massed Valkyries.

How is that a reasonable alternative? To move down the same amount of Guardsmen as a single shuttle you'd need over 40 Valkyries or have to do multiple runs. To move down enough guardsmen to actually win a battle (Let's say 1 million men which is extremely low for the 40k universe) you'd have to use 83,000 Valkyries to do it in a single run, ten odd thousand doing eight runs etc. Also, they won't even be able to bring the tanks down, you'd have to use thousands of Sky Talons working in concert too.

If the enemy has AA or air superiority that can stop shuttles landing, then using that many Valkyries or running them that many times would be tantamount to simply murdering your men. It makes no sense. Yes, some would get through each run but you'd still lose hundreds if not thousands of Valkyries and even an organization as callous and uncaring for human life as the IG would balk at that much inefficiency and waste.

Also, regarding transports in general. There's a massive gap in capability between 500+ transports (shuttles) and 12 man transports (Valks). I can't find any material regarding mid-sized transports with a capacity between those numbers.

What are your opinions on the matter?

1 shuttle is easier to shoot then multiple valkeries, my guess is if bombardment won't do it they shuttle down a company or two to take out the AA guns and then land the shuttle. it'd be hazardous work, but if you send 100 valks in, assuming half get through you'll have 500 people on the ground to eistablish your beach head.

You could also land shuttles further away and then approach from the ground. Nothing wrong with walking.

 Otto Weston wrote:
Standard procedure for planetary invasion by IG is to bombard defences and everything else they can hurt from orbit and then land Shuttles (carrying 500+ guardsmen and some tanks) in safe zones. From many sources I've read that when landing large shuttles isn't feasible (defences can't be taken out from orbit or the enemy has air superiority etc.), they resort to using massed Valkyries.

How is that a reasonable alternative? To move down the same amount of Guardsmen as a single shuttle you'd need over 40 Valkyries or have to do multiple runs. To move down enough guardsmen to actually win a battle (Let's say 1 million men which is extremely low for the 40k universe) you'd have to use 83,000 Valkyries to do it in a single run, ten odd thousand doing eight runs etc. Also, they won't even be able to bring the tanks down, you'd have to use thousands of Sky Talons working in concert too.

If the enemy has AA or air superiority that can stop shuttles landing, then using that many Valkyries or running them that many times would be tantamount to simply murdering your men. It makes no sense. Yes, some would get through each run but you'd still lose hundreds if not thousands of Valkyries and even an organization as callous and uncaring for human life as the IG would balk at that much inefficiency and waste.

Also, regarding transports in general. There's a massive gap in capability between 500+ transports (shuttles) and 12 man transports (Valks). I can't find any material regarding mid-sized transports with a capacity between those numbers.

What are your opinions on the matter?

Just assuming there there are only the two sizes (500+ and a dozen or so), you're probably taking the scales wrong here. The Imperial Navy isn't dropping millions of troops into a single hot LZ. They're going to be dropping in elite teams to take out whatever is there that could pose a threat to the heavy landers, then they'll bring in some heavy equipment and assault regiments in ST and Valks to clear the area. Your looking at tens of thousands in the initial engagement, maybe dozens, but not millions. The millions would come later, or whenever the commanders deem it OK to bring in Devourer sized craft.

That being said, there are a bunch of references around the literature that mention landing craft that range from company and platoon sized (one of the GG books) to giant vessels that carry whole regiments into fights. There are probably dozens of craft of varying sizes used by different regiments.

Look at the artwork in the codex. There are landers that can bring in thousands, at least.