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Hey everyone,
What's your opinion on which unit is better?

Both of them have their advantages.

Dire Avengers have a better range on their guns, and an improved armor save.

Guardians can be taken in larger squad sizes than Dire Avengers, and they can take heavy weapons to supplement their firepower.

Overall I'd say DA take it (they can be utterly nasty in an aspect host), but that doesn't mean Guardians aren't good. (If I ever get to my Eldar I'm planning a Guardian Heavy list)

Neither is a bad unit, but I'd argue that the DA are most likely to be superior against most opponents.

DA all day. 18" range >>> 12' range.

Dire Avengers > Guardians > storm guardians <<<<<<<<(everything else in the game also goes here<<<<Scatbikes. >

Dire Avengers not being able to take those weapons platforms might seem like a disadvantage, but I disagree. Those weapons platforms aren't exactly effective in the first place, so there's no fooling that the squad can be "flexible". The specialist nature just makes them better for that reason.
The unit can also get a 5++ for what it is worth. Cover can be easily gained, but there you have it.

It really depends on what you're using them for. My avengers are a fantastically-designed unit that can take more of a punch than you'd think, can shoot up the enemy from a distance before vanishing behind some cover with battle focus. I like to take an exarch with a power lance and shimmer shield to turn them into a pseudo-tarpit unit (usually so that a squad of hawks or something assaulty can get into position). Avengers are really just a solid, versatile unit that performs reasonably well at every task I give it.

Guardians give you relatively cheap bodies for when you just need a blob of wounds. I usually take a warlock to give them conceal, and a scatter laser platform is a nice way to sprinkle damage on most targets at long-range. I also lean towards guardians over avengers when I want a mechanized unit because X guardian-wielded shuriken catapults are basically as good as X avenger-wielded ones provided the avengers aren't in an aspect host.

My avengers are the guys I count on when I want a unit that can handle itself. Guardians are the guys I go to when I want to hide in a corner but don't want rangers or when I need a sea of ablative wounds for my phoenix lords to LoSir onto.

I say dire avengers for when you want every model to actually be effective at something, while Defender Guardians are for when you need bodies to camp an objective with a heavy weapon.

Then again I'm bias towards avengers because I don't run Ched-Dar and prefer Aspect Host armies.

Dire Avengers are better alone. If you are attaching a character, I like Guardians more for their larger squad size.

Well, in my Serpent spam army I use both units.
DA for effectiveness and Guardian Defenders for cheapness.
But don't get me wrong GD can also dish out damage if you bring them close enough.

I personally lean towards the DA units, I like the little extra range and survivability. Plus the Aspect host bonus.
I can definitely see the guardians being a viable pick for the larger squad size but I personally have always preferred quality over quantity.

If you want a back/midfield camper, Guardians with a BL for potshots do that job better than DAs.

If you want to push a point or engage in a firefight, DAs are better than Guardians.

So Guardians are the militia, and DA are the soldiers.

They each perform their own role better.

(A fine example of internal balance!)

I am definitely a DA fan over Guardians. I have played jetbikes since 4th ed, so those are my str6 weapon platforms and Brightlances are SOOOOOO disappointing. Therefore Guardians just don't do it for me as a heavy weapon user.

A basic comparison of DAs to GDs shows you can get 7 DAs for the same price as 10 GDs. The improved save easily balances the 3-model difference. This leaves the range which is a crucial difference. That extra 6" of range + Battle Focus means DA's can stay outside rapidfire range from retaliation.

I want to give thought to Storm Gaurdians, but we all know how they preform.

I don't think potshots from guardian platforms is a worthwhile use of points. A few bright lance shots are just as useless as some lascannon shots. Maybe worse, because they have 12" less range.

Martel732 wrote:
I don't think potshots from guardian platforms is a worthwhile use of points. A few bright lance shots are just as useless as some lascannon shots. Maybe worse, because they have 12" less range.

Well, I prefer running them with their shuricat weapons only. After disembarking from a Serpent, preferably in cover and within 12'' of the enemy in the end-game, they are a decent complement to Serpent based DA units.

 wuestenfux wrote:

Martel732 wrote:
I don't think potshots from guardian platforms is a worthwhile use of points. A few bright lance shots are just as useless as some lascannon shots. Maybe worse, because they have 12" less range.

Well, I prefer running them with their shuricat weapons only. After disembarking from a Serpent, preferably in cover and within 12'' of the enemy in the end-game, they are a decent complement to Serpent based DA units.

That seems better to me, because the WS makes the range irrelevant, and you get the same number of BS4 catapult shots for less points than DA.

Either work well, depending on what else you have in your army, and how you want to use them.

Avengers should be taken when;
You want cheaper access to more Wave Serpents
You're just trying to take the minimum troops (and don't own any jetbikes).
You want a unit that can actually survive bolters in the open.
You want a decent bunker for a foot-seer. (Fortune + shimmershield is great).

Guardians should be taken when;
You want bankfield objective campers (usually with a bright lance).
You're taking foot-dar (battlehost) and you want free EML's.
You want a 20 man blob. Take two heavy weapons, Eldrad, Baharroth, and a Warlock. Fearless, H&R, Shrouded, potentially fortune, and more.