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I've built two AM companies, an Emperor's Shield and an Emperor's Fist. Now, I'll mostly be using the Fist, but I'd like input for both, as well as a mix.

I want to bring a hard hitting component to my armies that the AM usually lack - something that the Tempestus Scions, or even the Space Marines, are usually used for in fluff: the AM hold the line, while the Scions/Marines deep strike or teleport in as a surgical precision tool (assuming the dice gods like my scatter dice...).

Staying within my own army, I could use the Scions, but is there any benefit to bringing them in as allies? And in this capacity, what's their best ride? Chimeras, Taurox (Primes), or Valkyries?

Of course, there is always the Space Marines, who in fluff serve as a strike force while the AM hold the line, but which color? There are so many options here I really don't know where to start.

I look forward to hearing your opinions, and if you can provide recommendations for both an Armoured Army as well as an Infantry one, I'd much appreciate it!

Tempestus formations are good support to a militarum 'hammer'.

The two formations are really good - essentially giving each squad twin-linked on the turn they get out of their rides - and with very impressive orders (preferred enemy hotshot volley guns are just horrific).

Taurox primes versus Valkyries is a matter of taste (a tempestus ground attack force doesn't have the option of chimeras).

The Taurox is shootier but more fragile - good for stand-off firepower - whilst the Valkyrie is better for dropping in the squad where you need it. With two companies of normal guardsmen, I'd say they're the better choice.


The Valkyrie is very much an anti-infantry transport (take heavy bolters and rocket pods and go to town on light infantry). Pair up with squads designed to take down the big guys (like meltaguns and plasma guns). Probably best with the infantry company - you've got enough backfield ground-holders in the infantry squads and long-range heavy weapons on the sentinals.

The taurox squads are better for a tank company. Fast enough to react to attackers, and able to use cover well, you can deposit a squad in the way of assault units coming after your tanks. Volley Guns, plasma guns, and flamers are the order of the day, with either taurox missile launchers for light antitank work, or gatling guns for extra crowd control.

If your looking for a unit which will survive well I'd choose Grey Knight Termies with a Librarian as HQ. Terminators aren't usually troops choices but Grey knights can take them as troops. A librarian with a terminator body gaurd would give you a fair amount of staying power, both in ranged and melee, and if you don't place them in the beginning of the game you can deep strike them in. They would be cheap ($ wise ) to field and would take any other single squad, They are versatile in that they carry mellee and ranged weapons, the have two up armor, an invuln save, and are psykers. I'm not sure exactly what youre looking for though.
The other things i might consider is heavy weapons teams, or Earthshaker / Basilisk/Ordinance batteries. Again i'm not sure what you're looking for. Are you looking to start a new army? Are you dissapointed in the guards Melee combat? Are you unable to kill heavy units? Do you just want a fluffy fun unit that looks different?
If you have a theme It might help to know what it is.

Cult mechanicus can help out if you want some imperium MC's and grav cannons. An elimination maniple with one robot squad and two grav-servitor squads could probably help out with tough armored guys and provide some terrain sitting tough guys.

Elysians/D99 can provide a lot of the surgical strike toys Stormtroopers can more reliably (Combat Drop puts half your Valkyries in automatically turn one, instead of 70pts for five carapace-armoured models with hot-shot lasguns that can buy two special weapons you're paying 80pts for ten flak-armoured models with lasguns that can buy three special weapons...).

You usually pick an ally to compensate for your army's weaknesses, or who integrate well with your army. The Astra Militarum like allies that want volume of bodies themselves, provide the ability to get rid of melee deathstars, and/or provide psychic force-multipliers; Grey Knights, the Inquisition, Space Marines, and the Deathwatch are all very helpful.

feth the Grey Knights, they will kill your IG after the battle is won, prevent you from being infected even if you aren't and loyal.

I'd say start adding some navy air support, maybe a deathwatch kill team, inquisition allies, or more IG elements, like a mechanize company or a artillery battery.

I have both an Imperial Guard force and Blood Angels space marines. I've found that both armies, on their own, tend to get beat as they both are not the best codices... when fielding them together, however, I've found they work quite well together. The Guard bring some decent shooting and 1st turn presence while the Blood Angels bring some nasty assault units and the capacity to deep strike in accurately (most of the time).

I'd recommend some Death Company with jump packs... hide them behind your AV14 wall as the tanks advance, and as stuff moves in or you get close to the enemy, you can jump over the tanks and rip/tear the enemy apart with a sickening amount of attacks on the charge (furious charge and rage are wonderful together).

I had exactly the same problem with my horde IG - mainly to gun down riptides and wraithknights, which we have no answer to. Like you I wanted it to be fairly fluffy, and I thought hard-hitting space marines were the best answer.

At 1500-1850pts I use two ravenwing attack squadron formations. They outflank and come in to kill whatever needs it.

3 Ravenwing bikers with 2 grav guns + combi grav 115pts
Landspeeder with multi melta x 2 70pts

They're fast (great for linebreaker) and can take more punishment than average bikers/landspeeders thanks to their re-rollable jink rule. More importantly they're CHEAP - there are no tax units and there's no HQ tax as they are independent formations.

I've taken to fielding a Ravenwing Strike Force with 2 squads of black knights and a techmarine or librarian on a bike along side my guardsman. There's no tax with this formation and they're very tough to kill. They're fast enough to get anywhere on the board in quick time and a threat to almost any enemy units with their corvus picks and plasma. Additionally, if you know the enemy is going to be able to ignore your rerollable 3+ jink cover saves you can outflank the whole formation and try to kill whatever ignores cover before they come on the board with your guardsman.

Deathwatch Kill Teams are pretty handy for this sort of stuff, but an effective unit will likely set you back 400-500 points. Massive distraction carnifex, and can reliably kill a significant target on T1.