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I own the "Start Collecting" Astra Militarum set, and I've painted a majority of the miniatures. I haven't gotten the Astra Militarum codex yet, because I'm not sure if I want to stick with the IG. Although I'm new to the 40k miniature-collecting, I'm quite familiar with Warhammer lore, and I've always liked the CSMs' lore and appearance. I've read that the CSMs are one of the weakest armies in the game currently, which, if it's true, is very unfortunate. The IG seem a bit bland and "cookie-cutter" to me, but not unappealing to the point that I'd refuse to collect and play them.

Overall, I'd really appreciate if anyone could help me decide between the IG and CSMs, considering all of the factors.

Well, you can always rather than just doing CSMs invest in the "Traitor Legions" book. It has some specialized formations and army lists for the CSMs.

If I do that and learn how to play them properly, do you think I'd be able to last in small tournaments/semi-competitive play?

Maybe?

Honestly, it's going to entirely depend on how players around you set things up.

You could always keep your AM army and treat them as renegades/cultists. Maybe just adjuat some colouring or repaint a few pieces for Chaos feel. After that pick-up some CSM models. Best of borh worlds.

I like that idea, but I don't think that'd fly too well in at higher levels of gameplay. I could be wrong though.

I would suggest getting Traitor Legions the book, then choose either Alpha Legion or Word Bearers and using the IG as cultists with sufficient Chaos'ifying. For CSM models can't go wrong with Dark Vengence as a starter and sell the Dark Angels to keep the cost down, also get even more cultists in it.

Just my 2p worth though. Others may have better ideas.

Imperial Armor 13 and the Siege of Vracks, from Forgeworld. Lets you run that IG as Renegades and Heretics and can then ally in some CSM. Though pricey, it's worth checking out if you like 'em both.

Would the supposed lack of power in the CSMs be problematic?

TapedTempest wrote:
Would the supposed lack of power in the CSMs be problematic?

The new book largely fixes that.

TapedTempest wrote:
I like that idea, but I don't think that'd fly too well in at higher levels of gameplay. I could be wrong though.

As long as the tourney accepts Imperial Armour 13 (FW Supplement) you should be good to go. I'm pretty sure the vast majority do.

What would be the best way to Chaos'ify the guardsmen?

TapedTempest wrote:
I own the "Start Collecting" Astra Militarum set, and I've painted a majority of the miniatures. I haven't gotten the Astra Militarum codex yet, because I'm not sure if I want to stick with the IG. Although I'm new to the 40k miniature-collecting, I'm quite familiar with Warhammer lore, and I've always liked the CSMs' lore and appearance. I've read that the CSMs are one of the weakest armies in the game currently, which, if it's true, is very unfortunate. The IG seem a bit bland and "cookie-cutter" to me, but not unappealing to the point that I'd refuse to collect and play them.

Overall, I'd really appreciate if anyone could help me decide between the IG and CSMs, considering all of the factors.

Can't really chime in about chaos aside from them getting a lot of love recently. I also wouldn't doubt GW might do something with Guard considering the whole Fall of Cadia supplement or whatever.

It really depends what you want. I'm not sure if it's still standard but when i played imperial guard in 5th gun-line was how guard played. In 7th i've fought gun-line guard and gun-line DKoK (which have no vehicles) and the constant seems to be a shield wall (you'll probably need to buy yourself one) with lots of ordnance. In 5th tanks were the big thing but people keep talking about wyverns now esp. done in 3's which can supposedly destroy whole units of marines without avoiding their armor even.

Let me tell you i was somewhat insulted an imperial guard player can get camo netting on their vehicles behind shield walls and they can get night fighting which can boost it to a 2+ cover save if your opponent doesn't have night vision (dark eldar all have it). Considering a bunch of AV 14 front armor vehicles can get a higher cover save than my dark eldar units when jinking or in cover is rather insulting to my dark eldar.

I used to know somebody on here that talked chaos marines and though they got the shaft for a while they seem to be getting love. The person i used to know that talked about it was so salty it was unbelievable and she used to play thousand sons with magnus the red being like the red headed step child of chaos (basically the least love shown). The one constant to chaos seems to be that their players are bitter and hate how much GW didn't give their faction love. Far as i can tell with the last formation i saw them in they do ok (a dead cultist unit coming back at the end of the turn on a 4+ and being allowed to outflank and terminators that shot both in movement once they deepstriked and once again in the shooting phase).

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Anyway the best answer i'd have is get some info from chaos and guard players whether on dakka or IRL. I don't know how both play right now but in some ways guard just seem more potent. This isn't even considering traitor guard which can just spam up the field with the local guy taking a full field of them and one super heavy baneblade-esque tank. Supposedly he regularly beats a tau player with double stormsurge, 1 riptide, 2 ghostkeels, 6 stealth suits and shadowsun which is very impressive (must be the fact everything except the super heavy is expendable and you need to kill a lot just to put a dent in that sort of firepower). That said super-heavies and gargantuan creatures shouldn't really belong in normal games in my opinion.

Would it be impossible for OP to just buy some cultists and if that's not an option just buy cultist heads and fix em onto guardsmen bodies (similar to genestealer cultified guardsmen)?

TapedTempest wrote:
If I do that and learn how to play them properly, do you think I'd be able to last in small tournaments/semi-competitive play?

Not familiar with 40k tournaments but i am with Fantasy ones and was in a couple back when Warhammer Fantasy existed. Playing in tournaments requires you to know the rules well, how to take advantage of them, decent sportsmanship and taking a decent army. In the tournaments i was in it was 3 games per person a 2 hours or so per game for a total of at least 6 hours of play time without counting break for meal time and voting for things like best painted. It takes stamina to be able to stand for so long without much sitting down. Even with my 4-5 years of Fantasy playing there were massive vets there that knew the rules better and knew things that just seemed brilliant to me. They will make you look a fool in some cases.

My suggestion is get at least a year's worth of practice if not 2 before you charge into a tournament (i only played Fantasy once per week). Even with 4-5 years of playing 40k don't expect to go home with the gold. It's a learning experience just being there and you need the rules down pat before you go charging in. See some tactics online and come up with them on your own if you can. In 40k faction choice plays a part of winning (due to imbalance) as well as player skill and army composition and tactics. According to you you're new, you want lower powered factions and being new you probably don't know the best army compositions or tactics. Experience can improve all of those except faction choice. Some factions are just absurdly hard to win a tournament with.

The problem is that AM is considered comes the apoc when ally with CSM. What you would need to get is the Forgeworld book IA :13. That will give you a full list that makes use of most of the AM models and lets you ally as battle brothers.

I'm not really too concerned about reusing the AM, since I can (and probably will) make an army for them later on. My main concern is that the CSMs supposedly aren't doing too well gameplay-wise, and that it may not be best for me to start up with a CSM army.

Don't make your IG into Renegades just yet if you still want to make an army with them later one.

I would suggest picking the Warband/Legion with the fluff/aesthetics/playstyle that appeals the most to you. I'd also like to point out you can use any Legion's tactics with your guys. Maybe your Word Bearers are devotees of Nurgle, so you use Death Guard rules. Maybe the love Khorne, so you use the World Eaters. Hell, maybe your Alpha Legionnaires rely on Terminator assaults, so you use Black Legion rules.

Power levels come and go, and while Death Guard, Emperor's Children, and World Eaters have got a significant boost, the rest aren't boosted sufficiently. Honestly though, this shouldn't matter. Power levels come and go.

TapedTempest wrote:
I'm not really too concerned about reusing the AM, since I can (and probably will) make an army for them later on. My main concern is that the CSMs supposedly aren't doing too well gameplay-wise, and that it may not be best for me to start up with a CSM army.

CSM are doing just fine after all the supplements. We ar not a top tier army and never will be. But we can do work. Death Guard is probably our most brutal list followed by a black legion spearhead.