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So I've had 100+ painted guardsmen for ages... Lots of old school figures that are really nicely painted. So it's high time I finally make an army of 'em.

But here's the catch: I've not yet played 40K! I don't know anything about IG (except that they're cool looking, I love the idea of artillery and tanks). I've been collecting and painting GW sci fi figures for ages, but now I'd like to try 40K

I'll be playing with friends, very casually. The kind of thing where we might play a few times a year at best! So what makes for a good game with IG? I am not worried about competitive games, and I'd be curious to see what you've done for proxies - though I love the IG range, it's fun to find alternatives.

I went out and bought a few Ramshackle Games transports, that I'll be subbing in for Chimeras. These two (not my pics!):

The Rhebok:


The Gnu:


Would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

My definition of fun is to use my Catachans in a tropical jungle but looking at your mini collecion that might not be the best approach for your force. Try to get hold of as much multi-level city ruins as possible and use the 40K Cityfight rules. A buddy of mine did just that and had tons of fun using his mechanized Cadians in this kind of environment.

Ig transports are "less competitive " choices these days. The tanks themselves tend to be worth more (several times more) than the contents.

You're better off either buying multiple units of ground-pounders, or taking Scions that can drop from the sky to wherever you need them.

If you prefer to play thematically, and want a fully mechanized force, that's your call, of course, but the peak power level is lower than some other builds. IG is a strong faction right now, so that's ok for casual play.

I prefer to use as wide a variety of models as I can in my games. I tend to block my units into 3 groups.

- Sit and shoot
- Slow advance
- Opponent's Deployment Zone

If points allow, I take some infantry to support / protect some artillery. I take some Infantry to support the advance of Russ and Sentinels. I take some Scions and a small Squad in a Vendetta to drop / fly into my opponent's DZ.

That's fun for me, as I can threaten all objectives, no matter where they're placed, and I have an army that interacts and is interactive for my opponent, regardless of what they play.

I find pure sit and shoot gun lines to be uninteresting to play, but t I have no problem playing part of my list in that style. Like I said, I enjoy using a variety of models in a variety of styles.

Hope that helps!

Well, AM is a top tier army at the moment.

I'd take 3 LRBTs, 1 Baneblade, 3x 30 Conscripts, HQ (Commissars), 2x 5 Ratlings, and some Sentinals.

This gives a nice 2000 pts army.

Pssst! Conscripts are crap post-FAQ. Better off with regular Guardsmen.

To OP, what drew you to IG? That's what will be fun about them.

For me, I'm (slowly) working on an army of light tank 'police'. A few patrol squads backed up by the armored 'traffic enforcement' division, equipped with hydras, hellhounds, and taurox (modded into tankettes (wip)).

Artillery. Shatter their skies.

IG are in a great place right now, as others have said, but I am going to give you a warning, they are a hoard army, so you'll need to field a lot of them. if you're not partiuclarly keen on building a lot of stuff, Guard may not be the army for you

For me it was the fanatical aspect of ig that got me into them. I am like you(few games a year, more about painting/modeling). I enjoy the look of a horde so i went with infantry squads with heavy weapons, commisars or priests(lots of dice and lots of re rolls). Our transports are one of the few that can fit a full squad plus characters so chimeras are cool. I still love sentinels but sadly this edition has decided they cant walk and shoot so the fun is kind of gone. We have pretty sick flying transports that can be kitted for anti tank or anti horde (of flying in and dropping troops is your thing).

Tanks are also our thing but the points rack up quick so most people choose boots or tanks. Its always cool to stick a tank with your army dudes or blast artillary from the back. Baneblades are cool and arent really over powered and havent been as long as i have been playing.

A Basalisk and two Leman Russ Battle Tanks. All IG armies should start with a Basalisk and two Leman Russ Battle Tanks.

These are your "shock" elements.

Infantry Squad x6 with Lascannon & Grenade Launcher. The Net Lists say to use Plasma Guns, but I say use Grenade Launchers because those weapons come in the squad box and Plasma Guns don't.

Heavy Weapons Team x3. Each team gets Heavy Bolter x3.

Use the Cadians Doctrine, and have one Company Commander and one Platoon Commander hang out by the Heavy Weapons Teams so they can give the Take Aim! order every turn. This will let your Heavy Weapons Teams re-roll all their misses every turn.

This is your fire base.

Then get 3 more Infantry Platoons to use as Vets. Give each squad of 10 three Plasma Guns. Yeah, you're gonna have to but them separate, but the Vets have a 3+BS so it's worth it.

The Vets are your Maneuver element to capture Objectives.

Support your Vets with another Company Commander and one Platoon Commander, and three Armored Sentinels. The HQs give the Take Aim orders like above, the Sentinels provide mobile Heavy Weapons support. Plus they fulfill your 3 Fast Attack slots just like the Vets fulfill your 3 Elites slots.

Now you've got a full IG Brigade and 12 CPs. Plus everything is so cheap that you have enough points left over for a bunch more stuff. I like 3 squads of Scions so they can Deep Strike on top of Objectives.

That makes for 130 infantry models. You'll probably never go first, but most other armies simply can inflict 130 wounds in only six turns. Meanwhile you'll be pumping out so much dakka that even 'Nid and Ork hordes will melt off the table under your Lasgun fire.

If you're running Chimeras, bring Bullgryns.

Great advice, thanks!

I just went over my goodies, and have about 120 really nicely painted guardsmen. Mostly old Cadian dudes, with a handful of other old models (mid-90s) mixed in. Some weapons teams, a few officers (a set of fancy-pantsy guys in all white officer's uniforms - gotta figure out how to use them no matter what they actually are!) And as luck would have it, wuestenfux, I have 10 well painted ratlings, too!

And to get started, I have a big Dust force - some US walkers will serve as Tanks and a Basilisk to get me 'warmed up' before I pick up some for real models.