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I am looking to start a armored list for Astra Militarum. I don't know how viable it will be or what would be good to take. I am looking for suggestions. 2000 points or so. Thanks in advance.

My suggestion is to go with a lot of Lemun Russ instead of the super heavies...Can't think of the faction off the top of my head, but the one that makes the wound track less of an issue is the one to go with

You can't go completely without infantry; that said, about 90 infantry and maybe 9 tanks sounds decent-ish.

Well, I just spent the past few weeks tweaking my list repeatedly, so I'll plug that as a starting point then... https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/767994.page

Not pure armored, but more of a combined arms approach.

Just grab getting started box sets. Lots of them and a chimera with each.
And there you go.
Though you'll end up with dozens of that gakky commissar

If you're gonna run infantry at all, 60 models is about the minimum you want to bring. The reason for that is twofold, the first is 6 squads is the minimum you need to bring 2 battalions or a single Brigade, the second is that guardsmen die in droves and you'll run out very fast if you take less than that, even 60 is pushing it in that regard.

The defence force and battleforce boxes are decent value if your budget can stretch that far, you get a solid selection of units in both for quite good value.

As noted above, a bare minimum of 60 Infantry would be recommended.

The trouble with Chimera, from a game play perspective, is that Scions can deep strike wherever you want, and they will arrive "Guaranteed" without risk of the tanks being blown up before you get there.

While some think of Scions as suicide troops, they aren't if you drop enough and you support them by attacking their threats with other units. Such as advancing Russes shooting at the units that threaten your Scions, or Artillery shelling those threatening units.

That's the major reason that Chimerae and Tauroxen aren't used competitively. There's a much more efficient, lower risk option available.


To which, Russes benefit from some nearby foot troopers to intercept assaulting units, and provide space cushions against opposing deep strikers. Artillery do the same, which is where people are coming from in the combined arms approach. Scions Deep Strike onto distant objectives / to target high value priority targets. Russes and Hellhounds often advance with infantry to take central objectives. Artillery and infantry sit back and bomb away, holding objectives in your deployment zone.

It's an effective, interactive, and fun way to play Guard. You don't need to worry about being "That Guy" with the sit'n'shoot gunline. Ironically, tank-heavy armies have trouble with moving forwards. They have no resistance to being assaulted, lose accuracy on the move (Except Russ Turrets and Flamer-type weapons) and generally have long ranged guns that you're paying points for, so might as well take advantage of by sitting back.

Not saying it can't be done, by any means, but it's not the competitive way to play Guard in 8th.


If your heart is set on a tank force, I'd suggest allying a Knight or two. The Knights can provide the mobile firepower AND melee protection that advancing Russ and Hellhound type tanks would want. I'd still personally suggest keeping some infantry around to lag behind to hold objectives in your Deployment Zone, and to act as speed bumps for opposing assaulters... the Knights can't be everywhere at once... but it would be a viable option, I think.

 greatbigtree wrote:
not the competitive way.

.....*sigh*

ValentineGames wrote:

 greatbigtree wrote:
not the competitive way.

.....*sigh*

To be fair, it's better he has an idea of what works and what doesn't before going all in and finding out half the stuff he has isn't viable and he has to prop it up with more competitive units. Plus, once he gets the hang of it, then he can transition into using less optimal units without completely gimping himself as far as gameplay knowledge.

anastobe wrote:
2000 points or so.

I would highly recommend not starting with an aim towards 2000 points. I made an 1850 point list earlier, it has 60 infantry, 7 tanks, a flier, 3 sentinels and half a dozen different characters. If you set out to collect a force that size it would be maddening! The sea of grey plastic that an unpainted Guard army presents is not a great motivator.

I would suggest that you start at 1k, or maybe even smaller. It's not like you have to stop there but it makes a nice core to build upon. I would say that the core choices of a Guard army would be 30 infantry, an officer and a tank. That is a nice little force to be getting on with, which will be useful no matter which way you want to expand later.

I think the start collecting box is a decent set if you want to get a Leman russ. I would not get more than one though, as the commissar would look weird in multiples. If you want mechanised chimera units, then the defence force box would not be a bad alternative.

Normally, someone posting a useless "Sigh" in regards to me noting a lack of competitiveness would bother me, but since I did couch it inside of "Not saying it can't be done..." I'm going to let it slide. I provided some helpful advice towards the Fully Armoured idea immediately afterwards, so I can say I was helpful.

Mechanized infantry in 8th edition is highly ineffective. The points spent on infantry, and their upgrades, can't be taken advantage of while embarked. No firepoints. And moving with a Chimera or Taurox diminishes their firepower, and moving forwards does that AND exposes them to greater risk. They're really better off sitting still in your DZ and being fire support, instead of a transport, and they're inefficient at that task.

Whereas infantry moving forwards on foot can still utilize their weaponry. I'm not up on the CA points adjustments, but going out of the codex...

Infantry Squad w/ Bolter, Plasmagun, Heavy Bolter, 7x Lasguns = 62 points

Chimera w/ 2x HB = 91 points.

For one Chimera + one Infantry Squad, you pay 153 points, and if the Chimera moves you get to fire 2x HB at -1 to hit and 6 lasguns. Two of those is 306 points, and can fire 4x HB at -1 to hit and 12 lasguns.

5x Infantry Squads cost 310 points. You can fire 5x HB at -1 to hit, 5x Plasmaguns, 5x Bolters, and 35 Lasguns. Said units can also benefit from orders... and if you're cheeky you make a conga line so your HB's don't have to move and thus suffer the penalties for moving... so they fire at full BS.

8th Edition rewards killing them before they kill you. That means maximizing firepower. You can't do that when 40% of your points can't do anything while embarked, and the remaining 60% of your points suffers for moving forwards. I mean, what's the point of a transport that is worse for carrying infantry AND worse for moving forwards? It's just going to result in loss after loss. You just can't output enough firepower to make it worthwhile.

Whereas infantry moving up with "Battle Tanks" increase the value of the tanks by protecting them, and the infantry can still fire. Further, with careful placement, you can protect units behind battle tanks (out of *some* los) from most return fire, while keeping your own firepower active. That's the win-win of combined arms for IG.

I have Chimerae and tried them out when 8th rolled over and was consistently disappointed by the results. They're too expensive and actually hamper the ability to win by using them as transports. And they aren't efficient at being fire support. A Basilisk is 100 points, and the Chimera is 91 with a pair of HB. You upgrade one HB to an indirect firing Earthshaker for 9 points. There's no contest.


Which is why I'd honestly suggest adding Knights if you don't want to use foot sloggers. Keeps the Mechanized force, without requiring Chimerae. Even then, foot sloggers are vital to the attrition style strategy that IG plays so well. They're part of the tools in the box that IG has to use. If you were doing a job, and you decided not to use a particular tool, like a screwdriver, you can pound a screw into a board with a hammer. I doesn't work as well, but if you want to you still can. But know that you're choosing to make your job more difficult by not using the screwdriver, and that may become frustrating after a few jobs (games. )
_____________________________________________________________________

But what you asked for was list advice, so here's what I'd suggest. Again, probably better off starting at 1000 points and building up. Nothing is so defeating to your hobby morale as a hundred primered infantry and a half-dozen tanks!

Brigade:

2x LR Tank Commanders (More points efficient then HS Leman Russ)
1x Company Commander (For Orders)
4x Infantry Squads
1x Commissar (Elite Version)
2x Armoured Sentinels
1x Hellhound

801 points - No Upgrades - 3 tanks and 2x Walkers. You could probably trade the Sentinels for another Hellhound if you were inclined.

I personally like having sponsons on the Russes, so I'd go for those. I like having a heavy and special weapon on my Guardsmen squads, even if I plan on moving. For a turn or two, you can not move the Heavy to fire at full BS if you leave a line backwards to it, and even if you move, I find they're still worth taking. Armoured Sentinels are pretty tough if you can keep them in cover, and can act as a speed bump and sniper rifle if need be (I like Lascannons... poor BS be damned!) and the Hellhound can be flavour of choice, but I like the standard Hellhound with Heavy Flamer. Move, shoot, no worries.

If you have points left over after your upgrades, another Infantry squad just to leave behind in your Deployment zone, out of LOS, holding an objective could win you the game. Just stay alive, camp an objective, score VP at the end of the game. Good times.

CA dropped chimera's to 60pts before weapons, and vets to 5pts per model (along with bs3 special weapons getting cheaper). Combine that with the new mechanized specialist detachment that lets you disembark after moving and issue orders from inside a transport and mechanized vets are somewhat viable again.

You spelt imperial guard wrong.

Made quick list attempt to see what it would look like. Brigade, cadian. Pask in executioner with sponson plasma and lascannon, 2 tank commanders in regular russ and heavy bolters, 2 astropaths, tech priest for elite, 6 infantry squads(naked) for screening, 3 sentinels and 6 russ(4 regular, 2 punisher) without sponsons came to 1970.

About max amount of russes I can cram without going totally nuts. Would likely not be all that effective though some match up's would be good for it.