Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey guys! 9th ed. is here woohoo! hahaha

I've been itching to start list building again... soo glad we have points to do it with finally!

I'm a Guard player, and on top of that i like to keep it simple. i dont like the psychic phase, and i dont mind that i dont have any. its on purpose. just not my style. i believe if something is worth taking once, you should should bring a few of them for good measure. that said, here is my 2000pt Mechanized Imperial Guard list! : )

Catachan Battalion
HQ
Tank Commander: punisher, heavy bolter, heavy stubber, warlord
Tank Commander: demolisher, heavy bolter, Tank Ace up-armored
Tank Commander: demolisher, heavy bolter, Tank Ace up-armored
Troops
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Infantry Squad: plasma gun
Elite
Special Weapons Squad: 3x plasma gun
Special Weapons Squad: 3x plasma gun
Special Weapons Squad: 3x plasma gun
Heavy Support
Manticore
Manticore
Manticore
Dedicated Transport
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer
Chimera: multi-laser, heavy flamer

So i went with Catachan because it will help the rate-of-fire on the demolisher cannons and the manticores. The demos both have 2+ saves with the tank ace ability, so they can survive being in range a bit better. the chimeras will all be loaded up with infantry squads and rushed to midfield/objectives where they pop smoke to survive to unload following turn. the special weapons squads stay in reserves and deploy once there is something juicy to pounce on. Catachan will also help the infantry a bit more than Cadian would, since theyll be getting nice and cozy with the enemy. seriously lacking in melee and psychic, but tons of guns, and lots of T7&8 and Sv 2+&3+ stuff to deal with on top of the 60 rambos.

Yay 9th! hahaha even with points increases im bringin lots of tanks and lots of guys! hehe

Would you look at this tread head, lol!

The only thing I would say is that with all the blast weapons, you won't benefit from the new "shoot into combat" rules that vehicles get in 9th.

I don't know that it will be a problem until we see more of how people will play 9th.

No mortar teams whaaaaa... lol. I know the maticores fill that role too but I think they will prioritize big threats while mortars pick on small squads in the back.

I think at least one beefy close combat unit is critical for 9th.

I think a big block of bullgryn would really add a lot to the list.

Maybe if you dropped a tank commander and a manticore you could fit them in?

I also like a ministorum priest and a primaris psyker to buff them.

Sergeant harker and strakan are great in catachan lists. Don't forget catachans love close combat! Instead of hiding and then jumping out with plasma, they could fix beyonets and charge in after rapid firing!

So, roughly

Tank Commander
Strachan
Primaris Psyker

9x Bullgryn
Priest
Harker

5x troops with power swords and flamers

2x manticore

5x Chimera

This is roughly 1800 points and you can decide where to go next.

Hahaha, I've only ever played Guard as an infantry gunline with a couple of leman russes.

I've always wanted to play an armored company and/or a mech inf list. my other version of this list is valkyries instead of chimeras, for a Vietnam War Air Cav theme.

Anyway, I like my demos, im willing to drop one, but i want to keep two with the 2+ save tank ace on both for some 'slap yo mama' to back up the midfield line of catameras and chichans, err chupacabres and chimichangas, err uhhh, the dudes and the horses they rode in on.

im switching up the heavy support too. i missed out on 33 pt mortar squads, but i guesss they're still worth it at 51. i dropped two manticores and added two 3Xmortar squads in their place. im going to put the lone manticore in reserve, too. they can only fire 4 times in a 5 round game anyway, might as well keep them safe turn one? or maybe the answer to the melee question will answer that.

soooo i kind of like the idea of straken n harker, maybe even sly, but they still feel kinda tooo.. idk.. human? for melee lol the only reason i would take the priest or psykers is to buff some bullgryns, but if theres one thing i just cant get on board with more than psychic phase, its bullgryns. i just cant do the oafish ogre look. just really not my style.

that said, i am not against the idea of calling in some help from another branch of the Emporer's armed forces.

with the changes above, i have 400 points to spend on a chunk of melee from another codex. something that doesnt need a lot of buffing from characters, preferably. of course whatever it is will have to be better than my default alternative...

80 more guardsmen running around like headless chickens!! hahaha a horde like that is tough to chew through in 5 turns!

so whats better than 80 guardsmen for 400pts? some dreads? some sword and shield wielding fellows? some lovely ladies? some beefy armor dudes? some jump pack crazies? a knight-lite?

tldr: 400pts to spend on allied/soup melee, GO!



Automatically Appended Next Post:
how about this.... for 386pts i could get BA Smash Cap with jump pack/hammer/shield, a squad of assault intercessors, and a squad of Sanguinary guard?

then i could throw heavy stubbers on the tank commanders for 5pt each to take advantage of that 3+BSs for a nice even 2000pts

So that alternative view would be an air mobile with a core group of maybe 5 vendetta gunships, and a bunch of air cav catachans.

Something like

straken, 2 company commander, harkness, minipriest, officer of the fleet, astropath (he is there so you can shoot at things without cover, and occasionally to deny. I know you wont use him!) is about 310
5 big birds. 245 whopping points each each vendetta carries a pair of heavy bolters and six lascannon
3 regular infantry squads with a flamer each (never underestimate catachan flamer techniques with removing cov er for the massed lasguns) and a powersword each (why not)
3 command squads with 12 grenade launchers (hey, its thematic, but also a good anti-horde thing in this edition!)
2 special weapons squads with 6 more grendae launcher
51 points remain. In catachan hands, I would suggest a platoon commnder and 25 point of power weapons to give to the 2 company commanders (each a powersword and powerfist) and the platoon (a powerfist)

So this little kill group starts with 30 lascanon to unarmor the enemy, not shabby, while the ground pounders get dropped in a fairly big mass that should be able to deal with hordes.

What you think? Air cav enough? (Note my original version had 4 vendetta and 2 bare bones valkyries with 60 gaurd, but this seems cooler to me. So many lascans!
The variant with the 4 vendetta and 2 valkyrie is a bit more themeatic, I guess, a variety of helicopters and the ride of the valkyries is back in.

Harkness isn't strictly necessary but he is themeatic. The astropath could easily be replaced by a second OoF in case the first guy dies and you lose the 30 reroll 1's on lascannons, whch is a .. worthy thing.
,