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I've been playing Necrons for a few months, and I think they're absolutely awesome. However, due to some miscommunication between my FLGS and GW, all the models I ordered won't be here for probably another 2+ weeks (Shipping to Alaska sucks).

In the meantime, I thought I might start a second army, to build up slowly while I continue to build up my Necrons. I don't want to play what everyone else is playing, so that rules out Orks, nids, GK, BA, DA, chaos, DE, Ultramarines, Black Templars, and Tau. My friend suggested I look at IG, and having done a little research on it, I think I would end up running a mech list. IG seems like it requires a TON of models though. Can you run a decent IG list without a ton of infantry? Also, I'm not liking the green and/or camo paint schemes that IG seem to favor; is there anything in the fluff that allows for some variation in color?

I also considered Space Wolves, but I don't like their color scheme. One of the odd chapters of SM might work too, I guess.

Any suggestions?

I hate to point it out... but a lot of these questions have pretty obvious answers.

Search for "Starting Imperial, Need Help!" or some such in the tactics/general discussion section. There is a lot of tips and advice that has been covered in detail.

I'll be completely honest with you, people say "IG is an army you marry" for a good reason. We're probably one of, if not THE most expensive army to get into.

The problem is that our units are dirt cheap, yet our models are roughly the same price as everyone else. A mech list wouldn't cost much infantry wise (a pure mech vet force would run between 40-70 guardsmen usually) but then the cost just pops up with all the chimeras, tanks, or vendettas that you end up buying. Plus, odds are you'll have to bitz order a TON of special weapons, since every troop squad can take three and our Command squads can take 4. You only get ONE melta and plasma in a command box, and none in the regular joe boxes. GW sells 5 of each (resin unfortunately) for roughly 10 bucks, or you can buy them off ebay and the like for roughly 2 to 3 bucks a piece.

Looks wise, you can go nuts. There are literally millions of regiments that exist throughout the 40k universe, with all manner of doctrines, combat styles, and uniforms. They don't have to be boring old cadians with the khaki/green scheme. My plastic Cadians are red with gold trim on the uniforms and gunmetal armor with gold emblems (wanted them to look like an inquisatorial force, don't judge me) People convert all kinds of neat IG armies, look some up to get inspiration.

I will say this, if you don't LOVE the idea of guard, and LOVE the idea of what it can do, do NOT get into them. They are an army you have to commit to. If anything about them is putting you off, IG is probably not the army for you.

You can run a mech guard army without very much infantry and still do okay. There's a guard player at my store who takes two squads of vets with carapace armor or camo cloaks and a lord commissar in carapace for the entirety of his infantry models. The rest are vehicles.

It's a pretty big risk, of course, having that light of a troops count, but it does allow him to spend a lot of points on high-firepower stuff. He tends to either lose big or win big. In a local tournament recently he came in second - absolutely crushing his way through the first three rounds only to get tabled in the final match against the person who came in first.

More "normal" guard lists are going to require more infantry, certainly, and if you really hate infantry, then guard MAY not be the best army for you, as most guard armies will include more like 50-150 infantry models at 1500 points (depending on the kind of army you're running).

And yeah, you don't have to do usual camo schemes. There's a lot of nice stuff out there in a variety of schemes, and there are many guard models that look nice not in camo (see vostroyans, for example).

Being a newer IG player with a medium-sized collection, I can say this:
If you like to watch your enemy cower in fear as your tanks massacre everything he throws at you.

If you value of your wallet, run. Run as fast of you can.
It's probably cost me around 600$ for a 2000 point property mech list.

My second army, the Tau was just as expensive(400$), and I still don't feel like it's complete.
However, I made a 2500 point GK army for 300$. Termies+Storm Ravens.

wfischer wrote:
Can you run a decent IG list without a ton of infantry?

Yes. My 1500 point list uses three veteran squads (melta/plasma in Chimeras), a CCS (melta/plasma in Chimera), and Marbo. That's a total of 36 infantry models, maybe 40-45 if I bring artillery (the fixed guns with crew). And in anything less than 1500 (where you'll be starting as a new player) I'll usually drop a veteran squad, for only 26 models. Sure, it's light on scoring, but when you cripple your opponent with overwhelming firepower you don't need that many infantry models to hold an objective.

Of course the drawback to that plan is that you replace "lots of infantry" with "lots of tanks". You don't really save any money overall, you just get the option to paint tanks instead of infantry.

Also, I'm not liking the green and/or camo paint schemes that IG seem to favor; is there anything in the fluff that allows for some variation in color?

That's just the default Cadian scheme GW uses to make all of their models look like part of the same army. Unless you're doing something really awful like bright pink and orange you can find (or invent) fluff to justify pretty much any sensible color scheme.

Thanks for all the responses. I've already started on a Valkyrie, which I'm painting with a theme similar to the U.S. Coast Guard. Tanks and characters/infantry will probably get some sort of white or digital snow camo. Money isn't really the concern, I just don't want to deal with a ton of infantry models. I do love the look of IG's vehicles though, and from what I've read so far, it looks like they'll be fun to play.

I jokingly told my friend that I was going to put Necron warriors in my Valkyrie and give it Quantum Shielding. He wasn't amused

wfischer wrote:
Thanks for all the responses. I've already started on a Valkyrie, which I'm painting with a theme similar to the U.S. Coast Guard. Tanks and characters/infantry will probably get some sort of white or digital snow camo. Money isn't really the concern, I just don't want to deal with a ton of infantry models. I do love the look of IG's vehicles though, and from what I've read so far, it looks like they'll be fun to play.

I jokingly told my friend that I was going to put Necron warriors in my Valkyrie and give it Quantum Shielding. He wasn't amused

Heh, if only Necrons could ally with IG as battle-brothers. That would be one hell of a cheese run.

But you will find yourself having to paint 10-30 models in one go sometimes.
Be warned, painting Cadians will get annoying fast, try to pace it as best you can.