Aggressive IG Infantry

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.

**UltraTacSgt**

How do you make the aggressive use of guardsmen infantry work?

I'm asking in reference to platoons, vets, ogryn, etc. Both mounted and footsloggers.

I plan on running a single platoon along with some Russes/artillery, scions, ogryns, CCS, and either SM allies or as allies to my SM.

I've got a decent grasp on how to gunline my platoon, but I'm not sure how to make the offensive version work.

Do you just max out specials and power weapons, toss in a commissar and priest and then charge behind conscripts?

Is there any value to meltaguns, MB's, and krak nades on 20-30 guardsmen with a commissar charging right at MC's and armor?

As far as vets and ogryn, is there anything more to it than giving them assault weapons and a transport ride into the enemies face to weather a round of shooting and then charge? Or maybe do drive-bys out of a transport till its wrecked and then make a last stand?

How do you use IG infantry in a non-gunline play style?

**Majsharan**

Mechanized is the easiest way to accomplish this, although its not as effective as it was in the last edition (mainly because they made chimeras easier to kill) .

With offensive guard I would put my command squads in chimeras regardless of whether I going full mech or not.

I would take russes over artillery for sure and then take variants that are heavy X and not the ordinance ones.

Imo Flamers are the only offensive weapon normal guard squads should take. I would also say that the across the meta right now 40 man guardsmen squads seems to be sweet spot.

As a disruptive/backup/gamewinning tactic I would also I have some deepstriking stuff

SInce you are allying with guard I would let guard be your anti-mob, mc, light vech removal (the stuff they are by far best at) and let your smurfs be the anti- vech/flyer, meq end.

**danjbrierton**

Guard blob marching down the field with all the toys. allies help.

Wolf Priest brings FNP and Preferred Enemy.
Inquisitor can bring BS 10 vs Psykers, a psychic power, and Stubborn ld10, all for like 80 points.
Pretty much any psyker tacked on is great.
Priests for Hymns.
Azreal for Invulnerables.
There's a ton more, can't think of them all now.

Basically, you want a 50 man blob with plasma or meltaguns, and power axes or meltabombs on the sergeants. Keep a PCS or CCS close for orders protected by a chimera. If you get several psykers on the unit, you can combine charts for invisibility, invulnerable saves, twin linking, etc.

March em down the field. anything that charges them will get overmatched to death. anything that survives overwatch will be hacked to death.

Have something bigger and scarier to keep the heat off them. a LOW or a few LR will do. If you're feeling extra spiffy, put a void shield generator in the middle of the battlefield for you to march into.

**AnomanderRake**

Anything that makes your fifty-man blob tougher, faster, or braver is good. DA powerfield Librarians, Inquisitors, et cetera.

**Jancoran**

UltraTacSgt wrote:
How do you make the aggressive use of guardsmen infantry work?

I'm asking in reference to platoons, vets, ogryn, etc. Both mounted and footsloggers.

I plan on running a single platoon along with some Russes/artillery, scions, ogryns, CCS, and either SM allies or as allies to my SM.

I've got a decent grasp on how to gunline my platoon, but I'm not sure how to make the offensive version work.

Do you just max out specials and power weapons, toss in a commissar and priest and then charge behind conscripts?

Is there any value to meltaguns, MB's, and krak nades on 20-30 guardsmen with a commissar charging right at MC's and armor?

As far as vets and ogryn, is there anything more to it than giving them assault weapons and a transport ride into the enemies face to weather a round of shooting and then charge? Or maybe do drive-bys out of a transport till its wrecked and then make a last stand?

How do you use IG infantry in a non-gunline play style?

Well this has been revisited a few times elsewhere and recently but here is the way ultimately to do it:

Psyker (level 2)
Priest
40 Imperial Guardsman (4 Power Axes and 4 LasCannons)

This is your basic Building block. Take two of them. Add meltabombs if you wish to do so, though I don't think IG should be fighting dreadnoughts with their fists. Leave that to other units in the force...or guns.

In any event, TWO of these building blocks will serve you exceptionally well.

I also recommend a third psyker. the reason is because you want all the chances you can to get Forewarning for your units. A third Psyker is worth it for other reasons also but this is the main one.

The HQ of choice for aggressive IG is Straken. Easily. He gives the building blocks TWO huge bonus's: Furious charge and Counter-charge. BOTH are extremely impactful because of the Priests. That he can give orders is equally awesome.

The Lascannons stay put while the rest of the unit moves around and in front of it, firing every turn until you're ready to charge. Straken stays in his Chimera. Drape it in Camouflage and let it do it's job as long as possible from where it stands.

Enjoy your victories.

I know that there are allies as well you can take but from a purely IG standpoint, this is what I'd do. It's what i DO do.

**raiden**

I freaking love straken. Lore and table.

**Zsolt**

Does it help to add melta/plasma to the lascannon/axe blobs?

**koooaei**

I like mellee ig blobs buffed with a xeno inquisitor and other allies. Be it invisibility or 4++ from Azrael/PFG Libby - it's all gona work good enough. Xeno inquisitor provides an invaluable scoutmove to close the gap a bit. And rad/psycho nades to make them more potent in mellee. Just 3-4 axes, melta bombz and probably a couple meltas. Than 20-30 krak nades to pick on MC and vehicles and a vox or two. And you're good to go crumping. Run them along with another blob - be it conscripts or another guard squad - not as kitted out probably - so that you can jump all the indeps in there if/when needed cause the opponent will HAVE to focus on your 50 choppy guyz.

**Mr.Omega**

I run my infantry squads in blobs of 20-30, and my morale buffers are either Priests, Inquisitors or a Commissar, though I'm leaning on replacing my Commissars with Priests. Tanks/Knights handle the nasty stuff.

I play strictly offensively, and very rarely take HWT's. I prefer mobile infantry over static infantry, as I honestly fail to see the logic in spending 210 points on 3 BS3 Lascannon shots... in a tri-squad blob. If you want them to hold a position, you need to pay a points tax for a Priest/Commissar too. If you want them to be barely decent, you need to pay for a CCS and vox network on top of that. Anything with strength equal to or greater than a full size Tactical Squad is going to roll over them. You're forced into making a large part of your army static, as if you put offensive elements forward the LC blob can only throw some mediocre LC fire down to save them. This encourages you to castle completely so your opponent has to deal with the full strength of your army at the same time. Good luck taking your opponent's objectives either way.

Considering that everyone and their dog seems to be fielding the same Conscript-Priest abuse/Pask-Punisher/Psyker spam/HWT blob stuff, and losing badly with it so say statistics, I've stayed away from all 4 like the plague, and I'm still doing fine. I favour Pask-Executioner, don't bother with Conscripts, despite them looking the most usable of the 4, I only ever take at most an Inquisitor and Astropath as an LD10 stubborn melee-er with added divination is worth it, and the Astropath provides both an extra warp charge at extra warp charge price and the potential for shrouding/invisibility.

3 level 2 psykers is 225, which is considerably more than an Executioner that puts out 5 PC shots a turn. Hell, for that amount of points, you could take almost 4 Wyverns. Even if, say, you're taking a HWT blob list, paying 75 pts for guaranteed oppurtunities to maybe get re-rolls to hit on 3-5 BS3 Lascannons in (woop de doo) and also maybe get another decent power is something I cannot understand. Let's add another maybe ; maybe your opponent takes a psyker heavy list and you've just wasted 225 points.

The Inquisitor-Astropath combination lets you hold the line in place strongly, costs 5 points more than a Lvl 2 Psyker effectively, provides a fairly interesting beatstick, gives you an offensive power on your CCS that can do hilarious things to any non-vehicle unit within 18'', and a 1/3 chance to score 1 of 2 broken telepathy powers.

If you really need more Warp Charges after that, you can get 1-3 warp charges for 18-54 points by buying 1-3 psyker-henchmen retinues.

I'll just repost my comments from the last identical thread, I strongly disagree with the idea that A) foot blobs don't work in a non HWT stance, period and B) that a blob should be showered in upgrades like CC weapons, psykers and multiple specials. A Priest/Commissar/Inquisitor/LC and specials will do.

**vipoid**

Mr.Omega, you make a lot of interesting points, but could you go into a bit more detail regarding how you outfit and use your platoons? I'm mainly curious as to which specials you're taking.

Also, do you think your strategy could still work using only the IG book? (So, no inquisitor or Knights)

**Ashwaster**

Aggressive guard (well not primary, but most of the points) just won the Australian masters

https://www.facebook.com/Australian.40k.Masters

SPACE MARINES CAD, ultramarines:
WL: techmarine, bike, auspex, meltabomb 80pts
Tigurius 165pts
Cypher 190 pts
5 scout - Bolters 55pts
5 scout - Bolters 55 pts

AstraMilitarum Allied Detachment:
Tank commander 568pts
punisher+ multimelta sponsors+ dozerblade, pask, relic paint
punisher+ multimelta sponsors+ dozerblade
punisher+ multimelta sponsors+ dozerblade

3x Ministorum priest 75pts

Infantry platoon 250pts
Platoon command
Infantry squad + meltabomb
Infantry squad + meltabomb
Infantry squad + meltabomb
Infantry squad + meltabomb

3 Wyverns 195pts

Inquisition Detachment:
Coteaz 100pts
Ordo xeno inquisitor, 3 servoskulls, liv1, rad granates, psycotrope granates, liber heresius, power armour 117 pts

**Jancoran**

Zsolt wrote:
Does it help to add melta/plasma to the lascannon/axe blobs?

Help, sure, but it makes it points heavy and plasma will stop you from charging so thats a waste. Melta is really short range so... I think you probably would want to purchase meltabombs with any points you're tempted to spend on Meltaguns.