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.

Hi guys,

I play an IG army and I've realised that my army severely lacks any effective forms of melee. I'm thinking of looking at allies, especially Space Marines, and trying to find melee units from there to assist my guardsmen.

Perhaps I should use Grey Hunters, or Carcharodons Tactical Marines? Or should I focus on getting a 1st Company Task Force for Vanguards, or maybe Terminators?

Does anyone have any advice on which would be the best chocie to help these poor guardsmen out?

Are ogryns/bullgryns/sacrificial guard squads not viable these days?

1st company made up of vanguard vets with jump packs and cheap power weapons can be an option. For 135 points you geet 5 MEQ that all move 12" and have power weapons.

I'd stay away from guys on foot because it's expensive to give them an assault transport (So unless you're looking for a counter attack squad in one specific place or some guys in a drop pod who won't get swept bikes/jump infantry are bettet.)

Well, what are you fighting? Are you looking to repel attackers, or take the fight to them?

Mavnas wrote:
1st company made up of vanguard vets with jump packs and cheap power weapons can be an option. For 135 points you geet 5 MEQ that all move 12" and have power weapons.

I'd stay away from guys on foot because it's expensive to give them an assault transport (So unless you're looking for a counter attack squad in one specific place or some guys in a drop pod who won't get swept bikes/jump infantry are bettet.)

Vanguard Vets seem like the best things for me so far. I see I can give them all power axes and jetpacks to bring them up to 27 points each marine. Still not sure whether I should add stormshields to that, or if I should go all out and give them power fist/lightning claws.

Okapi wrote:
Well, what are you fighting? Are you looking to repel attackers, or take the fight to them?

Hopefully take the fight to them, target dangerous targets like Wraithknights, Tanks, HQs. I want a more mobile army. It seems like the biggest problem I have is high toughness units with big strong attacks.

What about Smashfether and a SM grav gun command squad on bikes? Give Smash the relic shield and a Thunderhammer. Buy a bare bones Scout squad to fill out the troop choice. Use White Scar Chapter Tactics.

I don't think the Imperium has any unit that can go solo against an Eldar army and proceed to take down a Wraithknight while its IG allies hang back. For that sort of job you'd be better off dropping in some Centurions and shooting it, or going at it with grav bikers. Same with tanks, really, only melta instead of grav.

If they're coming at you you have plenty of options though. Grey Hunters are pretty good, and twenty-man Crusader squad with a couple of power weapons are very hard to shift with anything smaller than a Wraithknight, especially if led by a Chaplain. I'm not convinced Vanguards are worth it though. If you want angry jumpy guys I'd give Death Company a go instead.

General use assult types I use are ststers or inquisition henchmen squads. They won't take out a wraithknight due to toughness but with a priest and some crusaders they stick around a long time. Death cults cut through meq types with ease and I guess you could add melta bomb henchmen for the knight hunting.

Ever try a unit of demo vets? They'll die but their bombs could do damage before they go.

Uhhh pretty sure the best Imperium melee unit is the knight titan. Strength D is best bet against anything.

If I play 2000 pt or higher I would bring vanilla marine allies with Calgar and then maybe his veteran bodyguard unit all in a stormraven where they can jump out and take on anyone, plus that's an extra flyer that the enemy will have to handle.

My friend who plays gard runs SW allies with them. Takes a unit of grey hunters in a razorback with a plasma gun and a unit of decked out thunder-wolves. Let me tell you - facing a gard army with 30+ plasma guns that DOESN'T fold when you get in close to them is pretty though. I'd go with the wolves for sure - not only are they the best SM unit for assualt - they are probably the best overall assault unit in the game.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 ultimentra wrote:
Uhhh pretty sure the best Imperium melee unit is the knight titan. Strength D is best bet against anything.

Yes there is also this - BUT is dies pretty easy to sustained fire - unlike the wolves.

Nobody mentioned the Skyhammer formation yet? Grav, pinning, plus melta bombs would prolly finish off a wraithknight.

yeah Imperial Knight is good for nearly any army. chapter master and bike squad is great. You might try a Dark Angel Interrogator-Chaplain with Black Knights as an alternative.

comedy option: Skitarii Rustalkers and Infiltrators. Rustalkers with omnicient mask mathhammer pretty well charging a Wraithknight, but they'll never make it there unless they ride in an assault vehicle.

30-50 man blob, slot in meltabombs and power axes on sergeants, give the whole thing krak grenades if it tickles your fancy, toss in Xenos Inquisitor with rad grenades, a priest, and Azrael. Go murder things with your 4++ murderblob.

Or if I could be forgetting that Azrael can no longer confer the invul to out-of-codex units (memory fails me).

Blobs of guardsmen can be fairly effective against other infantry, but struggle to do anything but tarpit MCs.

Space Marines have some decent formations you could take for dedicated melee. Blood Angels' Sanguine Wing lets you take 20 Vanguards with free power weapons.

 DanielBeaver wrote:
Blobs of guardsmen can be fairly effective against other infantry, but struggle to do anything but tarpit MCs.

Space Marines have some decent formations you could take for dedicated melee. Blood Angels' Sanguine Wing lets you take 20 Vanguards with free power weapons.

Hence meltabombs, rad grenades, krak grenades, power axes and hatred via priest's zealot. Few and far between are the targets they'll struggle against in CC. Then again, if Wraithknights are the trouble, grav guns (not CC) are the answer.

 obsidiankatana wrote:

Or if I could be forgetting that Azrael can no longer confer the invul to out-of-codex units (memory fails me).

he sure can, but he's a Lord of War so you need a Combined Arms Detachment (ok more scouts are cool)

Ally in a smashfucker chaptermaster Iron Hands on bike, and troops choice 5 scouts with sniper rifles (which hurt high T targets on 4+) and you should be pretty good in close combat. Give the chaptermaster an escort of 3 scoutbikers if you want to beef him up a little before the combat.

Apart from that you can get an allied inquisitor with a henchman team with a lot of crasy strenght 6 killers and deathcult assassins at I6 etc. give the inquisitor a thunderhammer to stun the high T guy and some meltabombs in there as well. If you're lucky you can get them into combat from a vendetta/valkyrie you'd pick anyway, or you can put them in a land raider if you have the points.

Finally there is the (mediocre) possibility to use an enginseer with melta bombs, 5 servitors and perhaps a commisar lord with melta bombs. Costs you 165 points but gives you melta bombs and a 12 strenght 6 attacks on the charge, with AP 1, so anything that might penetrate would at least cause some real damage on a vehicle.

Guardsmen are one of the best imperium mellee units. Get them a xeno inquisitor with nades, buff them with some psy-powers and they're stomping face left and right with bayonettes.

what bout grey knights ? Draigo termies and those baby carriers walkers !

Blood Angels Angel's Wrath Intervention Force or Archangels Sanguine Wing (latter is maybe too costly)

Space Wolves or Grey Knights ally

There's also the rough riders. Not very competative, but for 55 points you get a unit that will mess up smaller groups of enemy, if you manage to get the charge off. Then there's the ogryns of course. Many people try to make the CCS into a melee unit, but it cant be done.

If you want some heavy hitter all takers, you could ally in some thunderhammer terminators. They should be able to take on most things.

Anyone mentioned Admech's sicarian Killclade formation yet? You get infiltrators with the -1 BS/WS/I debuff bubble extended to 12' with crazy flechette blaster shooting and Str 6 taser goads with exploding 6's, Also comes with ruststalker that can dish out ap2. They're fast buggers as well so its easy to get them where they need to be and get a charge off.