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It's as simple as that, which is better in the current meta? I'm debating between running a base platoon with flamers or melta on the PCS in chimeras, or running chimera vets loaded up with melta and plasma.

Not sure myself. I just started a IG army myself. I got at least 100 bodies for platoons. I was thinking I was going to use them so I could spam heavy weapon teams. I got 10 lascannons and enough bits to make another 15 teams. Of course I deal with a lot of Wraithknights (one guy has five).

What does the rest of your army look like? If you need DZ defense, a blob platoon with Autocannons and a priest are good for that, if you want something more mobile with a heavier punch in a smaller package, Vets are good for that.

In my experience, platoons are better because: A) they can take some fire when blobbed up. B) can be decent in melee with a priest and the right upgrades C) work very well with Coteaz for defending long range tanks or artillery and D) can protect your heavy weapons by positioning them properly.

I guess it depends on who you are playing but my poor veterans always die horribly because their chimeras are destroyed very early and they have too few numbers to survive any fire once they are disembarked.

As said, depends since the two squads fulfill different roles. Vets are hammers with better special weapons and better BS. They can be made more durable with chimeras and camo gear, but I wouldn't count on them for staying power unless you are spamming them to the tune of 6-10 squads. That said, they are great when combined with drop pods.

Platoons show well when supported by psychic powers and the right upgrades. Personally, I wouldn't leave home without a conclave and desert raiders from IA3. This makes them a cheap super unit, letting attached characters bounce wounds forever before having to take a hit to their damage output or scoring abilities. Las cannons, force axes, and melta bombs are a staple. Also requires fewer orders issuing models to be on the table since you get more bang for each order buck with the blob.

For those arguing the output of vets, recall that a platoon command squad has the exact same close range firepower as does the vet squad and can fit in pods etc. just as easily. The issue comes if you want to mechanize. In this case, I feel like you can take platoons, but I'd use the platoons on the ground and put special weapons squads in the chimeras so you have both blobs and mechanized special weapons.

All in all, it's up to you. Supported blobs are great. Veterans are awesome in their simplicity.

simple as this:

Infantry spam: platoons
Heavily mechanized: veterans

I used to run mech vets last edition and now run platoons (going heavy on conscripts with priests)

I think the way to go at the moment is 20-30 man platoons with heavy weapons and a 30-40 man conscript blob with a priest. They're a pain to shift and can handle infantry squads much more than their points value. Not as strong against armour though - you'd need to find that elsewhere in your list.

I normally run a mix of both, Platoons are solid line infantry on foot with a Commissar/Priest to keep them from running, while Vets are best tooled up with special weapons, loaded into a Chimera and sent to kill stuff and take mid-field objectives.

 More Dakka wrote:
I normally run a mix of both, Platoons are solid line infantry on foot with a Commissar/Priest to keep them from running, while Vets are best tooled up with special weapons, loaded into a Chimera and sent to kill stuff and take mid-field objectives.

This is the way I run it, too.

I've only played three games with my IG, despite purchasing most of the army in November... I run a mech list and include three Vets with meltas in Chimeras for 1,500 point games. They're great for quickly taking objectives and cause a little annoyance here and there. I have found that they're often targeted early and taken out before they get a chance to bust whatever they're racing towards.

I haven't tried running platoons yet, but I have played against a guard player who had a thirty many blob. It was more of an annoyance than anything, but was easily handled with three Wyverns dropping blasts left, right and centre!

Vets in Chimera are not that good but not that bad. Vets in drop pod are amazing. Platoons with LC or AC stick around all game and you get a platoon command which does some serious damage. I find platoons end up being great places to place characters - Aint no body want to shoot at a 30 man blob in 4+ cover.

Quite simply, if you haven't gathered this from all the other posters, neither are "Better" as they have different functions.

I've played many matches with both vets and blobs and varying mixes of the two.

Want a more mobile force that can drive up and pretty reliably melta gun a vehicle or MC from the safety of their AV12 transport? Go with Vets.
Want a less mobile force with a measure of flexibility (because orders are awesome) and fearless? Go with Infantry blobs and let the prayers and hymns begin with priests!
Want the best of both worlds? Mix and match accordingly but be tactical about your unit placements and their functions.

My two cents.

Consider Commissars instead of Priests if you are blobbing a platoon up to form a gunline. The reason being is that Priests make you Fearless, which is great!, but also prevents you from Going to Ground, which is not so great. Given that you can use a Senior Officer to issue the Get Back in the Fight! order to ignore the penalty of Going to Ground, you can easily get 3+ cover saves in ruins or behind an ADL to make your blob of Guardsmen surprisingly resilient (Ignores Cover notwithstanding of course).

I've been working on an IG detachment for my army, and i've found it depends on how you want your guardsmen to play.

Platoons are great at area denial through mass of bodies on objectives, which really helps anchor your battle lines, or for bubble-wrapping your tanks. They're also a ridiculous offensive tool via orders. I'd give them a flamer minimum (30 guys in a squad, 2 flamers per 10 men iirc, that's a damn painful overwatch!). HWT are great backfield units, stick 'em in ruins, on your objective, whatever.

Vets are best for a true mechanized force (incidentally, more my style of play). Stick 10 in a Chimera, load them up with Meltaguns/Plasmaguns, and just melt anything you drive by. Plus, they're great at quickly stealing objectives (which large blobs cannot do since they're footslogging) since they're the only mobile troops choice you have really.

It's a balance of defence V offence. Pure Meltavet spam is incredibly aggressive and mobile, though will never use orders like blobs do since you shouldn't be entrenched or sitting around unless capping objectives late-game.
Blobs tend to be used as a defensive gunline, but can be used as a massive footslogging-order taking march of doom across the board.

 GoonBandito wrote:
Consider Commissars instead of Priests if you are blobbing a platoon up to form a gunline. The reason being is that Priests make you Fearless, which is great!, but also prevents you from Going to Ground, which is not so great. Given that you can use a Senior Officer to issue the Get Back in the Fight! order to ignore the penalty of Going to Ground, you can easily get 3+ cover saves in ruins or behind an ADL to make your blob of Guardsmen surprisingly resilient (Ignores Cover notwithstanding of course).

There's a tradeoff. A priest benefits from being an IC (2+ LOS), a 4++, and gives hatred and battle hymns which can turn a blob into a very dangerous meelee combatant. The commissar lets you retreat if your weapons are useless and go to ground. The tactics you go for largely decide which is better for an army. As a side note the commissr also has that slight chance of letting your enemy decide what model he executes.

 GoonBandito wrote:
Consider Commissars instead of Priests if you are blobbing a platoon up to form a gunline. The reason being is that Priests make you Fearless, which is great!, but also prevents you from Going to Ground, which is not so great. Given that you can use a Senior Officer to issue the Get Back in the Fight! order to ignore the penalty of Going to Ground, you can easily get 3+ cover saves in ruins or behind an ADL to make your blob of Guardsmen surprisingly resilient (Ignores Cover notwithstanding of course).

Just wanted to point out quickly that GTG behind ADLs gives you a 2+ cover.

Hymns are nice too, but passing a LD test at 7 isn't a given.

question regarding LD check that the priest takes. Whenever you are called upon to make a LD check, don't you use the highest LD model in the unit?

It's FAQed to be just the priest's base leadership I believe, so you can't just stick a commissar or inquisitor in to make the war hymns more likely

It has been orders that made my Infantry work well.
Company command squads orders work on both types of unit.
Platoon command squads orders do too, but you have to take infantry units to get them, and the orders are not as good.
But, orders cannot be issues into vehicles or buildings, so do not work as well on mech-vets, until they get out.

So, if you are staying on foot, get as many command squads as you can.
If in vehicles, other HQs and add-ons may be better.
Trenches and ADL allow orders too.