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So back in 6th/7th I started a rebel grots army, using imperial guard rules, as a modelling project. I have (roughly, going by memory):

4 chimeras
4 guard squads
5 ratlings
2 armoured sentinels
command squad
lord commissar
platoon command squad
hydra/wyvern
Valkyrie
techpriest with 2 plascannon servitors

Now, since I shelved them, a lot of new models, units etc have come out for imperial guard. So much so that I have ideas for more or less all of them, but I would like to bring the army up to a point where it's a good, fairly competitive base for an army to grow around. As it's a modelling project, it'll grow slowly and I won't be able to add a lot into it all at once. so, what do people recommend that I add to this to bring it into this new era of guard? I've no idea how guard play nowadays, and I've only just started dipping my toe into 8th edition, but I want them to look impressive when they take to the table and also be effective!

Cheers guys!

A rebel grot army? Pics or it didn´t happen.

Grot roughriders.

 Strg Alt wrote:
A rebel grot army? Pics or it didn´t happen.

Link to my old rebel grots thread

I'll be posting there when I start building more.

This is a very promising start. I wish you well with your project and can´t wait to see the army fully painted but from my experience this will take you several months. I have got to know because I have a fully painted catachan, night goblin, khemri & vampire count army. Each faction which fields a lot of models are a pain in the butt to complete but it is definitely more rewarding than just plopping down twenty to thirty space marines. So carry on!

 Strg Alt wrote:
This is a very promising start. I wish you well with your project and can´t wait to see the army fully painted but from my experience this will take you several months. I have got to know because I have a fully painted catachan, night goblin, khemri & vampire count army. Each faction which fields a lot of models are a pain in the butt to complete but it is definitely more rewarding than just plopping down twenty to thirty space marines. So carry on!

Thanks, I've been itching to blow the dust off of it for over a year now.

A quick glance through the codex tells me that I need 2 more servitors to make a unit, so that'll be a start.

Any more ideas to make this a rounded list?

Getting up to at least six "grotsman" squads probably wouldn't be a bad idea, as that'll let you field a brigade or double battalion for command points (something guard are famous for in 8th). Russes and the artillery tanks are quite good, as are mortar heavy weapon squads if you're looking for something on the cheaper side. Company Commanders (inexpensive and provide orders), Primaris Psykers (could be a fun shaman conversion opportunity), and tank commanders (if you're going down the heavy armor route) are all pretty common, too. Sprinkle in whatever fast attack (sentinels are popular due to their low points cost) and elite choices you fancy to fill out a brigade and you're off.

An Iron Hand Straken stand-in might be fun, and, with the help of the Catachan regimental trait and a priest (propaganda grot?), would make the little buggers surprisingly dangerous in melee.

Since Imperial Soup is the name of the game now, an allied Knight/"Stompa" wouldn't go amiss if you're looking for a centerpiece model. The Knight Castellan is the most outright powerful due to the stratagems, warlord trait, crazily good relic, and great Knightly House benefit that can be combo'd for an insane amount of dakka capable of easily one rounding a Baneblade on an extremely durable platform (T8, 28 wounds, and with a 3++ invulnerable save when you need it), but it's definitely taking the gloves off to run the full combo. Most of the Knights are good, though, and there are lots of fun things to try if you're looking for something with a little less punch but are still craving that giant walker experience.

Really though, there's a lot more good than bad, so you can make most anything work.

Artillery is where it's at. Basilisks are pretty good, largely because they're really cheap and shoot over obstacles.

After that, there's tanks. The tanks aren't really all that awesome, but they're solidly okay. The Punisher is really good, but the Battle Cannon really needs to be Catachan or a Cadian Tank Commander to really make it do work.

Also, baneblades. Specifically, Shadowswords.


Most of the IG heavy machinery have been outclassed by later releases, but IG infantry is pretty much a staple of every Imperial list.