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Hey folks,

I have taken a break from 40k for a while, and wanted to get back into the game. I am mainly an IG player, and have invested in a number of Forgeworld pieces over the years. What I am seeing now is the mighty AV14 is kind of becoming a joke. I almost cried when I read through the Tau book and saw how much can just punch through my armor with ease. However experience has taught me that what happens in the games vs what it looks like on paper can be two totally different things.

So my basic question is this:
If i come back using the Armored Company (probably IA 1 rules) or a tank heavy regular company, am I going to see my tanks going boom way too often?

I know tactics plays a part in this question, but I am curious what you all have seen.

Thanks
-K

PS

I tried to look for similar postings, but didn't see any. Hopefully this isn't a redundant question.

Boom.

I play with a Mechanized company on a regular basis, usually with 3 Leman Russ tanks, a Hellhound, some Sentinels, and a mess of Chimeras to round it out. That's a large number of tanks, and about as much heavy armor as you can fit into a standard codex list.

In a normal game I usually lose 1-2 Leman Russ, the Hellhound (almost always), and number of Chimeras. The loss rate on the Chimeras really varies from game to game, depending on the opponent. Against Tau and Eldar, who have bunch of ST 6 and 7 guns that can't hurt the Russes, the loss rate is high since all of those guns will be firing at the Chimeras. Against Space Marines, who lack that kind of mid-range weaponry, the losses are usually lighter. Against Necrons the Chimera loss rate really depends on the mission and whether I am forced to close with the enemy. If I do need do advance to capture an objective the losses can be catastophic (7 Chimeras one game, IRRC). I don't play against Tyranids or Orks that often, but they seem to have the same mix of weaponry as Space Marines.

I think the AV 14 works pretty well keeping your tanks alive, so long as you keep the enemy to the front. The real trick is to deploy all of you AV 14 tanks on one third of the board, so they can overwhelm the enemy's AT defenses in that area before moving on the rest of the board.

I wouldn't say that Tau are the greatest threat to you tanks, since they have so few high ST weapons that can hurt the Russes. Obviously, you have to avoid Broadsides like the plauge, but the Hammerheads (which are more common in my area) are less of a threat, since the only have a .24% chance of knocking out your tank, and they are easliy neutralized by lascannon fire from your infantry.

Shooty Space Marines (loyal and Chaotic) are the greatest threat, since they can kill the tanks fairly easily if they have assault cannon or squads with the Tank Hunter skill, and because their squads are difficult for the IG to elminate. I expect Eldar will be a problem if Fire Dragons increase in popularity, so it may become necessary to screen the tanks with infantry.

Armored company is much depowered in this version of the rules.

It's still a hard army, but yes, lots of things will just trump it.

I'd still give it a go and have been itching to try a sisters/AC tag team myself.

I appreciate the replies. I will be looking at what all i have and what all i would like to use; and put together list this weekend...maybe get back some feedback to how well you think it would work.

Its not top dog and lots of fluff will go boom, but if you're a guard player you should be used to that anyway.

Sadly, they key to lots of I.G vehicles is not to move them and keep their AV 10 rear parked against the board edge. Trying to use your increased mobility just means you expose your weak side armor where str 5-6 weapons can easily pop them.

the real question here is

 

do YOU like plaing IG arrmored company armies/armor heavy  standard armies?

 

thats the only thing that really matters.

 

they can be both fun and effective when built as take all comers lists. but like anything else there are always armies out there that can trum you no matter what you take. my deathwing has never lost a game to IG armored companys and necrons will glance you to death but a standard marine force will be hating al those battle cannons, and IG, tau, orks and any other non MEQ army will really hate your hellhounds.

 

i like flying tank armies (tau or eldar) because with the skimmer rules they are far more survivable than AV14. i have a tau force with 5 kitted out devilfish and 3 kitted out hammerheads and i have only really had trouble with necrons, iron warriors(who diesn't) and a bolt of change horde thousand sons army (40 man squad with 7 walking psyker las cannons yeesh).