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Alright, so my space marine army has grown to a fair size (roughly 5,000 points) and something that I regret was not toying around with more armies. Specifically, I've always like IG and Tau and I want to try one of these (well, I want to try both of them, but I can't afford to drop enough money to get a good sized force for both). Since I can't get a big force, I thought I might try to ally them with some of my space marines, and with never playing as IG or Tau, only against, I was wondering which you guys thought would fit my play-style. First I'll outline my usual list, then I'll tell ya how I use them.

Always:
1. HQ: Pedro Kantor (scoring sternguard)
2. 2-3 10-man sternguard units.
3. Transport (usually godhammer LRs, but recently have been toying with drop pods).
4. 2 5-man sniper scouts (1 rocket in each unit) and one of the units have Telion.
5. ADL (if we are playing a game with flyers)
Sometimes:
1. MM/MM LS
2. HF/HF LS
3. Laz pred
4. Rifleman Dread
5. TFC
6. A few of my Assault Marines.

Playstyle:
I always focus on shooting, I do not like assaulting (I've had enough of it with my old Raven Guard army).
I use my sternguard to deal with everything but AV and termies.
Use Godhammer to zap the AV from 40 some inches away.

From what I have played against: I am kind of leaning towards tau, as a lot of their good anti tank stuff is long range. However, IG also has some good long range barrage weaponry that is oh-so awesome, so I need help deciding.
Even if you have only played one of these armies, I would appreciate knowing how you think they would work with my play style, heck, even if you havn't I'd gladly get some advice haha.

Oh, and I suck at painting faces, so if I get IG, I need to watch a few tutorials haha.

Thanks in advance!

What do you think looks cooler?
Look at lots of pics online. Go to the various stores.

Tau look a lot more high tech with their battle suits.
IG look a lot more like human military forces today.

Both fit for good allies as far as playstyle. You should be happy with the way the models look.

I don't care what the allies chart says, we -purge- xenos, not fight along side them.

Fluff reasons aside, go with what you like. It sounds like you want a firebase gunline, to act as an anvil as the hammer drops from orbit. Both Tau and IG do that.

It really comes down to what floats your boat. What units sing to you? There is no wrong answer.

I'd do IG allies personally for in my battles they are a little more tactically applicable to me. I like vet squads and artillery.

Thanks guys, I thought it may come down to looks since both can perform the roll I desire. I'll have to take a good look at the models my next tournament and see which ones I like more haha, it'll be a hard decision.

I play guard and my friend I play a lot runs tau so I can give you a somewhat help with this.

Tau's Fire warriors will complement you stern guard squads perfectly. both range 30 there strength 5 so there a little better at it. Path finder make it even better. Vespid's are very good shooters too. He hide them behind a wall and I didn't notice them and come to find out there AP 3. There decent in CC just like your marines. He also runs shadowsun with stealth suits. Dual fusion blasters on shadowsun hurt loads and sheathed burst cannons are nasty anti horde. They can be mobile with devilfish and use there 18 inch assault guns and pin people (decently useful). There suits are pretty cool. you can supplement your shooting a lot with them. Riptides are cool but, I have never fought one. Hammerhead are really good. Can do what you LR do only better. Strength 10 shot or a blast. I think a good complement to you would be this.

Shadowsun
Stealth Suits (5 Burst Cannons)
2x 12 Fire warriors
Unit of path finders all marker lights (he does 7 but not sure full size)
Hammerhead with Rail gun
(not sure the fancy upgrades for those)

Maybe a riptide but I cant give you a review from personal experience. Shadowsun (can shoot 2 targets) gives you anti tank and Suits give bodies and anti horde. 24 Fire warriors can do damage (I usually fight 72). Pathfinders for buffing and Hammerhead for anti tank/horde.

IG I run blob guard but I think Mech is more you. All the tanks can be run in squad of 3 so you can get a lot of fire power. You could use a psyker to be your cheap HQ. It comes with 2 powers. A range 24 Assault 2D6 strength 6 AP 5 shot and a ability that make units take leadership to shot there shooting phase. I feel like there's a big your either Leman Russ or Manticore debate. I like Leman Russes better (there's 7 types). There is 3 Hellhound variants and 4 different artillery platform types. (I recommend looking at the Codex btw). Vendetta's are the best Flyers in the game (My opinion), 3 twin linked lascannons for anti flyer and anti tank. Valkyries are good anti horde. 2 pie plates on anything you want (strength 6). Vets go in a Vendetta and "deep strike" out of them with 3 meltas or 3 plasmas and fire at whatever. I think a good complement would be this. you could use the elite snipers but they suck stat wise.

Primaris Psyker
Veteran Squad with 3 Plasma guns (in vendetta)
(1-3) Vendettas
Manticore or Leman Russ

OR

(Blob Guard in me)

Company Command Squad in Chimera
Infantry Platoon
PCS in Chimera
(3-5) Infantry Squad of 10
(2-3) Heavy Weapons teams (Either Autocannons (my preference) or Lascannons)
(1-3) Vendettas
Manticore or Leman Russ

With the first list your making use of there good weapons with vendettas and the tanks. Lower point cost and can drop plasmas anywhere. The second list is a huge blob or 30 to 50 guys keeping your stern guard covered and the autocannons in the back firing away. and using the same bonuses of the first but is more points. (HQ and troops in first is 185 to the second at about 400 roughly).

Now I run Marines as well can I ally the Guard but, my play style is very different then you. I think your best ally to do is the Tau. I think they would be a nice addition to your squad even though the Guard would be as well.

 ravengatorfan wrote:
I play guard and my friend I play a lot runs tau so I can give you a somewhat help with this.

Tau's Fire warriors will complement you stern guard squads perfectly. both range 30 there strength 5 so there a little better at it. Path finder make it even better. Vespid's are very good shooters too. He hide them behind a wall and I didn't notice them and come to find out there AP 3. There decent in CC just like your marines. He also runs shadowsun with stealth suits. Dual fusion blasters on shadowsun hurt loads and sheathed burst cannons are nasty anti horde. They can be mobile with devilfish and use there 18 inch assault guns and pin people (decently useful). There suits are pretty cool. you can supplement your shooting a lot with them. Riptides are cool but, I have never fought one. Hammerhead are really good. Can do what you LR do only better. Strength 10 shot or a blast. I think a good complement to you would be this.

Shadowsun
Stealth Suits (5 Burst Cannons)
2x 12 Fire warriors
Unit of path finders all marker lights (he does 7 but not sure full size)
Hammerhead with Rail gun
(not sure the fancy upgrades for those)

Maybe a riptide but I cant give you a review from personal experience. Shadowsun (can shoot 2 targets) gives you anti tank and Suits give bodies and anti horde. 24 Fire warriors can do damage (I usually fight 72). Pathfinders for buffing and Hammerhead for anti tank/horde.

IG I run blob guard but I think Mech is more you. All the tanks can be run in squad of 3 so you can get a lot of fire power. You could use a psyker to be your cheap HQ. It comes with 2 powers. A range 24 Assault 2D6 strength 6 AP 5 shot and a ability that make units take leadership to shot there shooting phase. I feel like there's a big your either Leman Russ or Manticore debate. I like Leman Russes better (there's 7 types). There is 3 Hellhound variants and 4 different artillery platform types. (I recommend looking at the Codex btw). Vendetta's are the best Flyers in the game (My opinion), 3 twin linked lascannons for anti flyer and anti tank. Valkyries are good anti horde. 2 pie plates on anything you want (strength 6). Vets go in a Vendetta and "deep strike" out of them with 3 meltas or 3 plasmas and fire at whatever. I think a good complement would be this. you could use the elite snipers but they suck stat wise.

Primaris Psyker
Veteran Squad with 3 Plasma guns (in vendetta)
(1-3) Vendettas
Manticore or Leman Russ

OR

(Blob Guard in me)

Company Command Squad in Chimera
Infantry Platoon
PCS in Chimera
(3-5) Infantry Squad of 10
(2-3) Heavy Weapons teams (Either Autocannons (my preference) or Lascannons)
(1-3) Vendettas
Manticore or Leman Russ

With the first list your making use of there good weapons with vendettas and the tanks. Lower point cost and can drop plasmas anywhere. The second list is a huge blob or 30 to 50 guys keeping your stern guard covered and the autocannons in the back firing away. and using the same bonuses of the first but is more points. (HQ and troops in first is 185 to the second at about 400 roughly).

Now I run Marines as well can I ally the Guard but, my play style is very different then you. I think your best ally to do is the Tau. I think they would be a nice addition to your squad even though the Guard would be as well.

Wow, very helpful ravengatorfan! I will write this stuff down and bring it with me next time I go to my FLGS and look at the corresponding codices and learn more about these units (and of course look at the models themselves haha).

Edit: Its been a long day, I forgot how to spell "write"

No problem. anything to help you out. I could go on about the guard and tau stuff but I would have wall of stuff to write. When you look at the codices and have any question about how effective they are or whatever just message me and ill tell you my experiences with them.

Guard's strength is allowing you to move up with all the marines while the guard stay at home, a single aircav unit doesn't do anything the marines don't already do better.

Tau's strength is similar, but open up the option of cool toys marines can't bring their own versions of, such as the skyray to fill your lack of AA, pathfinders for better firing from the other tau units, hammerheads with railguns to end enemy tanks, riptides for jump MC shenanigans (and good interceptor), etc.

If you go to forgeworld, guard pick up a lot more fun toys, but you mentioned price issues, so I would have to reccomend a fire team with a fireblade, and add units from the interesting FOC slots to taste.

Nobody_Holme wrote:
Guard's strength is allowing you to move up with all the marines while the guard stay at home, a single aircav unit doesn't do anything the marines don't already do better.

Tau's strength is similar, but open up the option of cool toys marines can't bring their own versions of, such as the skyray to fill your lack of AA, pathfinders for better firing from the other tau units, hammerheads with railguns to end enemy tanks, riptides for jump MC shenanigans (and good interceptor), etc.

If you go to forgeworld, guard pick up a lot more fun toys, but you mentioned price issues, so I would have to reccomend a fire team with a fireblade, and add units from the interesting FOC slots to taste.

Thanks for the good info, I've been leaning towards tau, now so even more. Still have to go to my FLGS to look at the codices, but again, THANKS!

Don't get me wrong, I love my guard, and if you played DA I'd point you to them, just tau do more as an ally dex instead of a main dex with marine allies.

Nobody_Holme wrote:
Don't get me wrong, I love my guard, and if you played DA I'd point you to them, just tau do more as an ally dex instead of a main dex with marine allies.

Will second this... Azrael in a blob guard squad = hilariously good.

On the balance with vanilla marines it is a tougher call.

Think it depends on what you are looking for, Tau missilesides are a great source of strength 7 shooting and can provide a nice deep strike, outflank deterrent. A unit of crisis suits can be quipped to do practically anything, and kroot or fire warriors have their place in an army. However, I think that many other Tau units only really see their best iteration when able to leverage all of the synergistic rules that Tau have (marker lights, supporting fire, ethereals).

IG on the other hand come in with several long range blasts, cheap troops and better fliers. I think generally IG.