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.

I've been building guard for awhile now and was looking at experimenting with Forgeworld models and rules and I have a few questions.
1. Does anyone have experience with the gorgon, crassus, macharius (vanquisher in particular), tauros, thunderbolt, or avenger strikefighter?
2. Are all of the rules in imperial armour 1, do i have to get aeronautica to?
3. Where can I find the rules cheaper?
4. Should I proxy these models (for friendly games) or should I spring for the actual models?
5. How good are these models in action?

Only ever dealt with the Macharius Vanquisher directly, but I tend to feel that the Macharius line of tanks is one of the better balanced sets of superheavies out there. The vanquisher is an amazing tank killer, and it does a decent job versus infantry with its secondary fire mode.

Most of the rules you area looking for are in IA1 2ed. I don't think that the Tauros, Thunderbolt, or Avenger are in ther, but I'd have to check my copy to be sure.

You can't find the rules for the most recent edition of books cheaper without pirating them, so just grab your ankles and pay FW for the books. Most of the books on ebay are old editions being sold so the owner can buy the new one.

Depends on the proxy. I enjoy proxy models, but I play Renegades, and don't like the idea of Renegades having the same sort of uniform equipment as the Guard does. Having three different looking but similarly sized artillery pieces in one battery and calling them all earthshaker carriages makes me happy, and I think it looks good on the table. Make sure your proxies look good, and people will complain less.

I like the Macharius line of tanks, as I mentioned. They're decently priced, decently sized, and have solid wargear. They seem to be a good deal less popular than Baneblades, except among a certain subset of players. It's generally agreed that the Macharius Vulcan is the best of the three, but I don't really say that any of them are explicitly bad.

Most of this is just my opinion, obviously.

The Avenger Strike Fighter is a beautiful aircraft that's insanely killy, but it is sadly very fragile with only AV 11/10/10 and 2 HP. You need to kill the enemy AA and bring it on after the enemy planes are already on the board if you're going to use it.

It'll scythe through Marines once it's on the board though.

The Tauros is cute, but I've only really got experience with the Tauros Venator in terms of those ground vehicles. The Tauros Venator is another case of crazy. An AV 11/11/10 2 HP jeep with a twin-linked lascannon and dangerous terrain protection.

It's battery powered and you can throw it out the back of an aircraft. Seriously overgunned for its 50-odd points even witha mere BS3.

Avenger is 12/10/10 iirc and I second Mikos opinion. I call it "the Marine Masher". Its deadly against heavy infantry and light tanks and threatening against other fliers and medium tanks.

I also have Tauros with grenade launcher but I cant judge since i fielded it once and it killed just a bunch of cultists. It's more useful for harrasing rather killing.

Also, everytime you roll for your Avenger cannon, don't forget to make "BRRRRRRT" sound effect, just for giggles.