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I have recently been getting back into warhammer and now that I have a full time job and my kids are old enough I have time to paint I am starting an Astra Militarum army. I know they aren't the best and I am not looking for a tournament level list but something I could show up to the local game store with and not be embarrassingly destroyed. I would appreciate any feedback. I will put my idea of how I would try to be running the list after the list itself.

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Astra Militarum Battalion [1180 pts -1 CP]
Custom Regiment Gunnery Experts, Jury-Rigged Repairs
Stratagem Tank Ace

HQ [70 pts]
Company Comander (chainsword, laspistol) (Warlord)
Company Comander (chainsword, laspistol)

Troops [260 pts]
Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 1 guard with plasma gun 7x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 1 guard with plasma gun 7x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 1 guard with plasma gun 7x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 1 guard with plasma gun 7x guards with lasguns

Elite [140 pts]
4x Bullgryn with slab shields and bullgryn mauls

Fast [330 pts]
2x armored sentinels both with missile launcher and hunter killer missiles

1x Banewolf with heavy flamer, track guard, hunter killer missile

1x Banewolf with heavy flamer, track guard, hunter killer missile

Heavy [300 pts]
Manticore with Full payload, hunter killer missile

Manticore with Full payload, hunter killer missile

Dedicated transport [80 pts]
Chimera track guards

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Tempestus Scion Patrol [820 pts -4 CP]
Regiment 55th Kappic Eagles

HQ [45 pts -1 CP]
Tempestor Prime, tempestus command rod, progeny of conflict (Warlord trait Master Vox), laurels of command

Troops [305 pts]
Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 4x Scions with hot shot volley guns, 5x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 4x with plasma guns, 5x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 2x Scions with melta guns, 2x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Elite [80 pts]
Tempestus Command Squad 4x Scions with melta guns

Flyer [150 pts -1 CP]
Valkyrie 2x heavy bolters, 2x multiple rocket pods, multi laser, advanced counter measures

Dedicated transports [240]
Taurox Prime, Taurox gatling cannon, 2x hot shot volley guns

Taurox Prime, Taurox gatling cannon, 2x hot shot volley guns

List totals 2000 pts and 7 CP at start of game.

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The idea behind the list is have the melta squad and is use precision drop on the Valkyrie to drop the melta squads within 5" and therefore half range of the most important thing I want dead. Use Master Vox to give reroll 1 to wound or all wound depending on target and if lucky get reroll 1 to hit. Fire the hunter killers while BS is at its best and rush the board with the Banewolves, Taurox Primes (with other 2 Tempestus squads embarked), and Chimera (bullgryns embarked). Guard squads are for holding objectives and perform actions for secondaries and Sentinels to hold a midfield objective and just be in the way. Obviously just because that's how I want it to play out doesn't mean that's what will happen. I would greatly appreciate input as I haven't played guard and am trying to get a basic general list together so I know what to start buying and painting.

Overall I think this is a reasonably strong list that would fare just fine against most casual armies. I have been able to get quite a few games of pseudo casual 9th in recently with my guard and there are a few things that you are doing that I have started leaving behind, especially against armies with a 9th codex.

I absolutely love armored sentinels, I have fielded them in various games at 3x lascannon HK missiles, 2x autocannon HK missiles, 3xMissile HK missiles all trying to take advantage of the first turn bonus strat. It never does anything, and honestly 6 shots, hit with 4, wound 2 or 3. If they have an invuln you end up rolling only 1 or 2 damage rolls and they will never hit anything again. I swear there is a rule somewhere that sentinels are not allowed to hit and wound on the same turn. The best thing about armored sentinels is that if you keep them cheap they are ridiculously durable for their points. I have had a squad of 3 tank basically an entire knight list of shooting and have enough left to go move block and survive a knight assault using the 1/2 damage strat a couple times. Going forward I will only ever field them with multi-lasers or heavy flamers. The latter of which allows them to bully units like min squad marines or any light infantry pretty well.

I really want the vox casters and special weapons in infantry squads to matter. I have so many vox casters. That is 40 points you are spending, which is nearly an entire extra unit. The extra unit would likely accomplish way more than a stray plasma gun. Guard squads are great for stealing objectives and move blocking. Both of which will require them to advance and/or move twice, and like you said, they are doing actions. They rarely shoot, and one special gun isn't going to make the difference.

I've never used Banewolves, so I'm not sure how much work the extra AP does, but the loss of so much range and half as many shots seems like too much of a drop-off from a regular hellhound. If you are running them for thematic reasons, or you just love the models they will fill the same role, just slightly less efficiently than a hellhound and something like 75% less efficient against T7-8 vehicles and even worse against T5-6 vehicles.

I don't have much to say about the rest of the list. I don't use FP Manticores, (I prefer Tank Commanders) but I know they are very good. The Scions pack a hefty punch and are pretty mobile being fully mounted.

Specific advice, Drop the HK missiles from everyone but the FP Manticores, drop the luxury upgrades on the infantry and the sentinels. Use the saved points to add maybe another infantry squad and another cheaper armored sentinel.

One other thing to consider: Your list gives up 15 bring it down points. This can be hard to avoid as guard. Just something to consider (is the chimera worth taking, or would it be better as 2 more bullgryn and an astropath for example).

Since you are buying/building out the army, I totally understand the urge to buy every upgrade to fill up the list (save some $$$). This wont matter in many casual games, but if you play against someone with a 9th codex those little efficiency drops can mean the difference between a reasonably close game and a blowout when the whole army is so overly expensive. Looking at long-term purchases, the only units in the army that I could see going on the shelf semi-permanently would be the bane wolves, but you can always field them as hellhounds if they don't perform how you would like.

Thank you for the feed back! Taking a look at your comments I can certainly see what you mean and appreciate you sharing your experience. I switched the sentinels to multi lasers, dropped the HK missiles (except on manticores), Chimera, and the plasma guns from the guard squads and switched to hellounds instead. I was able to pick up 2 extra guard squads with the points.

I'm surprised your suggesting dropping the vox casters as I figured the extra range for being able to use move move move to get to objectives would be worth 5 points per squad. I'm curious how this has ended up not being the case when models hit the table. So for right now I'm keeping them in. The vehicle options I'm going with are to try to take as much advantage of the reroll 1 dice for number of shots and self repairing tanks from my custom Regiment. Are foot slogging Bullgryn fast enough to be relevant? That's what the Chimera was for is make them fast enough to matter

Updated List

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Astra Militarum Battalion [1175 pts -1 CP]
Custom Regiment Gunnery Experts, Jury-Rigged Repairs
Stratagem Tank Ace [-1 CP]

HQ [70 pts]
Company Comander (chainsword, laspistol) (Warlord)
Company Comander (chainsword, laspistol)

Troops [300 pts]
Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Guard squad sergeant (chainsword, laspistol) 1 guard with vox caster, 8x guards with lasguns

Elite [140 pts]
4x Bullgryn with slab shields and bullgryn mauls

Fast [365 pts]
2x armored sentinels 2x heavy flamers

1x hellhound with heavy flamer, track guard

1x hellhound with heavy flamer, track guard

Heavy [300 pts]
Manticore with Full payload, hunter killer missile

Manticore with Full payload, hunter killer missile

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Tempestus Scion Patrol [820 pts -4 CP]
Regiment 55th Kappic Eagles

HQ [45 pts -1 CP]
Tempestor Prime, tempestus command rod, progeny of conflict (Warlord trait Master Vox), laurels of command

Troops [305 pts]
Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 4x Scions with hot shot volley guns, 5x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 4x with plasma guns, 5x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Tempestus Scion Squad: Tempestor (chainsword, plasma pistol) 2x Scions with melta guns, 2x Scions with hot shot lasguns

Elite [80 pts]
Tempestus Command Squad 4x Scions with melta guns

Flyer [150 pts -1 CP]
Valkyrie 2x heavy bolters, 2x multiple rocket pods, multi laser, advanced counter measures

Dedicated transports [240]
Taurox Prime, Taurox gatling cannon, 2x hot shot volley guns

Taurox Prime, Taurox gatling cannon, 2x hot shot volley guns

List totals 1995 pts and 7 CP at start of game.

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I would also suggest removing all your voxcasters. They're just not worth it.

I don't see any voxcasters actually on your Scion squads. Did you just not write it down? Otherwise there's no point to have the Master Vox trait because a Tempestor Prime can't order normal Guard units.

If you dropped all the voxcasters you could basically get an extra Platoon Commander. Which gives you an extra aura, an extra model, and an extra aura bubble.

If you're dropping the voxes then I'd suggest changing the Primes trait to Master of Command for the extra order, which stacks nicely with Laurels.

I would also suggest mixing shields on your Bullgryns. At least take a single 2+ shield not just the invul ones. If someone tries to drown you in AP0 attacks you can at least take those saves on that model.

Bullgryns best usage, at least in my opinion, is just tanking damage. The enemy see them as one of their biggest threats and typically put everything into them. You could swap a hellhound for a chimera, just give it 2 heavy flamers and it's pretty much a hellhound.

Master Vox Warlord trait extends the Primes voice of command to 24 and allows him to issue orders while embarked on the Valkyrie. It does not require the targeted Scion unit to have a vox caster of their own and a 24" range makes them superfluous.

The idea behind the vox casters is using the two company commanders to move move move them wherever they need to be for scoring purposes be it primary or secondary without needing to keep my squads as close to avoid multiple units getting tied up in a single combat.

Swapping a hellhound for a 2 flamer Chimera is a really good idea I think I will be implementing thanks!

*edit Forgot to include, slab shields are the +2 armour ones I was considering swapping the 4th ogryn to the 4++ brute shield but I hate how they look and honestly am kind of hoping it isn't worth taking

Just a question - how can you take the Full Payload tank ace twice? Its a once per battle strategem for one vehicle model. I see this a lot and can somebody let me know how you can take it twice?

T Olympic wrote:
Just a question - how can you take the Full Payload tank ace twice? Its a once per battle strategem for one vehicle model. I see this a lot and can somebody let me know how you can take it twice?

One from the strat, one for giving up your warlord trait.

On that note your list currently isn't legal. You'll have to drop one full payload or drop the trait on your prime.

 LynxSarnage wrote:

T Olympic wrote:
Just a question - how can you take the Full Payload tank ace twice? Its a once per battle strategem for one vehicle model. I see this a lot and can somebody let me know how you can take it twice?

One from the strat, one for giving up your warlord trait.

On that note your list currently isn't legal. You'll have to drop one full payload or drop the trait on your prime.

He's used the Progeny of Conflict strat to give the prime a trait I reckon.

List building is complicated innit. I made the same mistake as T with the tank ace shannanigans. Lets hope a new codex makes it clear and simple lol, though the trend would suggest more complexity


Automatically Appended Next Post:
I agree Slabshields look way better than Brute Shields.