# Best Strategy For Imperial Guard



## ImperialChancellor

So im sick and tired of losing at Warhammer 40k and i want to know what is the best strategy for the Imperial Guard?


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## Warmaster Demetrius

Hi,

From what I have learned from 40k and the Guard there is no "best strategy" as such. Winning involves utilising the strengths of your units and exposing the weakness of your enemy. Take a look at your army list unit by unit and ask yourself how best to use it in a game and what's it best at doing in a game. Once you have done that any weaknesses you identify try to limit or correct by using upgrades and other units to support them. E.G Leman Russ MBT, good weapons, high armour etc but vulnerable to infantry assault. So put some infantry near it in battle to prevent assaults see what I mean. By combining differing units in battle you can overcome most weaknesses but remember all armies have strengths and weaknesses that define how they are best played. As far as guard goes use lots of infantry, utilise orders well and have lots of big guns.

Think on this and conquer in the Emperors name. 

Good luck.


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## VictorLazarus

I've lost almost every battle with my guard since the new rules because I can't make my troops pass leadership tests. (I don't have commisars)

I'd just say get lots of tanks and shoot thing; 1/3 of every game will be dawn of war though and most armies can get it combat turn two so just try and make sure they get as much shooting done as you can.

MVL.


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## Inquisitor Einar

Well, there's an easy solution to leadership tests.

First off.. Commissars: Combine 2 squads and equip one with a commissar, that should boost their leadership ( and make em stubborn ), and you can execute someone to reroll a morale test.

Second: A regimental standard in your command HQ will allow rerolls for morale tests.

Third: Voxes. If your orders aren't getting through, upgrade your squads with vox casters. One in each HQ, and one per squad on the table ( combining squads like with the commissar means you can have 20 or 30 men with 1 vox ). This will allow you to reroll those failed leadership tests for orders.

Fourth: A commissar lord has his aura, that helps also to boost morale. Morale is what Commissars are for, use them!


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## lawrence96

at which point does you're army falter?

if its a case of being overrun by infantry, then add in some mortar or heavy bolter squads.

if its being out gunned by marines or the like then add in some AP3/2 weaponary, leman russes come to mind, or some artillery tanks so you can hit them while hiding behind cover (though remember the min ranges, don't indirect a basilisk on a 4X4 table!)

Light vehicles getting you down, transports overrunning your lines before ypu get a shot off? go with a missile launcher or autocannon teams, also useful against infantry!

Heavy vehicles? Go with lascannons and missile launchers and use the Bring it down order!

Basically as people have said its a case of identifying where you army falters and addressing that point, the orders are pretty good for that, you have an order for every occasion.


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## Lord_Murdock

Personally, I think the best strategy for Guard is quantity > quality. No matter how much you wish they were, guardsmen are NOT space marines, and they cannot be used as such. Bare-bones Leman Russes and chimeras will get you far if you need tanks, and cheap officers without upgrades can still issue orders. Carapace armoured vets are nice, but you only get 10 of them for the cost of 20 standard guardsmen! Against most armies, the 20 standard guardsmen are probably a better bet. 

Special characters and shiny new upgrades are tempting, but don't spend too many points on them. Remember, this is the IG we're talking about here. They're meant to drop like one-winged flies, and they will!


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## TheKingElessar

While I see the point of just taking a horde of footsloggers, I don't really rate it to be honest, because pieplates eat you for breakfa...um...dinner. I personally recommend Veteran Squads, with meltas, in Chimeras. 5+. Doesn't even matter how many points you're playing. Maybe a few Valks or Griffons for anti-horde. Armoured Sentinels with Camo-Nets striding up behind Chimeras for a 2+ cover, annihilating tanks with Lascannon fire. You probably still even have points for some Russes.


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## Alexious

ImperialChancellor said:


> So im sick and tired of losing at Warhammer 40k and i want to know what is the best strategy for the Imperial Guard?



Hi Chance,

Some things you may wish to consider. I have watched for the last couple of weeks and read several of your posts and questions. From my understanding of what your doing, your looking for the holy grail of the IG which will take out all comers. It's never that simple. Although new to this edition of the game some basics will help you and focus what you need to achieve.

1. Look at what is happening on the board and think ahead.

Simply put, be careful and plan what you want to achieve as the game develops. For example if your going to be fighting a Marine player who when you both set up has land raider and a heap of terminators inside of it coming along the flank, think about what you have to take it out and then move that unit or tank to do so. 

2. When looking at what is going on, plan your moves and think about the turn sequence. Its no good leaving a unit of guardsman out in the open if its your movement phase and they are not going to be doing anything. Think about what will happen, you move, you might shoot or might not but if nothing is in range is it worth moving?. Do you really want to move that squad to get into range when your opponent will move with something and then take it out with assualt? Look at your turn sequence and think... if i move here, what will he/she do on their turn? 

3. You asked awhile ago about using certain special characters etc. All great, but are you using them as you think they are good or are you using them to the best advantage possible? If your using Chenkov, then do it with a full infantry army or massive ammounts of large conscript forces. Thats where he is most effective, don't go wow... great character with this ability... only use them when they are going to be highly effective and fufil a role in your force. ( I wouldnt use him in a 1 or 2 unit conscript army, use him with 5-6 units of large conscripts..)

4. Study the rules and master basic strategy, 40k is a bit like chess, you move, they move. Think ahead and plan ok if I move UNIT A he will move UNIT B to match it. Then you can begin to think, UNIT A has 3 melta guns and a lascannon I will let it deal with that land raider or whatever it happens to be. Take a balanced approach, have something that can be be effective against specific things and then let those units deal with them. But when you do... think. Learn that the land raider will move and tank shock you... so be in a position where you can't be, or where you will get to fire first before your overun etc. 


The above has always served me well, no matter what edition of the game I play. Don't let your opponent dictate whats happening, and don't think a certain combo etc will grant you a magic fix, just master the basics and you will perform a lot better always. If you do this, you will find it a much closer game and also give you a better chance of victory.


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## Asmodeun

Alexious just described the basis of warhammers 'art of war'. Always look for ways to turn things to your advantage, trick the enemy, get him to outmenouvre himself, match your strengths to his weaknesses. An example - charge terminators with one or two units of conscripts, they'll take a few turns to chew through them, and if you luccky you may even kill one or two. Use your fields of fire to force them into funnels or difficult terrain, a unit in difficult terrain against a guard army is asking for some pie plates. 

btw would you mind posting some battle reports? i'd like to look over them.


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## Culler

Something I found helpful for general warhammer strategy and tactics was familiarizing myself with all the armies and building lists and playing battles using their units (via Vassal). I at least recommend reading through all the codices. It's very helpful knowing exactly what your enemy can bring to bear. This and experience will give you a good feel for what your enemy can bring against you, how it works, and how it performs. For instance, how good it is to charge Orks (which seems counter-intuitive) once they get close if you've whittled them down to half as many Orks as guardsmen you're charging them with to deny them the charge because they all have furious charge. Knowing their stat line tells you that you'll strike first if you charge.

Another general point that applies especially with the new guard codex: don't overdo it on bells and whistles. The more upgrades a unit has, the fewer units you can have. Equip them to do their job and no more. Also for guard, don't underestimate the humble lasgun. A mob of 30 guardsmen with 3 special weapons and a commissar can unleash a pretty terrifying amount of firepower with first rank fire second rank fire. With a 10man squad (or 2) spread out in front of them to act as a shield against the first to try to assault them, it's a pretty solid formation. Done right you can get 1 turn of 24" lasgun fire and 2 turns of 12" rapid firing. All with first rank fire second rank fire results in somewhere around 240 shots. Dakkadakkadakka.


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## Black Wolf

lots of good ideas here. if your playing on small tables, tanks will probably get chewed up real quick. storm troopers with plasma guns, and platoons of gaurds-men, just add the best HQ and leadership upgrades you can find and you should be set. if your playing big tables, go with as many basilisks with indirect as you can. then just pile hundreds of guardsmen around um, stick the whole thing in a corner so no one can beam in behind you.
and focus all fire on one target at a time. you will kill it then. instead of wounding several targets.


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