# Imperial Guard Tactics and Tricks



## Lopspoon (Jun 23, 2009)

*Imperial Guard Tactics*

This is my attempt to help Imperial Guard generals in their war gaming and maybe get people to try some new strategies. Some of these strategies are really more for casual games and others are just pointers. Some of these only apply if you have the Deamonhunters book. And at the end, there’s a little rant ☺

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*Stormtroopers* ---- If like many generals, you consider veterans a n important part of you army, may I suggest you try taking some Inquisitorial Stormtroopers. Stormtroopers come at 10 points per guy, which is a bit more expensive than your standard veteran, but they have armour value 4+ so they get an armour save vs bolters. They are also a source of cheap plasma, their plasma guns are only 10 points as opposed to veterans plasma guns which are 15 points a piece. The biggest benefit I see however with them is that their guns are Ap 5 which is a godsend against tyranids and other imperial guard. As a little present, their guns have targeters so you can measure to you target first so you never need to accidently fire at a target just to find its out of range. If you’re really feeling like you want fun you can take a sergeant, who then has access to the wargear of the greyknights. This means you could give him some artificer armour for 15 points for a 2+ save or if you’re feeling it, a pair of lightning claws and power armour. 

*Chimera* ------- Try a Heavy Bolter! But really, I know it’s all the rage to go with a multi-laser and heavy flamer loadout, but the heavy bolter should be at least a consideration. When you take a heavy bolter, you do lose 1 point of Str however you go from Ap 6 to Ap 4. This means that you get to ignore the standard armour of most races (Eldar, Tau, Orks, Imperial Guard, Tyranids) and you ignore space marine scout armour. The one point of lost strength really only effects you if you plan on shooting armour or high toughness creatures. But really, as an imperial Guard player, autocannons are much more reliable anti-transport and a unit of ratlings is more efficient for monstrous creature hunting. You do lose the ability to instant kill toughness 3 units but once again, Imperial Guard has a plethora of weaponry that instant kills (battlecannons, lascannons, demolisher cannon)

I really can’t stress the value of better Ap, I can’t speak for your clubs but at mine, Space Marines no longer make up a majority of players and I’m now staring down more horde armies .


*Conscripts* ------ If you want to hold an objective in style, may I suggest taking 50 conscripts, if only just for the look on your opponents face. Then when placing objectives, put your objective in a big old piece of cover that gives a 4+ save or better. Then, go to ground with your unit, suddenly that unit has a 3+ save or a 2+ save if you managed to use the order Incoming! Lets say for the purposes of mathhammer that a unit of 100 marines shoot at your conscripts, have no fear, because on average in 4+ cover after going to ground you only lose 14 conscripts. Keeping the conscripts from running away is a bit of a problem, but you can get around their mediocre Leadership 5 if you’re just so kind as to attach a friendly lord commissar to the horde. Or failing that, give your command squad a banner. 

*Company Commander* ----- This is less of competitive choice and more of a chance to make kick-ass model. The company commander may exchange both his close combat weapon and laspistol for a set of kickass duel power fists. I know that this costs 30 points but really, just imagine the modeling possibilities for a guy with two big metal hands.

*Banewolf* ----- Yes, the range on the gun is terrible, but at the same time make note of the fact that the Chem Cannon is Str 1, this means it’s a defensive weapon, so you can drive your tank up 12 inches and unleash both the Chem cannon and the hull heavy flamer! Yes, this puts you in assault range if there are any survivors but you just moved 12 inches, they need 6’s to hit you and chances are the one with the powerfist is a pile of sludge.

*Hunter Killer Missile* ----- These are not my favourite, but once and a while I’ll proxy them just for fun. When I think of a hunter killer missile, I think of multiple missiles, not just one and I use them for vehicle hunting. 6 Hunter killer missiles will put you back 60 points but will get you 1.5 penetrating hits, which have a very good chance of preventing that rhino from moving next turn. And when that rhino was carrying a full squad of Khorne berzerkers who otherwise would have ripped through your precious gunline, the effect is priceless.

*Techpriest* ------ This is a guy that never get taken but if you wanted to try out a fun and completely random unit, try taking a techpriest with 5 servitors. This gives you 6 powerfist attacks… Fun! As well, this unit will automatically fix a vehicle because D6 plus 4 is always going to be higher than 4 lol.

*Vanquisher* ----- Just no, please don’t take this tank, I consider it one of the worst choices in the codex. You’ll only hit half the time and when you do, you don’t have Ap 1 so you only have a 1/3 chance of wrecking or destroying that vehicle. If you want anti-tank, take a Vendetta, its tall so your opponent can’t hide from it and by using its scout move, you can snipe side or rear armour.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

Nice enough write-up, and I agree with you on some things, others not..and it comes down to personal preference most times so no biggie.

Chimeras with HB's - are you talking Turret or Hull HB, or both? the choice is simple ..on a 'bunker-pillbox' type unit a Hull HB is fine, but on a mobile Unit it's Hull HF ftw. I would never take 2 HB or 2 HF, far too limiting..unless you're tailoring towards a specific enemy.

Vanquisher - I agree 100%..the Punisher is actually the worst though, unless you're only talking about using it on a specific target on very rare occassions..in an all-comers list it has no place whatsoever. And never take Pask as it just makes a crappy tank more expensive while retaining its crappiness.

Banewolf - Agree again, especially against MEQ.

HKM - I take them if I have spare points, and by that I mean I have already specilised every unit exactly how I need it to be before I consider a 1-shot weapon. They are great on Scout Sentinels.


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## Garven Dreis (Oct 26, 2009)

You can upgrade Veterans to be 'Grenadiers' (which is what i run with in my Steel Legion) and they get the 4+ armour save, making them a bit more survivable (lol)

Also, Conscripts are fun, but i don't EVER count on them to hold objectives, ever.

In regards to the Vanquisher... you roll an extra D6 for armour penetration........ so instantly you have a St8 + 2D6 for armour penetration.. which compared to my normal SM army, is very good, seeing the only true AT weapons SM's have are Meltas. I don't see your hate of the Vanquisher, but each to their own.


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## ItsPug (Apr 5, 2009)

The problem with the vanquisher is that its 155+ for a BS 3, long range melta type weapon, that isnt AP1. I'd take a MM landspeeder instead any day of the week


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## MaidenManiac (Oct 2, 2008)

The Commissar Lord is a God send to help up with the orders. Sure he cant hide in the huge (nowdays) classical IG stubborn-platoon-blobs thanks to his IC status, he can however easily hand out LD10 to several heavy weapon squads if placed correctly. Its lightyears of a difference to understand orders on LD7 or LD10:
On LD7 those juicy orders (twinlinked weapons for example) fail almost as often as they pass.
On LD10 those orders pass 11/12, which simply means that you actually gain benefit from the orders at all, and twinlinked lascannons aint nothing to sniff at everk:

Well worth 80 pts imo if you run heavy weapon squads!


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## Mikeybx (Jul 8, 2009)

Wow great post :]
love the conscript idea and the dual power fist  :] oo and the banewolf 
brilliant im trying some of those 
++++++REP+++++


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## XxDreMisterxX (Dec 23, 2009)

wait.... arent IG Storm troopers the ones who get hot shot lasguns which have ap3 S3 shots? not ap 5?


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## Garven Dreis (Oct 26, 2009)

ItsPug said:


> The problem with the vanquisher is that its 155+ for a BS 3, long range melta type weapon, that isnt AP1. I'd take a MM landspeeder instead any day of the week


Landspeeder in IG? Lets compare apples with apples here...


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## Arkanor (Jan 1, 2010)

If you want to knock out vehicles, Vendy's a tough one to beat, it's a much better deal than any of the ground based options, really.


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## HOBO (Dec 7, 2007)

Arkanor said:


> If you want to knock out vehicles, Vendy's a tough one to beat, it's a much better deal than any of the ground based options, really.


Yes, Vendettas are great up to AV13 (mainly) but to be effective Melta is needed for AV14...or S10 like BB's on a Medusa.


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