Imperial Guard

[Grimfoe]

Okay. I've only played a few games of 5th edition, but most of those have been against the imps. Are they really that bad? I mean I've been kicking the hell out of them every game.

 

I'm playing against my brother who is no gaming slouch. He's won a Grand Tournament in Fantasy and won the nationals in the Warzone Tournament (i forget what it's called) twice. Neither one of us has the list we want, but the Sons of Russ have been unstoppable.

 

Last night: 1500 pts.

 

I had:

 

HQ:

Ragnar

Ven Dread (Bjorn)

 

Elites:

Vanilla Dread (Melta/Heavy Flamer)

6 Wolf Scouts (2 pwr weapons, 2 plasma pistols, plasma gun)

 

Troops:

2x 9 Grey Hunters w/Rhinos

 

Fast Attack:

8 Blood Claws with Jump Packs (1 pwr fist, 1 pwr weapon)

 

Heavy Support:

Long Fangs (all Heavy Bolters) - big mistake, I didn't have points for any Lascannon - complete waste

 

He had:

 

Basilisk

Leman Russ

(3) Sentinels

 

4 Troops Guard

2 Troops Conscripts

 

1 Elite Veterans with 2 melta guns

1 Elite Vets with 2 melta guns in Chimera

Squad of Ratlings with Sniper Rifles

 

 

That's what I remember. Obviously, we don't have all the minis we want yet. I'd like to get another squad of Hunters and a couple of Whirlwinds. I'm targeting 1850 pts and plan on going to next year's GT.

 

Not sure what my brother intends to add, but I assume another Basilisk, maybe another Leman Russ and some better troops. Rough Riders, Ogryn, not sure.

 

Anyway, last night's battle was a Capture and Control with Dawn of War deployment. I won first turn (didn't even need my ven dread). I deployed both Hunter Squads in Rhino as far forward as possible. This put one squad next to the Bunker that I had called an objective and left the other squad (and Ragnar) 24" in toward the other objective. My brother placed his objective near the table edge, but when I deployed so far forward it left him little room to deploy around his objective. He bunch in 2 inf sqauds around his objective with his command squad. (3 lascannon, all together)

 

First Turn:

 

Ragnar's rhino moves ahead 12" and pops smoke. Grey Hunters from other Rhino disembark and take Bunker. Rhino moves ahead full and pops smoke. Blood Claws come on board and race to support Ragnar. Long Fangs run on board to support the Bunker.

 

He brings on sentinels, Chimera, Basilisk, Leman Russ and remaining inf squads. Basilisk scores direct hit on Blood Claws and kills five. (I have to remember NOT to bunch them up behind cover). More shooting, no more causalties.

 

Turn 2: First Dread arrives, no scouts, no vanilla dread. Ragnar and Grey Hunters dismbark and charge the objective. It's a rout. We manage to contact 3 squads because of the way they had to bunch in around the objective. Two inf squads and his command squad. HUGE mistake on his part. We win the combat by 10. That's right. We kill 11 and he only kills one. All three squads rout and are killed. He had Commisars and didn't use them properly, but it made little difference. Instead of dying in my assault phase, they simply would have been killed in his.

Bjorn lets loose with his Assault Cannon and Heavy Flamer, kills 1/2 of an infantry squad and the Rhino start running stuff over. One Rhino manages to plow into some Veterans that promptly rout from the board.

The Blood Claws try to charge but come up short (1/4"). The Long Fangs move into position and the Grey Hunters in the Bunker tap a keg(not much else to do there)

 

He shoots a bunch. Falls to penatrate Bjorn with his Leman Russ and kills my Long Fang Sarge with his Basilisk. Kills another Blood Claw with his remaining troop at his objective.

 

 

Turn 3: Ragnar and the GH charge the remaining troop at the objective with predictable results. The Blood Claws charge and finish off the troop that Bjorn had shot. Another Rhino manages to tank shock a group of conscripts that never rallies and eventually runs of the board. The vanilla dread shows up and shoots the Leman Russ, but misses. Bjorn shoots the Chimera in the ass with his Assault Cannon and destroys it. Grey Hunters in bunker drink some more and the Long Fangs manage to kill three guardsman or so.

 

He manages a direct hit on Ragnar and the Hunters with his Basilisk. Kills 5 Hunters (ouch) Shoots and immobilizes the Vanilla dread and shoots off Bjorn CC arm.

 

Turn 4: I wipe him out. My remaining Blood Claws kill the Leman Russ with the power fist (armor 10 on rear? are you kidding me) Ragnar kills the squad of vets that dropped in near that objective with melta guns and other nastiness. Bjorn gets in CC with the remaining guardsmen and kills them, even without his CC arm. Wolf Scouts show up and kill the Basilisk with their plasma gun and pistols. They also insure the conscripts can't rally so they flee off the board next turn.

 

 

So, like I said, neither of us really had what we wanted, but this was really a walk in the park. I've won all the games we've played. The first few were close, but as I learned what to expect, it's not too difficult to get to CC and wipe out the guard. Is this the norm? Do guard typically die this easily when the Sons of Russ put it to them? I'm just wondering what I should expect in other guard armies and as my brother fleshes out his force. Thanks.

[Spacefrisian]

Don't worry about guard dying quick to the sons of Russ they do that against any army.

[Ullr Direfang]

i play guard as well as my wolves. currently i run a very heavily indoctrinated army. i have only used it once but i noticed that one of the things i liked to do(move my tanks up and fire with at least two S5 and one S7 weapon) and made it harder for the enemy to choose a target , couldn't be done to the same affect. it was one of the things that made guard tanks good. but now they can't blare away with tons of heavy bolters.

 

though i must add, my 4th ed list did very well with out doctrines, but never did well against wolves. i don't know why, i think it is because wolves are more an assault army and don't go shooting heavy when playing guard. i have crushed 'nile marines, and 'nids(lower toughness and armor).

[DeffWolf]

i find it difficult sometimes, he might just pummel me with long range...but that might have been when i started 40k and he said oh no we set up on the long table edge whivch gave 3 more turns of leman russ/basilisk shooting...snivel...waaagh!!!...ah well...what are standard board sizes anyway?

[Eirik_Xenobane]

Guard have issues with 3+ saves in close combat troops, with good use of cover yo can rip guard apart pretty easily with wolves.

[Grimfoe]

My brother is talking of adding some Sisters of Battle to his force with more tanks, obviously. Honestly, though, I don't think he'll be able to hang with the wolves. I expect my whirlwinds to do VERY well against guard once they're painted. Another squad of Hunters will only help to rout them more quickly. Not sure where the challenge will be.

 

 

Have any of you played against the Guard and had problems? What did they bring that was hard to deal with? Thanks.

[IronWolf88]

Forgive my brashness by giving advice on my first post, but I have seen a few guard armies that give me a problem.

 

 

The worst being 2 man teams of Last Chancers dropping in with Melta/PW/Demo Charge combo. It's apretty savage tactics especially when paired with grenadiers doctrine. Although the guard armies I tend to face defy the norm and NEVER sit back and wait for a shot....

 

Hope I helped out a bit, The last chancers are a great option that I seldom see used.

 

-Ironwolf

[Ullr Direfang]

The worst being 2 man teams of Last Chancers dropping in with Melta/PW/Demo Charge combo. It's apretty savage tactics especially when paired with grenadiers doctrine. Although the guard armies I tend to face defy the norm and NEVER sit back and wait for a shot....

 

i have taken many space marine players off guard with this kind of thing, mostly the not sitting back. carapace armor, hardened fighters, close order drills, and then what ever counters the kind of army i am playing (usually iron discipline or sharpshooters and ogryns and if i have the points, cyber-enhancements). 5 to 6 squads moving forward with WS4(some with 5), I4, LD8 to 10, and 4+/6+ save. i tend to throw in a few PFs. along with 3 to 4 LC, 6+ HB, to many templates to mention, tends to quickly confuse manyu people who think i am going to sit back and shoot while they come to me.

 

i am not saying it's perfect, usually i only get a major victory at best, unless it just baffle the other guy. but they are do able, i think many people go for shooting/tanks with their IG, but i felt like having Shock troops with supporting fire.

 

2 Troops Conscripts

 

here's something you could tell him to try with these guys:

make them one big squad. (30 to 50 models). then have him attach either Commissar Yarrick or a cheaper Colonel-commissar Ibram Gaunt. 60+ attack potential, 50-100 +/- shots, 5 flamers/grenade launchers, 5 HB/AC/ML and fearless. it is always fun putting 51 models down as one unit and having them move forward a little, getting them close together, letting loose with all the fire powerpower, and then bogging down a few unit's for two or three turns (if your lucky) .this used to be really great with out numbering, but those days are gone.

 

UD

[Commissar Volker]

My Guard are pretty elite, I have no tanks but do have lots of heavy weapons, sharpshooters and chamelioline, so they are 3+ cover saves rerolling 1s to shoot with. Pretty nasty. Coupled with a maximum number of Commissars means they wont run away when the going gets tough.

[wiplash]

i would love to play guard but my mate has the dex and looking through it it is so over complicated with loads of draw backs and not many advantages, hopefully the new dex is better imo

 

and seeing as the last horde army to be released (orks) were made pretty damn uber then im hoping that the same will happen to guard!!

[WolfLordLars]

The only guard I have had the urge to play is the Armored Company. Of course, 90% of tournament or game organizers in the area wont allow them, and most people complain about it.

 

I like tanks, plus, its the cheapest ($$$) IG army there is. :P