Imperial Guard tanks

[Zynk Kaladin]

First of all I want to thank everyone in tactica astartes for sharing their ideas and tactics in the past on various subjects. This sub-forum has been a constant source of great advice. I have a lot of questions that pertain to fighting imperial tank armies so onto the strategy room.

 

So a buddy of mine has started an Imperial guard army loaded with leman russes and melta veterans. We have played 3 games so far, netting me 2 wins and 1 loss. My strategies so far have been thus:

 

1) Deep striking a suicide sternguard combi-melta squad(along with 3 mm/hf landspeeders): This was very effective the first turn and the sternies themselves managed to destroy a leman and a chimera. I do not raelly like the idea of sternguard suicide squads, so I definately wound be doing this again.

2) Deep striking MM/HF landspeeders

3) Using melta bombs from the sternguard and in a later game a space marine squad.

4) Deep striking MM/HF Dreads

 

I have found alpha strikes against this type of IG list do wonders, but I'm wondering if there's a better or more clever approach. I know getting into close combat is key and trying to out shoot an IG list is doomed to fail. Also, sometimes its good enough to weaken an enemy vehicle instead of blowing it up. This has helped me not worry when I haven't destroyed anything up for a turn. Using these basic ideas have been very helpful, but I would like to expand my knowledge in this field. Now my questions are:

 

1) How do I get rhino mounted marine squads into CC range without getting blown to kingdom come? So far I have tried making a train of 2 rhinos (1 in front and 1 in back) where the lead rhino pops smoke. However, my opponent always manages to get side armor shots on my back rhino, effectively nullifying my tactic in the first place. Since I am not doing sternguard alpha strikes anymore, I would like to use rhinos more effectively to get them in shooting distance against tanks. I am worried the rhino would get wrecked quickly and I'd have something to sweat about for the rest of the game.

 

2) What are some good strategies against this type of enemy for a list composed of these units (my dream "all comers" list): chapter master, honor guard, librarian, sternguard, landspeeders(2 MM/HF and x2 typhoon), predators, and tacticals (obviously). The honor guard would be pretty much useless against this type of army, but I could use them to deny scoring units from objectives. That's all I know about HG in this situation. The rest I have a basic idea of what to do, with the sternguard and MM/HF speeders being the backbone of anti-tank and the typhoons and tacticals being counters to chimeras.

 

3) Ignoring the units in question 2, what would you use/do in an all comers type list against a tank line IG army?

 

4) How would an "all comers" Blood Angels jump pack infantry army fare against a list like this? A jump pack, descent of angels type army is very fluffy for my army so in the future I would like to have a list like this. What are some tips and tactics using this type of list?

 

Thanks in advanced for your time.

[greatcrusade08]

if you want an alpha strike tank killer then you should invest in a scout "melta torpedo"

 

Land speeder storm with MM.. @65 points

scout squad with combi-melta and meltabombs.. @90 points

 

the look on your opponents face when his bigest tank goes boom before he starts the game.. @priceless

 

plus scouts can beat even Ig in close combat

[Hellios]

I don't know what you do but a lot of people focus on a tank and try and destroy it. If you do this consider just trying to cause enough damage to stop them from shooting... If they can't shoot they can't pop your transports and that gives you an extra turn... and at least once you get into the melta range of the vets you also have a good chance of being in assault range in the next turn.

 

Melta torpedo that GC suggests is also a favourite of mine... Kassaro Khan allowing you to outflank the enemy could cause him problems as his gunline won't work unless he sits in the centre of the board and even this will be tough if you play on a smaller board. The downside being bad reserve rolls could cause you trouble... good ones could win a game... This is especially good if his only mobile elements are the melta vets! as they have fairly short range if they move away they won't be able to add much support if they leave his gunline and assuming the assault on the gunline goes well you can pick off the chimera vets that you should not have out-gunned.

 

Also even a few out flanking units might cause him to bunch up in the middle and in this case if you attack with the rest of your army from one side it should be harder for him to get shots on side armour. If you take heavy vehicles like landraiders consider putting them on the flanks as well.

[ak-73]

First of all: try to get side shots. That is easier the more long range threats you have and the more mobile long-range firepower you have.

Secondly when popping smoke, prepare some smoke presentation with cotton wool. Don't go overboard but you are definitely allowed to put it in, see page 62.

Thirdly, do you put your lead Rhino at an angle to broaden the range it can cover when throwing smoke?

 

Also read this, if you haven't already: http://yesthetruthhurts.com/2011/05/rhino-tactica/

 

 

Finally, how can you protect your rhinos going forward? Have more pressing targets. Consider 2x1 MM Attack Bike. Now what will be the mechanized IG player's top priority?

And the bikes are relatively cheap for protection they create, no? One more turn makes a difference because the "shadow" of the lead Rhino popping smoke gets relatively broader with decreasing distance.

 

Alex

[Warp Angel]

- Make sure you use terrain and aren't playing on the moon where the only "features" are low hills. That will help in overall survivability and make sure that tactics are more than "charge" and "shoot".

 

- Saturate the ability of the tanks and guardsmen to take on your army by giving them too many threats to deal with. This means many rhinos. Add in other armored targets that are theoretically a threat as well and force him to choose between the "now" threat of the anti-armor and the "next turn threat" of your advancing troops.

 

- Stay out of range of the melta vets if you can, bait them if you can't. They're glass cannons.

 

- Remember that basic Russ are vulnerable to krak grenades.

 

- Play to victory conditions. Go for KP (even if they're not the Russ) in a KP game and objective grab/camp in objective games.

 

- You've already figured out the "drop on their heads" tactic, which works just as well with BA descent of angels as it does with Sternguard for the most part.

[Koremu]

The most efficient way of killing IG tanks is with Tactical Squads.

 

Actually, the most efficient way of killing anything in the IG list is Tactical Squads.

 

Against IG, don't bother getting fancy. You have Krak Grenades on every model, he has AV10 rear armour and loses significant firepower if he moves.

[Vaktathi]

The most efficient way of killing IG tanks is with Tactical Squads.

 

Actually, the most efficient way of killing anything in the IG list is Tactical Squads.

 

Against IG, don't bother getting fancy. You have Krak Grenades on every model, he has AV10 rear armour and loses significant firepower if he moves.

This.

 

IG will outshoot anything you can bring to bear, and can trade you man for man, tank for tank, all day long, and will. Your basic trooper comes equipped well enough to engage IG infantry outnumbered 3 or 4 to one and with anti-tank grenades even your basic troopers present a lethal threat to any IG tank. You don't need anything more capable than that any anything that is is likely wasted points. Lots and lots of tac marines in rhinos is something that scares any IG army. A handful of super-elite ultra killy dudes die like the rest and don't really add much.