Traitor Guard questions

[Targetlock]

Hi everyone

 

So i'm planning a small traitor guard allied force for my chaos space marines (i realised when i was sorting thgrough my models i had a lot of chaos cultists, so i was thinking traitor guard!!) and i was wondering are the Forgeworld rengegades and heretics list still usable with this edition? ( i was considering the servants of decay variant as to go with my nurgle chaos marine force) or is it best to use the normal imperial guard codex? thanks for any help :)

 

I also have the mad idea of scratch built sculpted daemon engines to represent my tanks :)

[Argun]

I'd say it might be usable (just check with local gaming store if they allow IA or not) But speaking from personal experience, the IG codex can most likely bring more "bang for your buck" IMHO (somewhat literally, in the case of artillery )

For daemon engines, I'd suggest starting with the stock tank, and going from there. Once you've got the basic premise there, by all means go ahead and do a complete scratch-build!

The reason I suggest that is so that you've got a basic size to work with, so that any scratchbuild won't get too big or too small for what you need.

I look forward to seeing what you decide to do!

[Beachymike123]

the renegades and heretics list is pretty good but represents more of an uprising force more than a coherent army, but is still pretty cool. the random Ld rolls at the beginning are a bit of a pain though, and the army list needs synergy to work well, more so than the standard IG list. there are some fluffy bits in there though, like mercs, big (and normal) mutants, worker rabbles and chaos icons (warp icons i think they're called iirc), plus they are Battle Brother allies for CSM armies as opposed to Allies of Convieniance that the IG units count as, but that is only a minor detail.

to be honest though, all of these things can be represented with the IG dex, and this is the route that i went for my own traitor guard. the horde aspect is taken care of by platoons, the more experienced fighters as veterans, plus the opportunity to model up anything you want as counts as (i did a scratch built sentinel in the form of a massive cyborg). brother argun is right though - its better to get a stock vehicle to work with first, that way you're more aware of size proportions.

looking forward to seeing more traitors on the board, good luck with your project targetlock, may the dark gods be with you.

edit: my bad, i put the wrong ally type to begin with, fixed it now

[Targetlock]

Thanks for the advice, i will probably stick with the Imperial guard codex for the sake of simplicity. will keep at this and post updates and hopefully pics :)

[librisrouge]

Admittedly, I saw the thread title I assumed that the answer to all the questions you'd ask would be "in boiling oil" but you've managed to get around that. Good show traitor scum.

 

On the topic, I wouldn't use the FW list. Too self-centric. Meant to be the main force. Use IG as allies for a more balanced list.

[FashaTheDog]

You could also try out the Servants of Slaughter or Servants of Decay if you have access to Imperial Armour 6 & 7, respectively.  They are similar to Renegades and Heretics, but themed to a particular god (take a wild guess which one each belongs to).  With those two units, your group, if they allow it, may want to errata to use the profile in the Chaos Codex just to match things up.  Apart from that, the three lists are actually fine in the current edition.  You can buy the old Witch/Daemon Hunter style artillery strikes, albeit with Guard artillery, and the two cult lists get access to the Forgeworld Chaos aircraft, although you cannot take batteries of self propelled guns or platforms, only singles.  The lists also feature the Dreadclaw as a dedicated transport and have a few cool units like Beastmen in Servants of Slaughter or Plague Zombies and Plague Ogryns in Servants of Decay.  Both Servants of Slaughter and Renegades and Heretics get Ogryn Berserkers which is a really fun unit. 

 

Overall, the three lists do not bring the sheer versatility of the Guard codex, but they do provide a themed force that, while intended to represent the rebelling forces and their Chaos allies, can easily represent the haphazard discipline you would find in an army comprised of traitors, deserters, heretics, fanatics, and rebels that would be found in any Chaos army that has mortals flocking to its banner.  The random leadership means your Ld 5 officer might be a cowardly and sniveling sycophant to the traitor Astartes he serves, while a few Ld 10 Militia squads are the true die hard fanatics seeking to "CAP-TOOR EET FOHR KAY-OHSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  Just watch that purple haired girl who hangs out with that chain smoking Word Bearer, she might capture waffles for her pet spawn instead.  Depending upon how you build your list, including Chaos allies, your local meta, and how you play, one of these lists might be a better fit for you than the Guard Codex.

[Argun]

You could also try out the Servants of Laughter or Servants of Deejay if you have access to Imperial Armour 6 & 7, respectively.  

Even though I've got the books... I'm gonna guess anyway: The Joker, and Slannesh?

[FashaTheDog]

LOL, had to check my post as I thought those were my typos.  No the Servants of Deejay would have to be loyalists; a Disco Marines successor Chapter (warning: link may contain too much funk for small children and the easily offended).  That would mean they serve the Emperor as well as Earth Wind and Fire.

[Argun]

LOL, had to check my post as I thought those were my typos. No the Servants of Deejay would have to be loyalists; a Disco Marines successor Chapter (warning: link may contain too much funk for small children and the easily offended). That would mean they serve the Emperor as well as Earth Wind and Fire.

In that case, my work here is done

(Aside from giving advice that is. That's never done!)

[Commander S. Caesare]

Malcador tanks are standard for traitor guard, so I suggest low-tech or lame tanks, like a chimera-based. Having a Leman Russ or Baneblade demonstrates power, so I think you should stay away and use Death Korps; those pieces will help a lot.

 

Just my 2 cents.

[Targetlock]

Thanks for the suggestions and ideas, the servants of decay list does sound like a lot of fun :) would go rather well with nurgle marine force( and fun is what i want after all) suits the idea for my force i had when i was looking at the rather large horde of cultists models i had! will have to try and hunt down the list. will post pics when i start the madness bwa ha ha!!

[Beachymike123]

Malcador tanks are standard for traitor guard, so I suggest low-tech or lame tanks, like a chimera-based. Having a Leman Russ or Baneblade demonstrates power, so I think you should stay away and use Death Korps; those pieces will help a lot.

 

Just my 2 cents.

 

just a little correction here brother, malcadors are used more primarily in PDF forces as they are extremely venerable and believed to be the predecessor to the leman russ. their inclusion in heretic lists is to represent an uprising seizing them and turning them against their former owners, which would be represented as well with a leman russ, although i do agree with you on the baneblade, that is a bit more hi-tech than most are used to. they are able to be used in both loyalist and traitor guard armies, but malcadors are FW and i'm not sure if they're approved for 40k use. but as i've said before, the renegade and heretic lists are more uprising forces than actual established armies, and the russ is described as being one of the most versatile rugged tanks in the imperium and history of man, so easily adapted to whomever has current possession. 

to further the point, and to get back to OP, traitor guard aren't about being the lowest of the low, they are simply the un-uniformed version of the guard. they are mercs, cultists, turncoats and traitors that don't follow the emperor or get their supplies and orders from the imperium. this is one of the great things about the current codex we have, the fluff on traitor guard often has them waiving banners to the dark gods (iirc, the blood pact do this a lot in the gaunt's ghost series). although individual squads can do this in the heretic lists, the platoon standard is a better representation imho as it gives focus for the masses. you could have a traitor guard force dedicated to one of the gods (the blood pact are a great example, dedication to khorne), or you could represent a merc force that has chaos elements to it, or you could even represent a force that has strong ties to the dark mechanicus via cyborgs, strange 'counts-as' war machines. tirade over, my apologies for that, i don't know what happened there. 

is there any particular theme you have in mind for your TG? 

[Targetlock]

A combined cultist/ guard force dedicated with nurgle made up of combination of renegades, cultists, mutants with possible dark mechanicus count-as war machines as with your idea :)

 

Unit Ideas

 

> Infantry platoons: traitor guard of course :)

> Conscripts and penal legions: units of mad cultists, citizens and mutants

> Heavy weapon teams: big mutants carrying guns. i thought the profile would suit one big model with a gun, on a large base of course.

> Tanks: dark mechanicus count-as daemon engines perhaps?

[WarriorFish]

Unfortunately as a loyal follower of the God Emperor I can't really offer that much help here, but there are some good ideas posted. Just goes to show the sheer diversity and variation our codex is capable of

The normal Guard codex will give you plenty of options, that and the Chaos feel of the army will mostly come from the models I reckon so that's what I'd suggest. Also I'd be able to offer opinions as I'm not that familiar with the FW Guard lists (even less so the traitor ones)

[hendrik]

leman russes,sentinels, earthshakers, etc are perfectly reasonable for traitor guardsmen. you see plenty of them in the ragnar novels and imperial armour books!