New Recruit Seeks Guidance

[captain sox]

Greeting brothers (and sisters if any are here). I have some questions about the IG/AM. Been a long time SM player, so building an IG list in very interesting... it's a totally different way of thinking. Was rather surprised that my fully loaded infantry squad cost as much as a basic 5 man tactical squad I know, I know.... like comparing coconuts to eggs.

As it stands right now, the only models I have are the Command Squad, Chimera and Infantry Squad. Picking up more this weekend. I plan to build heavy infantry with Russ and Loooooong range support (Basilisks and Manticore/Deathstrikes)

On with the Questions:

1. What exactly is a blob?

2. Is it wise to upgrade Sergeants? I read conflicting reports on this. I'm assuming if you are 'blobbing' units, then I suppose you could, but running the squads alone you wouldn't. Is this a fair assumption?

3. Can you run 'blobbed' units in their dedicated transports or are they purely footsloggers? Example, I combine 3 Infantry Squads, do they need to be on foot in coherency, or can they be embarked in their Chimera / Taurox and move together that way?

4. Does anyone ever use the Deathstrike Missile? Reading the Codex, this really stuck out to me. Seems very V2 like. I must have this.

I'll have many more questions as time goes on. I really like the change from Power Armour to the more human feel of Guardsman.

Tanks for your replies!

[Nicodemus Doloroso]

1. A "blob" is two or more platoon infantry squads that have been combined to form a single bigger squad. So for example three ten-man squads combine to become one 30 man squad.

 

2. So many variables here. Depends on what you want to do with them. Power sword sergeants inside large blobs has historically been popular.

 

3. Any dedicated transports would have to run empty, because once blobbed/combined the squad would be too big to fit inside a chimera. They are a single squad once blobbed so you can't have it spread out between multiple transports. You could bring them in a Stormlord though since it has a transport capacity of 40.

 

4. I personally don't but I know some people do. It sounds like it has become much more useable in the new AM codex so I suspect we will start seeing more of these.

[Frater Cornelius]

Really depends on what your battle plan is. Blob infantry can come in several incarnations.

First you have your traditional blob, 50 dudes taken together, put a lord commissar into them to make them fearless and let them march across the board and obliterating stuff with massed fire. Have 2 of those to march across the board, get some heavy wep teams to hang back on objectives. This also works with DA allies and put Azrael in there for 4++ and fearless. This way, I would equip them as cheap as possible. Give them grenade launchers for some punch, flamers to massacre assaults. Let the heavy weapons be assault canons to off-set low BS, or lascanons if you plan to use Primaris Psychers. Leave the sarges naked.

Second you have the melee confic, less popular but it can really surprise people and knock out insane stuff. Have 50 man blob or 2, Straken, equip sarges with power axes and give your guys flamers, pack priests for zealot (fearless and hatred, I think). When your dudes charge then will have HUGE amount of attacks, flamers before the charge, Straken gives Furious Charge and Priests give melee bonuses. Again, Azrael or Divination can give 'em 4++. There is little that can stand in their way, either they kill with mass of attacks, or the 5 sarges bring power axe attacks, he can not challenge all of 'em. They have to get there first, so maybe put some distractions up like Bullgryn cover, use the Run! Run! Run! order and support with long ranged fire to pressure them a bit.

Last confic I can think of, mechanised. Put all of the 5x 10 squads and PCS into Chimeras and do drive-bys This is not really 'blob' anymore since you would need to separate them so the Chimeras can go their ways.

Deathstrike is decent, since it can fire on 3+ on turn 2, which is nice. With a 10" pie plate there is the danger that is can leave the board very easily this invalidating the shot. But it can also hit bullseye and make opponent rage-quit. Compensation jokes at their expense

[librisrouge]

1. What exactly is a blob?

A blob is a number of infantry squads, from an infantry platoon, that join together to form a mass of guardsmen. Boosted with advisors and psykers and they present a serious threat in the form of both massed firepower and even melee.

 

2. Is it wise to upgrade Sergeants? I read conflicting reports on this. I'm assuming if you are 'blobbing' units, then I suppose you could, but running the squads alone you wouldn't. Is this a fair assumption?

It is generally unwise to upgrade sergeants except in two situations: 1) a bolter, only 1 pt and you get another 24'' gun, 2) in blobs, since a few power axes and mean a big difference in protracted combats.

 

3. Can you run 'blobbed' units in their dedicated transports or are they purely footsloggers? Example, I combine 3 Infantry Squads, do they need to be on foot in coherency, or can they be embarked in their Chimera / Taurox and move together that way?

Blob squads become a single unit so they can't use their transports at all unless they either do not blob or take a lot of casualties. If you want, still take transports and use them as light tanks if you decide blobing is worth it.

 

4. Does anyone ever use the Deathstrike Missile? Reading the Codex, this really stuck out to me. Seems very V2 like. I must have this. 

I've never seen it used but that doesn't mean it isn't good, especially with the minor upgrades it got in the new codex. Consider taking 2-3 and really add the shock value to the army. Beware of one shot and have a psyker around to make it count.

 

Hope that helped.

[captain sox]

Great advice so far. I think I get it now!

 

So lets say I blob 3 10 man squads, I can use their dedicated transports (ie Chimera) for other squads like Special Weapons Squads? Also, does it make sense to have Heavy Weapon Teams in blobs? To me it seems appealing, but somewhat counter-productive.

 

Thanks everyone! 

[Dark_Apostle_XVII]

Just a thought from a fellow new player so you guys will have to say if you agree or not but you could take transports for a couple and basically use them as mobile cover for the massive blob of infantry to keep them alive as they advance :)

[march10k]

As for the Stormlord...it's SCREAMING to be loaded up with 6 heavy weapons squads, although this is only feasible in full-on APOC, where you don't have to take them as sub-units of infantry platoons (I guess in escalation, you could go with 5 teams and have room for 10 more models...a PCS and a CCS?)...think about it, though...instead of T3 in flak armor, they're shooting from the hatch of a super-heavy...18 flak missiles?  36 autocannon shots?  YUM!

[Commissar Uri]

Really depends on what your battle plan is. Blob infantry can come in several incarnations.

First you have your traditional blob, 50 dudes taken together, put a lord commissar into them to make them fearless and let them march across the board and obliterating stuff with massed fire. Have 2 of those to march across the board, get some heavy wep teams to hang back on objectives. This also works with DA allies and put Azrael in there for 4++ and fearless. This way, I would equip them as cheap as possible. Give them grenade launchers for some punch, flamers to massacre assaults. Let the heavy weapons be assault canons to off-set low BS, or lascanons if you plan to use Primaris Psychers. Leave the sarges naked.

Second you have the melee confic, less popular but it can really surprise people and knock out insane stuff. Have 50 man blob or 2, Straken, equip sarges with power axes and give your guys flamers, pack priests for zealot (fearless and hatred, I think). When your dudes charge then will have HUGE amount of attacks, flamers before the charge, Straken gives Furious Charge and Priests give melee bonuses. Again, Azrael or Divination can give 'em 4++. There is little that can stand in their way, either they kill with mass of attacks, or the 5 sarges bring power axe attacks, he can not challenge all of 'em. They have to get there first, so maybe put some distractions up like Bullgryn cover, use the Run! Run! Run! order and support with long ranged fire to pressure them a bit.

Last confic I can think of, mechanised. Put all of the 5x 10 squads and PCS into Chimeras and do drive-bys This is not really 'blob' anymore since you would need to separate them so the Chimeras can go their ways.

Deathstrike is decent, since it can fire on 3+ on turn 2, which is nice. With a 10" pie plate there is the danger that is can leave the board very easily this invalidating the shot. But it can also hit bullseye and make opponent rage-quit. Compensation jokes at their expense

your second option for blob I will have to try out one day just for the lulz but is are there races this works well and not well against? I can see it being a tau killer but nods eating you alive for example

[Frater Cornelius]

Really depends on what your battle plan is. Blob infantry can come in several incarnations.

First you have your traditional blob, 50 dudes taken together, put a lord commissar into them to make them fearless and let them march across the board and obliterating stuff with massed fire. Have 2 of those to march across the board, get some heavy wep teams to hang back on objectives. This also works with DA allies and put Azrael in there for 4++ and fearless. This way, I would equip them as cheap as possible. Give them grenade launchers for some punch, flamers to massacre assaults. Let the heavy weapons be assault canons to off-set low BS, or lascanons if you plan to use Primaris Psychers. Leave the sarges naked.

Second you have the melee confic, less popular but it can really surprise people and knock out insane stuff. Have 50 man blob or 2, Straken, equip sarges with power axes and give your guys flamers, pack priests for zealot (fearless and hatred, I think). When your dudes charge then will have HUGE amount of attacks, flamers before the charge, Straken gives Furious Charge and Priests give melee bonuses. Again, Azrael or Divination can give 'em 4++. There is little that can stand in their way, either they kill with mass of attacks, or the 5 sarges bring power axe attacks, he can not challenge all of 'em. They have to get there first, so maybe put some distractions up like Bullgryn cover, use the Run! Run! Run! order and support with long ranged fire to pressure them a bit.

Last confic I can think of, mechanised. Put all of the 5x 10 squads and PCS into Chimeras and do drive-bys This is not really 'blob' anymore since you would need to separate them so the Chimeras can go their ways.

Deathstrike is decent, since it can fire on 3+ on turn 2, which is nice. With a 10" pie plate there is the danger that is can leave the board very easily this invalidating the shot. But it can also hit bullseye and make opponent rage-quit. Compensation jokes at their expense

your second option for blob I will have to try out one day just for the lulz but is are there races this works well and not well against? I can see it being a tau killer but nods eating you alive for example

It is good against units with 10 or fewer models and MC because the sheer weight or bodies and ap2 attacks will bring them down while they will not be able to kill all 50 that quickly given how they are fearless. I would not want to get into melee against other blobs though, like gaunts and boyz, because they are mostly fearless too and also have a lot of attacks, this will cost you time and bodies. Just rapid fire into them and thin them out so that you have the advantage when it comes to the inevitable mosh-pit.

Then can be good against Tau, IF they get there. Consider some ways to get them close to the front line when you try it out. I never tried it so I can only theorize about ways.

[Commissar Uri]

How about creed them on. How great would that be?

 

"Haha we have you surrounded! None will escape our.. wait... where did those two lots of 50 men come.....CREÈEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!

[David Ravel]

1. What exactly is a blob?

 

See others answer. Personally I saw a blob with Azrael, power axe sergeant, flamer guard (for overwatch), priest and inquisitor (2 form of grenades and prescience) one time, and it was pure violence. Almost nothing can stand up to this in CC. It can even kill wraithknight on the charge (furious charge vs T7 because of the grenades). In terms of effectivness it's rather clumsy and costy (because of Azrael). I would suggest you to try it out. 

 

2. Is it wise to upgrade Sergeants? I read conflicting reports on this. I'm assuming if you are 'blobbing' units, then I suppose you could, but running the squads alone you wouldn't. Is this a fair assumption?

 

It depends on what you do with them. A boltgun is always a good bet. As for power weapons, only if you want some nice fluffy unit; otherwise, let power axe stay on the bench unless you're taking a blob and can therefore have real use for them (because they come in high numbers and can protect themselves if there is a challenge). 

 

3. Can you run 'blobbed' units in their dedicated transports or are they purely footsloggers? Example, I combine 3 Infantry Squads, do they need to be on foot in coherency, or can they be embarked in their Chimera / Taurox and move together that way?

 

See above. 

 

4. Does anyone ever use the Deathstrike Missile? Reading the Codex, this really stuck out to me. Seems very V2 like. I must have this. 

 

Everytime I use it, it sucks. Invul save, some form of cover save, etc. everything to make it useless. That being said, its always fun. At least for the lulz factor of having a countdown, it's very fun. I wouldn't suggest you to buy this kit just for the fun thou. It's quite easy to kitbash to make some form of V2 Launcher like in Red Alert. 

[Frater Cornelius]

How about creed them on. How great would that be?

 

"Haha we have you surrounded! None will escape our.. wait... where did those two lots of 50 men come.....CREÈEEEEEEEEEEEEED!!!

 

Creed lost his outflanking ability in 6ed codex. It is the 1 on the D6 warlord traits in our book. Given how he can roll for 2 traits, there is a 1/3 chance that he gets it. It is not guaranteed however.