Astra Militarum: Tactica Generalis

[WarriorFish]

This tactica is intended to give a broad overview to a Guard army, things like approach, structure and overarching strategies and tactics to employ and think about. It will not deal with specific tactics, wargear, lists etc - aiming instead to look at the larger picture. As such neither will it delve into rules which should give it use in 7th Edition and beyond.

Author's Note
This is not a master class by any means, nor is it the only way of doing things - just mine. You'll hopefully be reading quite a bit and learning nothing new, what I am aiming to do is outline what I have learnt over many years of relevant interests and experiences. By trying to break this down into the smallest parts I wish to help new recruits find their footing and hopefully give some fellow grizzled veterans a new angle to consider. Like Guilliman's tome in the Codex Astartes this is a living document so I welcome any additions or clarifications you may have.

Index Imperialis

• The Emperor's Hammer - How the Guard works
• List Construction - What makes a good list?
• List Concepts - Strategies for tactics
• Metagaming - Metas and their impact
• Agency - Your opponent's influence
• Playing the Game - Tips and advice
• Closing - No examples!

Index Auxilia

1. Enemy Unit Types - Vash

Edited October 25, 2014 by WarriorFish
index update

[WarriorFish]

The Emperor's Hammer
We are His hammer with which to strike mankind's enemies - a blunt instrument of death and destruction. Few can match the raw fire power a Guard army can throw out and few can match the numbers we can place on the table. More importantly none can match us at both. The first question you need to ask yourself is "what do I want?". This is the most important question of all as it encompasses many things: what do you want from the game, what type of army do you want to field and how do you want it to play?

Will you be riding to victory over the thunderous roar of engines? Or the deafening sound of a thousand boots in step? Perhaps you'd rather throw death from afar and field the mightiest of artillery or hit hard and fast on wings of death? What about the sudden strike of elite Stormtroopers - or a hybrid of any and all of these? The Guard codex is unrivalled for the amount of variety it allows, if you can imagine a list forged from its pages then you'll be able to make it work.

The key with any army is to understand how it works, what it can achieve and what it’s strengths are. Though this will change as new rules and codices replace old ones the core of the army will likely remain the same. For Guard these are numbers and fire power, the two often being directly related. These are supplemented by heavy armour and large guns - arguably the only things we specialise in. We can't compete with other armies outside of these four areas with a few exceptions so broadly speaking they should be your primary concern in some form.

[WarriorFish]

List Construction
A list is much more than the sum of its parts; it is the first step towards victory and it can easily make or break a game. A well-wrought list will have an edge but a list built for you and your play style is stronger still, I happen to find it one of the more enjoyable parts of the game as well as one of the most important. I spend a fair amount of time reworking my lists and outside of leagues and tournaments where I had no choice I've never run the same list twice!

A Good List
I believe there is no such thing as a universally good list. In practice there are no bad lists either, though it is possible to build one if you really wanted. If this doesn't make sense try to think of it in terms of this tactica's intent - there are no absolutes but there is good theory. You can have a list that is theoretically good; one that has good scoring capabilities, plenty of models and the ability to handle every potential threat but there is no guarantee of victory; that your opponent's list won't have an advantage over yours. Aside from generalship and dice rolls among other things the game is far too complex with too many variables to have a list that doesn't feature weaknesses in some form. As the old adage goes; no battle plan survives contact with the enemy.

There is such a thing as a good understanding of a list; it's not enough to have a strong list you must also understand it too. I'm sure we all have experiences of someone rolling up with the much maligned "netlist" only to find himself beaten by a "weak" list in good hands. A list you understand is the strongest of lists and it stands to reason that you will understand a list you've forged best.

The Emperor's Maths Hammer
"Mathhammer" is an important resource for building a list and should always be used at the basic level. You don't want to be taking a list that can't damage AV14 do you? It is also good for comparing the effectiveness of ideas to help you understand and consider potential events in a game. What it is not is something you can build a list around as it can never reflect the nature of a game. It is a tool to be used, not a rule to follow - keep this in mind and you will find it a very useful part of your armoury.

What Does a Good List Feature?
A good question can have many answers, or at least no universal one. I break it down into the following:

• Numbers
• Fire power
• Durability
• Mobility
• Range
• Counters
• Support

These are the things I always keep in mind when building a list. None overrule the others in importance and ideally they should be complementary. Something that adds to an item is good but something that applies to more than one is even better.

Numbers
You must be able to weather the storm as casualties are inevitable. We're not Space Marines so we need to not only be able to endure the hits from the enemy but also be able to retain effectiveness afterwards. Platoons are very useful for this. If you're lower on numbers you must compensate somehow by adding durability to what you have. Closely related to Fire Power and Durability.

Fire Power
We're Guard. We shoot lots. It's how we win most games. We can't out combat anyone short of Tau or using blob tricks (dependent on rules) and that's situational. BS3 isn't bad and can be supplemented (for example by psychic powers and orders) but it's important to take into account; it's not enough to have lots of guns as what you really want is lots of hits. Things that negate this somehow (blasts, templates, special rules) are useful and well worth considering. Closely related to Numbers, Mobility and Range.

Durability
Durability is a complement to numbers - numbers can offer some durability but its effectiveness reduces as you add more as it causes logistical issues. Good durability is essential to giving a list staying power, if it helps think of it as a little like "tanking" from online games and the like. Conveniently this is where a lot of our durability comes from - either the high defence of the Russ or the protection a Chimera gives infantry for example. Durability also comes from things like cover but the best durability of all comes from removing danger. Either through negating it for example moving behind Line of Sight blocking terrain, or best of all simply removing all potential threats, such as eliminating AT guns to protect tanks or keeping out of charge range. Closely related to Numbers, Counters and Support.

Mobility
Mobility has really come into the spotlight in recent editions of 40k, and is a vital part of any list. Guard do not stand and shoot, to do so sacrifices the initiative to your foe and puts you on the back foot. From something as simple as how your objective capturers get to the marker to how you apply your heavy weapons you must take mobility into account at all times. How will you take objectives, how will you negate your opponent's mobility? If you've more mobility you can dictate the game and press on to victory but don't try and compete with someone better at it than you. Eldar and Drop Pod Marines for example, you will need to accommodate and react without getting isolated and without sacrificing all of your own mobility. This is why I like most of my big guns on vehicles, so they're harder to avoid and I can place them for better targets and shots. Closely related to Fire Power, Durability and Range.

Range
Not just the physical range of weaponry, but the range of your units as a whole. Assault armies like Orks will hit your lines, it's a matter of when and how much you can thin the horde of its most dangerous parts. Simplistically you need range to hit them as soon as possible, but this is also range of your units to move into better positions. Can your units move enough to get a bead on an incoming assault unit? Indeed do you need to draw a bead, as range can also be provided by things like barrage where you remove the problem of Line of Sight blocking terrain for example. Closely related to Fire Power, Mobility, Counters and Support.

Counters
List building isn't just about doing stuff with your units but also dealing with enemy ones. You should think about how you will cope with certain unit types, or even specific units/models if they are causing you problems. There are two options available: negate-and-avoid or destroy. The latter is obvious enough, as a defeated foe poses no risk but sometimes this is too difficult or requires the investment of too many resources. Alternatively it may be too fast to effectively destroy before it strikes or could be a diversionary tactic by your opponent. Cheap infantry squads can form pickets to protect your heavy hitters, or maybe Sentinels can join the fray? Counters also include counter-attack units that will act as a reserve (not necessarily by using the Reserves rule) to either deter certain actions or strike should they occur. Defensive and mobile elements like the ever useful infantry squads and our favourite Hellhound variant could be worth their weight in gold. Closely related to Fire Power, Durability, Mobility and Range.

Support
I think this is one of the most crucial elements of list building. Units working together are many times better than working apart; either through combining their strengths to annihilate the enemy or covering each other's weaknesses it is a core component of tactical play. At its lowest level it's as basic as having units working together, such as having an anti-tank unit knock out enemy armour that threatens an objective holder but when closely forged units work in concert small plays can be game changing. Complementary units are essential for a refined list; units designed to work together will not only work well but also neatly compartmentalise your army so even if you lose a cell the others are still working together normally. From a more strategic point of view it makes managing the game simpler, sort of like using the "group" function from strategy games. Combined arms will win you games: an official WarriorFish guarantee!


Last but not least, a good list mitigates failure. A dice roll skipped is one less chance to fail, a roll improved is a greater chance to succeed. It's not just about throwing the dice, it's also about getting it in the best possible way. If this isn't possible then there's always the old Guard fall back of throwing more dice.

[WarriorFish]

List Concepts
How is a list more than the sum of its parts? Obviously most things are more than just slapping them together, but how do you build a list to reap the most gains in efficiency? Once again, there is no perfect formula to how to do something especially not in a codex as bountiful as ours but the basic tenets of war do apply.

List Strategy
Strategy is your overall plan, and is mostly list building and deployment. Tactics is how you implement your strategy on the table top - as you'd expect both are required for victory. As with anything you can make your strategic and tactical plans as complex or as simple as you like but don't forget that no plan survives contact with the enemy intact. Basic premises and general plans are best as they have more flexibility, so think in broader terms. Your Guardsman are to either hold the line and protect your armour or advance on objectives with mechanised support, your Vets will intercept vehicles or go tank hunting etc.

Specialists and Generalists
Following on from this you should consider individual and group roles; what is a unit good at and what do you need it to do? Will you specialise units or make them generalists? Specialisation is good as it focuses the unit to be very good at something, but it is not without drawbacks. A specialised unit is more predictable and less flexible, so an army made of only specialists will have fewer tactical options and more vulnerabilities - just like "rock, paper, scissors". Of course generalist units aren't perfect either as they sacrifice efficiency for flexibility and tactical options.

For Guard I believe this comes down to how you build your army, as we can't generalise quite as well as other armies so I usually specialise units but counter this by having more of them. If you do take generalist units then you it'd be better to make this a core theme so your generalist units can combine efforts to mimic a specialist. The important thing is that you get a mix that works for you and your list, don't be afraid to experiment!

Anti-Personnel and Anti-Tank
Anti-tank (AT) capabilities are essential, the hard part is getting the balance right. Turn up without enough against a tank heavy list and a savvy opponent will target your AT to give themselves a large advantage but they're no use against infantry and are expensive so you can't focus on them. I simplify it by just thinking about how and where I'll get my AT, as every gun works against infantry especially the bog standard ones. It's no coincidence that most upgrades are adding AT capability after all.

Long range or short range (and close combat) versus light, medium and heavy armour, plus monstrous creatures (MCs) - how will you approach it? Fortunately for Guard it's usually relatively simple in guns; lots of them. Plenty of long range weaponry is available, especially on vehicles but ranging in close with melta is also viable if you can get enough in quickly. Generally a mix is best as ever, as most enemies will want to close so you'll need an answer for when they do and melta is great to hit hard enough to do this reliably.

As mentioned above, AT duties are an important part of the specialist/generalist divide, you also need to consider cracking open transports and attacking the contents. For example I like my infantry squads to be focused on taking out enemy infantry - their lasgun is useless against non-infantry and the non-AT upgrades are cheaper which suits me.

Cell Theory
I build lists by what I call "cells", not just for Guard but across all armies and codices I have as I think it's a core part of a functional and cohesive list. The concept is basic, the difficulty is in getting the balances right and making good use of the combination units. As usual there is no one way of doing this so if you're interested take the theory and mould it to your own uses.

The premise is to break the army into smaller armies - groups of units that are designed to work together and operate effectively doing do. Once again this is still part of a whole, so a single cell doesn't necessarily have to have an answer to everything. Each of these task forces has a mission to perform and is built accordingly. Generally I try to cover the basics with a cell, give it some durability and effectiveness against infantry and armour - when in doubt shamelessly lift from real life tactics as they exist for a good reason!

For example as those who know are probably tired of hearing I'm always going on about supporting tanks with infantry. For a die-hard tread head it can seem an odd choice but my beloved tanks survive much longer and issue more death when escorted by troopers. The tanks do the damage and the infantry keep melta and close combat attacks away. A basic example yes, but no less effective for it.

What about capturing objectives? You need troops to do that, better still if they're in Chimeras but that can lack hitting power. Do you leave them to it and have another cell support them (such as the one above)? Or perhaps add some units - Sentinels are mobile and can lend assault capabilities and Hellhounds are fast, more durable and will flush out enemy infantry letting you concentrate on popping tanks and securing those objectives.

Don't forget the law of returns; a couple of the same units working together will be more effective for it (and always mesh well) which is a simple way of forming an effective cell. Remember that there's nothing stopping you from splitting a cell up if required, or mixing and rejoining them during the game as situations require. Cells should be used to make your control of the game easier and more flexible, not restrict you.

[WarriorFish]

Metagaming
Being online this is no doubt a term you have heard a lot. It is important to understand how it works, what it means and most important of all what it means for you and your Guard. If you're not aware, the "metagame" or "meta" can be different depending on the focus; from your own gaming circle to the local area and wider afield. As you can understand the larger the scope the more inaccurate the overall meta becomes - if it could ever be said to be accurate. I make no bones about how irrelevant I think it is outside of your immediately local meta so it shouldn't be given much thought outside of that. After all, what does it matter what people you'll never meet are playing with?

It is relevant in the smaller scope, but I prefer to think of it more as responding to what's going on in your games as essentially that's all it is at the core. What is happening in your recent games - if you're encountering lots of armour then you'll need to plan for that. New codex coming out? Expect some rejuvenated armies coming for you! You're probably working with your meta even without thinking about it, for example if nobody you know plays Tau you're not going to be thinking about how you like your fish prepared (battered and fried, obviously!).

If you really want you can be sneaky about it, if the "common knowledge" has everyone doing something then perhaps there is an opportunity to exploit this? Remember the days of mech in 5th? My opponents remember the defeats inflicted by my infantry company just as well... you may well find you can upset the overall "meta" like this and reforge it anew which can make for very dynamic and exciting games as everyone tries to outfox each other.

Make use of your meta knowledge as much as you like, all I'll say for sure is ignore anything that is too grand in scope. Aside from the rather silly notion that anyone knows what everyone is supposedly doing the macro lense is too far out to spot anything of worth plus tends to be very USA centric - countries can play the game differently. This is also what makes discussing such things on the B&C so interesting as everyone has different experiences so together we can help each other consider things from different angles. It's why there is no global answer to most hobby questions, otherwise everyone would be playing the same list right?

[WarriorFish]

Agency
In my opinion one of the common pitfalls of list construction and often online discussion as a whole is ignoring or removing your opponent's agency. He or she is a player just like you, capable of everything you are (and sometimes more) and they will be conjuring up sneaky tricks and desperate gambits all the same. The best way to remember this is putting yourself in your opponent's shoes when you make a decision. Look at your list and ask yourself "how would I beat this?", whenever you consider moving a unit think "what could my opponent do in response?". You've probably seen the silly school playground style conversations of tit for tat counters and counter-counters, so be appropriate; for list building it should be general unit types and tactics etc and during a game you should be looking at the specific units and abilities your opponent has.

Tactical Responses
Let's say everything is going to plan: Operation Shoot the Stabby and Shoot the Shooty More is in fully swing and seems to be yielding fruit but suddenly that changes. Your opponent pulls a crafty trick or gets a lucky roll etc and your strategy is no longer appropriate, your response should be to immediately react and change your plans. How you deal with these upsets to your master plan is what will propel you to many victories, try to do so in an organised way without hindering your own movements - ideally you'll be able to modify your plans to process the upset. If everything goes out the window then relish the chance to prove your worth for dealing with disaster effectively is what great commanders are made of!

The Most Important Rule
Last but not least remember they're here to have a good time just like you, so the most important question to ask yourself periodically is: "is my opponent having fun?". You're not there to martyr your own enjoyment for others of course, but you should try to make it fun for all involved. You know what it feels like to lose a whole unit in a single turn, or to have your favourite model out of the game on turn 2; something as simple as commiserating with your opponent for bad luck goes a long way. Never forget the aim is to win, the point is to have fun and that people will soon forget who won and lost but not who was fun to play against.

[WarriorFish]

Playing the Game
Again, this is a general tactica to help get the grey matter going and won't be dipping into specifics but there are some useful things to remember during games that I always try to be mindful of.

• Knowledge is power
• Watch and process
• Adapt and respond
• Risks and reward
• Reflect and learn

Knowledge is power
Knowing your own army is crucial to success, but you can't realistically expect to know all the others to the same degree. Arm yourself with the common knowledge, but don't be afraid to ask. If your opponent is doing something you don't understand ask them to explain it, if they've plonked down a unit you're not familiar with ask them to tell you more. You don't want to get foiled by an unknown unit's capabilities when you could have easily found out. This is easier if you play (both with and against) multiple armies of course, but you should aim to be familiar with the basic premise of each army e.g. Codex Marines: elite and shooty etc.

Watch and process
Watch your opponent's actions during their turn (not like you have much else to do); from what they're doing you can reasonably extrapolate what they're likely to be hoping to achieve. Don't do anything like trying to distract or unsettle your opponent or use "psychological games" - unless you want to be considered a poor sport (and likely worse). This isn't real war and the same rules don't apply as we have omniscient knowledge of what's going on and what things do so use that to your advantage. Don't forget that your opponent should be doing the same to you so when you move your Banewolf towards his entrenched Devastators he probably has a good idea what you're trying to do!

Adapt and respond
Following directly from the above, you spent your opponent's turn throwing the odd saving throw etc but chiefly keeping a close eye on what's been going on. This has in essence been doing most of your own turn in his; it's easier and quicker to decide what's going on one unit at a time as your opponent moves it. Bite sized tactics will soon become second nature, most of my victories can probably be traced back to learning how to quickly identify and plan in this way. This gives you more time to decide what you're doing as you also have your own turn to use and perhaps even more importantly makes your turns and thus the game overall faster! No good comes from rushing and snap decisions after all.

Risks and reward
Ideally you minimise risks as part of trying to win. In a perfect world you'd take no risks at all - what you need to do is weigh the risk with the reward and decide on whether it is worth it in the context of the question. Taking out or stopping that Land Raider before it hits your lines can be worth the risk of a Deep Striking Scion squad, or perhaps you're on the brink of the game turning against you so decide to throw all caution to the wind in hopes of turning it around? The most exciting games are often made from this; the trick is learning when to make the leap or not. This comes from experience mostly but if you've been watching the game closely as above then you should know when the battle is starting to turn in your opponent's favour - then it's a matter of what you decide to do about it!

Reflect and learn
Learning is always good, without exception. After the game talking about how it went with your opponent is the best way to improve as they will give you insights that are impossible to glean elsewhere. You should always run the game through your head soon afterwards before you forget, as this will help you identify mistakes and remember them for next time. This will also help you recall the game a bit better for when you write up your battle report here on the B&C...

[WarriorFish]

Closing - No Examples
As you may have guessed I'm firmly in the theory and concept camp - I'll never write a list for anyone other than myself but I'll be happy to make suggestions. If a list changes too much then it's not the same list, and as I've gone on about more than enough there are many ways to skin a xeno so why not take your own slant on it? Besides that a list that is great for me might be rubbish for you and vice versa and that's before you consider all the other potential variables. Building a list is like anything else, the more you do it the better you get so open your codex and start scheming!

 

 

I hope this tactica has given you some cud to chew, it is open to additions or modifications if you have any. My thanks to Kier and Elmo for helping proof read and enhance this

[Pigshead]

Excellent article. I'm just getting started with AM so this is food for thought.

[scatmandoo]

Great article and now followed.

 

Where can we add our 2 cents if we feel it would help?

[elmo]

Where can we add our 2 cents if we feel it would help?

 

You can add your tuppence worth here on this very thread. 

[scatmandoo]

Ok thanks Elmo..

 

 

Not as neatly put by WarriorFish but I am a big advacate of having too many threats to deal with. Being a marine player and facing say a Executioner, Demolisher, a Banewolf and a wyvern on turn one and only having enough units to deal with 2 of them can cause headaches as all are potentially just as deadly as each other.

 

Also build your list with enough Redundancy to to still be a scary force if the worst happens and half is missing before your first turn if going 2nd.

 

Mine for now, most is covered and feel free to add in if you feel it is appropriate and or useful.

Edited October 19, 2014 by scatmandoo

[WarriorFish]

You can add your bits in here as Elmo said, the article itself is complete insofar as it's my thoughts on approaching the game. If there's something you do that I've missed or if you have some of your own advice then write it up and add it to the discussion; this is our Codex Militarum so let's build it into something useful

 

For example I've not dealt with any specifics; not even example cells as that's not really how I work. As I said I can write lists for myself but I think you as the player are too integral to the workings of a list to separate the too - I can only write lists that will be good for me which is why I only stick to suggestions and ideas when discussing other people's lists. That aside, you want to be running your own list not mine! Maybe you don't have this limitation so you could make some suggestions? Or maybe even write up a low points list for new recruits to look at when considering what models to get?

 

Periodically we will revisit the topic and hide older posts that don't actively add to the tactica so we can keep it tidy and easier to find information, as well as update the index to point to additional entries. The commissariat is always available over PM if you would like to discuss an idea, or need someone to have a look, proof read, format etc

[Vash]

I don't know if you mentioned it already, but I couldn't find it :)

"Army theme"

 

Anyhow, a rundown on how I think when I make an army list. It is somewhat similar to what you did. But I make up my list from what I need to beat my enemy.

I usually include all of these elements:

 

1. Anti infantry (3-4 save)

2. Anti tank (AV12-14)

3. Anti transport (AV 10-12)

4. Anti horde (5-6 save, and no save)

5. Anti heavy infantry (2+ save)

6. Anti air

 

With these steps I can go on the offensive. 

What I do first is that I figure out what my army theme is. The theme of the army, in my opinion, has to be focused on first, and not last as I see many players do. 

If you start with your theme, you can then build around it and support it. 

 

Examples I have are:

- Inquisition army/Grey Knights. Based on fear. Inquisitor had a psychic power that forced the unit/character to take a Ld test. The Ld was lowered by a factor decided from the difference between the caster and the unit. 

To support this I had the Culexus assassin to lower the intended targets Ld to 7. The inquisitor had 10. This resulted in the end that the enemy unit had Ld4. 

Further support for this was interceptor squads and the culexus. Chasing the feared units so they never could regroup. Yes these were the old rules when this worked :)

This army was pretty successful. I usually scared away 3 units of the table and halted another 1 or 2. 

 

- Second theme example is my current Farsight Enclave. 

I want close combat with my Tau, since players won't expect it. So, I had to build a core close combat unit. After that was done I needed units to support them in close combat. But Tau lacks good close combat units, so the support had to be pure fire power. After many trials and errors I found a way to push it through. I made a bait unit, consisting of a independent character Riptide, followed by 3 crisis suits and two T6 drones. This increased the whole units toughness to 6, and the fire power the packed couldn't be ignored. Luring the enemy to hunt this unit, putting my enemy where my guns are. Further more, Farsight, when he arrived with his unit, further pushed the enemy into my main fire power. 

 

 

So anyway, what I want to have said, I think it is important that a player first outline what he wants to do with his army. After all, that is what will make the game fun for the player and hopefully the opponent. 

[CoffeeGrunt]

A good read this article, and some food for thought as I'm still new to Guard. I may try a "buddy system" in the future with Fast Attack Hound chassis and Sentinels assigned to support my 3 Chimeras moving up the field. Could make for some effective support if required, or at least take the heat off my Veterans.

 

I tend to write lists with a tool for each unit type, but it can be difficult to achieve this, so the metagaming aspect is very important. Awkwardly, despite having a relatively small playerbase in my quaint town here, it's very diverse and not Marine-dominated surprisingly. As a result, I know that Xenos armies with their 4+ saves are more common than 3+ saves, but I could still get caught out against someone breaking out their old Space Wolves or heck, even Sisters.

 

AV13/14 is the tough one for me right now. Very good in this Edition, and I can't complain as I make use of AV14 myself! However, I've found that as Guard, Lascannon HWTs and Vanquishers aren't an effective tool for this job, they're very capable of failing to get it done. Melta with its far better penetrating abilities and AP1 makes it excellent for some almost-guaranteed damage if you hit.