Beginner to 40k and AM looking for advice

[Iceman575]

Hey

 

I’m looking into creating an AM army starting with 1000 points and working up to 1500 points but I am new to the AM and have no experience playing against them either so I was looking for some ideas on how best to build up an army.

 

I’m interested in a mech list but also love the Vostroyan troop models which I have some of, so if there is a combination army that can include both of them that would be awesome as I have some already painted. Or is it best to commit to a infantry heavy or mech list rather than a mix?

 

These are the models I have and I am hoping to add more tanks to try and get this into a decent looking army with your advice.

 

1x Vostroyan Command Squad

16 x Vostroyan infantry complete with 2x heavy weapon team.

2x Snipers

1x mortar team

1x Lascannon team

 

2x basilisks

I know this is minimal in terms of force organisation but I was hoping it was a decent start ? and models I have my eye on are Leman Russ tanks, baneblade (painting project mostly), flyer and another squad or two of the vostroyans as I love them or more if required?

 

One thing I can’t get my head around with AM is all the options in the codex there are some many weapon choices for each squad but I suppose only running different lists will help me know what works and what doesn’t.

Any information on what are sensible buys for a beginning AM army would be greatly appreciated as I’m pretty new to AM and 40k.

[Shinn]

Welcome! Always good to see a new face.

 

Personally I run a mixed list when I use my Guardsmen because I feel as if infantry can't work without support. Have you decided of a role you're looking for them to fulfill?

 

I'd look at getting Chimeras for your troops especially if you field them as Vets. A Leman Russ(Or 3) is always a good choice to buy...especially if you magnetize the kit.Never underestimate having a Hellhound running around.  As for weapon choices in squads  I generally run Flamers/Grenade Launchers in my Infantry squads leaving the more heavy hitting weapons such as Plasma and Meltas to the Vets.

 

Vostroyans look awesome don't they? :p I have a few I run in my army. With how versatile th Codex is...it all comes down to how you want to play. I'm sure there will be others here that can give you a better look into everything.

[Iceman575]

I’ve read about vets in chimeras being a decent option for my troops that I already own so that looks like a good starting point.

I assume the vehicles are to protect each squad and allow them to move up the board to use their closer range shooting whilst the large ordnance tanks sit and fire from the back table edge?

 

Ideally I wouldn’t want too many troops personally due to painting them all, so vets and mech maybe better than having blobs of 50 models everywhere.

 

Is there a requirement to run veterans and non-veterans?! together or is it possible to run vets only to keep the model count under control?

 

Also i have read a little about tank commanders which also sound formidable so currently I’m leaning towards mech with vets and maybe a tank commander? Although i am in love with the vostroyan CCS as I have a few of them painted now and really pleased with them so would be a shame not to use them but I really need to read up more and decide which is the best option to suit my ideas.

 

I’m not sure if the above comments I have made are totally viable but from what I’ve read it seems like I’m somewhere close to a typical mech type list? Correct me if I’m wrong!

 

So I’d probably be looking at 2-3 groups of vets with chimeras and a russ or two? With a HQ (in a chimera too?)and maybe a flyer to get me off the mark? Are the heavy weapons platforms viable for heavy range shooting or this best left to the tanks as i have 4 heavy weapon teams. Laz, mortar and 2 heavy bolters.

 

I’m going for a full vostroyan army as I’m not a fan of the other guard models but i have a nice green scheme going for my vostryans and i love those masks and hats!

 

Sorry if my comments are inaccurate and erratic at the moment as I’m throwing lots of ideas around and trying to find the most cost effective and fun way to build myself an AM army

 

Thanks

[WarriorFish]

Welcome to the Guard and B&C :) You can run pure Veteran armies if you like so that will keep troop numbers down and Chimeras are great to both transport and protect your men and also provide some supporting fire. Your Company Command Squad (CCS) will also benefit from a Chimera as your commander can issue orders from inside but they're less useful in Veteran armies so you could replace them with a tank commander and not lose out too much.

 

Heavy weapon teams (HWTs) are good for getting big guns on the table, but for a mechanised Vet list you're better off getting those weapons from vehicles so your Vets can remain mobile. Plus tanks will give your list some staying power as Russes are always reliable, you could also look at Fast Attack options for more supporting vehicles. Have you completed some models yet? Show us some pictures if you have :D

[Iceman575]

Ah ok sounds like a plan then although it's a shame that I am not benifiting from the command squad with a mech list as I must admit they are my favourite models to date but I can always use them as extra troops if a tank command is the best way to roll with a mech list.

 

Looks like I need to invest in a few chimeras and russes although I maybe able to proxy my 2 basilisks for russes temporarily to help me build up slowly.

 

Fast attack isn't something I have considered yet - what is deemed to be a good fast attack option for mech? Sentinels look a bit flimsy but I suppose they will take fire away from other tanks?

 

I have some ambition to try and make ogryn vostroyans also but how do ogryns fit into a mech list? I'm getting the impression maybe they don't but I read somewhete that they can provide cover for vehicles?

 

Thanks for your help so far guys I'll try and put a list together with what I've learnt later and see what you think.feel free to throw anything else my way.

 

Hq standard bearer is the model I'm most pleased with but Im not sure how to post pics so I'll get back to you with a pic when I know how - leave that with me ;)

 

Cheers

[WarriorFish]

You will benefit from a CCS, just not as much with mechanised Vets. You'll probably find the Vets will be where you need them and your CCS won't be able to position to maximum effect where it is easier with infantry platoons.

 

Sentinels are good to work with forward elements especially if you outflank with Scout Sentinels. Keep them cheap and working closely wither other elements, the other good option is Hellhounds and variants. They're solid medium armour and fast with potent weaponry and will work well with your Vets. Would you be interested in the flyers? Ogryns are probably not a good choice for you as they're expensive and will need to be on foot, the points will be better spent elsewhere in a mech list.

 

Don't forget that you get a gallery as a member of the B&C, you can find it under your profile icon in the top left of the window. Let me know if you need any help with it :tu:

[Iceman575]

Yeh I love the flyers (and baneblades) as they'll make great painting projects for me so I'm more than happy to have one of those for the army :)

 

Tried adding a photo but when I'm clicking gallery I'm getting an error page but I'll keep trying.

 

Shame about the ogryns as I really like the idea of converting some but I have thought about making castellan creed into a tank commander / pask and then make him into a vostroyan!

[WarriorFish]

The gallery seems ok to me at the moment, if you're still having trouble PM me and I'll see what I can do :tu:

 

Ogryns are a little expensive for what you get but they can be effective in their roles - it's just not a role that is suited to a mech list. You can add them to your army when you branch out from running a mechanised list ;)

 

The Valkyrie would be a good option to transport some Vets around, plus it can mount some quite effective anti-personal weaponry. The Vendetta is more expensive and can only transport 6 models but packs some meaty guns so something tells me you might want to add one to your collection soon. With a little bit of work you can magnetise the kit so it can be equipped as either a Valk or Vendetta :D

[Iceman575]

http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/gallery/image/139430-standard-bearer/

Not sure if this is the correct way to link a pic but let me know if you can see it ☺️

[Iceman575]

Here a rough list of what I'm thinking for 1000 points - the russes are open to switching as im not confident in my choices but this is a start see what you think

 

Tank Commander Command Punisher

 

Eradicator

 

Veteran Sergeant

7x Veteran w/ Lasgun

2x Veteran w/ Meltagun

 

 

Chimera

Grenadiers

Veteran Sergeant

7x Veteran w/ Lasgun

2x Veteran w/ Meltagun

 

Chimera

Grenadiers

Veteran Sergeant

7x Veteran w/ Lasgun

2x Veteran w/ Meltagun

 

Valkyrie Squadron

2x Multiple Rocket Pods

Lascannon

 

Leman RussBattle Tank

Battle Cannon

 

Think that's a 1000 points bang on

[WarriorFish]

In the top right of the image's page is a red button called "Options", click that to get the embed options. The top one will let you paste the image directly into your post. Then you can do things like this:

So everyone can see your fantastic standard bearer! With a model this good it'd be heresy of the highest order not to get him on the table That said your 1000pts list looks ok to me, you don't have to list the lasgun models as that's inferred. The Valkyrie might be a bit lonely without a squad to transport but I'm assuming you're looking at the bigger picture.

Of course, magnetisation would also be a good idea to let you have your Vendetta cake and eat the Valkyrie :P

[Iceman575]

Ah ok I'll try then again with the other models I've got see if I can get them inserted rather than a link - thanks for that!

 

The Valkyrie was to teamsport the lonely vets although 10 guys wih a 5+ save probably wouldn't last long dropped into the thick of it would they? Or would they be dropped more as a suicide unit with meltas etc?

 

Just bagged 16 more vets off eBay :)

[hendrik]

it's a solid list, albeit a bit low on troop count.I wouldn't know what to drop though.

for the command tank i'dd make him either into pask with his punisher, or change the type of tank. the bog standard punisher just doesn't cut it. perhaps make the tank commander a standard russ, acompagnied by the eradicator and add in a demolisher (1/3 chances to outflank him!)?

[Iceman575]

Thanks for advice I'll look at he points cost for swapping the tanks and see where I am points wise.

 

Any advice on how I can develop this into a solid 1500 point list? Just more of the same of would some different units be a wise choice?

[Iceman575]

One alternative to the list to help out with points could be a CCS in chimera rather than the tank commander and adding a second heavy support Russ in with left over points. But without gaming experience I'm not sure how much that changes the synergy of the list although it does add a few more bodies.

[Iceman575]

One possibly to make this into a quick 1500 is to add Grey Knights as I have a few models already so I could use those until I can get a 1500 point list together for AM.

 

Maybe a librarian termi squad and dread knight to storm up the board although my tanks shooting will have to be accurate :)

[hendrik]

For 1500 pts you could get a chimera mounted platoon,thus allowing you to use that command squad as a platoon command squad

[Iceman575]

Ah right I'll look in platoons as it's something I need to get my head round - thanks though

[CoffeeGrunt]

Very nice paint work on the Standard Bearer! Always cool to see a new face, welcome to the B&C!

 

I'm not much help with list building as, like yourself, I'm still exploring all the options even six months after starting. I personally find a mix of units works well, special mentions go to the Hellhound variants, Leman Russes, Fliers and the Wyvern. If you ever find yourself struggling against Hordes, a Wyvern is worth trying out, they're priced like a Chimera and trade Transport and some durability for the ability to lay down a world of pain on any massed Infantry unit. Orks and Nids in particular will despise it.

[Iceman575]

The guys I play with are mostly drop pod wolves and shooty fist marines and Necron so no horde armies as such but I will keep it in mind for when I need it thanks.

 

What is a platoon - a blob of guard basically? Also you mentioned having a chimera with them but how's is that possible with a blob Hendrik?

 

Apologies if my assumptions and comments are wrong I'm still waiting for the codex to be delivered.

[WarriorFish]

A platoon is a Troop choice for Guard - at the minimum it is a platoon command squad (PCS) of 5 models and 2 infantry squads of 10 models each. The PCS and all infantry squads (you can have up to 5 in a single platoon) have a Chimera as an option for a dedicated transport. You can also add special weapon squads (SWS) and heavy weapon squads (HWS) as part of a platoon though only the infantry squads can take Chimeras and combine into a blob squad.

 

The platoon is extremely versatile and just as important lets you get plenty of troopers on the table if you need them :)

[hendrik]

Basicly a platoon consists of minimum 2 infantry squads and a platoon commandsquad. You can add more infantry squads,heavy weapon squads,conscripts and special weapon squads. You can decide to combine the infantry squads before deployment into 1,2 big units,regardless if you take a chimera for them.this is called blobing. I generally take at least 1 chimera mounted platoon with 1 meltagun in each infantry squad. It's cheap and can be a danger to many units due to the hidden meltagun in the units. In most of my last games the infantry squads didn't even leave their transports,due to moving from objective to objective while their chimera did all the killing.

[Iceman575]

Ah ok I see - so the CCS benefits them blob more because there are more bodies to buff so making it more effective in a blob army over a vet army.

 

I've struggled to see (with minimal time with the codex) how the platoons work and what tr minimum groups are etx so this is helpful information. Sounds like a lot of troops which I was hoping to avoid to some extent due to painting them all but if that's a decent way to grow the mech list above into 1500 I'll put a list together to see what you think once i have had some time with the codex

[Jacinda]

For what it's worth, painting cadians goes pretty quickly.

[hendrik]

it's only 25 models minimum. and you could kit out the platoon command squad with specialist weapons to help clear out objectives such as triple flamer.

for 365 pts you can get:

platoon squad: 3 flamers: chimera

infantry squad meltagun, chimera

infantry squad meltagun., chimera