An Astra Militarum/Imperial Guard FOC Review for all players

[scatmandoo]

The Astra Militarum/Imperial Guard, Good, the Bad and the Ugly.

 

Welcome to my FOC review of the Guard codex and initially how I have rated the codex units found within. I am doing this for New and Old players alike to either help you start out or make you reconsider units that had been previously written off to yourself.

 

I will be going through each section one by one, assessing each unit independently on their effectiveness for the points, and compared to other units from the codex with appropriate upsides and downsides

 

I will try to be brief so as not to bore you and use bullet points when possible.

 

Note = This is done using my experience and opinions. If anyone disagrees with anything I have written, then feel free to bring it up either as a PM or in this thread, as it may be a tactic I have not used/forgotten about ,or even a rule that I haven’t appreciated fully etc.

 

First up will be;

 

HQ

 

Company Command Squad

 

+ Points

• Cheap as long as only useful, helpful upgrades are added.
• It is a highly versatile that can be outfitted for any purpose, for any army build.
• Access to Senior order​s mean that 2 units within 12" can benefit from of any of the Senior orders in the book, on top of the regular orders.

- Points

• The unit is fragile only being T3 and maximum armour save of 4+ once paid for.
• Low body count – only 5 models before independents and advisor's are added.
• Can be a very easy Warlord and First blood kill point for a smart opponent.
• Officers upgrades are very costly for normally not much gain.

Regimental Advisor's

 

Astropath

• Great cheap Psyker with the only access to Telepathy, which is one of the best disciplines in the rulebook, that generates powers that should always be useful.

Officer of the Fleet

• A Useful addition to any force for a minimum amount of points. Has even more effect when you or your opponent has lots of reserves.
• Remember the Reserves Leadership test is taken against the highest leadership found in the unit.

Master of Ordnance

• Cheap unlimited range Basilisk shot. Very lucky as to how much damage it does though, due to always scattering either 2D6 or even 3D6 if an arrow is rolled.

Tank Commanders

 

+ Points

• A way to add up to 2 more Leman Russ squadrons into your force.
• Can use tank specific orders that are not hindered by the infantry order system.
• Commanders tank has BS4.

- Points

• Has to be in a Squadron of minimum 2 tanks.
• Expensive.
• It's only another 40 points to upgrade further to be Pask. (More on Him Later).

Lord Commissar

 

+ Points

• Aura of Discipline special Rule allowing Blob or infantry heavy forces within 6" to use his leadership of 10.
• Unit attached becomes stubborn.
• High WS and BS.

- Points

• Summary execution - Kills a model either chosen by you on a 3+ or your opponent on a 1-2. This then allows you to pass a pinning, fear, or morale check.
• Expensive for a single character model that requires further upgrades such as Carapace to make it worth it.
• No orders.
• Can only be Warlord if no Senior Officer models chosen.

Regimental Specialists

 

Primaris Psyker

• Provides access to most Psychic disciplines.
• Can be upgraded to ML2 if you feel the need or have points spare.
• Force weapon.
• Fragile.
• Can take up to 3.

Ministorum Priest

• Cheap, can take up to 3.
• 3 great War hymns.
• Fearless.
• Plasma gun upgrade if wanted, though risky.

Enginseer

• Power of the Machine Spirit - Helpful if Stunned/Shaken or multiple targets around.
• Fix hull points and/or damage results, though servitor entourage makes this more effective.
• Can take up to 3.

Troops

 

Infantry Platoon

 

Platoon Command Squad

• 1 order from regular orders available.
• Keep cheap and be aware of only having BS3, Flamer, sniper, naked or cheap HW are some of the best builds for this unit.
• Can fit in a Vendetta.

Infantry Squad

• 2 squads minimum, may add up to a maximum of 5.
• May Combine together at deployment to make one huge squad. Remember to attach either a Priest/Commissar/Attached Independent to stop massive units running or getting swept.
• Good source of ablative wounds for HWTs.
• Cheap if not upgraded unnecessarily.

Heavy Weapons Teams

 

+ Points

• Good access to multiple Heavy weapons.
• Lascannon and Auto cannon are the main viable builds.

- Points

• Bad Leadership, and ability to be instant death'ed by anything with S6 and AP5, which covers a surprisingly large amount of weapons.
• Only BS3 and no access to a Vox with leadership a measly 7

Special Weapons Squad

 

+ Points

• Good source of special weapons. 3 x Demo can be a surprise unit fr the first time though very expensive.
• Melta, Flamer or Sniper are good builds. Sniper is the cheapest Objective secured unit in Codex.
• Can fit in a Vendetta.

- Points

• Only BS3, No Vox, 5+ armour, LD7 and small number make it a very weak unreliable unit.

Conscripts

 

+ Points

• Very cheap for quantity, minimum 20 going up to 50.
• Attach a priest and march up the board providing a massive road hump to be stopped.

- Points

• No special weapons, BS2 and WS2 and very poor LD5.

Veterans

 

+ Points

• Cheap, very versatile unit able to fill a multitude of battlefield rolls.
• Common builds include 3xmelta/plasma or 2xmelta/plasma and HF.
• Other Common builds contain 3xGL/Plasma/Sniper and a Heavy weapon with Camo, for hull point stripping and heavy firepower support preferably with orders.
• BS4 and Doctrines, access to HF and dedicated transports.

Dedicated Transports

 

Chimera

 

+ Points

• Good Armour at the front, and transport capability of up to 12.
• Good selection of weapons for the hull and turret.
• Command vehicle = allowing Orders to be used on units outside the Chimera.
• Lasgun array = allowing each side to shoot at units independently of the Tank and unit firing from the hatch.

- Points

• Fairly expensive at 65 points.
• Weak side and rear armour.
• Only 2 models allowed to fire from the hatch.

Taurox

 

+ Points

• Access points on sides and Rear and 2 x fire points on each side of the vehicle.
• Good weaponry in the form of TL-Autocannon.
• Cheapest Dedicated Transport.
• Re-rolls all Dangerous terrain tests.

- Points

• Very weak with 11/10/10.
• Only holds 10.
• 2 x fire points on each side of the vehicle restricts usefulness of embarked unit.
• No Command Vehicle rule.

Taurox Prime

 

+ Points

• Access points on sides and Rear and 2 x fire points on each side of the vehicle.
• Vast array of weaponry to outfit for any purpose.
• Re-rolls all Dangerous terrain tests.
• Fast vehicle, allows swift better firepower with 2 weapons and BS4.

- Points

• Very weak with 11/10/10.
• Only holds 10.
• 2 x fire points on each side of the vehicle restricts usefulness of embarked unit.
• No Command Vehicle rule.
• Can Get Very expensive very quickly due to upgrades.
• Only available to Tempestus Scion Squads.

Elites

 

Wyrdvane Psykers

 

+ Points

• Good choice of Psychic powers.

- Points

• Expensive for a extremely fragile ML1 unit.
• Inferior in every way to a Sanctioned Psyker.

Ratlings

 

+ Points

• Cheap access to BS4 Sniper fire that can infiltrate safely due to Stealth USR.
• Unique shoot and run special rule.

- Point

• Very weak unit being T2, With Poor LD of 6.
• Can only take Sniper rifles.
• No Obj Secured makes a Sniper SWS Better in most situations.

Ogryns

 

+ Points

• Very Tough unit, being S&T5 with 3W.
• Hammer of Wrath and stubborn USR.
• Can have up to 10 in a unit.
• Can be effective in Combat.

- Points

• Poor Save of 5+ and LD6/7 (Bone 'ead) make them vulnerable to even Bolter fire.
• Very expensive as costed the same as a minimum Platoon which is arguably better in most situations.

Bullgryns

 

+ Points

• Very Tough unit, being S&T5 with 3W.
• Hammer of Wrath and stubborn USR.
• Can have up to 10 in a unit.
• Can be effective in Combat.
• A 4+ save.
• Slabshields granting 4+ cover for themselves and units behind. In effect a "mobile Aegis Line". Can be made 3+ by having the bases touch.
• Can be upgraded to have Power Maul and Brute Shields Making them S7, Ap4, and have a 5+INV.

- Points

• Very Expensive and It goes up quickly once upgrades are made.
• Vulnerable to AP4 weaponry.
• LD6/7 (Bone 'ead) is low and can be countered by smart enemy's.

Militarum Tempestus Platoon

 

Militarum Tempestus Command Squad

 

+ Points

• Can have up to 4 Special Weapons.
• BS4, 4+Sv, make them well equipped to make the most of their weapons.
• Basic Orders for the Prime.
• Move through cover to aid survivability.
• Deep strike or access to all Dedicated Transports.

- Points

• Expensive unit especially with upgrades.
• Need 1 unit of Scions to allow access to Command Squad.
• No Deep Strike Help so beware of the Scatter Dice!!

Militarum Tespestus Scions.

 

+ Points

• Can have up to 3 Units in One Platoon.
• Can have between 5-10 in a squad.
• Can have up to 2 Special Weapons.
• BS4, 4+Sv, make them well equipped to make the most of their weapons.
• Move through cover to aid survivability.
• Deep strike or access to all Dedicated Transports.

- Points

• Expensive unit especially with upgrades.
• No Deep Strike Help so beware of the Scatter Dice!!

Fast Attack

 

Rough Riders

 

+ Points

• Cavalry makes them quick. Also Grants them Hammer of Wrath and Fleet USR's.
• Hunting Lance! - On the turn they charge they are S5, Ap3 and I5.
• 2 can have Special Weapons, and the unit can be made 10 strong.

- Points

• Very Fragile with T3, W1 and Sv5+ makes them vulnerable to any shooting especially overwatch.
• Hunting Lance is One use only.
• Can be seen as expensive for what they offer.

Scout Sentinel

 

+ Points

• Cheap Walker with Access to a Good range of weaponry.
• Scout, Move through Cover and (being a Walker grants) the Hammer of Wrath USR's.
• Can be taken in Squadrons of up to 3 models.

- Points

• Only BS3 makes it a risk giving low volume of fire weapons (such as Lascannons) to the unit.
• Very fragile with Armour 10 all round and 2 hull points. Some lucky Bolter fire could bring you down!

Armoured Sentinel

 

+ Points

• Cheap Walker with Access to a Good range of weaponry.
• Access to the Plasma Cannon as a cheap upgrade.
• Hammer of Wrath USR.
• Armour 12 on the front.
• Can be taken in Squadrons of up to 3 models.

- Points

• Only BS3 makes it a risk giving low volume of fire weapons (such as Lascannons) to the unit.
• Still fragile, with Armour 10 on the side and rear with only 2 hull points. Some lucky Bolter fire could still bring you down!
• Loss of Scout, and Move through Cover USR's.

Valkyries

 

+ Points

• Flyer Type brings added survivability onto a already strong unit with 12/12/10 armour.
• Can be in a squadron of up to 3 Valkyries.
• Is best equipped with ML and MRP upgrade to cement it's role in a force as anti-infantry.
• Grav Chute Insertion allows risky deployment of embarked unit while still operating as a Flyer. - Proceed with caution.
• Can transport units of up to 12.

- Points

• Usual Flyer drawbacks of relying on reserve rolls and needing pre-thought out plan for movement due to restrictions.
• No real effective Anti-Air/Armour capability due to BS3 and Ordnance Missile restrictions.
• Is vulnerable in Hover mode.

Vendetta

 

+ Points

• Is best left equipped with the 3 Twin-linked Lascannons, to cement it's role as Anti-Air and Anti-Armour in which it excels.
• Flyer Type brings added survivability onto a already strong unit with 12/12/10 armour.
• Can be in a squadron of up to 3 Vendettas.
• Grav Chute Insertion allows risky deployment of embarked unit while still operating as a Flyer. - Proceed with caution.
• Can transport units of up to 6.

- Points

• Usual Flyer drawbacks of relying on reserve rolls and needing pre-thought out plan for movement due to restrictions.
• No real effective Anti-Horde or infantry capability due to Lascannon and poor Missile replacements.
• Is vulnerable in Hover mode.
• Can only transport CCS, PCS, SWS, Scions under 6 models and Scion Command Squads.

Hellhound, Banewolf, and Devildog

 

+ Points

• Tough with 12/12/10, 3HP and mobile with Fast Vehicle type.
• Can be taken in a Sqn of up to 3 in any combination.
• Hellhound has S6 AP4, and torrent making it a big threat to most forces, and allows clever template placing for maximum damage.
• Banewolf has Poisened 2+ AP3 ignores cover (due to being template) making it a big threat to Power armour.
• Devildog has a small blast melta weapon, that can be supplemented by a hull MM to provide a effective fast Melta platform threatening to all armour.

- Points

• Armour 12 can be countered effectively by most armies.
• Similar costings to Similar Leman Russ units provide competition to all 3.
• Hellhound can be seen to suffer due to only AP4.
• Banewolf having a lack of torrent make it vulnerable to the very units it threatens, unless it kills them all due to its short range.
• Devildog suffers from being only BS3, and needs to be 12" away to be most effective.

Heavy Support

 

Leman Russ Squadron

 

+ Points

• Armour 14/13/10 or 14/13/11 For the Demolisher, Punisher & Executioner, with all having 3 hull points.
• A weapon for every task depending on which chassis you use.
• Being Heavy allows every non Ordnance weapon to fire at full BS even if the tank is moved.
• Can be taken in a Sqn of up to 3.
• Very competitively priced compared to other options in the codex. (Eg. Exterminator and the Hellhound)
• A Ordnance build could be triple flamer to add versatility and aid to threaten people getting close especially with drop pods.

- Points

• Being Heavy has no benefit to Ordnance models (Battle Tank and Demolisher), making sponsons and other weapon upgrades a poor option as they can only snapfire. HB sponsons are the same price as 2 x melta guns after all.
• Very weak rear armour and only able to move 6" makes them very vulnerable to combat attacks and Grenades in particular.
• All Tanks being BS3 is bad, but can be worse for Vanquisher and Punisher due to not being Blast or having Twin-linked.
• The Executioner if equipped with Plasma sponsons has the ability to lose all it's Hull points in one shooting phase! Prey to the dice gods and/or keep a Techpriest nearby.
• Try to keep all tanks the same or at least have the same job as else they won't be as effective.
• Demolisher and Punisher suffer from only 24" range main guns.

Hydra Battery

 

+ Points

• The only tank in the Astra Militarum book with access to Skyfire.
• Can be taken in Sqn's of up to 3.

- Points

• Very fragile being 12/10/10 and open-topped.
• NO INTERCEPTOR?????? Why GW? Why? Means any player with any sense will prioritise taking this down with their flyer before you can retaliate.
• Only BS3 with Twin-linked Autocannons will struggle doing significant damage to Imperial Flyers.

Baslilisk Battery

 

+ Points

• Excessive range of 36-240" on the Cannon, means nothing will be out of range.
• S9 Big blast and due to being Barrage always strikes side armour on vehicles.
• Can be used in a Sqn of up to 3.

- Points

• Weak Chassis, being 12/10/10 and open topped.
• Poor BS3.
• Only AP3 makes them struggle on the damage chart.
• Has to direct fire up to 36" range.

Wyvern Battery

 

+ Points

• Amazing mortar with 4 x small blast using the multiple barrage rules.
• Accrues wounds quickly against most infantry targets (including bikes) due to being twin-Linked and having Shred USR's.
• Very Cheap.
• Can Be used in a Sqn of up to 3. (Need patience and plenty of dice for this though).

- Points

• Weak Chassis with 12/10/10 and open-topped.
• Only AP6 and S4.

Manticore

 

+ Points

• A Range of 24-120" means everything should always be in range.
• D3 S10 Large Blast each time you fire.
• Barrage always strikes side armour on vehicles.

- Points

• Cannot Direct fire, meaning that it cannot target units closer than 24"
• Weak armour of 12/10/10 for a lot of points.
• Limited Ammo of 4.
• No ability to take a Sqn.
• Only AP4 will make it struggle on the Damage Chart.

Deathstrike

 

+ Points

• Huge 10" blast with S10 AP1 and ignores Cover and barrage. Amazing!
• Better chassis with 12/12/10 makes it slightly more survivable.
• Barrage always strikes side armour on vehicles.
• Range 12"-Unlimited makes any target in range.

- Points

• Only one shot.
• Cannot shoot on turn 1 so keep it hidden.
• Has a sophisticated launch procedure.

Conclusions

 

Here concludes my Force Org chart review for the Astra Militarum. Hopefully you find it useful and it can help you make the right choices when you purchase new units.

[scatmandoo]

Updated to include HQ, Troop and dedicated Transport.

 

Please post feedback if you have any. 

[WarriorFish]

It's coming along well, needs some formatting done though as there's different font sizes. Easy way is to select everything and press the rubber button (second from left, next to the code switch) to remove all styling and set it to default.

[scatmandoo]

Just Heavy and Characters to go now. Had an attempt at formatting and as far as I can make out all seems OK to me now. 

 

Let me know if I have made any errors and if you think anything should be included. 

[WarriorFish]

Looking good, I'll give it a detailed read when I get home :)

[elmo]

Looking good and the formatting looks ok now.

[scatmandoo]

Thanks both. Just need some debating and imput now.

[WarriorFish]

I think it's coming along nicely, it should prove to be useful for our new recruits as a summary to Guard units.

[scatmandoo]

Heavy Support done. Let me know what you think.

[WarriorFish]

The meatiest section! Looks good, though I don't agree with saying sponsons on ordnance tanks as useless - less useful yes but not outright useless. At the very least they're additional weapons and even at snap shots they could do some good, or provide an alternate firing platform if the main cannon is too risky to fire :)

[scatmandoo]

Thanks!

 

Thanks for the comments too on the sponsons. I will ammend the wording but I genuinely feel that the 20+ points would be better spent elsewhere. That is 2 x Melta guns for example.

[librisrouge]

Too risky to fire...too risky to fire...I don't understand

[scatmandoo]

Too risky to fire...too risky to fire...I don't understand

Have i made a mistake somewhere?

[CoffeeGrunt]

One build I've heard mentioned on Ordnance Russes is Heavy Flamer Sponsons and Hull-Mount. They'll likely never fire normally, but if your Russ is up close with Infantry, especially a Demolisher being used as a linebreaker, it could inflict some nasty damage. It's versatility at the cost of a Meltagun, as IMO the Hull Heavy Bolter never does anything when Snap-Firing anyway.

 

Also halves the chance of the horrible Weapon Destroyed result turning your Demolisher into a heavily-armoured peashooter. 

[scatmandoo]

One build I've heard mentioned on Ordnance Russes is Heavy Flamer Sponsons and Hull-Mount. They'll likely never fire normally, but if your Russ is up close with Infantry, especially a Demolisher being used as a linebreaker, it could inflict some nasty damage. It's versatility at the cost of a Meltagun, as IMO the Hull Heavy Bolter never does anything when Snap-Firing anyway.

 

Also halves the chance of the horrible Weapon Destroyed result turning your Demolisher into a heavily-armoured peashooter.

That is maybe one of the only builds I personally would consider. Will add to the tactica.

[WarriorFish]

It's why I like hull HFs on them, as that's a reliable way to get toasting. It's usually a lot more threatening than a HB in such a situation.