allied IG - uses?

[MajorNese]

After my first test game, where I filled up my list with IG stuff, I now consider converting my spare IG models to resemble AdMech auxiliary troops. No tanks left to build, so that is quite out of the question. Now the real question, in an already infantry-focused AdMech army (mostly vanguard, kataphron variants), what would be useful?

 

First thought, more infantry. If IG is good at something, it's drowning the enemy in cheap bodies. Skitarii bodies are quite expensive, so that could be useful, as speedbumps and meatshield. Also, cheap massed long-range firepower. Let's see...

 

HQ:

-maybe Lord Commissar (skitarii overseer). cheap, can join blobs, makes them de-facto fearless. Minimalist choice, but useful.

-Yarrick: meele beatstick, would greatly add to a huge blob. Also can order his squad at Ld10, great for FRFSRF and stuff.

-techpriest enginseer: fluff choice, but not really useful in infantry lists. could bring gun servitors for more firepower.

-primaris psyker: modeled as cogitating servitor unit, could augment pretty much any unit

-Company command squad: pretty elite and squishy, but can be tooled to several roles

 

Troops:

-a platoon is pretty much given

--2 guardsman squads could drive around in tauroxes and just add mobility while being cheap. Taurox aesthetics is also consistent with AdMech

--recruits (thralls) are the ideal meatshield. Provide cover and distraction to protect the more expensive skitarii units

--heavy weapon squads: half-a-dozen autocannons never hurt. Except your enemy.

 

misc:

-valkyrie: a valkyrie could carry a full skitarii squad and 2 "advisors", but otherwise can just throw around S4 templates.

-vendetta: could provide some necessary AA fire (3x TL lascannons) while still being able to drop a squad of 6, that would be my go-to choice

 

Also, there's the question of orders affecting independent characters who joined other faction's units. That would open up some insane tactics, putting a 25p priest to a grav kataphron unit, and ordering them to ignore cover. Or vanguard squads with Monster Hunter, more 6s. But I guess I'll have to ask that rule question in the IG forum...

[WarriorFish]

AdMech and Guard have some cross over in general approach, with AdMech more on better/elite units with fancy guns so taking advantage of the Guard's numbers and heavy armour would be more beneficial. It'd be easy to get the armies to work well together especially if you play to their strengths. Orders are very useful for Guard (but only Guard units may receive them) which is why the CCS is usually best if you want to get the most from your troopers.

 

You're probably better off asking these questions in the Guard section as you're talking more about the Guard and what they can do rather than AdMech specifically.

[MajorNese]

Orders are very useful for Guard (but only Guard units may receive them) which is why the CCS is usually best if you want to get the most from your troopers.

 

You're probably better off asking these questions in the Guard section as you're talking more about the Guard and what they can do rather than AdMech specifically.

I already play guard for some editions, so it's more interesting to see what AdMech lacks and how to fill it.

 

As for the orders, independent characters could be a loophole, as they are technically a unit that qualifies for receiving orders, while being able to join AdMech units. And all orders are worded to include all models in the unit that receives the order. Have to look if there are some FAQs against it...

[Terminus]

Pretty sure orders specify faction, so no giving Skits orders.

[MajorNese]

Pretty sure orders specify faction, so no giving Skits orders.

Not giving skitarii orders...giving an independent character (and IG has lots of 'em) orders, who happens to be in a skitarii squad. Unless he no longer counts as being of a certain faction when joining a different unit (which I don't think), there's no IG rule part against it. In 5th there was, but that is gone since the new codex.

[Terminus]

It specifies that the targeted unit must be from Astra Militarum. Just because an IG character joined a unit, it doesn't make that unit an Imperial Guard unit.

[MajorNese]

Yeah, discussed that with an IG forum, doesn't work that way. Nonetheless, cheap meatshields and some transports won't hurt.

[Terminus]

Imperial Guard don't have much to offer in the current meta except conscript bodies, wyverns, and priests for your deathstars. All the other stuff worth taking is Forge World.

 

That said, Chimeras actually wouldn't be terrible for smaller units of Vanguard, you can give them a pair of arc rifles and they can still fire them at 24" while you drive around. Tauroxes are steaming piles. If you're going to be airlifting stuff (not a huge fan of the valkyrie at it's given cost, but whatever), I'd be tempted to put rangers in there instead since their move through cover lets them ignore the hazards of jumping out of a perfectly good airplane. Heavy weapon squads are sadly worse than ever.

[MajorNese]

I'm not looking for tournament-grade stuff, just fun combos for local games to break the standard army pattern. And in those local games, cheap autocannons (HWS) still work, and blobs with lascannons and vox are boss, as there are too many expendable bodies before it gets interesting. Wyverns/conscripts/priests are great of course, and the ranger + valkyrie drop makes sense indeed. Maybe a squad of 6 rangers in a vendetta, some special weapons, shouldn't be the worst idea ever.

 

Chimera would be very useful, but it's a dedicated transport, no way to even enter it before turn 2. Taurox would look great, but yeah, they're not exactly resilient. Nor are ironstrider, but still people take the robot chickens. The taurox isn't much different, worse side armour, but not open-topped and one HP more. Just that it is primarily a transport vehicle, and could deliver some guardsmen to take objectives. And targeting it with the big guns would distract them from more expensive stuff like Onagers, there's strength in numbers after all...

[Terminus]

I play casual games as well, and my HWTs just die. Massed S6 is everywhere out there, even in basic non min-maxed lists. A single scatter jetbike has a good chance to wipe out an entire unit. I only use mine in Renegades lists, where I can take 6 in a single squad, and stick it in a bunker with an ammo-dump. Here's hoping the next IG codex has some fun formations.

 

Taurox is really expensive for what it does and is really ugly. I mainly see robot chickens in Convocations, for whatever it's worth. 

[Frater Cornelius]

If you ask me, one of the few benefit that Skits can draw from allies are Drop Pods. IG can offer bodies and AV14 saturation, but no synergies there, seeing as Orders are for IG only and Skits do not really benefit from Divination given their Doctrines.

So, you if are looking for inter-unit synergies, then look elsewhere. But if you are just after a cool-looking army with fluff and flavour, they will do just fine ;)

[Tiger9gamer]

I'm interested to see what a steel host formation would do for the admech

[Frater Cornelius]

Taking away too many points. That's what.

[Nikhil83]

I've been thinking about this as well and am designing a few lists around it (have one up as "Fast Skitarii and AM list" or something on the Army List section, only realizing after the fact that AM could be interpreted multiple ways - whoops! would love your input on it though). Have only done small (~500 pt) games with it so far though; trying a 1500 in a week or two. Like you I think a large amount of the added value is in meat shields, as well as dropping Vanguard in via air support. Wyverns and perhaps mortar teams (which I know are inferior to Wyverns, but I have the models and Wyverns even at 25% off are a hefty price tag) might be okay for non-LOS softening of targets. I'm less partial to a Leman Russ compared to another Valkyrie/Vendetta or pair of Wyverns, but will likely get one and magnetize it to see how it fares. I also think there's a place for Scions reinforcing an advance guard - deepstriking scions, valkyrie-ferried vanguard, and sicarian infiltrators would all be pretty intense together in the foreground; the rest of the army would move up in a steadier fashion, with midrange elements (like plasma vets) moving in on chimeras. Done right it feels like it would be a fairly steady influx of threats that wears them down over time with bodies and good weaponry.