New recruit: advice and wip

[Gaweda]

Greetings. I used to be huge into 40k, gave it up and sold all 15k points of blood Angels, grey Knights and some unopened Astra militarum more than a year ago. However, the old itch has returned, and I'd like to very gradually return to the fold with just one faction, and take a few months to build up a 500 point army. I've always wanted to use imperial guard, and am completely burned out on space marines. So here I am, with a lot of knowledge with tactics and rules having disappeared from my head. I figured the best unit to start with was a chimera, simply because it is something I can paint quite quickly, and I haven't really figured out the army build yet. I was leaning towards vets in chimeras with melta / plasma. I really just want a crap ton of tanks though, let's be honest.

 

I truly, truly hate the process of magnetization, so I was wondering if there is a good, bog standard load out that you guys might recommend for the first chimera of the group. My brain tells me multi laser and heavy bolter, but my brain is often wrong...

 

I will post pictures of wip models here, mostly for my own amusement. I always love reading through other people's and seeing their forces grow from nothing to terrifying army. I'd like to see that with my own for once!

[WarriorFish]

Welcome back to the hobby and Guard :tu: Vets in Chimeras are a great support unit that fits in well on a mechanised list so you're on the right track, and you'll also find a lot of fellow treadheads here (though I'm sure that's not a surprise ;) ).

 

Your brain is right on the Chimera, the classic load out of a multilaser and heavy bolter is solid. Lets you put out a respectable amount of fire power that can really help out, especially in number. I find the multilaser great to chipping off last hull points on transports and other light vehicles, and when in doubt lobbing dice at infantry always works :P The hull flamer has merit though especially on a mech list where you are likely to have less answers to hordes and less distance between them and your tanks - and magnetising is pretty easy if you only want to do the hull weapon ;)

 

Do you have a colour scheme in mind for your regiment, or will you be collecting an established one? I look forward to seeing your WIP progress :D

[duz_]

Welcome back! Bugger you didn't keep a hold of those AM boxes! ;)

 

Yup I second what WF said. I personally prefer the ML/HB combo although in future I may start magnetising the hull weapon.

 

Looking forward depending on how you want to stage your purchases a start collecting box would get you off to a good start.

 

Looking forward to the WIP.

[Gaweda]

Welcome back to the hobby and Guard Vets in Chimeras are a great support unit that fits in well on a mechanised list so you're on the right track, and you'll also find a lot of fellow treadheads here (though I'm sure that's not a surprise ).

Your brain is right on the Chimera, the classic load out of a multilaser and heavy bolter is solid. Lets you put out a respectable amount of fire power that can really help out, especially in number. I find the multilaser great to chipping off last hull points on transports and other light vehicles, and when in doubt lobbing dice at infantry always works The hull flamer has merit though especially on a mech list where you are likely to have less answers to hordes and less distance between them and your tanks - and magnetising is pretty easy if you only want to do the hull weapon

Do you have a colour scheme in mind for your regiment, or will you be collecting an established one? I look forward to seeing your WIP progress

Thanks for the welcome I do think about the flamer, but, I already glued the heavy bolter on! So, no regrets, pressing forward My color scheme is going to be quite boring I'm afraid. I actually really like the Cadian camp color scheme that GW use, so it's just going to be plain old Cadian. I've never had a fully painted force though (no really...15,000 points and I couldn't field a finished 500), so even with the standard colors I'll be thrilled to have it all painted.

Welcome back! Bugger you didn't keep a hold of those AM boxes!

Yup I second what WF said. I personally prefer the ML/HB combo although in future I may start magnetising the hull weapon.

Looking forward depending on how you want to stage your purchases a start collecting box would get you off to a good start.

Looking forward to the WIP.

I was a little disappointed about getting rid of them, but I'm excited to not have a pile of unfinished models on my conscience and just do one at a time. The itch to buy is already starting, but I'd rather stay strong, paint and not burn out. Or spend an immediate thousand dollars

[Gaweda]

I've been trying to figure out my 500 point army. I'd like to pile it with vehicles, but just couldn't fit a leman Russ in how I'd want to. So here is 500 point army version 1:

 

HQ: Company Command Squad - 60pts

 

Troops: Veterans w/ Meltaguns - 80pts

 

Troops: Vererans w/ Plasmaguns - 90pts

 

3x Chimera's - 195pts

 

Armored Sentinel w/ Lascannon - 50pts

 

Still got 25 points. Any ideas how to fill it best? Or to remove things and replace? I'd thought about maybe a wyvern, but Lordy lord, my local group is nothing but powerhouses. I need a Lascannon. Nothing but necron, eldar, marines and tau as far as the eye can see.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I've been trying to figure out my 500 point army. I'd like to pile it with vehicles, but just couldn't fit a leman Russ in how I'd want to. So here is 500 point army version 1:

 

HQ: Company Command Squad - 60pts

 

Troops: Veterans w/ Meltaguns - 80pts

 

Troops: Vererans w/ Plasmaguns - 90pts

 

3x Chimera's - 195pts

 

Armored Sentinel w/ Lascannon - 50pts

 

Still got 25 points. Any ideas how to fill it best? Or to remove things and replace? I'd thought about maybe a wyvern, but Lordy lord, my local group is nothing but powerhouses. I need a Lascannon. Nothing but necron, eldar, marines and tau as far as the eye can see.

The Only things I'd really change, are the sentinel. BS3 with a single shot weapon is iffy. It also depends on what you're asking it to do. If you want it to pop tanks, you're barking up the wrong tree. Your melta vets will do that so much better, so I'd recommend switching out your plasma vets for melta (besides, unless you give your vets carapace armor or the tallarn desert raiders rule from IA3.2, plasma will kill your dudes just as effectively as enemy fire). For the sentinel, I like plasma cannons on my Armored sentinels. It adds more templates to your army, which right now you're lacking.

 

As for taking a Wyvern, dear god yes. 2 twinlinked heavy 2 mortars with shred and ignores cover? Cover camping anything will cry. Shred lets you re-roll failed to-wounds, and ignores cover is what it says on the tin. Mortars being S4 AP6 may not sound like much, but it can get the job done, especially since you don't need line of sight, and it wounds from the center out because of barrage.

 

I know you said you want to keep it small for now to keep from having a large backlog of unpainted plastic, and I get that. Expanding in 500 point blocks is actually pretty smart. I had 1850 points of guard before I even started painting. Took last years ETL for me to get on it and start, Now I have only a few unpainted things. I was curious what you have planned for your next block of expansion, a Leman Russ or five?

[duz_]

Don't under estimate the humble wyvren at 500pts it will wreak havoc and be a high priority target for most if not all lists

Definitely worth taking over an armoured sentinel

 

With the spare 10pts you'll have from that I'd through a heavy flamer in the CCS for the hell of it or volkovs [cane] pimp stick for orders.

[Akrim]

Welcome to the Guard Gaweda.

 

Well a good start for your 500pts. My only critique is I usually cap plasma guns at two per Vet Squad mostly because of the cost, the fragility of the bearers and you can only fire two out of firing hatch of the Chimera. Third slot is always good for a flamer for hordes/overwatch.

 

I agree with Duz, give the CCS some gear; maybe move one plasma here from the Vets and add another. Or yeah flamer spam is fun.

 

Going forward; I suggest having a look at the Cadian formations. If youre a tank fan the Emperors Fist Armoured Company is quite good (Veterans are a good compliment to this). Depending on what sort of "powerhouses" youre going to be up against, you may want to add a Imperial Knight or a Baneblade variant of some sort.

[HackedDuck]

looking forward to some pics man!

[Gaweda]

I hear you guys. Armored sentinel is dropped from the list for a wyvern. I'm still a little confused as to the rest of the advice. Should both vet squads be melta? What special weapons for the command squad? I've primed the chimera, will begin painting tomorrow so I'll upload some wip pics.

 

As to the future, ulrik clearly sees my destiny. I suppose confession time has arrived - when I decided to go for this army, the very first thing I did was have my lgs order a leman russ. I mean, come on, it's the imperial gu...astra milta...whatever. Tanks. Bloody tanks everywhere. Of course, then I started trying to actually fit the damn thing into a 500 point list...not that easy. So it'll have to sit on a shelf for a while. I do like basilisks - the model that is. But I also like the idea of a fast and mobile army. So maybe hell hounds and leman russ tanks for the 1000 jump. I dunno, got to do 500 first!

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I hear you guys. Armored sentinel is dropped from the list for a wyvern. I'm still a little confused as to the rest of the advice. Should both vet squads be melta? What special weapons for the command squad? I've primed the chimera, will begin painting tomorrow so I'll upload some wip pics.

 

I would make both vet squads melta, for a couple reasons. The first reason is that 2 is one and one is none. If you lose your one melta squad it'll hurt. So have 2 as insurance. Second, is that melta is really versatile. THis also piggybacks another point, carapace armour. If you're not taking it, leave the plasma at home. It's no fun trying to make a 5+ save when plasma guns decide to blow up. Statistically you'll lose the trooper, and that hurts, because now you went from 3-6 plasma shots, to 2-4, and it possibly put you over the edge and now you're only one dude closer to that 25% morale check. Heaven forbid you lose 2 guys, and now your squad is 8 men (you've gone from needing to lose 3 dudes, to 2, for that 25% morale check). That's my issue. Leave the plasma to 4+ or better saves.

 

 

As to the future, ulrik clearly sees my destiny. I suppose confession time has arrived - when I decided to go for this army, the very first thing I did was have my lgs order a leman russ. I mean, come on, it's the imperial gu...astra milta...whatever. Tanks. Bloody tanks everywhere. Of course, then I started trying to actually fit the damn thing into a 500 point list...not that easy. So it'll have to sit on a shelf for a while. I do like basilisks - the model that is. But I also like the idea of a fast and mobile army. So maybe hell hounds and leman russ tanks for the 1000 jump. I dunno, got to do 500 first!

 

The Devil Dog variant of the Hellhound is a pretty good tank killer, and the Hellhound is great for getting that entrenched infantry out. The Big issue with the russ is it's slow move speed, which could hamper that mobility you said you wanted. The Russ makes up for it's lack of speed by having generally longer ranged guns. The shortest ranged weapons on the russ chassis are 24" which is still respectable, given that one is the demolisher and the other is the punisher.

 

For Russes, I like cannons on my tanks, so I go for the Vanquisher, Demolisher, Battle Tank, and Eradicator. It can be a trick to fit a russ in at 500 points, and I suspect that you might be building the russ inefficiently. of the variants I just mentioned only one is worth taking Sponsons on, and that's the eradicator. Heavy flamer sponsons, Heavy flamer on the hull and the eradicator cannon for so much ignores cover.

 

The Punisher also benefits from sponsons, only heavy bolters this time. It can dish out a healthy amount of shots (29 S5 shots to be precise). Executioners should take plasma cannon sponsons to get 5 plasma blasts out there. I don't care for the Executioner as the main gun has the potential to glance out the vehicle on bad gets hot rolls. My rolls suck when it comes to that, so I'd rather just leave that one at home.

 

Any Russ with an Ordnance main gun, or a 72"range should just leave the sponsons off. Ordnance will cause you to snap fire your sponsons anyway, and vanquishers are tank destroyers, and work best at standoff ranges. Multimelta sponsons are the only sponsons that makes sense with the theme of killing vehicles, but if you're getting a vanquisher that close, you have goofed.

 

Still 120-170 points is a huge investment at 500 points, so best to leave it home until you hit the 1000 point mark.

[Shamansky]

Should both vet squads be melta?

Well. As my friend who was playing Guard since 3ed sais, you always need at least 3 units of the same loadout if you want a special task to be completed, as soon as one will be destroyed too early, one will go MIA, and hopefully one will get the job done. That's an advice for the future of course.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

 

Should both vet squads be melta?

Well. As my friend who was playing Guard since 3ed sais, you always need at least 3 units of the same loadout if you want a special task to be completed, as soon as one will be destroyed too early, one will go MIA, and hopefully one will get the job done. That's an advice for the future of course.

 

I think 2 is enough, if you play it smart. I'd save that third squad for something else, like carapace plasma. But like I said, 2 is one and one is none. 3 squads is kind of a magic number for guard. 3 Infantry squads is a reasonable platoon, 3 vet squads is a reasonable troops selection for a mech list, 3 stormtrooper squads per platoon, etc...

 

Since Gaweda is wanting to play tanks, I'd stick to 4 squads max, you don't want to saturate the board with troops, given that you want to bring tanks. A Leman Russ cost about the same as a fully kitted out vet squad.

 

If you Just add a hellhound and a couple russes to what you already have, it puts you just shy of 1000 points, depending on how you kit out your vets and CCS.

[Shamansky]

I did not say 3 melta-squads are mandatory. I just said that one squad is not enough.

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

I did not say 3 melta-squads are mandatory. I just said that one squad is not enough.

True, I was just commenting on how 3 seems to be the magic number.