What kind of player, plays Astra Militarum?

[steellegionnaire85]

All the reason I play IG have already been mentioned. I've been playing IG since 2ND/3RD edition. I can say tanks and mass infantry make me enjoy the uphill battle we fight. Sure we field two to three times the tanks and infantry of other armies. But quantity has a quality all its own.

[NatBrannigan]

There's really no point comparing Death Guard, the toughest infantry in the game at the moment, to Imperial Guard. If you want a squad of 10 guys that can take the fire of the entire opposing enemy army and only lose 1 or 2 models, you're probably looking at Custodes or similar, in a Land Raider, behind a building... I'm not sure that any army can do that. Imperial Knights? A Guard army of three Baneblades?

 

I will tell you that a Basilisk or 2 will obliterate a squad of 10 Primaris in short order.

 

You also keep talking about it being foolish to run squads of 10 Guard Infantry, that only 20 or more is feasible. You can ONLY take Infantry squads in 10's, no more and no less. That 10 man squad, with an order (because you actually have to plan ahead with Guard) will put out 24 Lasgun shots, 2 Bolter shots and D6 Frag Grenade shots at 12". For 45 points. For not much more you could add a Primaris Psyker to give them +1 to cover save. That's then a 3+ save.

 

Unfortunately I just don't see how Guard can run the Mega Tough Infantry you seem to be after. A Bullgryn army sounds most likely? Add some Scions to fill out troop slots and Tanks / Artillery to taste and it'll probably be a cracking army mind you.

[Gen.Steiner]

You can't be mega tough with Guard. I recommend a Stormtrooper army if you want a decent armour save.

Or take a couple of Stormlords and stick a shedload of heavy weapon teams in them, I guess?

Otherwise, get used to being General Melchett!

[dakkamasta]

I have 4 armies, Black Legion, Orks, Blood Angels and Astra Militarum. I started collecting them in that order.

 

After all the daemonic madness, orky choppy/dakka, and angelic glory, something just seems so satisfying taking on all of these monstrous threats with the humble infantryman. Using combined arms and tactics to bring down any foe no matter how horrific.

 

There's just something really satisfying about leading these weak little humans to victory against all odds.

[The Pounder]

I second that sentiment!

They're not gene enhanced super soldiers, not daemonic abominations, they're just men.

Armed with flashlights with a bayonet and some guts behind it!

Also who doesn't like tanks and other big guns!!

[Withershadow]

The kind of player that is attracted to the grim dark rigors faced by humans in the 41st millennium.  I get a kick out of pitting regular humans against the worst the universe has to throw at us.

[Captain Antonius]

My IG force has been evolving from its earliest founding. First as drop troopers, where they earned their moniker "The Bridge Keepers", then to AirAssault armed with Valkyries, now, it seems perhaps changing their preferred method of war once more. As they have yet to see the field in 8th, it's hard to say what they'll do.

 

What I love most about them though is that they are just plain old human. Individuals mean nothing. Only together can mankind rule the stars. Also, I love the fact that while someone may also play IG, their army can be nothing like mine. Not the same color, not the same tactics, not the same equipment, not the same models even.

[Halfpint100]

I loved the old pie plates from the basic russes. Just the variety of tanks are so much fun! all the artillery platforms. I just expect them to die and maybe take some xenos/ heretics with them. Plus the cheap tricks. My favourite squad I am looking forward to finish painting to use is the hades drill, 7 shotguns a plasma pistol and  plasma guns digging their way to victory! there are just so many modeling options. 

You can really personalize guard units. My vet squads are all metal OOP cadians or kitbashed plastic ones using empire kits for sword/ axes/ booze bottles for personality.

[Gen.Steiner]

And, let us not forget the archetypal Guardsman and his sacrifice; the Saint of the Imperial Guard, Ollanius Pious. Remember His Unflinching Faith!

Also all the best Black Library books revolve around Guardsmen.

[Withershadow]

And, let us not forget the archetypal Guardsman and his sacrifice; the Saint of the Imperial Guard, Ollanius Pious. Remember His Unflinching Faith!

 

Also all the best Black Library books revolve around Guardsmen.

Sadly we now know too much about him, and he was a filthy mutant perpetual.  He knows nothing of true sacrifice.

[Gen.Steiner]

We might, but the Imperial Guard doesn't. RHUF! :D

[Ulrik_Ironfist]

Guard are a great faction. We do everything those blue fishies do but better!

 

We have a range of options for playstyle, and the best lists can kinda draw from each of them. Do you want to play hordes? Play Valhallans, and drown the enemy in corpses, yours or theirs it matters not! Not a single step back! Do you want to spend the game surrounded? Play eleysians, and scream NUTS! When your opponent asks for surrender! Do you want to hold the line? Play Krieg, and remember verdun, err... Vraks! 

 

You can throw waves of conscripts at your opponent, and just have more on the board than can be killed in 7 turns of shooting. Or you can run combined arms and use tanks to be your spearhead, crushing the enemies of the imperium beneath your treads, while blasting Panzerleid from your phone. Or run an Air cav list like me, and play Wagner's ride of the valkyrie when your flyers take the field. 

 

I'd dare say that Guard has so much more flexibility than most armies, and with 8th edition, we finally can represent the massive brass cajones that every guardsman possess! 

[Withershadow]

With the detachment system, you can easily run all tanks. I haven't done the points, but I could run below as an army.

 

Vanguard

Tank commander

Malcador

Malcador

Malcador infernus

Manticore

Manticore

 

Vanguard

Tank commander

Demolisher

Demolisher

Demolisher

3x hydras

2x basilisks

[Lord Marshal]

Because they're the 'every man'. They're not special snowflakes, they're not amazing individuals compared to the (*Yawn*) Space Marines, the Space Elves and their thousands of years old lifespans, the Orks who are born ready to rip a man apart. They're just so... normal? And in a setting that's all about DUDE SO METAL AND BADASS AND PSHOOM SO EEPPICC overloaded with Bolter Porn and trying to be as absurdly over the top with its protagonists and antagonists, there's something immensely refreshing about being able to place an army of those Every Men on the table and win. 

 

The Imperial Guard were my first army (despite a GW staffer practically begging me to buy SMs as a ten year old) and they will always be what I consider my 'main' even after close to fourteen years in the hobby. I've dabbled here and there, but my collection of other armies has always been incomplete before I look back at my own collection, flick through Gaunt's Ghosts or just see a new piece of artwork about the Guard and come back to my babies- I mean, uh, my brave men and women in flak armour.

 

 

Guard do seem to appeal to a certain kind of player. They're similar to Orks in that you collect them because you love the models / backstory / style of play rather than collecting an army that will win battles. That makes Guard players on the whole more relaxed and fun to play with. There's a reason that Guard vs Orks is just about the most fun you can have with plastic!

 

I'm bias, but I absolutely believe the Imperial Guard fanbase is the best sub-community in the game. It doesn't matter if it's B&C, Commissar Boards, Warseer, Dakka, or players in the flesh,  I've almost always found them to be the most welcoming, supportive and just downright chill faction around overall.

Edited July 9, 2017 by Lord Marshal

[Gen.Steiner]

@Lord Marshal - that's because we have to get used to massive casualties and frequent defeats! :P

[NatBrannigan]

I'll second that (again, clearly biased) with Orks joining us as the fun faction to play against. Ork players are just slightly unhinged Guard players really.

 

Now a lot of that is due to Guard bring underpowered but I'm not sure that's the case any more... I've now won 4 games in a row in 8th. Out of 4 games. Just to clarify, that's 4 Games of 8th edition played, all with Imperial Guard, and I've won them all. That hasn't happened for me. Ever. The only ally I've bought so far is an Inquisitor and some Priests. In my last game my Inquisitor blew Abaddons head off with a Psycannon, instant promotion to "Supreme Rear Admiral Lord Inquisitor General Marshal" surely!?

 

I'm sure when the codices come out Guard will be back down to a nice averagely powerful army though.

[Gen.Steiner]

Killing Abbadon? Hm. Sounds more like he needs to be interrogated by the Grey Knights for such obvious collaboration with the Dark Powers!

I've not played any games of 8th with my Guard yet, been taking my Sisters of Battle out for a spin instead (less vehicles) but I do have a mad desire to make an Imperial Beastman army - 300 beastmen conscripts led by humans with commissars and priests, "supported" by heavy weapon teams to mow them down if they look like they might be a bit too mutated or something.

[NatBrannigan]

Got to love some classic Beast Guard. And that sounds like a really fun idea, very Imperial. Maybe modelled with explosive collars as well?

[Gen.Steiner]

Ooh, could do suicide-bomb beastmen in Special Weapon Squads!

Epxlosive collars seems a bit expensive for a beastman who will happily die for the God-Emperor to erase its sin of being a beastman. But... also... tempting.

Mad Plan ahoy!

[NatBrannigan]

Minotaur Ogryn conversions?

[Gen.Steiner]

Oooh, no, I doubt I'll have the points for Ogryns as well!

... but that would be cool...

No! Stop! This mad plan is mad enough as it is!

[Shamansky]

I personally don't like the idea. But as meatshields with only purpose to die those abominations would be... tolerable. And i think that explosive collars are mandatory in the case.

Edited July 12, 2017 by Shamansky

[Charlo]

Everyone, if online list hammer is to be believed.

 

All imperial players getting on the Conscript & Commissar hype for walls of unmovable infantry.... 

 

8th is a numbers game and BOY do they bring the numbers.

[NatBrannigan]

That's what I was afraid of! Imagine allying in Guard INFANTRY for purposes of making your army STRONGER!?? It's madness I tell you!

 

If I get accused of being a WAAC player at any point now I'll throw my Rough Riders at 'im...

[Gen.Steiner]

The key with the Guard Conscript horde is to make sure it is all lovingly painted and, where reasonable, converted. That way it's not just "LOL BANDWAGON" but actually sensible.

Part of me wishes we still had good ol' Captain Kyrinov (?), that Valhallan fellow who gave your Conscripts Without Number. That would be lovely for this sort of thing.

"Yes, so I have 300 Conscripts in six units of 50, all of them have Without Number, so please do kill them by the bucketload"