Thinking of putting together a Guard army, and need some help with doing so..

[Orange Knight]

The new range is simply fantastic. I really like the new infantry, tanks and heroes.

My 40k Astartes, Ad-Mech and Knight armies are filled out, and I have recently completed a 30k army. I have very little grey plastic weighing me down at the moment, and it's an opportune time to look at a new faction.

 

I own a half-assembled Shadowsword, with the extra sponsons.

I think the Rogal Dorn tank is brilliant, and a big improvement over the Leman Russ and I intend to buy two of them!

 

My initial purchases will leave me with the following models:

 

-Lord Solar

-2x Rogal Dorn Tanks, all the Melta and Main weapon upgrades.

-Shadowsword, extra Las Cannons and Heavy Bolters

 

The above 4 models will cost me 1280 points lol. I really want the core of the army to feature giant tanks, and for the force to be led by the Lord Solar - he's the most impressive Guard HQ that GW have ever produced, in my opinion. 

 

My question to the Veteran players here, and to those that own the codex, is this:

 

How do I efficiently fill out the remaining 720 points? Can I make a worthwhile army with what is left? 

 

I appreciate any feedback and advice offered. 

 

 

[Malakithe]

For me im messing around on battlescribe since its updated and I dont have the book yet. You could do the same. Im going for a balanced list of plenty of bodies while vehicles will be doing most of the work

[Emperor Ming]

Not by taking crazy overpriced upgrades is a good base starting advice

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

If you want an armored force russes, maybe sentinels.

Maybe some chimera variants as well.

[duz_]

New sentinels or wait for rough riders. 

 

People seem to really like the Karskin rules. So maybe some of them? 

[Orange Knight]

Is it still in vogue to bring lots of Guardsmen? 

 

The rough riders have excellent rules at a glance, and I also want to invest in some Bullgrins as bodyguards for the Lord Solar.

Edited January 22, 2023 by Orange Knight

[Emperor Ming]

7 hours ago, Orange Knight said:

Is it still in vogue to bring lots of Guardsmen? 

For Arks lists, its going to be a tough choice, many factions will be chucking their troops away for more elites and fast attack

 

Bringing more t3 bodies that die to a breeze may not be a good idea

[Inquisitor_Lensoven]

1 hour ago, Emperor Ming said:

For Arks lists, its going to be a tough choice, many factions will be chucking their troops away for more elites and fast attack

 

Bringing more t3 bodies that die to a breeze may not be a good idea

The thing for a while was just pure wave tactics. More bodies than any army could hope to kill

[Orange Knight]

If I put this army together it won't be ready until we're well into 10th edition. 

 

I'm not too worried about the Arks meta as it will be succeeded by something different sooner rather than later. I can't imagine that troops won't return as a mandatory element of armies in the next edition. 

[Santaclauswitz]

Magnetize your new stuff! 

 

Err, lists and stuff..... easiest way for your force to be a legal list is to get a 3rd heavy support option. Most likely a vehicle.  

 

Your models will also love enginseers.

 

After that it's really what you fancy. If you pick up a couple of cadian shock troops with your current models I'd also get transports because mech inf is better for you than trying to sort lots of infantry. 

[crimsondave]

I’m curious about infantry squads with lascannons and plasma.  65 point unit that can sit back and hit on 3+ with orders.  Heavy weapon squads are only 55 points with free lascannons.  That was 75 points give or take in the old book.  Born soldiers is a thing too so even lasguns are better.  I love tanks too but guard looks better with infantry on the table.  Sure they die easy but put they are cheap.  6 infantry squads, 2 HW teams, 2 command squads and a commissar is @ 715 points.  That a possible 14 lascannons.  Fighting hordes swap for mortars, heavy bolters, or missle launchers for both.  Opponents can shoot at the guardsmen or your 1280 in tanks.  I don’t play tournaments though so I may be way off base.  Seems like a pretty strong book for the time being anyway.

[Dr. Clock]

8 hours ago, crimsondave said:

Sure they die easy but put they are cheap

And in all honesty, they are miles more killy than you might think. I ran my existing Guard with AdMech backup this evening, and though I only took three units of 10, 'Take aim' and Born Soliders on all three at once did some decent work into plague marines. I got lucky on enemy Ld and failed charges in turn 2, but all told any Guard list without at least ~60 infantry feels like a waste in my book.

 

720 points is 60 Troops, 20 Kasr Kin and 2 support characters. If you like the rough riders then they're an easy swap for Kasr Kin, but the Kasr will be easier to use, most likely. Between 2 Castellans and Lord Solar it should be easy enough to get Take Aim on all of them if keep them in groups of ~30... They may die to a breeze, but the meta seems to be leaning into profiles that are a bit overkill on guard squads anyway, so spamming infantry is a great way to mess with target priority, win the action economy and play the trading game IMO. Anyone who can snipe the Castellans could be a problem, but again, the meta doesn't do Snipers a tonne.

 

Arks of Omen means everyone can play the ObSec spam game, but I don't think anyone is doing it quite as well as Guard at present, especially when supported properly with characters; you get 10 W for what many lists have to pay for 5 or 6, and they've got more teeth than their individual stat-lines suggests.

 

Full armoured company probably works fine too if that's OP's flavour. In that case there's room for 3 Russes (Commander +2 reg'lar probably) and 3 sentinels which could be clutch. This'll end up playing alot more like a Knights list, but not really in a bad way... Just think you might feel over-stretched on Objectives and actions. We join Guard for the tanks, but also for the grunts, innit?

 

Grain of salt, of course - I'm pretty new to Guard, but coming from GSC and AdMech, there's alot to love in the 65 point Cadian squad...

 

Cheers,

 

The Good Doctor.

Edited January 23, 2023 by Dr. Clock