1st ever IG list 1500pts. quite a few tanks, not very competive, mainly for fun

[radical ed]

40K Army: Imperial Guard

Here is my 1st attept at an IG list. I mostly play SM, but have a lot of IG type models kicking around, and i fancy trying my hand at making card stock tanks, so......

HQ

CCS
+las pistols

Troops

Infantry Platoon 1

Platton command squad
+las pistols

Infantry squad
+melta

Infantry squad
+flamer

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x missile launchers

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x missile launchers

Infantry Platoon 2

Platton command squad
+las pistols

Infantry squad
+melta

Infantry squad
+flamer

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x missile launchers

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x missile launchers

Heavy Support

Leman russ squadron
3 x leman russ

Leman russ squadron
3 x leman russ

Hydra Battery
2 x hydra

8 tanks, and 79 men. 1500 points



The command sqauds will be used as a CC counter attack squads. Mainly sacrificial, aimed at slowing down any enemies that get too close. The infantry squads will screen the tanks. The main focus of the army will be using the russ's to blow away any enemy troops, quickly. And the missle launchers and the hydras will deal with the anti tank areas.

AV14 may be an issue with only 2 meltas (and there in infantry sqauds) but im not going for compititve, really just fun and to start making some card stock russ's

Its my 1st real attempt at an IG list, what do you think? Any glaring issues?

[Bunnahabhain]

You really don't need that many russes. Squadrons of them are overkill, and much more fragile than you'd think. Even dropping them down to squadrons of 2 would help no end.

The command squads really should make use of their special/heavy weapon slots

[radical ed]

You really don't need that many russes.

aww, i really like the idea of lots of big lumbering tanks, and a few men running around trying not to get sqaushed!

whats wrong with squads of russ's? I know that Kanz squads go down fairly easy, but then they are av12. Surely av14 sqauds should be pretty tough?

and yeah the lack of special weapons in my command squads is a concern. Ideally id like at least flamers in there, and maybe PW's, but at 1500 points and with 6 russ's the points ran out.

Should i drop a Russ from each squadron and flesh out my Command Squads?

But what then do i spend those extra points on? I really dont want to "mech" up my infantry. And i dont have enough infantry models to add extra sqauds.

[Bunnahabhain]

Russes are shooty things. they have no transport or assault functions. Let us look at all the possible damage results you can get.

Cannot shoot
Cannot move or shoot ( squadron downgrades to cannot shoot)
Weapon destroyed
Immobilised ( squadron upgrades to dead)
Dead
Very dead

So, for 5/6 of all results ( AP1, glancing , etc makes no difference here), a shooty tank cannot shoot to anywhere near full effect. Given hits have to be spread about a squadron, it's easy to put the whole lot out of action for a turn quite easily. Also, if the tank is mobile but can't shoot, moving is often useful. If part of the squadron wants to move, and part doesn't, as it can still shoot, then you have another way the squadron forces the parts to operate less efficiently.

Finally, three Russes are a huge amount of firepower. It's overkill against many things, bounces off others, and leaves you unable to fire at as many targets as you like.

If you drop down to squadrons of two, then the above factors become much smaller. Also, if you get 1 of 2 tanks in a squadron into cover, that's 50%, enough to give the whole squadron cover. Much easier than the 2/3 you need in a squadron of 3.

[ChaplainCharlie]

There's a reason why in real life tanks work in pairs and not in threes... ;P

Anyway, I'd say either drop two russes or then drop the hydras if you must have the six tanks and have three pairs of Lemans. The biggest issue as I see it is that firing three S8 AP3 templates at prettymuch anything Russes are designed to shoot at is overkill. Either you will wipe out the target entirely or feel embarassed and betrayed when you accomplish nothing.
An AV14 squadron is more durable than an AV12 one, much more so, but Kans are cheap and Russes aren't. I don't have the points costs, but I'd say a squadron of AV12 Kans costs the same as a Russ. That won't go far off now will it? So for every Russ that dies, you could have lost a squadron of Kans, so to speak. Is an AV14 vehicle more durable than three AV12 vehicles? Debatable...

If you want your CCS to be a proper speed bump, then get a fist in there and maybe even a medipack or carapace armor. You will be squashed immediately by a power-weapon totting CC squad, but can at least cause a casualty or two against something else as long as your company commander survives. Remember that they're bound to die anyway, so giving them Meltaguns for a close-in melta-death at BS4 might accomplish a lot more than anything they can do with swords.

I would advise you to get more heavy weapons, Autocannons especially, to your line squads. If your squad can take a nice long-range gun for a few points, take it! Guard infantry waves require more bodies than what you have, so you're going to have to outshoot your enemy. That means more guns. For the price of one Leman Russ you can accomplish miracles on the autocannon front by buying a gun for all of your squads and then some, ie. more squads with autocannons. If you want to keep your command squads cheap, but them a heavy weapon too.

A general rule of thumb, and not being competitive, is to include a heavy weapon to every guard squad that can take one. Especially if it only costs 5/10pts.

[radical ed]

thaks guys. thats some really good advice. ill shall post back when i have an updated list

[mike20]

To put some of those suggestions into perspective and add some of my own here is a good way to keep the list fun and still effective. You keep a bunch of tanks, your missile launchers turn into lascannons whcih help with long range AV14, you have 8 meltas for short range, plus 4 "bring it down" orders, which twin link your long range anti-tank. your command squad is now flamers (4 flamers will do a lot more damage than a bunch of CCW, and dmg that cant be counter attacked...after you flame you charge! with two fists you should cause some damage, and you wont run away with the commissar.) Your infantry squads are capable of taking down medium/light infantry and transports, and your tanks can cover heavy infantry (hence the demolishers) and flak can pick up the rest!
This is a decent little list for 1500 and should still be pretty fun. If you really want more tanks, I would consider dropping 2 lascannon sqauds and adding a a banewolf and devil dog. My only other change to this list as it stands would be to drop 1 HW squad and give a chimera to both command squads (which gives u 2 more vehicles, plus 4 more heavy weapons)

cheers!



HQ

CCS - 4x melta
CCS - 4x melta


PCS - 4x flamer
- Infantry squad - autocannon, grenade launcher
- Infantry squad - autocannon, grenade launcher

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x lascannon

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x lascannon


PCS - 4x flamer, commissar, 2x fist
- Infantry squad - autocannon, grenade launcher
- Infantry squad - autocannon, grenade launcher

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x lascannon

Heavy weapons squad
+3 x lascannon



2x russ demolisher

2x russ

2 x hydra