IG 1500 point army advice

[kidutsu]

40K Army: Imperial Guard

Before I post my current list I'd like to give some backstory as to my 40k experience, and why I'm interested in the Imperial Guard. First off, I play Necrons, I always have, and I thought I always would. However, one day at my local gaming club I borrowed a friends IG army and fell in love with their personality as an army and their fluff. I am quite experienced in the more basic tactics of Warhammer 40k, and I win more games than I lose. However, I am not very experienced with the guard, I understand the need for cover and target saturation, but I'm not used to it. That said, here is my planned 1500 point army:

125: Company Command Squad
Autocannon team
1 grenade launcher
Vox
Chimera Transport

100: 10x ratlings

50: Platoon Command Squad
4 flamers

55: Infantry Squad
1 grenade launcher

55: Infantry Squad
Vox

55: Infantry Squad
Mortar team

75: Heavy Weapons Squad
3 autocannons

60: Heavy Weapons Squad
3 mortars

105: Veteran Squad
3 meltaguns
Vox

100: Scout Sentinel Squadron (2 sentinels)
2 autocannons
2 smoke launchers

130: Vendetta gunship

130: Hellhound flame tank

160: Manticore Rocket Launcher

150: Leman Russ Battle Tank
Heavy bolter

150: Leman Russ Battle Tank
Heavy bolter

Basically, its a big gunline built to protect my Manticore, and to a lesser extent my Russ' from deepstrikers, keeping my mortars hidden for potshots, and all my static units in cover if possible. The flamer PCS is a suicide wall of template death against things that get too close, while my infantry squads will provide medium range killing, and my Russes and manticore will cover my opponent with pie at range. I plan on running the hellhound up along a flank or towards a nasty infantry unit as a distraction that needs to be dealt with before it turns their lighter infantry into barbecue. the Vendetta will carry the melta vets and generally be a barge of pure anti-tank hate. the sentinels will outflank or scout into cover and will generally be annoying, while the ratlings will infiltrate into a piece of area terrain or a city ruin (my clubs gaming tables have tons of city ruins) to harass the advancing army while having their tasty 3+ save to most things. I notice at least one problem with my army on my own though, a lack of counter assault units, or really any defense against close combat, other than not letting them get there. Is this a tolerable list for non-competitive games, and if so what could I do if I wanted to make it competitive? Any help is appreciated.

[Bunnahabhain]

Two issues I can see.
1)Using the vendetta to transport the melt vets combines two of your heavy AT units, and makes them both less effective.
2) The platoon is under-( and oddly) equipped with heavy/special weapons.


Guard have a few defences against close combat.

i) SHOOT THEM FASTER!
ii) Sacrificial cheap units
iii) Tarpit blobs- 30 men, commisar
iv) Rough riders- excellent counter assault
v) Ogryns, OK ish performance, impressive price tag.