Wassup guys…I’ve been struggling over the course of this week with the balance between cheap and effective troops for IG.
With my previous set up, here, I had an Infantry Platoon with an effective CCS with 4 flamers in a chimera.
This unit was great as it could really toast stuff, especially in combination with the Hull Heavy Flamer of its Chimera ride. Speaking of the ride…it could put out 3 S6 shots as well as providing armour saturation at AV12…
The platoon also included 3 Infantry Squads with Autocannons that provided a load of bodies with some long range fire power. Sure they are BS3, but they could still hit half the time right?...
Also had a 3 x Autocannon HWT in the platoon for loads more high strength dakka.
What I found with this setup was that I’d just miss half the time, that orders (bring it down!) don’t always go off with a very average Leadership (7) for HWT…and that Guardsmen die in droves in the face of filthy xenos and Astartes…
So I moved on to this setup…which was a lot closer to what I want to run…enjoyed it very much and my IG are still to lose (it’s very, very early days!!) But it’s still not right.
What was wrong? Not a lot. It’s a perfectly good list.
But I sacrifice the effective output of the Infantry Squads every time I have to readjust the bubblewrap or run to contest/claim an objective. Or even more common, take a handful of casualties and run away.
So blob them, right? Well, that requires a Commissar. I’m not averse to that, but it is points spent on defence rather than offense…I’m all about offense…it’s the best defence, no?
Plus, even with a re-roll and Ld10…you can still fail…ask Fateweaver in demon armies about that 3++ with rerolls…he still dies… (p.s. Check out this article from theBack40k about combating demons, it’s worth a read)
So, back to the point. I need effective troops in good numbers.
So I try out Veteran squads this week.
I’ve obviously been using a squad or two over the past month with melta’s, Demolitions, shotguns, grenade launchers, chimera’s…toys, you know the score…
But this list is themed around using only Veterans in the force.
Now, I know that this is hardly a new idea, nor an original one…but I am quite sure that it is a list that contains all the stuff I like;
- guns (of ALL kinds! Whoot!)
- tanks
- mobility
So, without further ado…at 1500 points I present the all new, never, ever seen before IG Vet List*
*OK. This is all a lie. It’s been seen loads. Don’t spit your dummy out the pram.
Snowmobile’d for your intense reading pleasure….or just to let you know my plans…
CCS – Chimera (HF) 4xPlasma
Killy MC/Transport squad…oh, and I’ve heard plasma is nasty against Astartes…especially when they have just been dumped out of transports…Twin linking helps too…
Vet Squad 1 – Chimera (HF) 3x Meltaguns, shotguns
Vet Squad 1 – Chimera (HF) 3x Meltaguns, shotguns
These crazy kids can neutralize/cripple stuff first turn in the Vendetta’s if necessary…or ride around in the clouds until a juicy target becomes available. Thing is, they die pretty quick so it’s necessary to keep them safe for a while…I’m starting to think of them in the same way as Fire Dragons. They can survive and not be suicide units IF they are used correctly and sensibly.
Vet Squad 3 – Chimera (HF) 3x Grenade Launchers, Autocannon, shotguns
Vet Squad 3 – Chimera (HF) 3x Grenade Launchers, Autocannon, shotguns
These chaps can stay on home objectives and provide long to mid range fire support, taking out transports with S6/7, then move into midfield if required to support or put fire into the midfield to help clear out the enemy.
Vendetta
Vendetta
Fly around and blow crap up…? Contest late game if still alive (getting first turn helps here, but not essential)? Deliver troops into the danger zone to kill a key target…you know, the good stuff they do…
Leman Russ Demolisher (HF)
BOOM! Got to love a demolisher cannon….I’m loving this tank the more I play with it….can I get another???
Manticore (HF)
BOOM,BOOM,BOOM! Whoo…this one fires several shots per turn! Crazy shit. From an immense distance. Pop it out on a flank or on the board edge (when no Wolf Scouts are around) and fire away…use an empty Chimera as support and cover..empty cos MeltaVets in Vendetta every now and then..
Medusa (HF) …..or a Colossus as I have 5 points spare????
Um…did I say BOOM yet? Love it. Fucking love it. Colossus has put in an immense showing in test games too though…so it’s hard to choose!! It’s a hard life… ;)
Thoughts please guys!? Not much more time for IG this weekend as I have to prep SW for Brighton Warlords Doubles next weekend….!
good list. A+.
ReplyDeletei'd probably swap the Manticore for a 2nd demolisher and the medusa for a hellhound or 2 squadroned hydras though. thats just my playstyle though, i suspect.
interesting that you came to this after finding platoons unreliable, because i started out with this setup and found i just wanted more chimera hulls, and more men :) again, i suspect its just a difference in playstyle.
now get painting!! ;)
Ha Ha...mainly finished now. Just one more set of autocannons and the Venerable Dread to complete plus snow basing during the week....maybe some weathering on the rhino...and voila! done!
ReplyDeleteI do miss the Hellhound...not even trialled this list yet and I already miss the flamey goodness it brings....
As to the heavy changes...running it this way means no more money needs be spent!! So, um...its probably goingto stay!!
I like the list, it has a bit more armour than my 1500 pt list, but still quite similar. I ran 4x Vet squads (3xmeltas in 2, 2xmeltas 1xflamer in 2) in chimeras and a similar command squad in a chimera. Instead of tanks though I took 2 valks and 2 vendettas. The triple melta vets also had PPs on sergeants and demolitions.
ReplyDeleteFor me it let me choose to throw the demo vets into vals/vendettas and scream up the board for that potential multi-vehicle meltabomb charge first turn :)
Oh and I should also say I really like the 3x grenades and autocannon vets, I might have to 'nick that idea from you!
ReplyDeleteHey man, welcome to the site...how did you find the squadron'd fliers? I guess if you weren't taking another fast attack option other than birds, then only 2 of them need squadroning...did this make them less survivable as it does on paper, or reduce the effective targets per turn that your force puts out?
ReplyDeleteThe Gl/AC squads with their Chimera can put out 6 S6 & 2 S7 shots static up to 24", or 6 S6 up to 30"...gorgeous midfield anti transport/MC firepower...or with 2 of them....good enough rate of fire to take out anything really...Of course, they have a greater threat range than this, but at reduced firepower....steal away dude...it's not that original an idea!! lol.
just added the finishing touches to my guardsmen and a few final transfers to my hydras, and i'm all set for next weekend. cant wait!! :)
ReplyDeletealso, any chance you can print off a couple of army lists? i dont have a printer here in London.
i was also just wondering if you think it might be a good idea to run a CCS with 4 Grenade launchers. i've never tried it, but you have made me consider it as an option. its cheap and could be pretty nasty.
Been trying to sort my guys out too this weekend...plus have been distracted my my IG...made massive progress for a couple of days!
ReplyDeleteI'll print and bring a half dozen, one for each opponent....do we need to be gay and write fluff for it? Make the army list look good...soft scoring points etc
The CCS replacing what? an Autocannon/melta squad...yeah, cheap and cheerful and pumps out good volume and accurate blasts and S6, especially combined with the chimera...7 S6 ain't bad...especially with rerolls vs transports etc....Up to you bro, I imagine from a fluff perspective, there would be some kind of liason officer to deal with the Astartes...
oh i didnt mean for this army, i meant in general.
ReplyDeleteas for fluff, no we dont need it, but i have mine on hand anyway if we do ;). the only soft scores are for painting, and they are very very minimal (like 10% of the total, if that).