guard?

[canadianguy]

Don't have book. Need to know is this enough stuff to build the core of a 1850 to 2000 point army? I know I need armour and transport but as the base to build around would the following be enough?

12 Snipers
5 Medics
10 Vox Casters
6 Sergeants
2 Power Weapon/Plasma Pistol Sarges
1 Power Fist Sarge
34 Las Guns
1 Plasma Gun
1 Commander
9 Grenade Launchers
5 Heavy Bolter Teams
5 Mortar

[BewareOfTom]

well from what I know, itd be best to either get more infantry, or get more meltagun guys and use them as 3 squads of vets, and I dont know if its even possible to use 10 vox in this list

[canadianguy]

I figure grenade launchers plus green stuff equal melta or plasma gun.
Vox casters could just be inserted one per squad for looks but its bodies I am. Wondering about.

[Frosty the Pirate]

unfortunately heavy bolter / mortar teams are probably the least used of the guard HWTs. People tend to prefer Autocannons or Missile Launchers these days from what I've seen.

As far as bodies, the sergeants will work fine since if you take a blob squad you need about 4-5 sarges with power weapons plus a commissar.

You also going to need a vehicle core, probably 3+ Chimeras, and then a few heavy/fast tanks of your choice are also going to be required. Most guard lists these days tend to run 10+ armoured chassis.

I will point out Tommy only uses 5 (2x Medusa, Demolisher, 2x Hydra) + 2 Sententials. And he won best overall at the club championship. So Infantry guard is entirely possible.

You probably have enough models physical count wise to get a good core going, but it's going to need vehicular support.

[Admiral Agrippa]

I never understood the use of power weapons in Guard units and characters. In most cases given your Initiative you're already striking last; and in most cases you're always attacking something with Toughness of 4.

To me, Powerfists were always the key. You're still striking last but at least now you're getting a better chance to wound.

I think that's why you see more Autocannons over Heavy Bolters as well. You sacrifice the one shot for the extra hitting power; and given the amount of T4 armies out there that, to some, is a decent trade off.

[Frosty the Pirate]

The autocannon spam is mostly for anti MC and anti light vehicle.

The logic for taking power weapons on sergeants is with the structure of the blob unit.

Basically, a guard "Blob" is usually a 40 man infantry squad, with 4x sergeants, and a commissar to make them stubborn. Because no unit is going to be able to lay down that volume of wounds in a single, or even 2/3 rounds of CC, you take all the wounds caused on regular guardsmen and as a result your sergeants (who have 3 attacks a piece) get to punch back with power weapons. The idea is that a dedicated assault unit can't punch through it and will slowly take damage back and get whittled down by the sergeants, while your grunts die. Also, there are several armies out there that striking at I3 against is a big deal. Especially if your standing in cover.

Also, as much as marines are a heavily played T4 army, there are a ton of armies that are T3 that still do extremely well. Dark Eldar are a prime example.

[BewareOfTom]

I know the answer.... 1+ furiosos with blood talons

but yeah, other than those and some purifiers, they'd be really hard to take down

[Frosty the Pirate]

Or a squad of flamer templates

[Stephen]

Most squad sgts can't take power fists if they are in a infantry so you thaw a commissar and 4 sgts w/ power weapons that the enemy can't pick out and that's about one or two dead marins from only 5 guards men and then you still have the rest of the blob to attack.

[calitom]

You have 1 commissar, 3-5 srgts and 1 commander iirc. So you can have 2 power fists and 3 power weapons in a blob squad (plus the eviscerator for the priest!) So 3 power weapons and 3 power fist equivalents in a blob of 37 guardsman (includes priest)... not too shabby.

[BewareOfTom]

I thought command squads couldnt blob in with the infantry?

[thesanityassassin]

I was under that impression as well when I played my blob.

And honestly, mortars aren't good...but at the same time don't underestimate their value as a super-cheap troop unit that can drop out templates...I generally used Autocannon and missile teams, but I always had a couple of Mortar teams that just hid behind my army, often going to ground on objectives, or else launching rounds at horde units like Orks or Nids (or other Guard).

[Stephen]

Mortars arn't bad but like many other things in the codex there are better options.

[canadianguy]

I managed to get 2 lascannons