Space Marines as Allies

What with Space Marines having just received a new codex, I though it would be worth a look at why, when and how to use them as allies to an Imperial Guard army: 

For marine allies with guard, what you need to do is either A) bring them to counter a specific weakness in your lists or B) use them to bring more of what you already have. Option A is probably the best, as it adds versatility to the list, but B has its merits, and can use some good combos like a Drop Pods assault backed up by stormtroopers for even more backfield killy goodness, or a mechanised list with a couple of rhinos and a predator or vindicator chucked in to add to armour saturation. 

On the whole, though, you should be looking at countering the 3 main weaknesses of the IG codex on its own: Lack or durability, lack of mobility, and lack of Close Combat prowess. 

Lack of Durability: it is an unfortunate reality that guardsmen, particularly on foot, have massive problems with staying alive in the later parts of the game, and this is where the Space Marine codex can help out. Taking 20-30 marines, some/most of which are scoring can boost the survivability of the army as a whole, and also because the enemy will have to divert considerably more firepower to remove them than some Infantry Squads, even in cover. This gives you better objective-holding ability, and also helps in missions where kill points are in play. A good allied contingent here would be: 

Chapter Tactics: Iron Hands

Librarian, terminator Armour, Storm Shield

2x 10 man Tactical squads (add weapons as appropriate)

TH/SS termies. 

Gives you a good core of reliable troops, a pretty tough if expensive Close Combat unit, and has great staying power. 

Lack of mobility: Drop pods seem like the obvious answer here, but consider for a moment the humble Rhino. A DP gets you to the enemy and then does nothing, a Rhino can keep you moving (and therefore reacting and capturing) until the end of the game if you are careful with it. Combine this with the Raven Guard Chapter Tactics, and you can have the enemy board edge in rapid-fire range by turn one, or outlfank your allies for a nasty side attack. Sample list:

Chapter Tactics: Raven Guard

Captain, Jump Pack, weapon of choice

2x 10-man Tactical squads, rhinos

Assault Marines or Vanguard Veterans for some mobile Close Combat if you want. If not, swap the captain for a librarian and shove him in a platoon for 'and They Shall Know No Fear' on a combined squad.

Lack of Close Combat ability: This is something that is less essential, and probably better covered by the Space Wolves or Dark Angels codex (or chaos if you're willing to go non-Imperium), but Codex: Space Marines can still hold its own. in this case you want to keep troops to a minimum, maybe even just a scout squad, and then put all the points you want in Elites and Fast Attack, getting ASM and Vanguard/Terminators (if the latter, get a Land Raider Dedicated Transport) and maybe even a Close Combat tooled Command Squad, on bikes to keep up with the mounted and Jump Pack elements. Good list:

Captain, bike

Command, bikes, Close Combat kit

Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield termies, Land Raider

scouts

Assault Marines, full squad, Jump Packs

Review: Codex Space Marines

Alongside my sizeable Imperial Guard army, I also have several Space Marine armies, so was very keen to get my hands on this new book as soon as I could. Having now had a good look at it, I've put together a review for anyone looking to pick one up for themselves. 

The first thing you notice about this codex is the frankly exceptional production quality. The hardback cover features a full-colour spot-varnished illustration of an Ultramarine captain, which is a great piece of artwork in and of itself. It also feels sturdy, especially compared to its paperback predecessor. The next thing you will notice is the page count. Codex: Space Marines is around 70 pages longer than the other 6th edition Codices, and upon opening it, it becomes clear why. 

Each of the First Founding Chapters/Legions and the Black Templars have their own sections in the book, detailing their history, combat doctrines and Successor Chapters, and each one features the artwork from their respective Limited Edition versions,  covering a full page, as well as a great combination of new, old and remastered and recoloured art. Stand-out pieces include the full-page painting of a Raven Guard air force of Thunderhawks, Stormtalons and Storm Eagles doing battle with a selection of Chaos fighters, including Heldrakes and Hellblades, and a smaller picture of a Salamanders Captain or Chapter Master wielding a burning blade against an Ork warboss. 

There is a wealth of background contained in the book, covering the origins of the Space Marines in even more detail than previous editions, and information on more than 30 Chapters. The gallery is as impressive, featuring dozens of paint schemes and poses, and showcasing some great models. The new Sternguard and Vanguard Veterans are shown in the colours of several Chapters, and the new Tactical Squad models are prevalent in almost any Chapter scheme displayed. 

The rules sections themselves are also well laid-out, with every unit entry featuring a full-colour piece of art, some of which is brand new, including new versions of several of the Special Characters. The armoury is simple and easy to use, the army list is set out in the traditional way (it isn't broken, no need to fix it), and there is a handy fold-out reference page at the back, featuring weapon profiles, special rules and unit profiles for everything in the book. 

I cannot yet comment much on the gameplay side of it, as I haven't tested it on the table yet, but points-drops across the board for most infantry and HQ choices bodes well for smaller games, and the new Chapter Tactics rules all seem flavourful and useful, while nothing screams of being overpowered. It looks, much like its spectacular predecessor (gone but not forgotten), to be a very balanced codex, and now even more varied. 

In short, this is a great book, easily worth the few pounds more than the other Codices, and I can't wait to see how it performs on the table. 

5 Things to Know About: Veteran Squads

As a follow-up to yesterday's post on Mech guard, and particularly the Chimera, here is an introduction to the key component of the list, the Veteran Squad:

1) Specialise: As with everything in the codex, specialisation is important, and doubly so for veterans. The ability to take 3 Special weapons is best utilised by making them all the same, so that when you hit your target of choice, you hit it hard. If you're shooting an AV14 tank, 3 meltaguns will be 3 times more effective than a melta, plasmagun and flamer. Against a horde target, the melta and plasma are useless, so the effect of the flamer is less effective.

2) Pick Your Targets: Veterans are very useful tools, but require careful use to get the most from them. Pick a target type for them when you deploy (or even when you build your list) and focus on that role. As an example, if you are facing a space marine army that uses terminators, and you are using a 3-plasma veteran squad, the terminators should be your primary target, as they are the best chance you have of doing damage, Similarly, a 3-melta squad can be effective against said terminators, but are going to be more useful bringing down a vehicle if possible.

3) Be Careful: A kitted-out veteran squad costs nearly twice as much as an infantry squad with similar weapons, and while you do gain a lot of utility from this, you will also have a lower model count, making every casualty matter more. As such, try and use cover and Line Of Sight blocking terrain to your advantage to keep them alive as long as possible.

4) Doctrines: If you have the points available, doctrines can improve the survivability of your squad, as well as helping them specialise, but the key here is not to take them unless they are guaranteed to help. If you are deploying in them in a Chimera, then Grenadiers is not going to help them much, but if they are on foot, it can potentially double their survivability against AP5 small arms.

5) Mech or Foot: While veteran squads will form the core of a mechanised list, they are equally useful to a foot list, with the ability to concentrate special weapons in a much smaller footprint than platoon infantry. They can be use as a counter-attacking unit with flamers, or for long-range support with plasma and a lascannon. In a foot list, they will benefit more from doctrines, as grenadiers keeps the upgraded models alive longer, and Forward Sentries combined with an Aegis Defence Line can be very useful for a 3+ cover save.

5 Things to Know About: Mech Guard

In this post, I present the first in what will become a series of brief articles on the very basics of certain units, styles or strategies. For the first, Mechanised Guard:

1) Cover Your Flank: Despite better front armour than many transports, Chimeras only have AV10 to the side and rear. What this means is you should be doing your best to keep them out of assault, and try and keep the flanks covered, or they are going down fast. If you can do so, try and block Line Of Sight with some to others, so that the minimum side armour is showing.

2) Plasma or Melta: This debate is at the heart of mech lists, as plasma weapons have the advantage of longer range (so less chance of being caught in Close Combat) and more shots when they do get close, and they are better on overwatch. However, they can harm the guardsmen and lose firepower fast with some unlucky rolls, so some do not like relying on them (personally I find them fine, and the Grenadiers upgrade can prevent some damage). Melta, on the other hand, is devastating at short range, but you are really putting yourself at risk of being charged. You'll have to experiment to find your own preferred ratio, but I like plasma:melta 2:1 most of the time.

3) Mechvets Are Defensive: Despite their considerable firepower, mechvets are far better as a rapid-reaction force than an aggressive force, as they are great on overwatch (fire normally, Overwatch for vehicle, disembark when destroyed, fire normally, overwatch again) and their mobility allows you to react to incoming threats and pick your targets.

4) Specialisation is Key: Specialisation is essential for mech lists, as your limited model-count means you need each unit to focus on one thing and do that. A punisher should take Heavy Bolter sponsons, for more anti-horde, while a Vanquisher should take Plasma Cannon/Multi-Melta sponsons for more Anti-Tank. The same goes for Special Weapons in vet squads, and anything else. Making a unit for every occasion is making a unit waste half its firepower regardless of the target.

5) Play the Mission: At the end of the day, your immense firepower is wasted unless you can win on objectives, so in the final turns you should be doing everything you can to take objectives, including sacrificing firepower. For example, on Turn 5, you can disembark onto an objective, and then move the chimera to block LOS to them. This will probably lose the chimera, but might win the mission.

All these articles will be uploaded in the 'tactics' section of the site for future reference.