Welcome to the FootGuard, where life is cheap and Conscripts are cheaper!
For any foot list, there are a few units you'll want to make heavy use of, and others that are more for filling specific gaps.
The Regulars:
Platoon Infantry Squad, Lascannon, Meltagun: Clocking in at 80 points for just one infantry squad, this might seem expensive, but when you're taking multiples of them and buffing them with Orders and other command options like psykers, it's easy to see where the value is. Guard excel at bringing more of a given weapon than the enemy can deal with, and in this setup, 3+ squads combined will put out enough firepower to down tanks at range, and with the meltas, threaten anything that comes close. These are probably the staple of a FootGuard list.
Platoon Command Squad, 4 Flamers: this unit, as well as providing valuable orders to the Infantry units they come with, also makes a great counter attacking squad. It is a reality that the enemy, if they are trying to, will break your line at some point, and the best way to greet them is with 4 Flamer templates right behind the Infantry. This puts out enough damage to kill or cripple almost anything that gets through, from an Ork Horde to a Terminator Squad, and if they try to charge you, a potential 12 automatically hitting Overwatch shots. At 50 points, this unit is to good to dismiss, especially as you have to take them anyway to unlock Platoons.
20-30 Conscripts, Priest: possibly one of the best points-to-effectiveness objective holders in the game, 21+ Fearless wounds is nothing to be sniffed at for as little as 85 points, not to mention the fact that, should you need to fix bayonets and get stuck in, they will be rerolling hit and possibly wound or save rolls, which can be quite the shock. Their cheapness also offsets the relatively expensive Lascannon/Melta Infantry Squads.
These three will form the core of most Foot Lists, and you can use the units below to plug meta/army specific holes.
Special Weapon Squad, 3 Sniper Rifles: Clocking in at only 36 points, they are the cheapest Objective Secured scoring unit in the book, and, when mixed in with larger squads, can cause some interesting target priority issues for the opponent. Do they shoot the larger squads, leaving the SWS to score untouched, or do they target the SWS, probably overkilling them, and leave the blobs alone? Taken in multiples, they can also do a good job of removing Special Weapons or taking wounds from MCs.
Veteran Squad, 3 Melta/Plasma, Grenadiers: This unit offers several things over the Platoon at the cost of some durability and ablative wounds. They have a better point-to-damage/footprint ratio due to the extra Special Weapons they can bring, and shoot them at a higher BS, so will land more hits. They concentrate this firepower into a much smaller footprint, and so are easier to hide and you are more likely to have the weapons where you need them against a given threat.
Tempestus Scions squad, 2 Plasma/Melta, 5-10 Men: While not packing as many special weapons as a veteran squad, the Scions bring something arguably more valuable and certainly harder to come by in a foot list- mobility. Deep Striking a squad or two of these can not only threaten enemy assets with a hail of Special Weapons fire, but also allow you to put units right in the enemy territory, diverting attention and possibly scoring Malestrom objectives in the process. Often, an opponent will not expect this type of reach or aggression from Foot Guard, so Scions can be a very nice trick to have up your sleeve.
Ogryn squad: Much like Veterans, Ogryn largely offer what the Infanty Squad does in a more concentrated form, but instead of the upgrades, they reflect the anti-infanty firepower and sheer wound count of a combined infantry squad on a much smaller footprint. This makes them ideal units to counterattack or spearhead an advance, able to dish out and absorb damage without leaving a gaping hole in your battle line.
Aegis Defence Line: Quite simply by providing a 4+ Cover Save, this fortification doubles the survivability of the Guardsmen behind it against most guns. It does bring a drop in mobility as it can force you into a fairly static position, but if you were planning on remaining still it can invaluable.
Friday 21 November 2014
Friday 25 April 2014
Spotlight On: Astra Militarium Support Options
In the second of these in-depth analyses of the various areas of the new Imperial Guard/Astra Militarium codex, I'm going to take a look at the various support options for a Guard army, of which there are many. In addition to the in-codex options, I'll also be examining some of the best allies that can boost the potential of the Imperial Guard.
The Company Command Squad:
The Company Command Squad was and still is one of the best options for boosting an army's capability. With access to all the Orders in the codex, and a number of useful advisors, there are few lists they won't benefit. The Regimental Standard can keep units in line very well, and without killing anyone like the Commissar does.
The Company Commander can issue 2 orders a turn, with a range of 12", and has access to both the Senior and Junior Officer Orders. There is not really a bad one in the bunch, so I'll just go through them all:
First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire: This is just the same as ever, adding another shot to any Lasguns in a unit, and as before, it's all about quantity over quality. Conscripts or Infantry Squads will benefit a lot from this, especially if you've cast Prescience on them.
Fire On My Target: Like the above Order, this is great against infantry when used with massed Lasguns, but where it really shines is against vehicles behind Aegis Defence Lines. By removing their 4+ save, you halve their survivability, which can be huge when hitting with Lascannons on Turn One. If the enemy are in cover, then this is the one to use.
Suppression Fire: This is one of the more situational orders, but potentially useful against low-leadership targets that you're not confident on killing, as pinning essentially makes the target useless for a turn if you can manage it. This is also not affected by the number of shots fired, so might be more useful for smaller squads than orders like FRF that get more powerful the more you're firing.
Forward For The Emperor: Possibly my favourite of the new orders, this one allows you to make a shooting attack and then a Run move, which has several useful applications. If on the offence, you can advance without sacrificing firepower (as per the rules, you can even fire Heavy Weapons and then run), and if playing defensively, you can use it to fire and move back, potentially out of charge range, and maybe get another round of shooting in. Very versatile, very useful.
Smite At Will: This one gives Split Fire to the unit, and as such, I think it's best used on Veteran squads. One Lascannon out of a blob isn't going to be that effective, but on a Veteran Squad, you get the benefit of BS4, and can still fire the other weapons at another target, potentially bagging you two targets in one turn.
Take Aim: There's some debate over the precise effect of this rule, but I'm going to go with the seemingly intended option that, on the roll of a 6 to hit, you get to allocate the wounds as per a character gaining Precision Shots. This one works well on anything, really, as you're either throwing enough Lasgun shots to get a good number of allocated hits, or fewer plasma/melta hits from Veterans that, if you can allocate them, are going to kill something important.
Move, Move, Move: This one is the best for those times you need your guardsmen to get somewhere, anywhere, fast. Whether it's running for an objective in the final turns, pulling away from a threatening Close Combat unit, or closing distance to unleash your close-range weapons, this is a good way to ensure mobility.
Bring It Down: Some say that the change to this Order, granting a re-roll to wound/penetrate on Monstrous Creatures or Vehicles respectively, rather than to hit, but when one considers the number of cheap Divination options the Astra Militarium have access to, there's every chance you can be re-rolling both, making this even more deadly than before. Solid on Platoons firing anti-tank weapons at range, or Veterans using the same up close.
Get Back In the Fight: This Order is both useful and redundant, depending on what kind of list you're playing. With lists that have Priests and Commissars left, right and centre, there are very few things that are likely to be falling back in the first place. On the other hand, that one time an important squad does break, you'll be glad you have this Order to hand.
Advisors:
The Astropath: A pure weapon in human form, this guy gives your CCS a nasty kick at short range. While Leadership 7 means he won't always get the power off, Psychic Shriek is a lethal attack when it does go off, and against Monstrous Creatures, the automatic wounds are worth it on their own. 25 points makes him a great and cheap option.
Officer of the Fleet: While, again, it relies on a leadership test, this can be boosted to Ld 9 with a Company Commander (as it's not a psychic test, you may use the highest Ld in the squad) and then either add one to your reserve rolls or remove one from your enemy's making him essential when running or facing a reserve-heavy list.
Master of Ordnance: Cheaper than his last iteration but largely the same, the Master of Ordnance is an interesting choice, especially considering he is now easily twin-linkable and can even be given Ignores Cover. At 20 points a pop, he's going to make his points back if he hits something, and is guaranteed to be fun at any rate.
Auxiliary HQ Choices:
Ministorium Priest: The Priest is nothing short of essential in a list planning on using large squads, offering, for a measly 25 points, 2 excellent passive abilities and a chance to add a third power-up in close combat. Fearless is a huge bonus on Conscripts who typically suffer from poor morale, and makes them great objective-sitters; for just 85 points, you get 21 fearless bodies, one of the most reliable-relative-to-cost objective holders in the game. In you can get them into combat, re-rolls to hit is a straight 50% upgrade to killing power against targets below WS5 (ie most standard units), and re-rolls to wound makes the low-strength wound-spamming guardsmen a threat even to Monstrous Creatures. He can also take a plasma for 15 points, which, while making him more expensive, could add some firepower to a squad, and he gets precision shots to boot.
Primaris Psyker: As with the Priest, this guy is a great choice. With the ability to twin-link anything through the use of Prescience, you can make any unit more dangerous, either in shooting or Close Combat, and with a cheap upgrade to Mastery Level 2, there's plenty of other good buffs available. With Leadership 9, they also make Orders more reliable, and with a Force Weapon in the base cost, they're no slouches (as far as Guard go) in combat either.
Techpriest Enginseer: Unlike the other two auxillury HQ choices, the Tecjpriest is one that actually works better in a mechanised list, for two reasons. One, he can use Blessing of the Omnissiah to repair a vehicle he is embarked on, which can keep your Chimeras alive longer, and also because Power of the Machine Spirit is very useful when in close proximity to Leman Russ tanks, allowing them to hit 2 targets per unit, or 3 if you pass the Split Fire Tank Order as well. He also adds a Powerfist or Power Axe in close combat as well.
Commissars:
Commissar: Bought as an upgrade to a Company or Platoon Command Squad, the Commissar allows a squad to stick around almost as reliably as the Priest, but with the bonus of being able to use his higher leadership and be free to Go To Ground if you choose, something the Priest makes impossible thanks to fearless. However, there is a 1/3 risk that your opponent will chose which model the Commissar executes to auto-pass a failed Leadership test, so by putting him in anything other than a Conscript Squad, you take the risk of losing an important model, making the Priest a better option.
Lord Commissar: Occupying a HQ slot, the Lord Commissar has the Independent Character rule that gives you some flexibility after the game begins, but other than that functions in a similar way to a normal Commissar, just with better stats.
Allied Options:
Inquisitors: Codex: Inquisition has a great deal to offer Imperial Guard. 55 points gets you a Level 1 Psyker with access to Divination, but with Ld10 over the Primaris's Ld9, and far more options. You can kit him out with a Psycannon or Conversion Beamer for extra shootiness, you can take a number of Close Combat Weapons and various armour types, and can take Servo Skulls to block Infiltrators and add some accuracy to your Blast weapons. As Inquisition detachments don't take up an ally slot, there's really nothing to lose by taking Inquisitors.
Space Marine Commanders: Space Marine Commanders of all kinds add a good deal to Guard. They all have Ld10, and And They Shall Know No Fear is a great rule to add to a large squad, meaning they can't be Swept in Combat. The Librarian adds more psychic powers (although not Divination), a Chapter Master or Captain add a combat character to the squad (and alternatively, you can use a Conscript Squad as a Chapter Master Delivery System, buying him 'extra wounds' at 3 points a model). Chaplains don't really add anything a Priest doesn't, but still give ATSKNF and Ld10.
Raven Guard Chapter Tactics also offers some interesting options, giving you a Outflanking squad of your choice.
That concludes this article, I hope it was useful. Thanks for reading.
The Company Command Squad:
The Company Command Squad was and still is one of the best options for boosting an army's capability. With access to all the Orders in the codex, and a number of useful advisors, there are few lists they won't benefit. The Regimental Standard can keep units in line very well, and without killing anyone like the Commissar does.
The Company Commander can issue 2 orders a turn, with a range of 12", and has access to both the Senior and Junior Officer Orders. There is not really a bad one in the bunch, so I'll just go through them all:
First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire: This is just the same as ever, adding another shot to any Lasguns in a unit, and as before, it's all about quantity over quality. Conscripts or Infantry Squads will benefit a lot from this, especially if you've cast Prescience on them.
Fire On My Target: Like the above Order, this is great against infantry when used with massed Lasguns, but where it really shines is against vehicles behind Aegis Defence Lines. By removing their 4+ save, you halve their survivability, which can be huge when hitting with Lascannons on Turn One. If the enemy are in cover, then this is the one to use.
Suppression Fire: This is one of the more situational orders, but potentially useful against low-leadership targets that you're not confident on killing, as pinning essentially makes the target useless for a turn if you can manage it. This is also not affected by the number of shots fired, so might be more useful for smaller squads than orders like FRF that get more powerful the more you're firing.
Forward For The Emperor: Possibly my favourite of the new orders, this one allows you to make a shooting attack and then a Run move, which has several useful applications. If on the offence, you can advance without sacrificing firepower (as per the rules, you can even fire Heavy Weapons and then run), and if playing defensively, you can use it to fire and move back, potentially out of charge range, and maybe get another round of shooting in. Very versatile, very useful.
Smite At Will: This one gives Split Fire to the unit, and as such, I think it's best used on Veteran squads. One Lascannon out of a blob isn't going to be that effective, but on a Veteran Squad, you get the benefit of BS4, and can still fire the other weapons at another target, potentially bagging you two targets in one turn.
Take Aim: There's some debate over the precise effect of this rule, but I'm going to go with the seemingly intended option that, on the roll of a 6 to hit, you get to allocate the wounds as per a character gaining Precision Shots. This one works well on anything, really, as you're either throwing enough Lasgun shots to get a good number of allocated hits, or fewer plasma/melta hits from Veterans that, if you can allocate them, are going to kill something important.
Move, Move, Move: This one is the best for those times you need your guardsmen to get somewhere, anywhere, fast. Whether it's running for an objective in the final turns, pulling away from a threatening Close Combat unit, or closing distance to unleash your close-range weapons, this is a good way to ensure mobility.
Bring It Down: Some say that the change to this Order, granting a re-roll to wound/penetrate on Monstrous Creatures or Vehicles respectively, rather than to hit, but when one considers the number of cheap Divination options the Astra Militarium have access to, there's every chance you can be re-rolling both, making this even more deadly than before. Solid on Platoons firing anti-tank weapons at range, or Veterans using the same up close.
Get Back In the Fight: This Order is both useful and redundant, depending on what kind of list you're playing. With lists that have Priests and Commissars left, right and centre, there are very few things that are likely to be falling back in the first place. On the other hand, that one time an important squad does break, you'll be glad you have this Order to hand.
Advisors:
The Astropath: A pure weapon in human form, this guy gives your CCS a nasty kick at short range. While Leadership 7 means he won't always get the power off, Psychic Shriek is a lethal attack when it does go off, and against Monstrous Creatures, the automatic wounds are worth it on their own. 25 points makes him a great and cheap option.
Officer of the Fleet: While, again, it relies on a leadership test, this can be boosted to Ld 9 with a Company Commander (as it's not a psychic test, you may use the highest Ld in the squad) and then either add one to your reserve rolls or remove one from your enemy's making him essential when running or facing a reserve-heavy list.
Master of Ordnance: Cheaper than his last iteration but largely the same, the Master of Ordnance is an interesting choice, especially considering he is now easily twin-linkable and can even be given Ignores Cover. At 20 points a pop, he's going to make his points back if he hits something, and is guaranteed to be fun at any rate.
Auxiliary HQ Choices:
Ministorium Priest: The Priest is nothing short of essential in a list planning on using large squads, offering, for a measly 25 points, 2 excellent passive abilities and a chance to add a third power-up in close combat. Fearless is a huge bonus on Conscripts who typically suffer from poor morale, and makes them great objective-sitters; for just 85 points, you get 21 fearless bodies, one of the most reliable-relative-to-cost objective holders in the game. In you can get them into combat, re-rolls to hit is a straight 50% upgrade to killing power against targets below WS5 (ie most standard units), and re-rolls to wound makes the low-strength wound-spamming guardsmen a threat even to Monstrous Creatures. He can also take a plasma for 15 points, which, while making him more expensive, could add some firepower to a squad, and he gets precision shots to boot.
Primaris Psyker: As with the Priest, this guy is a great choice. With the ability to twin-link anything through the use of Prescience, you can make any unit more dangerous, either in shooting or Close Combat, and with a cheap upgrade to Mastery Level 2, there's plenty of other good buffs available. With Leadership 9, they also make Orders more reliable, and with a Force Weapon in the base cost, they're no slouches (as far as Guard go) in combat either.
Techpriest Enginseer: Unlike the other two auxillury HQ choices, the Tecjpriest is one that actually works better in a mechanised list, for two reasons. One, he can use Blessing of the Omnissiah to repair a vehicle he is embarked on, which can keep your Chimeras alive longer, and also because Power of the Machine Spirit is very useful when in close proximity to Leman Russ tanks, allowing them to hit 2 targets per unit, or 3 if you pass the Split Fire Tank Order as well. He also adds a Powerfist or Power Axe in close combat as well.
Commissars:
Commissar: Bought as an upgrade to a Company or Platoon Command Squad, the Commissar allows a squad to stick around almost as reliably as the Priest, but with the bonus of being able to use his higher leadership and be free to Go To Ground if you choose, something the Priest makes impossible thanks to fearless. However, there is a 1/3 risk that your opponent will chose which model the Commissar executes to auto-pass a failed Leadership test, so by putting him in anything other than a Conscript Squad, you take the risk of losing an important model, making the Priest a better option.
Lord Commissar: Occupying a HQ slot, the Lord Commissar has the Independent Character rule that gives you some flexibility after the game begins, but other than that functions in a similar way to a normal Commissar, just with better stats.
Allied Options:
Inquisitors: Codex: Inquisition has a great deal to offer Imperial Guard. 55 points gets you a Level 1 Psyker with access to Divination, but with Ld10 over the Primaris's Ld9, and far more options. You can kit him out with a Psycannon or Conversion Beamer for extra shootiness, you can take a number of Close Combat Weapons and various armour types, and can take Servo Skulls to block Infiltrators and add some accuracy to your Blast weapons. As Inquisition detachments don't take up an ally slot, there's really nothing to lose by taking Inquisitors.
Space Marine Commanders: Space Marine Commanders of all kinds add a good deal to Guard. They all have Ld10, and And They Shall Know No Fear is a great rule to add to a large squad, meaning they can't be Swept in Combat. The Librarian adds more psychic powers (although not Divination), a Chapter Master or Captain add a combat character to the squad (and alternatively, you can use a Conscript Squad as a Chapter Master Delivery System, buying him 'extra wounds' at 3 points a model). Chaplains don't really add anything a Priest doesn't, but still give ATSKNF and Ld10.
Raven Guard Chapter Tactics also offers some interesting options, giving you a Outflanking squad of your choice.
That concludes this article, I hope it was useful. Thanks for reading.
Wednesday 23 April 2014
Spotlight On: Astra Militarium Troops
Today I'm taking a look at the key building blocks of any army list, the Troops slots, and the various ways to get the best from them in an Imperial Guard/Astra Militarium army. The new codex has opened up some very interesting possibilities, while all the common options from the last book also remained solid.
The Veteran Squad:
The first choice I'm going to look at is the Veteran squad. In terms of the unit itself, and particularly their firepower, not a lot has changed for these guys, as they still have the capacity to carry up to 3 Special and 1 Heavy weapon, making them possibly the best unit in the codex for Force Concentration, or putting your firepower where you need it. 3 plasma or meltaguns mean they remain adept at putting down units with 2+ saves, Monstrous Creatures and vehicles of all kinds at short-to-mid, and as BS4, they are still as reliable as ever.
The new Orders and support options actually help Veterans a lot. The new versions of Bring It Down (conferring Tank/Monster Hunter and therefore re-rolls on Armour Penetration or Wounds) and Fire On My Target (Ignores Cover) mean that the special weapons will be even more effective, as they have more chance to hurt or denying the enemy a chance to save against them. With the abundance of Cover, Fire On My Target is not to be underestimated, as being able to remove the 4+ save conferred by an Aegis Defence Line with a Lascannon or Plasmagun shot essentially doubles your chances of doing damage. Forward For The Emperor allows you to manoeuvre better without losing firepower, and Take Aim allows you to put those AP2 wounds where you want them. Smite At Will (Split Fire) means you can hit 2 targets (useful when 3 meltaguns would be overkill, or your Lascannon has a shot at some weak armour) and Supression Fire (Pinning) is also useful. Move, Move, Move is the only order that doesn't directly benefit Veterans more than anyone else, but it's still handy if you need to redeploy.
The Auxiliary HQs also help Veterans quite a bit. While the Priest's Fearless and War Hymns aren't directly useful, he can add an extra Plasmagun, which, while situational, is a nice boost to firepower. The Primaris Psyker casting Prescience can help you lay down more Special Weapon hits, and while the benefit:cost ratio is arguably worse than that for a Combined Platoon Infantry Squad, there's far more chance of all 3 Special Weapons being in effective range with a Veteran Squad. The Techpriest Enginseer is useful for mechanised Veterans, as they can repair the Chimera using Blessing of the Omnissiah, add a powerfist attack in close combat, and as it's likely they will be near a Leman Russ in a mech list, confer Power of the Machine Spirit. There's also something to be said for having a 3+ save to take challenges on.
Doctrines also got significantly cheaper for Veterans, with Grenadiers (Carapace Armour) only 15 points, and Forward Sentries (Camo Cloaks and Snare Mines) at just 10. This means that, either through better cover save or armour, you can easily increase the durabilty of your veterans, with Carapace armour giving that all-important save against the AP5 small arms carries en-masse by most armies. The Doctrines also stack, so it's perfectly possible, for less than 1 Doctrine cost in the last codex, to have a unit of Veterans with a 4+ armour save, Defensive Grenades, and +1 to their cover save, making them pretty durable next to their Flak-armoured comrades.
It's not all good, though. With the increase in cost and reduction of Fire Points on the Chimera, the idea of using it as a gunboat for Veterans is somewhat weakened. Instead, it's now possibly better to perform a 'cavalry charge' of sorts with mechanised Veterans, moving as fast as possible with 2-3 Veteran Squads and a Company Command Squad, disembarking once in short range and unleashing a short-range salvo of Order-boosted firepower. This does require some points to be poured into it, but as a sledgehammer it might be quite effective, especially when backed up by a Deep-striking Scion Platoon or a Hellhound or two.
Infantry Platoon:
The Infantry Platoon remained almost identical in terms of composition, barring a few slight points adjustments (the Special Weapon squad drops to 30 points) and minor additions (Special and Heavy Weapon Squads got Frag Grenades). The main boost to the Platoon is in the extra support options they get.
Orders are the main change; the Platoon Command Squad now has a 12" order range and there are several new options available. Suppression Fire confers Pinning, allowing a squad to potentially take out a low-Leadership threat for a turn, Take Aim gives Precision Shots, which could be useful for hitting special weapons; you're throwing enough shots, some are bound to make it through. Critically, Forward For The Emperor allows you to run after making a shooting attack, which may well be the answer to the Combined Squad's lack of mobility.
The Primaris Psyker is very helpful for larger Combined Squads (only after 30 men does it become more effective to add a Psyker rather than another squad) as he can essentially Twin-link all their weapons, which, combined with First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire or Take Aim, vastly improves the damage output of large squads, and if you upgrade to Mastery Level 2, there's plenty of other good powers, such as Forewarning (A 4+ invulnerable save) from Divination or Endurance (Feel No Pain and Relentless) from Biomancy, both of which get a better return on investment when cast on a larger squad with multiple Special/Heavy weapons, something the Infantry Platoon does well. A Priest granting fearless and War Hymns is fairly obviously useful to large squads as well, offering the same bonus as a Commissar without the risk of an important model being executed.
The reduction of the cost of Sniper Rifles and Special Weapons also opens up an interesting option, as at only 36 points, you get an insanely cheap, easily duplicated scoring unit that is small enough to be ignored and, in multiples, potentially quite dangerous with a good number of Pinning/Rending/Precision shots. These squads also cause some target priority issues for the opponent, as they must choose between shooting these small, rather fragile units at the expense of hitting the more threatening blobs, or to hit the blobs and leave you with half a dozen scoring units that are easy to hide and get harder to remove the more turns elapse. Essentially, these squads are cheap enough that they can counter the relative unwieldiness of blobs and add a Multiple-Small-Units feel to a horde list.
Possibly the real gem of the Platoon, though, is the Conscript Squad. At only 3 points a model, they have some fairly poor stats (WS/BS2, Ld5) but are so damn cheap that you can easily find the points to throw in one or two supporting models to make them a force to be reckoned with. A Commissar will mean that they get a leadership boost, Stubborn, and if they do fail the test, there's no real loss. 2/3 times, you'll choose an identical Conscript to execute and auto-pass the test, and 1/3 of the time, your opponent has the same choice, or lack thereof. A Priest giving them re-rolls on Hits and potentially Wounds or Saves in Combat make them pretty nasty to be charged by, an excellent tarpit (Fearless means they won't ever run) and a great first wave to shield the guys behind. 85 points buys you a Fearless 21-man objective-sitter. A Primaris Psyker also gives a Ld boost, access to Prescience on their bucketful of Lasgun shots, and potentially some other buffs. They also make a dirt-cheap bodyguard for an allied Character you need to get into combat, as 60 points buys your Chapter Master Smasher of the Killy Death Marines 20 extra wounds.
And to finish things off, a Troops-heavy list that puts all of this into practice:
The Veteran Squad:
The first choice I'm going to look at is the Veteran squad. In terms of the unit itself, and particularly their firepower, not a lot has changed for these guys, as they still have the capacity to carry up to 3 Special and 1 Heavy weapon, making them possibly the best unit in the codex for Force Concentration, or putting your firepower where you need it. 3 plasma or meltaguns mean they remain adept at putting down units with 2+ saves, Monstrous Creatures and vehicles of all kinds at short-to-mid, and as BS4, they are still as reliable as ever.
The new Orders and support options actually help Veterans a lot. The new versions of Bring It Down (conferring Tank/Monster Hunter and therefore re-rolls on Armour Penetration or Wounds) and Fire On My Target (Ignores Cover) mean that the special weapons will be even more effective, as they have more chance to hurt or denying the enemy a chance to save against them. With the abundance of Cover, Fire On My Target is not to be underestimated, as being able to remove the 4+ save conferred by an Aegis Defence Line with a Lascannon or Plasmagun shot essentially doubles your chances of doing damage. Forward For The Emperor allows you to manoeuvre better without losing firepower, and Take Aim allows you to put those AP2 wounds where you want them. Smite At Will (Split Fire) means you can hit 2 targets (useful when 3 meltaguns would be overkill, or your Lascannon has a shot at some weak armour) and Supression Fire (Pinning) is also useful. Move, Move, Move is the only order that doesn't directly benefit Veterans more than anyone else, but it's still handy if you need to redeploy.
The Auxiliary HQs also help Veterans quite a bit. While the Priest's Fearless and War Hymns aren't directly useful, he can add an extra Plasmagun, which, while situational, is a nice boost to firepower. The Primaris Psyker casting Prescience can help you lay down more Special Weapon hits, and while the benefit:cost ratio is arguably worse than that for a Combined Platoon Infantry Squad, there's far more chance of all 3 Special Weapons being in effective range with a Veteran Squad. The Techpriest Enginseer is useful for mechanised Veterans, as they can repair the Chimera using Blessing of the Omnissiah, add a powerfist attack in close combat, and as it's likely they will be near a Leman Russ in a mech list, confer Power of the Machine Spirit. There's also something to be said for having a 3+ save to take challenges on.
Doctrines also got significantly cheaper for Veterans, with Grenadiers (Carapace Armour) only 15 points, and Forward Sentries (Camo Cloaks and Snare Mines) at just 10. This means that, either through better cover save or armour, you can easily increase the durabilty of your veterans, with Carapace armour giving that all-important save against the AP5 small arms carries en-masse by most armies. The Doctrines also stack, so it's perfectly possible, for less than 1 Doctrine cost in the last codex, to have a unit of Veterans with a 4+ armour save, Defensive Grenades, and +1 to their cover save, making them pretty durable next to their Flak-armoured comrades.
It's not all good, though. With the increase in cost and reduction of Fire Points on the Chimera, the idea of using it as a gunboat for Veterans is somewhat weakened. Instead, it's now possibly better to perform a 'cavalry charge' of sorts with mechanised Veterans, moving as fast as possible with 2-3 Veteran Squads and a Company Command Squad, disembarking once in short range and unleashing a short-range salvo of Order-boosted firepower. This does require some points to be poured into it, but as a sledgehammer it might be quite effective, especially when backed up by a Deep-striking Scion Platoon or a Hellhound or two.
Infantry Platoon:
The Infantry Platoon remained almost identical in terms of composition, barring a few slight points adjustments (the Special Weapon squad drops to 30 points) and minor additions (Special and Heavy Weapon Squads got Frag Grenades). The main boost to the Platoon is in the extra support options they get.
Orders are the main change; the Platoon Command Squad now has a 12" order range and there are several new options available. Suppression Fire confers Pinning, allowing a squad to potentially take out a low-Leadership threat for a turn, Take Aim gives Precision Shots, which could be useful for hitting special weapons; you're throwing enough shots, some are bound to make it through. Critically, Forward For The Emperor allows you to run after making a shooting attack, which may well be the answer to the Combined Squad's lack of mobility.
The Primaris Psyker is very helpful for larger Combined Squads (only after 30 men does it become more effective to add a Psyker rather than another squad) as he can essentially Twin-link all their weapons, which, combined with First Rank Fire, Second Rank Fire or Take Aim, vastly improves the damage output of large squads, and if you upgrade to Mastery Level 2, there's plenty of other good powers, such as Forewarning (A 4+ invulnerable save) from Divination or Endurance (Feel No Pain and Relentless) from Biomancy, both of which get a better return on investment when cast on a larger squad with multiple Special/Heavy weapons, something the Infantry Platoon does well. A Priest granting fearless and War Hymns is fairly obviously useful to large squads as well, offering the same bonus as a Commissar without the risk of an important model being executed.
The reduction of the cost of Sniper Rifles and Special Weapons also opens up an interesting option, as at only 36 points, you get an insanely cheap, easily duplicated scoring unit that is small enough to be ignored and, in multiples, potentially quite dangerous with a good number of Pinning/Rending/Precision shots. These squads also cause some target priority issues for the opponent, as they must choose between shooting these small, rather fragile units at the expense of hitting the more threatening blobs, or to hit the blobs and leave you with half a dozen scoring units that are easy to hide and get harder to remove the more turns elapse. Essentially, these squads are cheap enough that they can counter the relative unwieldiness of blobs and add a Multiple-Small-Units feel to a horde list.
Possibly the real gem of the Platoon, though, is the Conscript Squad. At only 3 points a model, they have some fairly poor stats (WS/BS2, Ld5) but are so damn cheap that you can easily find the points to throw in one or two supporting models to make them a force to be reckoned with. A Commissar will mean that they get a leadership boost, Stubborn, and if they do fail the test, there's no real loss. 2/3 times, you'll choose an identical Conscript to execute and auto-pass the test, and 1/3 of the time, your opponent has the same choice, or lack thereof. A Priest giving them re-rolls on Hits and potentially Wounds or Saves in Combat make them pretty nasty to be charged by, an excellent tarpit (Fearless means they won't ever run) and a great first wave to shield the guys behind. 85 points buys you a Fearless 21-man objective-sitter. A Primaris Psyker also gives a Ld boost, access to Prescience on their bucketful of Lasgun shots, and potentially some other buffs. They also make a dirt-cheap bodyguard for an allied Character you need to get into combat, as 60 points buys your Chapter Master Smasher of the Killy Death Marines 20 extra wounds.
And to finish things off, a Troops-heavy list that puts all of this into practice:
Foot Guard, 1500:
HQ:
CCS, Carapace, Autocannon: 83
Priest x3: 75
Primaris: 50
Primaris: 50
Troops
Platoon 1:
PCS, 4 Flamers: 50
PIS, melta: 60
PIS, melta: 60
PIS, melta: 60
40 Conscripts: 120
SWS, 3x Sniper: 36
SWS, 3x Sniper: 36
Platoon 2:
PCS, 4 Flamers: 50
Commissar
PIS, Lascannon: 70
PIS, Lascannon: 70
PIS, Lascannon: 70
40 Conscripts: 120
SWS, 3x Sniper: 36
SWS, 3x Sniper: 36
Veterans, Carapace, 3x Plasma: 120
Veterans, Carapace, 3x Plasma: 120
ADL, Quad Gun: 100
1497
The general plan:
The Commissar attached to the Lascannon blob. which sit
behind the ADL with the Veterans. The Conscripts move up side-by-side, in front
on the Melta blob, with priests attached to each. The SWS move up on the flanks
for vantage points or hide as needed. Psykers go in the Lascannon and Melta
blobs.
It's not as many bodies as some lists throw down, but every
unit is capable of doing damage, while none are a pivotal enough to scream
''shoot me!'. Small and big units give a balance between target overload and
return on buffs.
That's all for today. Hopefully this has given you some insight into the Emperor's Finest...Bullet-catchers.
Monday 21 April 2014
Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer Updated
The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifiting Primer has now been updated for the 6th Edition Astra Militarium codex. The only omissions are the Bullgryn and Taurox, both of which I'm still getting my head around, but other than that, everything is more or less up to date.
Apologies if I've missed anything, it's still early days for this codex but I think I've covered the changes.
Apologies if I've missed anything, it's still early days for this codex but I think I've covered the changes.
Sunday 20 April 2014
New Imperial Guard/Astra Militarium Codex: What's Changed?
A new codex for the-army-formerly-known-as-Imperial-Guard has been released, making this the perfect time to put this blog back into action. The Imperial Infantryman's Uplifting Primer will shortly be undergoing revision for the new book, and you can expect plenty of tactics articles coming your way as the dust settles on this new age of the humble Guardsman. To start with, a quick summary of what's changed in the new book:
Summary
Overall, I expect good things from this codex. The loss of some options is doubtless a blow, and not one that seemed entirely necessary, but overall, the changes are either neutral for the better. I'm particularly looking forward to experimenting with even more Stormtroopers and Russ Commanders.
The Good:
Possibly the most exciting change for a lot of players will be the option for using a Leman Russ tank (of any variety) as a Commander. As well as granting BS4 and potentially giving you an AV14 Warlord, you also get access to Tank Orders, which are given on a pseudo-Leadership test (2d6 must roll under 9). The options are giving his Squadron the ability to move 6+d6" in the Shooting Phase in place of firing, to grant Split Fire to himself, or to make a shooting attack and then use Smoke Launchers. The only downside here is that you do have to take at least 2 tanks in the squadron, but Split Fire mitigates this most of the time.
Furthermore, Knight Commander Pask is now an upgrade to a Command Tank, and adds even more nastiness to the already-good option. He now gets preferred enemy against a codex of your choice, and a particular upgrade depending on which variant of the Russ he's riding in. Rending Punisher, anyone?
Russes are, in general, cheaper across the board, the Exterminator and Vanquisher now at 130 and 135 points respectively. Sponsons are also a little cheaper. Strangely, the Leman Russ Battle Tank and Demolisher remained expensive, despite Ordnance severely crippling them. Maybe a sign of things to come in the rumoured 7th Edition out this summer (although I am sceptical of this myself), or just GW missing the obvious. On the whole, though, these changes make Russes the go-to for firepower.
Stormtroopers, a personal favourite of mine, also got a major increase in effectiveness (along with an annoying, but palatable, renaming to the Militarium Tempestus). The most obvious change is that they can now be taken in platoons, and have access to Command Squads, giving you up to 35 in a single Elite Slot, or a massive, if excessive, 105 in an army. They also dropped to 12 points per model, down from 16, making them more affordable. They did lose the Special Operations rules, but the cheaper cost and greater access makes this a win in my opinion.
The Stormtrooper's ground-based cousins, the Veteran Squad, is also a clear winner here, dropping in cost by 10 points a squad (although losing the hardly-used Krak grenades) and getting access to much cheaper Doctrines. With Forward Sentries giving Camo Cloaks and Defensive Grenades for only 10 points, and Carapace Armour clocking in at 15 points a squad, it's now far cheaper to customise Veterans for several roles.
Another interesting addition is an expansion of the auxiliary HQ choices, which take up no Force Organisation slot. The Priest gets a huge cost reduction and a greater set of abilities, granting re-rolls to hit in the first round of any combat, Fearless, and War Hymns that allow you to (on passing a Ld test) re-roll failed wounds or saves, or give the Priest the Smash ability. He can also take a Plasma Gun, adding firepower to a squad.
The Primaris Psyker now gets cheaper and access to Divination, allowing re-rolls to any unit which can massively boost the effectiveness of anything from an infantry platoon to a Russ squadron. With cheap upgrades to Mastery Level 2, you can also get some other useful powers as well.
The third 'extra' HQ choice is the Techpriest, which has gained some utility from the last codex, with the addition of Independent Character and the ability to grant Power of the Machine Spirit to a nearby vehicle, which could be useful for those not taking a Tank Commander.
The other new unit is the Wyvern, which, while it's existence is cause for concern (see below), is effective in and of itself, comparable to a Thunderfire Cannon or Thudd Gun. 4 blasts and a re-roll to wound make it fearsome to infantry unit, even those in cover.
Orders also gained some variety, with new options giving Pinning, Split Fire, allowing a unit to Shoot and Run or granting them Precision shots. This gives a huge boost to the effectiveness of infantry, which, while never truly weak, were often outclassed by mechanised units towards the end of the last codex.
The Bad
There are a few things about this codex rules-wise that are a real loss from the last codex.
Most notable is the change to the Chimera, namely the loss of a 3 Fire Points in place of 2 Lasgun Arrays (essentially 3 Lasguns) that can be fired at BS3 separate to other weapons. The effect of this is to relegate the Chimera from a vehicle a unit could effectively fight from to a primarily transport role, akin to the Space Marine Rhino. The worst part, however, is the cost, which increased by 10 points. While, with the Veteran cost reduction makes it a wash for mounted Veteran squads, for mechanised infantry platoons it's a plain loss.
Other than that, the main issue is the fact that some units that could really benefit from a cost reduction or utility increase did not get them. Rough Riders remained poor, Ogryn did not get their (not essential but hoped-for) price drop, and of the 4 new units introduced, the Bullgryn and Taurox are sadly lacklustre.
The Ugly
By far the worst aspect of this codex is the baseless removal of several units, and the invalidation of several playstyles.
A large portion of the Artillery was removed, with the Griffon, Medusa and Colossus all vanishing without a trace. Penal Legion are gone, and several special characters too, with Marbo, Bastonne, Chenkov and Al'Rahem now Missing In Action.
All in-codex outflanking options are gone; Creed and Harker lost their ability to confer Outflank, and Al'Rahem no longer exists, so the rather fun plan of bringing in a horde of Guardsmen from a flank is now not possible. Conscripts are cheaper, but the loss of Send in the Next Wave makes the 'infinite Guardsmen' list impossible as well.
Russes are, in general, cheaper across the board, the Exterminator and Vanquisher now at 130 and 135 points respectively. Sponsons are also a little cheaper. Strangely, the Leman Russ Battle Tank and Demolisher remained expensive, despite Ordnance severely crippling them. Maybe a sign of things to come in the rumoured 7th Edition out this summer (although I am sceptical of this myself), or just GW missing the obvious. On the whole, though, these changes make Russes the go-to for firepower.
Stormtroopers, a personal favourite of mine, also got a major increase in effectiveness (along with an annoying, but palatable, renaming to the Militarium Tempestus). The most obvious change is that they can now be taken in platoons, and have access to Command Squads, giving you up to 35 in a single Elite Slot, or a massive, if excessive, 105 in an army. They also dropped to 12 points per model, down from 16, making them more affordable. They did lose the Special Operations rules, but the cheaper cost and greater access makes this a win in my opinion.
The Stormtrooper's ground-based cousins, the Veteran Squad, is also a clear winner here, dropping in cost by 10 points a squad (although losing the hardly-used Krak grenades) and getting access to much cheaper Doctrines. With Forward Sentries giving Camo Cloaks and Defensive Grenades for only 10 points, and Carapace Armour clocking in at 15 points a squad, it's now far cheaper to customise Veterans for several roles.
Another interesting addition is an expansion of the auxiliary HQ choices, which take up no Force Organisation slot. The Priest gets a huge cost reduction and a greater set of abilities, granting re-rolls to hit in the first round of any combat, Fearless, and War Hymns that allow you to (on passing a Ld test) re-roll failed wounds or saves, or give the Priest the Smash ability. He can also take a Plasma Gun, adding firepower to a squad.
The Primaris Psyker now gets cheaper and access to Divination, allowing re-rolls to any unit which can massively boost the effectiveness of anything from an infantry platoon to a Russ squadron. With cheap upgrades to Mastery Level 2, you can also get some other useful powers as well.
The third 'extra' HQ choice is the Techpriest, which has gained some utility from the last codex, with the addition of Independent Character and the ability to grant Power of the Machine Spirit to a nearby vehicle, which could be useful for those not taking a Tank Commander.
The other new unit is the Wyvern, which, while it's existence is cause for concern (see below), is effective in and of itself, comparable to a Thunderfire Cannon or Thudd Gun. 4 blasts and a re-roll to wound make it fearsome to infantry unit, even those in cover.
Orders also gained some variety, with new options giving Pinning, Split Fire, allowing a unit to Shoot and Run or granting them Precision shots. This gives a huge boost to the effectiveness of infantry, which, while never truly weak, were often outclassed by mechanised units towards the end of the last codex.
The Bad
There are a few things about this codex rules-wise that are a real loss from the last codex.
Most notable is the change to the Chimera, namely the loss of a 3 Fire Points in place of 2 Lasgun Arrays (essentially 3 Lasguns) that can be fired at BS3 separate to other weapons. The effect of this is to relegate the Chimera from a vehicle a unit could effectively fight from to a primarily transport role, akin to the Space Marine Rhino. The worst part, however, is the cost, which increased by 10 points. While, with the Veteran cost reduction makes it a wash for mounted Veteran squads, for mechanised infantry platoons it's a plain loss.
Other than that, the main issue is the fact that some units that could really benefit from a cost reduction or utility increase did not get them. Rough Riders remained poor, Ogryn did not get their (not essential but hoped-for) price drop, and of the 4 new units introduced, the Bullgryn and Taurox are sadly lacklustre.
The Ugly
By far the worst aspect of this codex is the baseless removal of several units, and the invalidation of several playstyles.
A large portion of the Artillery was removed, with the Griffon, Medusa and Colossus all vanishing without a trace. Penal Legion are gone, and several special characters too, with Marbo, Bastonne, Chenkov and Al'Rahem now Missing In Action.
All in-codex outflanking options are gone; Creed and Harker lost their ability to confer Outflank, and Al'Rahem no longer exists, so the rather fun plan of bringing in a horde of Guardsmen from a flank is now not possible. Conscripts are cheaper, but the loss of Send in the Next Wave makes the 'infinite Guardsmen' list impossible as well.
Summary
Overall, I expect good things from this codex. The loss of some options is doubtless a blow, and not one that seemed entirely necessary, but overall, the changes are either neutral for the better. I'm particularly looking forward to experimenting with even more Stormtroopers and Russ Commanders.
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