1750 Vostroyan Imperial Guard

[agurus1]

made this as an all-comers list for people at my local GW. so far its done very well, winning me several prizes in tournaments, and I've only suffered two losses, and one draw while using them. Any thoughts would be quite welcome though!!! I wanted to add a valkyrie somewhere, or some chimeras for a bit of mobility. Right now to capture an opponents objectives I have to run up my combined infantry squads with a veteran squad or two in support. Anyway here goes.

Vostroyan 18th Legion, “The Hounds of Euryales” 1750
HQ: 330
Company Command Squad:
• Colonel Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Straken)
• Medi-Pack
• Regimental Standard
• Vox-caster
• Heavy Flamer
• Carapace Armour
Lord Commissar:
• Powerfist
• Carapace Armour

Elites: 230+80
Vostroyan Snipers (ratlings):
• Three (3) additional Snipers
Vostroyan Snipers (ratlings):
• Three (3) additional Snipers
Gubernatorial Life Wards (storm troopers): 85 (142)
• Power Weapon 10
• Melta Gun 10
• Flamer 5
• Two (2) additional Life Wards 32

Troops: 297+421
Vostroyan Grenadiers (veterans):
• Power Weapon
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Two (2) Flamers
• Heavy Flamer
• Grenadiers
Vostroyan Grenadiers (veterans):
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Three (3) Plasma Guns
• Grenadiers
Platoon Command Squad:
• Power Fist
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Medi-pack
• Two (2) Plasma Guns
Vostroyan Fusiliers (infantry squad):
• Commissar
• Two (2) Power Weapons
• Vox-caster
• Plasma Gun
Vostroyan Fusiliers (infantry squad):
• Power Weapon
• Vox-caster
• Plasma Gun
Vostroyan Bombardiers (heavy weapon squads):
• Three (3) Lascannons

Heavy Support: 440
Leman Russ Battle Tank:
• Lascannon
• Heavy Bolter Sponsons
• Extra Armour
Leman Russ Vanquisher:
• Lascannon
• Extra Armour
• Knight Commander Pask

all ideas are welcome!!! :D

[Tynskel]

Loving the fluff!

While you are at it, you should name the Commissar Lord, Commissar, the Platoon Officer, and the Tank commander.

I can't help but think that Sentinels would be useful in this list--- where to get the points? Not so sure. What's your plan with the Commissar Lord-- you already have a Commissar for the Infantry blob? That might be the place to free up points for Sentinels. Could get two for the price of him.

[agurus1]

yeah I was thinking about armored or scout sentinels with either plasma cannons or multilasers, OR some fluffy rough riders converted from pistoliers.

the Lord Commissar is there to help my Heavy Weapons team and ratlings pass orders test at leadership 10. at my store lots of people run avatars, wraithlords, deamon princes, and the like, so the "bring it down" order is pretty important. also I run him as a tag team with straken in more aggressive games, usually there is nothing that the two of them combined cant take down.

[Tynskel]

Looking at the empire models-- I think they would fit in quite well with the Vostroyan feel.

The cool thing is you can get both a Sentinel and Rough Riders for 90 points!

[agurus1]

I'm looking forward to maybe playing Apocalypse every week or so at my local GW, so I'm thinking about expanding the army. I painted up a baneblade so thats 500 points right there. I have unpainted 3 sentinel kits, I have extra heavy bolter, and mortar heavy weapons teams, I have a painted valkyrie, and hell hound, unpainted basilisk and 3 chimeras. any thoughts? oh and loads of unpainted vostroyans.

[Nungunz]

I love the Vostroyan fluff, the cossack uniforms really add a unique character to the army. Wish I could shell out the cash for them myself. All I have are the stock cadians (though I did replace all of the heads with helmets from Pig Iron Productions).

That being said, I think this army needs quite a bit of work. For 1750 you only have 74 infantry models and only 42 of those are troops. That is faaaaaar too few unless you are full mech-vet. The list has a lot of bloated equipment that isn't very useful and could be trimmed down to give you more firepower. Mobility is a bit lacking as well.

Vostroyans specialize in winter and urban combat, they'd definitely have some chimeras and hellhounds available for those enviroments.



Vostroyan 18th Legion, “The Hounds of Euryales” 1750
HQ: 330
Company Command Squad:
• Colonel Vasily Ivanovich Chuikov (Straken)
• Medi-Pack
• Regimental Standard
• Vox-caster
• Heavy Flamer
• Carapace Armour

Straken doesn't really fit your list. Best way I've seen him used is with two 30-man blobs with commissars, power weapons, and assault weapons to make good use of his buffs. I think a normal CCS would perform just as well and give you points for more bodies on the field.

Regimental Standard is similarly best used with larger gunline armies, but could work for you if you squeeze in another two or three infantry squads.

You're spending a lot of points on vox-casters. Why don't you combine into squads of 20? That'll help you shave down on points and still retain the Vostroyan fluff of brotherhood and working closely together. I don't see the veteran benefiting from the voxes that much.

Carapace is very pricey and isn't all that great for 5 T3 models. Camocloaks would offer better protection.

Never take heavy flamers on infantry squads. They cost the same as 4 normal flamers which would do much more damage in the long run. Besides, the CCS is BS4, why waste their ranged skill with template weapons?



Lord Commissar:
• Powerfist
• Carapace Armour

If you have him, I don't think you'll need the upgraded commissar below. Personally I don't see what he's adding to the army, but he is a fluffy choice so got nuts with him. :)


Elites: 230+80
Vostroyan Snipers (ratlings):
• Three (3) additional Snipers
Vostroyan Snipers (ratlings):
• Three (3) additional Snipers

Eh, snipers really aren't very good in 40k. Not too mention they have a very low leadership value that really doesn't fit the Vostroyan fluff. I'd drop these for more infantry squads or give your commanders chimeras.

You only really have 2 anti-tank units and they aren't great. I'd find a way to get more heavy guns in the list.


Gubernatorial Life Wards (storm troopers): 85 (142)
• Power Weapon 10
• Melta Gun 10
• Flamer 5
• Two (2) additional Life Wards 32

Don't mix and match weapons here. I'd also suggest dropping the power weapon. Stormtroopers are very expensive for what they do so keep them cheap. You really don't have much in the way of anti-tank. Maybe take 2 5-man squads with two melta and either DS, Infiltrate, or Outflank them. Think of them like the elite advanced scouts. They'd help take out the heavy armor and for the enemy to walk into their brothers' guns.


Troops: 297+421
Vostroyan Grenadiers (veterans):
• Power Weapon
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Two (2) Flamers
• Heavy Flamer
• Grenadiers

Very expensive unit. Drop the bolt pistol, power weapon, and vox. Once again I'm not a fan of template weapons on models that have BS4. Put your plasma guns here if you want them to make best use of their accuracy. I'd also suggest chimeras for these instead of grenadiers. Gives you better protection as well as mobile scoring units with a lot of firepower.



Vostroyan Grenadiers (veterans):
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Three (3) Plasma Guns
• Grenadiers

Same as above. Drop pistol and vox. Swap Grenadiers for Chimera.



Platoon Command Squad:
• Power Fist
• Bolt Pistol
• Vox-caster
• Medi-pack
• Two (2) Plasma Guns

Medic is too pricey for PCS. Plasma is expensive as hell and these guys only have BS3 so it really isn't worth it. I'd keep plasma on the veterans and CCS and give these guys the heavy weapon or flamers. Ditch the powerfist and bolt pistol.



Vostroyan Fusiliers (infantry squad):
• Commissar
• Two (2) Power Weapons
• Vox-caster
• Plasma Gun
Vostroyan Fusiliers (infantry squad):
• Power Weapon
• Vox-caster
• Plasma Gun

I'd combine these two squads and attach the commissar lord to them. That way you don't need the normal commissar. Lose the power weapons and plasmaguns. As before, Veterans are much better with plasma, give these guys heavy weapons.

I'd take a second 20-man squad if you can scrape the points.



Vostroyan Bombardiers (heavy weapon squads):
• Three (3) Lascannons

Very expensive, and very easy to kill. Remember S6 will inflict instant death. I prefer hiding the lascannons in infantry squads and if I take Heavy Weapon Squads I'll put cheap autocannons in them and take 3-4 of them.




Heavy Support: 440
Leman Russ Battle Tank:
• Lascannon
• Heavy Bolter Sponsons
• Extra Armour

Drop the sponsons and drop the extra armor.


Leman Russ Vanquisher:
• Lascannon
• Extra Armour
• Knight Commander Pask

Vanquishers are terrible tanks. I'd completely get rid of this tank and get a second LRBT with lascannon. Leave the tank-killing for units that do it better for cheaper: melta stormtroopers, melta veterans, melta CCS or PCS, Hellhounds w/ multimelta or Devil Dogs, Demolishers or Manticores.

Vanquishers are just too expensive and fill too narrow of a niche to be all that useful.

[ElCheezus]

I second Nungunz on all fronts save one: The Lord Commissar. If you have a LC in a blob, but not a regular commissar, then the LC can be picked out in close combat since he's an Independent Character. This means that they'll focus on him the first round or two, and your blob will no longer be high LD and stubborn, and no more rerolls. After that happens, they'll break and quick. Even if you put the LC in a blob, I'd suggest leaving the regular commissar in. (and I'd honestly argue against the LC to begin with, but it looks like you have him for fluff)

[Nungunz]

If you have a LC in a blob, but not a regular commissar, then the LC can be picked out in close combat since he's an Independent Character. This means that they'll focus on him the first round or two, and your blob will no longer be high LD and stubborn, and no more rerolls.

Very good point. Losing the LC would also free up more points.

Hmm, I actually like a list design around this half-mech, half-foot theme. I'll probably post up a similar list in a few hours and see what people think.

[Tynskel]

I love your comments--- did you read what he said? He has won tournaments n' prizes with this army. I am not sure if your comments really mean anything.

[agurus1]

Thank you all for your comments! Didn't think I would get this
much help!

What do you all think of rough riders and sentinels? I was definetly thinking of expanding the list with some chimeras and one of the former fast attack choices for 2000 points.

[Nungunz]

What do you all think of rough riders and sentinels? I was definetly thinking of expanding the list with some chimeras and one of the former fast attack choices for 2000 points.

Rough Riders: No idea on their functionality as I've never used them. They'd be a decent counter-charge unit, but they're very much a one-trick pony. Don't think they'd be worth the points, but test them out and see how they fit with the rest of the armor.

Sentinels: I love the scout sentinels. Scout, outflanking ability, squadrons can be used as movement blockers or move the area terrain fairly quickly without the risk of being immobilized. They are fragile as all heck, though so keep them cheap. Multilasers or Autocannons only. BS3 makes the missiles and lascannons not really worth it.

No a fan of the armoured version because of the price. Though Armoured Sentinel w/ Heavy Flamer could be a decent tarpit if you can get it close enough without it blowing up.

[ElCheezus]

I love your comments--- did you read what he said? He has won tournaments n' prizes with this army. I am not sure if your comments really mean anything.

Saying it's winning tournaments doesn't mean anything to me, really. It could be a tournament with a heavy composition element, so his fluff carries him pretty far. He could be facing lists that aren't prepared for this. Maybe the opponets suck. Maybe he's a good enough player that he could win with almost any list. That doesn't mean the list is perfect. Plus, he asked for comments, so we're giving them. I don't do fluff, so I'm giving list advice. The advice is free to be taken or ignored as wished.

Rough Riders: I haven't played them, myself. I keep seeing them as a good support unit for a power blob. My thinking is that you have a power blob that gets into combat with something that will either beat it or tarpit it. The next turn, the RRs come in and lay down some S5 power weapon pain, ideally ending the combat. They lose a lot of functionality the rest of the game when they lose the lances, however. If you give them Melta Bombs, then they turn into a tank-hunting squad that isn't a huge threat, but can't be ignored, since it'll be in range of just about anything it wants in a turn or two.

They can also be used to nullify the increased threat range of units with fleet that usually hut blobs. For example, a boys squad can rip through a blob if it gets the charge. With the Waagh!, they have an akward threat range that takes some dancing for guard to avoid. Riders have a larger threat range, and can go in and take the teeth out of a squad like that. They might not live through it, but the blob will probably get to clean up the next turn.

Sentinels: Every guard player I know has a love/hate relationship with these guys. They'd love to use them, but hate that they're a little overcosted for their abilities. The best use I've seen suggested is to outflank Scout Sentinels with Autocannons and maybe HK missles. They ideally get rear or side armor shots on some vehicles before they're taken down as a distraction. Armored sentinels can be used as a tarpit unit against CC, but are just too expensive and don't have enough Strength or attacks to do damage to even crappy infantry. In my own use, though, I've never seen either variant be worth replacing either the Vendettas or the Hellhound in my list.