2k Imperial Guard Air Cav

[vutall]

Hello all, looking for a little bit of advice on my list. I havn't played with it yet, so I don't know how it will do. Any suggestions would be great!

HQ: 280
Company Command Squad
Colonel Stracken
Lasgun & Vox Caster
Lasgun & Med Pack
Lasgun
Plasma Gun
Astropath w Laspistol & CCW
Bodyguard w Laspistol & CCW x2
Krak Grenades
Carapace Armor

HQ: 150
Company Command Squad
Company Commander w Laspistol & CCW
Lasgun x3
Lasgun & Med Pack
Astropath w Laspistol & CCW
Bodyguard w Laspistol & CCW
Krak Grenade
Carapace Armor

Troops: 180
Veteran Squad
Veteran Sergeant W Shotgun & Powerfist
Veteran W Shotgun & Vox
Veteran w Shotgun x5
Veteran W Meltagun x3
Grenadiers
Demolitionsists

Troops: 180
Veteran Squad
Veteran Sergeant W Shotgun & Powerfist
Veteran W Shotgun & Vox
Veteran w Shotgun x5
Veteran W Meltagun x3
Grenadiers
Demolitionsists

Troops: 180
Veteran Squad
Veteran Sergeant W Shotgun & Powerfist
Veteran W Shotgun & Vox
Veteran w Shotgun x5
Veteran W Meltagun x3
Grenadiers
Demolitionsists

Troops: 190
Veteran Squad
Veteran Sergeant W Shotgun & Powerfist
Veteran w Shotgun x6
Veteran W Plasma Gun x3
Grenadiers
Demolitionsists

Fast Attack: 280
Valkyrie Assault Carrier Squadron
Valkyries w Multilaser, Rocket Pods & Heavy Bolters x2

Fast Attack: 280
Valkyrie Assault Carrier Squadron
Valkyries w Multilaser, Rocket Pods & Heavy Bolters x2

Fast Attack: 280
Valkyrie Assault Carrier Squadron
Valkyries w Multilaser, Rocket Pods & Heavy Bolters x2
------------------------------------------------------------
Total: 2000

[Tallarn]

You got alot of points tied up in getting you a slightly better armour save and while all thoes shotguns will help with horde armies, the short range and lack of rapid fire are going to hurt overall - sure you can assault with them but do you really want to be assaulting a squad of marines after killing maybe 50% of them in shooting? (ie 3x meltas and another unlucky roll or two from the marine)

Thoes veteran squads are too generalized, good at most things, great at nothing. With all that air mobility you can afford to specalize them for specific threats and get them to when they need to be. The inclusion of the power fist is an unecessary points sink - if the meltas don't kill it having a power fist aint gonna put you over the top.

[Silversurfer]

I'm not sure you can put 2 doctrines on veterans (at least, it's clear in the french codex ...), so check your codex and I guess you will spare some points ...

There are a lot of points sinks and Tallarn told you about some of them. But I would add :
_ bodyguards
_ medics
_ powerfists (as said Tallarn)
_ heavy bolters on valkyries (as if you want to move fast, it will prevent to fire them)

I would tell you also to consider replacing 2 valkyries with 2 vendettas and meltas in 1 veteran squad with plasma guns.

I'm also not sure Straken is a valuable choice in such a list.

With all those points spared, you could think about plasma pistols for some of your vet sarges and some deepstriking or snaking stormtroopers.

[vutall]

Well, I played today, and found a few things.

Straken is a tough character, but really, unless I charge people, taking charges doesnt go well at all. Plus, after being used to playing with marines, not having an invulnerable save on him hurts.

Demolition charges are nasty, but, scattering them even a hair when your throwing them at their max range makes it a useless 1 shot item since if the whole scatters even a hair outside of the 6 inch range, it counts entirely as a miss. Need to rethink tactic on that.

Need to figure out how best to use the valkyries. I started with them on the board today, deployed in a way so all but 1 would get cover. I wanted to advance them twords the enemy to deposit troops, but once I had advanced them and deployed the troops, I realized that the troops couldnt be as effective as they are kitted out to be since they couldnt move or assault. need to figure out the best way to utilize all the strengths of the army. Not sure if that will be through deep striking, outflanking, or starting on the board and using crafty scout moves.

4+ armor saves are nice, but half the time I was in 4+ cover anyway. Need to really think hard if it is worth it or not to have the armor with cover as fallback, or just rely on cover.

[Chumbalaya]

Straken is about the only way Guard can win combats, and even then it's iffy. They can just murder your basic infantry and force you to fall back from that. Straken and a Priest might cut it, but I wouldn't use it competitively.

CCS should be more about advisors and special weapons. FNP for T3 guys is silly and carapace means little with cover so prevalent (and it won't be helping in HtH, you lose anyway).

With Valks, you need something to bust armor. Meltas. Don't bother with doctrines for reasons you found, and the powerfist is cheap but hardly necessary.

I'd look into Vendettas really, the lascannon shots can threaten armor at range and keep you from wasting melta on transports.

As for uses, it depends on your opposition. If they can't kill 6 AV12 vehicles in squadrons, deploy, scout up and alpha strike away (SWS with demo charges for lulz). Otherwise, start off the board and use the Astro, avoid fire, and pick them apart with speed. Think like mechdar, only with less tricks and more sheer dakka.

[2dØpe]

Never played a game with guard yet or own the codex yet, but why does the Demo charge have no effect if it scatters past the 6" range? i was under the impression that blast weapons can all scatter past their max range to account for wind/bounce n things.

[Inquisitor Lord Haestus]

Never played a game with guard yet or own the codex yet, but why does the Demo charge have no effect if it scatters past the 6" range? i was under the impression that blast weapons can all scatter past their max range to account for wind/bounce n things.

This is the proper answer for demolition or any other barrage type weapons. The shot, as long as it is fired or thrown within range can scatter past it's maximum. Just because it goes too far doesn't make it impotent.

[Drax]

this may seem rather noobish but i don't know guard very well but why do people like rocket pods? to me it seems like Vendetta's would be a better option. also why take shot guns the range seems so bad..

[Madjob]

this may seem rather noobish but i don't know guard very well but why do people like rocket pods? to me it seems like Vendetta's would be a better option. also why take shot guns the range seems so bad..

Rocket Pods are good anti-horde, and while the Vendetta can get a slightly better blast (extra point of AP and triple the range) if it swaps out two of its lascannons, each one is one use, whereas rocket pods have no such limitation.

And the reason for taking shotguns in this case is because they're assault weapons, they match the range of the melta guns, and you can still assault afterwards. Not quite sure why he took them in his Plasma gun vet squad, though, I'd think you'd be better off with regular lasguns there.

[Drax]

Ahh ok makes sense now thank you for the help.

[crazyredpraetorian]

I'm not sure you can put 2 doctrines on veterans (at least, it's clear in the french codex ...), so check your codex and I guess you will spare some points ...

There are a lot of points sinks and Tallarn told you about some of them. But I would add :
_ bodyguards
_ medics
_ powerfists (as said Tallarn)
_ heavy bolters on valkyries (as if you want to move fast, it will prevent to fire them)

I would tell you also to consider replacing 2 valkyries with 2 vendettas and meltas in 1 veteran squad with plasma guns.

I'm also not sure Straken is a valuable choice in such a list.

With all those points spared, you could think about plasma pistols for some of your vet sarges and some deepstriking or snaking stormtroopers.

They can. The IG codex states on page 40 "The squad can choose any of the following doctrines.."

Straken is very valuable if used properly. He needs to be in a transport, so that he is in range of the other squads and his abilities and orders can be conferred to them.

[xarius]

for a themed list its cool but

need a surfboard on the side of one valk
commander in cowboy hat
hi-fi modelled inside command valk
and
ride of the valkyries on your mobile

[vutall]

This is the proper answer for demolition or any other barrage type weapons. The shot, as long as it is fired or thrown within range can scatter past it's maximum. Just because it goes too far doesn't make it impotent.

Untrue my friend. I thought that was as well, but, acording to the BBB under the blast weapon, i think second paragraph? it states if the center hole scatters outside the weapons range, it counts as a miss. I don't have my book next to me so I cannot give a page number, but yeah....