How to deal with 150 guardsmen...

[Koppenflak]

G'day all.

Long time BoLS reader, but first time poster.

I have a conundrum, and I thought I'd beseech you fine folks for some advice on the matter.

My present list is as follows:

HQ
Company Command
Regimental Advisor - Astropath
Creed
Vox Caster
Medic
Regimental Standard
Carapace Armour

Troops
Platoon Command with 4 Meltaguns
Chimera with Multilaser and Hull Heavy Flamer
Commissar with Laspistol and Power Sword
Squad 1 10 Guardsmen, 1 Flamer, Vox Caster
Squad 2 10 Guardsmen, 1 Flamer
Squad 3 10 Guardsmen, 1 Flamer
Squad 4 10 Guardsmen, 1 Flamer
Squad 5 10 Guardsmen, 1 Flamer

Veterans, 3 Meltaguns, Carapace Armour
Vendetta* - See below.

Veterans, 3 Meltaguns, Carapace Armour
Chimera with Multilaser and Hull Heavy Flamer

Fast Attack
Vendetta Gunship, 3 Twinlinked Lascannons

Heavy Support
Leman Russ with Hull Heavy Bolter, Bolter Sponsons
Demolisher with Hull Heavy Bolter, Plasma Sponsons

Total: 1500 points.

At the last local tourney I played, the list did very well, and won three from three games against Eldar, Marines and Chaos. The Eldar and Chaos players were tabled, the Marine player conceded defeat after his terminators and chaplain were furious charged (FtHoC) by the platoon and commissar, and his rear guard ripped up by an outflanking demolisher and vendetta, so the list works. (while it could probably be improved)

It's about to be bolstered to tourney-standard 1750, but I'm facing the prospect of an opponent who throws sanity to the wind and has presently assembled a list with no less than 175 Imperial Guardsmen and 3 Tanks. 150 of those guardsmen form platoons, 10 of them are veterans, and the remaining 15 are from the command squad. The three tanks are two leman russes and a Vanquisher, and all three forgo sponsons for lascannons. The platoons are bolstered by commissars and heavy weapons mixed in with the troops.

I realise this is a newbie question... but does anyone have any suggested tactics and/or list alterations to deal with that kind of army? Because I suspect just through sheer weight of numbers and superior tank killing abilities at range, that army is going to utterly mince me.

Help!

[Aenir]

first, what army do you play?

2nd, Flamers/templates are friends

[Koppenflak]

My list was posted above. Imperial Guard.

Description of his list is below mine

EDIT: Ive not yet made the 1750 list, but its fair to say it will be an expansion upon the one above.

[Lord Azaghul]

First off: I like youre list.
I play a very similar style

Dealing with other guards men: Mortars, Basilsks, Valkerys, (rocket pods), and or a nice hell hound.
And don’t understimate the value of a few outlflaking sentinals

[Aldramelech]

Goodbye

[Mobious]

Mech up.

[Magos Bellum]

Add in a Manticore, up to three large blast templates will blow huge holes in infantry formations and strength 10 ordanance will blast open tanks. Just point in the right direction and you should hit and kill something, and with a huge amount of luck, possibly knock out a third of his army with a single salvo.

[bob9801]

You could just make a list identical to his, down to the last point, and see the look on his face when he looks accross the table. Or just go with every point being a guardsman.

Seriously now, I would recommend a manticore they are cool. If a manticore is too much or you can't get one soon enough hellhounds are good. A LR punisher is tons of fun to throw around dice though.

[The AKH]

Outflanking Scout Sentinels with Heavy Flamers will tear through massed platoons like nobody's business. Even more so if none of them have krak grenades - then you can even charge the platoon after flaming them.

[Lerra]

The "Blob of Guardsmen" list is popular around here. Usually not with quite that many guardsmen, though . . .

I'm assuming he plays the list like this, but correct me if I'm wrong: he runs 3 large infantry platoons with a commissar and 50 or so guys in each, usually with 4-6 power weapons per squad. Each platoon is Ld10 and stubborn, and he can kill a sergeant to re-roll a failed morale check.

The biggest weakness that the big squads have is that they can't deal with walkers at all. If you can get a sentinel into CC with them, they are out of the game for good because they can't even glance it with S3, and the squad doesn't have access to grenades or power fists unless there is another IC added in, like a priest.

One dirty trick: If he spreads the platoons very far out (in order to hold multiple objectives or block outflanking with one squad, for example) you can assault each end of the blob simultaneously with two different squads, meaning that most of his guys will be strung out between the two squads and unable to consolidate into CC with you. I once charged a 50-man squad with two squads (one on each end of the long string of guardsmen). They were so spread out that 40 of the guardsmen (including all of the power weapons) were unable to get into CC because they had to maintain unit cohesion.

Also, if you run a vindicare assassin, you can snipe the commissar who gives them Ld10 and stubborn, and then the platoon is substantially easier to get rid of.

Ignoring the big squads is a good idea in kill point missions, but in objective missions, make sure to focus on one squad at a time.

I'd also recommend a Leman Russ Punisher over the Medusa for taking on hordes.