500 point Imperial Guard, Can it be done well?

[TSINI]

Hi there, ive put together a 500point combat patrol force for a local doubles tournement


both me and my friend will be using our imperial guard armies,

i have found it increibly limiting fielding such a small force, whilst keeping some potency

here are some of the main rules of the tournement that limit the choices of the army.

• Force organisation - Compulsory 1 Troops, optional 3 more. 1 HQ optional, 2 Elites optional, 2 Fast attack optional, 1 Heavy Support optional
• no tanks with armour value of 33 by adding front side(only once) and rear together
• no models with more than 2 wounds
• no 2+ armour saves (this doesnt affect IG so much)
• no ordinance weapons

so firstly, no 33 armoured tanks, thats leman russ' out of the question, and valkyries out

no models with more than 2 wounds, so thats the company HQ out, and the commissar lord out

no 2+ saves, this will work in our favour, as it means we just need some AP3 weapons for marines.

no ordinance, so thats the medusa out too!


the list i put together works on the basis of

1. Lots of Infantry
2. Lots of heavy weapons
3. some sentinals

So here it is ([URL="http://lucky88th.blogspot.com/2009/08/calneage.html"]you can see it in Visualtasticvision here[/URL])

Platoon Command Squad - no wargear (ive given all 4 veterans laspistol and sword). 30points
Infantry Squad 1 - autocannon. 60points
Infantry Squad 2 - autocannon. 60points
Heavy weapos Squad - 3 heavy bolters. 75points
Heavy weapos Squad - 3 autocannons. 75points
20 Conscripts. 80points
Scout Sentinal with missile launcher. 45points
Armoured Sentinal with plasma cannons. 75points

Total: 500 Points

so thats 57 infantry, 10 heavy weapons (21 shots from heavies alone).

what do you think, my list any good? can imperials fight at under 1000points effectively?

[Abominable Plague Marine]

can imperials fight at under 1000points effectively?

Are you kidding? Guard have some of the best vehicles that slide under the 33 Av armour rule including Chimras!

I wouldnt worry about the Heavy Weapon squads or Conscrips or the Scout Sentinel.

Dont over look Storm Troopers!

[Old_Paladin]

I would drop the heavy weapon squads as well; as 3-4 Str6 hits will kill them all (and eldar players will be taking scatterlaser warwalkers, and other IG will have muti-laser chimeras).

The conscrips add bodies, I'd keep them.
However, I'd try and make it 2 armoured sentenals with missile launchers (plasma is overkill, and most things with FNP, can be killed with Krak).

Storm troops are too costly at 500 points, you'd be better off with 3 grunts squads then a squad of stormies.

I'd also add grenade lauchers to your squads, goes good with the autocannon (blast vs. soft infantry, krak vs. vehicles and heavy weapon teams).

[Aldramelech]

Ratlings - Cheap, hard to hit, Pin enemys, Rending etc. etc.

[crazyredpraetorian]

Ratlings - Cheap, hard to hit, Pin enemys, Rending etc. etc.

Bingo! Ratlings are a great addition to any IG list, at any point level.

[RocketRollRebel]

Hmm those limitations kinda take out alot of stuff that I would normally take at that point level. I would say go infantry heavy and load up on auto cannons and heavy bolters since things cant have better than a 3+ save so high volumes of middle strength fire power would be your best bet. Storm troopers might be neat but they are going to eat up alot of points and I think they could be spent better elsewhere.

Good luck! Let us know how it goes!

[TSINI]

good comments guys, plenty to think about. im used to playing games at well into the 2000+ points mark so its been interesting playing a 1000 point game, and now this 500 point game.


yeah ive been having a bit of conversation with many others about the greatness of chimeras.

unforunately my only chimera has an autocannon, which until forgeworld do a FAQ or update is now unofficial. a problem i will be rectifying as soon as possible, i will be bulk buying enough chimeras to mechanise my army

i did originally consider stormtroopers, but its 100points for 5 (with flamer and power weapon), and 185 for 10 with an additional grenade launcher. they simply won't survive well enough for the points cost in a small points game

the main problem is points, for 75 points i can take 3 heavy weapon teams (6 wounds), for the same price i can take a sentinal with 1 heavy weapon (1 wound) and have a few points spare for upgrading other squads. for this game i'm going to experiment with simple numbers. large squads with as many heavy weapons as i can field.

keep it coming everyone, small games are alien to me

[Old_Paladin]

Tsini, my friend, I give you... The Imperial Armour Book II, revised update
[url]http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/pdf/ia2-update.pdf[/url]

It has rules for chimera's with an autocannon (it costs 60 points).


I love small games, they get the brain pumping, and are quick.

Main things to be ready for;
Orks: Big Mobz o' Boyz, KFF and Killa Kanz, can make for a hard fight; or speed freaks in lots of trukks and bikes.
SoB: basically cheap Marines, Penitent engines (like killa kanz).
Plague Marines in rhinos, with plasma and/or melta
Eldar: Warwalkers, jetbikes, different kinds of elite shocktroops (banshees, scorpions, spiders).
Mech lists (IG with chimera's, Marines in Rhinos and razorbacks, Tau Fish o' fury).

If you can make your list capable of handling any and/or all of those (which it probably could already), you're doing pretty well.

[thecactusman17]

Marbo would excel at this points value. A large blast template would potentially liquify the hardest-hitting thing in your opponent's list.

Don't forget the wonderous power of the 30-50 man guard squad, either. Give them first rank second rank and they'll mulch a marines squad. 50-man guard are alo probably the hardest hitting CC unit in the game, surprisingly enough. Nearly impossible to break them.

[Old_Paladin]

Don't forget the wonderous power of the 30-50 man guard squad, either. Give them first rank second rank and they'll mulch a marines squad. 50-man guard are alo probably the hardest hitting CC unit in the game, surprisingly enough. Nearly impossible to break them.

I wouldn't use combined squads at this small a game; unless you based your army around it. First, he'd need to put his command squad in a chimera (otherwise it'll be the prime target, to stop them giving orders to the mega unit). Second, he'd have to include a Commisaar upgrade, for the leadership and stubbern. Without those, the unit would be easy to pin/break.
All it would take is one small elite CC unit to break them. For example, a unit of 6 Striking Scorpions charge; they strike first, hit and wound on a 3+. You'll lose about 8 guardsmen. Now the guard hit and wound on a 4+, and the scorpions have 3+ saves ( if you got 20 attacks, you'd kill about 2 Scorpions). As long as a single Scorpion lives, you test on at least a -3 modifier. Unless they were lead by a Commisaar, they'll probably break and you lost half your army; in a 500 point game.

Now, in bigger games with lots of points to toss around, this can and does work.