Imperial Guard Troops/Allies

[herigonz]

So here's a question...

I am looking at getting a friend a late Christmas gift in the form of someone to ally with his Ultramarines. He all ready has access to other marine armies but this should change things up and give him options.

I have a good idea of IG as far as their non troop options...but what about troop options? Is a single squad good? Should I look at getting a full squad of 30? Does that also mean heavy weapon teams?

[Wildcard]

You basically have 2 possibilities here:

1) Veterans: 10 man squad including sergeant. Can get 3 special weapons (melta,plasma,flamer,sniper,grenade launcher) and a heavy weapon (autocannon,mortar,heavy bolter, lascannon, missile launcher). Adding couple of upgrades and depending on the special weapons chosen ~100-150pts + chimera 55pts if you want to give em that.

2) Imperial Guard platoon:

You need command squad + 2x troop squads for this (minimum requirements from codex). This build is ~130pts, but gets really fast really expensive.
- You can have up to 5 troops squads total (50models), one special weapon / squad. Can include commissar
- You can add up to 5 heavy weapons squads (15 heavy weapon teams total)
- 1 conscript unit (20-50 models)
- special weapon teams, up to 3 squads. 6 men in a squad, 3 special weapons in each

Including little bit of everything in platoon is around 800pts if i remember right. And then you can add 6 chimeras, 55pts each to the squads..
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That said, it really depends if you are getting something else as well. Veterans with meltas in a Vendetta is a mean tank buster. 50man stubborn squad with re-rollable ld check is an objective holder. Even more when they can fire 100 shots to 24" or 150shots to 12" if so commanded by the command squad. (given each 50 men carries a lasgun.)

[Sly]

Depends how much you wish to spend. You need to run a 5-man Command Squad for the Lieutenant in charge of the platoon. These are best run with 4x Flamers in a Chimera.

The rest of the Platoon is a minimum of 2x10 squads. I would consider 2 squads, each with an Autocannon as a base (you could upgrade to a Lascannon). An Aegis Defense Line for them to hide behind, and you have a solid backfield fire support/objective holder unit. You can upgrade a lot and buy more if you wish.

You need an HQ for them. Commissar Lord makes them Stubborn, a Psyker puts out some reasonable firepower for the points, or you can buy a Company Command Squad. These are like the PCS, but due to BS4 and the ability to give orders that twin-link weapons against tanks, they are usually run with a set of 4x Plasma Guns, and in a Chimera.

[plasticaddict]

A 10 man squad box is always a good starter for an IG force, you can use them as the basis for a Vet Sqd or the beginning of a platoon. If you want to get things set up for a playable allies force 3x Command Squad boxes are the way to go, it allows your friend to build a full Vet Sqd and have bits left over to build a Lord Commissar, giving him one troop and one HQ. It really depends on how much you want to spend.

[herigonz]

Thanks guys. I really appreciate the input and that is exactly what I was after. I know that vets in a Vendetta are tough and I've played against a blob squad before as well. Just wasn't sure how feasible it would be in the short term.

I have to admit, that the 3x Command Squads actually sound like a good idea. Part of me also thinks the 10 man squad would be good too. I know the troops open things up for Leman Russes and the IG flyers (not to mention the Manticores, Basilisks, etc). But with Marines, maybe just having a "blob squad" is a good way to make a squad that camps on an objective as a ten man tactical squad is plenty elite (though I guess they don't get 4 special weapons).

I wish the Battalion box didn't have that Sentinel.

[Nabterayl]

Keep in mind that the "blob squad" is still two to five units until the moment of deployment. Thus, as a backfield objective holder, it has more flexibility - you can combine squads if you want to solidly hold one objective, or spread them out to hold multiple objectives if you judge it safe.