Advice on Bringing my 1500 Mech Guard Army up to 1750

[grimm]

Dothan VI - 1500 point list


HQ: Primaris Psyker :: 70

Elite: Psyker Battle Squad (9) + Chimera (ML/HF) :: 155

Troops: Veteran Squad with power fist, two meltas, flamer, Grenadiers doctrine, in a Chimera (ML/HF) :: 195
Veteran Squad with power fist, two meltas, flamer, Grenadiers doctrine :: 140
Penal Legion Squad :: 70
Penal Legion Squad :: 70

Fast Attack : Valkyrie with multiple rocket pods :: 130 (with Primaris and the second vet squad embarked)
Hellhound with smoke :: 135
Devil Dog with smoke :: 125

Heavy Support:
LRBT with 3 HB :: 170
LR Demolisher with lascannon and plasma sponsons :: 220

So this is the list I've been working on since the new IG codex came out, and I think I've got a good little list together. It's not hyper competitive, but it is focused in its tactics, and the parts are capable of working independent of each other, so there is no easy beheadings.

Basic tactic is : the tanks pound away while the chimera chassis get into range to shoot (or in the case of the vets, maybe to get out and take a shot at the target). The penal legion squad outflank, hoping to assault through some low hanging fruit or grab an objective, while the Valkyrie shows up delivering the squad to a spot where they can hold an objective or shoot someone to death before going to contest an objective.

I avoid company command squads, because not a single unit of mine is eligible for orders until (presumedly) the second turn. I like vets and penal legion squads because they are cheap to make mobile (and neither are slouches in CC, where the PBS can turn even the Emperor's chosen into fraidy cats). I like the 2 melta / 1 flamer combo because it is able to handle vehicle while still having the potential for handling horde. The Primaris Psyker comes along with the vets in the Valkyrie as an assault style heavy weapon, and because of all the HQ choices he is the least about making everyone else better. I like the Devil Dog because you don't have to get up close and personal with him, and it handles vehicles reasonably well.

Admitted limitations of the list:

Lack of bodies - 50 infantry models in a guard army?
The Demolisher is pricy.
Devil dog can be hit or miss... a lot.

Anyways, down to the crux of it all:

There's a local "rouge" trader that is set to go off in a month or two, and I'd like to go and have a decent showing. It is 1750, which is a point value I'm less used to. I need to bring the concept up to 1750 points, preferably with the loss of as little of the mobile, headless Guard concept that I have. What do you think?

Things I'm wed to -

1.) Absence of the Company Command Squad. In present form, it just doesn't make sense to spend the points on one of these, unless I want a nonscoring unit that resembles a vet squad.
2.) Sponsons on the tanks - I can't take those off.
3.) Use of penal legion - they can be quite mean, and I'm rather fond of them.

What might you think I should do? I'd like to add more scoring units to the list, without losing mobility and without losing the punch associated with the mobility. (I'd also like to bring the PBS up to 10 men).

My initial thought was a vet squad with power sword, 2 meltas and a flamer in a chimera, with another penal legion squad (and edit the last psyker in the PBS). But what do you think?

[Chumbalaya]

Don't kid yourself, a bunch of S3 rending attacks does not a CC powerhouse make (or 2 S6 PF attacks for that matter).

Think of a CCS as just another Vet Squad (for cheaper base cost) with the option to give orders (you never know when your ride will get popped) and add advisors.

I'd look into picking up another Valk for another unit of Vets, they're just too good to pass up (maybe go for Vendettas to give you a better way to pop light armor at range). You can squadron a Hellhound and Bane Wolf together for a nifty trick and a solid infantry destroyer unit.

I'm no fan of the LRBT, it's too much of a generalist. I'd pick up another Demolisher (naked, sponsons are pricey and slow you down, just a hull HF to protect against assaulters) and run it as an Eradicator (get out of transport = get nuked).

More Vets in Chimeras are always handy too. Keep them cheap, 3 meltas, Chim w/ ML/HF.

For fun, add Priests to your Penal Troopers and use an Astropath to outflank. It's still pretty cheap but quite amusing if it works.

[grimm]

Don't kid yourself, a bunch of S3 rending attacks does not a CC powerhouse make (or 2 S6 PF attacks for that matter).

I'm not going to kid myself - I know that they're not the greatest unit in close combat. I'm not going to assault terminators with them.

I have found considerable success using them to babysit objective I've placed near a board edge, or getting the charge in on a low hanging fruit, like a squad of Guardians who have shown up a little too close to the board edge and get reminded how much Fleet + Furious Charge can hurt, or


Think of a CCS as just another Vet Squad (for cheaper base cost) with the option to give orders (you never know when your ride will get popped) and add advisors.

I'd look into picking up another Valk for another unit of Vets, they're just too good to pass up (maybe go for Vendettas to give you a better way to pop light armor at range). You can squadron a Hellhound and Bane Wolf together for a nifty trick

I do own the second valkyrie; it might be a good upgrade for vet squad A.


I'm no fan of the LRBT, it's too much of a generalist. I'd pick up another Demolisher (naked, sponsons are pricey and slow you down, just a hull HF to protect against assaulters) and run it as an Eradicator (get out of transport = get nuked).

Eradicator's not a bad idea.

I feel that the LRBT with the three sponson setup is bane of infantry; just give it 36" of range to let the HBs let loose and you're inflicting some damage to most things that aren't 2+ armour saves. For things with 4+ saves and worse, you're hanging on that cover save.

To a certain extent, I don't mind the lack of mobility from the big beefy tanks. They're there to a.) kill and b.) be killed.

I try to make a point to keep them away from objectives, but still in range of killing. There's nothing more rewarding come turn five to three your opponent battered and bloodied after just having destroyed your tank, only to realize he can't make it to the objective before the end of the game.


More Vets in Chimeras are always handy too. Keep them cheap, 3 meltas, Chim w/ ML/HF.

Agreed. The main reason why I run these guys with the carapace is related to low model count more than anything else.


For fun, add Priests to your Penal Troopers and use an Astropath to outflank. It's still pretty cheap but quite amusing if it works.

I might need to try that.