IG Advice needed

[Inquisitor Gray]

Hi Everyone. I was wondering if people had any advice for me for my Imp Guard Army. I currently have a few heavy weapon team boxes sitting around which I have been unable to decide which weapon to make with them. I already have 3 Autocannons, and was wondering what other heavy weapons team lay outs I should make. I have enough heavy weapons to make at lest 1 heavy weapon squad of 3, and maybe a second squad as well. I was wondering if people though a team of 3 Las Cannons is to expensive to play with, or if its worth the points. Also is Heavy boltes worth it, or would 3 more Autocannons be a better use of those points?

My Second Question is about my Command Squad. Do people find that its worth the points to upgrade your Company Commander to that Steal guy, or to upgrade your body guard to the Orge character. They look prity cool, but are they worth the points?

Thank you all for your help!

[Lord Azaghul]

HW: heavy weapons squads are best if run in sets of 3. IE my platoon often has 1 squad of mortars, 1 squad of AC and 1 Squad of LC.
DO NOT build or use heavy bolters. Mortars are better anti infantry, and AC are a better mid/light tank killer.

If you take tanks LC are worth it, it gives you a nice reducancy, and with orders has a decent kill threat for vehicles/large monsters.

CCS: I personally don't use the upgrade characters, but many, many people use creed. I perfer 2 command squads, with a mix of weapons. Don't take the body guad upgrade, its really too expenisive for the guards usages. Keep in mind if you do want straken or creed you'll need to build your list around them as the each other the army a different function.

[house_cawdor]

Heavy weapon teams are cool. I use Vet squads with Heavy weapons, but when I do, I try to maximize the squads use to what they are doing. However most of the time I use Autocannons. Now if I use an infantry platoon, I usually use 3 full Heavy Weapon Squads. 2 Autocannon Squads, and one Heavy Bolter squad. (A total of 6 autocannons and 3 hevy bolters).

Personally, I like the bodyguards. They allow your commander 2 extra wounds. Also, take Master of the Fleet! Making sure people have a difficult time deepstriking next to you is always worth the 30 pts.

Also, Creed is a great choice if you have a lot of squads, since he can issue four orders per turn. But if you dont have a lot of squads, I'm not sure if I would take him.

[Iceman]

If you have enough to make 2 sets of heavy weapon squads then I would suggest you make one with mortars. I agree with Lord Azaghul that they are pretty handy. In fact, they are a real nuisance squatting on an out-of-LOS objective while lobbing mortar rounds at your enemy.
The other set I would make as interchangeable by putting magnets on the top of the tripod and on the bottom of the weapon. That way you can swtich between lascannons, autocannons, and heavy bolters depending on the situation or points available. Although I agree with Lord Azaghul that heavy bolters aren't that great for IG.

[Lord Azaghul]

I should clarify, the body guard adviser is great, the special character Ogryn is not...he's just too expensive and as IG you really don't want to be in CC.

[Melissia]

If you want to use heavy bolters, use them as part of a stationary Infantry squad instead of part of a heavy weapons squad. It should make them more durable and add the lasguns to the HB's anti-infantry firepower.

[scadugenga]

I love having an (almost) all infantry Guard force.

So, using heavy weapon squads are a lot of fun.

Mortars: Best used in hvy weap squads. I generally run two squads. Tau battlesuits hate them.

Lascannon: I used to use a squad of 3, but have since broken them out to different squads.

AC Squads: Still one of the best options. Personally, I haven't built any yet. (Bad scad, no biscuit...)

Missile Launchers: One of my personal favorites--useful for Anti-Pers, or Anti-Tank. Deals well with Mech armies. I tend to use them in blob squads.

HB: Only useful (I think) in HWS--where they remain static and can be a threat to MC, infantry, and light vehicles. Many players tend to prefer the slower, but higher STR/RNG AC. YMMV.

CCS: I personally hate SC's, so I don't use Creed, Straken or the like. I usually run 2--1 static w/a LC, 2 snipers, MoO, & bodyguards, and a mobile w/plasma & medic w/bodyguards & carapace) Lascannon really perform at BS4. The other LC teams transferred to sniper vet squads.

[Aldramelech]

Mortars are a must. I like Missile lauchers too, nice and flexible.

[plasticaddict]

In my infantry army I use lots of autocannons and back them up with lots missile launchers. Missile launchers are great in HW teams three st8 ap3 shots at "hard" targets or three small blasts against "soft" targets. ACs are great against vehicles and MC's and with multiple shots can be good against troop units.

I don't run special characters but they can have their good points.

[Force21]

I like running Heavy weapon squads

I run most of the time two squads of Lascannons, a squad of Autocannons & a squad of Mortars.

the Lascannons are for when I want the Land Raider, Monolith or Transport dead.

Autocannons are great for light vehicles & troops.

Mortars are great if you run Battle Psyker squads for easy pinning...& just alone they can bring the pain.


what I run for my CCS is just Master of Ordnance...or what I like to call him... Moo. :D

makes back his points all the time for me.

[Grabnutz]

Use Heavy Bolters!!!

Autocannons are nice but you are BS3 so having 9 shots means more 3 more potential hits per turn than the Autocannons can pump out. Yes S7 is useful against light tanks but if you are relying on your heavy weapons teams to hunt tanks then you're reading the IG all wrong.

Heavy Bolters are very adaptable. They'll mow down scads of infantry and still put a dent into a big critter by sheer weight of fire. Even against enemy transports the sheer number of shots will almost certainly earn you a glancing hit.

Also enemies often overlook Heavy Bolter teams, aiming for the more expensive and supposedly better stuff in the early part of the game. By the middle they are wondering why their transports are burning and their assault teams are eating dirt. By the end, if they survive, the Heavy Bolters are hosing enemy troops off objectives.

I generally have one Heavy Bolter support squad, and also place one in each Infantry Squad as well. This means that if I can draw the enemy into my kill sack I can drop 18 S5 shots on their traitorous/xenos *****. Makes me come over all Tau :D

In fairness I also have an Autocannon support squad as well because they are good against transports and the lighter tanks (and they draw fire away from my HB's).

[Inquisitor Gray]

Thank you everyone! I appreciate all the help! I have put together a Las Heavy Squad and a Morter Squad.
And I am still thinking about the Company Command Squad. Though now I'm wondering if I might use some of my Command Squad bits, and a spare power claw and storm bolter to make a Commissar Yarric. Is he worth the points in a game? I might make him either way, but he seems kinda costly, and im not sure what he does that is special. Does anyone know how to use him?

[slobulous]

The only reason to take Yarrick is for fluff. He is very very inefficient for his massive points cost.

[scadugenga]

Oh, one other bit of information to get the most oomph out of your heavy weapon squad box.

The sprues give you enough to assemble 1 3 team squad per they're intentions,

But you can get 3 full squads worth with some careful planning.

The most annoying part will be getting 60mm bases, but you can get those from GF9 for like, 30 for $10.00.

The parts are interchangeable, so you can make 3 mortar teams, 3 missile launcher teams (by not using the bipod) and 3 LC/AC/HB teams.

If you want them to be all kneeling, you can buy the bits pretty cheap from ebay or various internet sellers. Otherwise, missile launcher & mortar teams look just find standing. In some ways, it makes the ML teams more dynamic.

[Aldramelech]

Oh, one other bit of information to get the most oomph out of your heavy weapon squad box.

The sprues give you enough to assemble 1 3 team squad per they're intentions,

But you can get 3 full squads worth with some careful planning.

The most annoying part will be getting 60mm bases, but you can get those from GF9 for like, 30 for $10.00.

The parts are interchangeable, so you can make 3 mortar teams, 3 missile launcher teams (by not using the bipod) and 3 LC/AC/HB teams.

If you want them to be all kneeling, you can buy the bits pretty cheap from ebay or various internet sellers. Otherwise, missile launcher & mortar teams look just find standing. In some ways, it makes the ML teams more dynamic.

Agreed. Good advice that. You will find that there is always someone on Ebay selling the kneeling legs.
I did exactly this and saved myself lots of money.

[Grabnutz]

The most annoying part will be getting 60mm bases, but you can get those from GF9 for like, 30 for $10.00.

Take a 60mm base, a pencil, some thick card and a pair of scissors. I think you get the rest ;)
Anyhoo, once cut out seal with black undercoat.
Then stick figures to base, cutting slots if you need them, but leave feet/knees/tentacles etc., of the figures about 1-2mm proud.
Cover base with a household/DIY filler to about 1-2mm, make sure you don't cover the figure's feet.
As it begins to harden bevel the edge of the filler at a similar angle to a normal base.

Cost = almost nothing if you already have heavy card and filler in your hobby box.

One nice advantage of making these bases yourself is that you can texture the surface to suit your theme.

If you have torso', arms and heads for your gunners, but no kneeling legs then model the base as above, but sculpt it to show a slit trench and cover the trench with camo netting or duckboarding etc to cover the missing legs.

[Grabnutz]

Another thing to do is if you are going to include the heavy weapons in your normal IG squads is place them on 25mm bases. Then position two ordinary figures next to the weapon to represent the crew. You don't have to have a 60mm mini-diorama.

[Melissia]

if you are relying on your heavy weapons teams to hunt tanks then you're reading the IG all wrong.
Whoever said anything about RELYING on them. The benefit of autocannons is adaptability, not specialization.

[Porty1119]

About the company command squad, it has two(-ish) roles: Static firebase issuing orders, and a driveby unit in a Chimera. Read: Plasma taxi. If you have 4 BS4 models, take advantage of that and give special weapons.

[Melissia]

If you want the company command squad to be a static position, give them a heavy weapon team and put them in a chimera. You'll still be able to make use of the squad's BS4, while they stay (relatively) safe behind AV12 front armor (in comparison to being torn apart by cover save ignoring blasts).