Saturday 19 November 2011

Squats as Imperial Guard - Army List Plan

After a week away for work, I'm back home refreshed, recharged and raring to get stuck into my Squat army. Longtime readers of the Claws & Fists blog will know just how long I've been going on about doing this, but it really is the main thrust of my efforts now (especially now that I've got a serviceable Tyranid army to use at club nights and tournaments).

As well as working on my long-term project of creating my own fandex: Squat Stronghold, my medium-term plan is to get a counts-as Imperial Guard army on the table as quickly as possible. I already have a number of models scratch-built, which you can see below, along with about thirty or forty infantry models which I have freshly painted in the last few months.

Newly-painted infantry
The aim of my counts-as Imperial Guard army is to get a Squat army on the table at the earliest opportunity, and make it as competitive as possible against the power-armoured forces which the boys of Claws & Fists (Gav, Andy & Mick) and 1st Company Vets (Dave, John/McTicTac et al) regularly trounce my Tyranids with. I may even take the Squat army to a future Blog Wars tournament, run by Alex of 'From the Fang' blog fame.

The list I have come up with is as follows. I'd be really grateful for any comments you have, both from Imperial Guard players, and from Marines players who have faced off against the tanks and guns of the Imperial Army.
Scratch-built Airship
(counts as Valkyrie / Vendetta)
HQ

1 x Company Command Squad w/Creed
1 x Company Command Squad

'FREE' CHOICES

1 x Techpriest Enginseer  w/2 x Servitors

ELITES

1 x Battle Psyker Squad (Overseer & 6 x Psykers)
Scratch-built Termite
(counts as Chimera)
1 x Battle Psyker Squad (Overseer & 6 x Psykers)

TROOPS

1 x Infantry Platoon:
   - Platoon Command w/Autocannon team   
   - Infantry squad
   - Infantry squad
   - Heavy Weapons Team (3 x Autocannon)
   - Heavy Weapons Team (3 x Autocannon)
   - Heavy Weapons Team (3 x Autocannon)  
Converted Ramshackle Games
vehicle (counts as Hydra) 
   - Heavy Weapons Team (2 x Autocannon & 1 x Lascannon)
   - Heavy Weapons Team (2 x Autocannon & 1 x Lascannon)

FAST ATTACK

1 x Valkyrie

HEAVY SUPPORT
Converted Ramshackle Games
vehicle (counts as Colossus/Medusa)
Ordnance Battery with 1 x Colossus & 1 x Medusa
2 x Hydra Flak Tanks
1 x Colossus

TRANSPORTS

2 x Chimera (for Psyker Battle Squads)


The main idea behind the army is to use the Hydras and Autocannons in the Heavy Weapon Squads to take out Rhinos, leaving the large blasts from the Valkyrie, Colossi(sp.?!) and Medusa to deal with the infantry. The Psyker Battle Squads will sit back for the first turn or so, hiding in their Chimeras, until the opponent's infantry are out of their transports. Once the Marines have been extricated from their Rhinos/Razorbacks, the Battle Psykers will use their powers to reduce the Marines' leadership so that they are more likely to run away once I start killing 'em all.

That's the plan, anyway - what do you think to it?  

3 comments:

  1. The only thing that really stands out to me in this list is that there is only 1 troop selection, so you need another to make the list legal.

    Other than that you have a ton of S7 shooting and not much higher than that, you need to be able to deal with Armour Values higher than 11. I think you need to take advantage of the higher BS in the Company Command Squads to get some Melta in there as an answer to AV12+, Particularly if you're not going to field Vendettas.

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  2. Good point regarding the need for a second Troops choice, Andy! I was, umm, just seeing who'd notice that first. Ahem.

    After some more thought, I think swapping the Valkyrie for a Vendetta is a bit of a no-brainer. My second troops choice then would be a Veterans Squad with 3 x Meltaguns, which the Vendetta could deliver into range with it's scout move before the first turn proper.

    I may also be tempted to swap the second Company Command Squad for a Lord Commissar, in order to gain his 6" leadership 10 'bubble' for the heavy weapons squads, which should help to ensure Creed's four orders per turn are successful.

    Decisions, decisions!

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  3. Go go squats!

    I sometimes have trouble finding good spots for so many HW squads. Be aware that some of them may wind up with poor fire lanes and/or be kind of in the open. However, remember that you only need half of them to be in cover for the unit to be, so one base out in the open is fine.

    Definitely need second troops choice!

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