Mechanized Guard Tactics

[Deleted]

I'm considering retooling my current Guard force with the Mechanized doctrine. I've never seen a fully mechanized guard force played before, and while I have a few ideas - I'm curious as to what tactical advice anyone has. I imagine they play a good bit differently than a standard guard force.

Also - any tips toward army composition would be appreciated as well.

And a quick question, do storm troopers (as an elite choice) have to take a Chimera Transport? Or do they not count as "Imperial Guard Infantry" for the purposes of equipping them with the transport. (So basically, can they still deep strike?)

Thanks in advance!

[Deleted]

Yes, if you look under the definition of what guard infantry comprises off, you'll see that Stormies are not there.

Mself I field about 9 pieces of armor in my current list and I do NOT use the mechanised doctrine. I like the mobile firepower and the shock on my opponets face when I put one model on the filed for each placement

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

I'm also considering mechanized for my new IG army, but I dunno the first thing about how to make this work or if it's even viable.

I'm gonna theory-hammer a bit though and try and brainstorm a bit about how it'd work best with a mechanized army..

ultimately, chimerae die if they move upfield, so moving offensively is something you might do with smoke launchers as a quick charge to get troops into some cover that was out of reach to safely footslog to.

beyond that, using your chimerae to sit back and shoot then rapid-redeploy your troops away from assaulty enemy units seems like a good idea. being able to 'evac' a side of the table and have time to redeploy and be waiting to lay into your enemy as he munches a few 'stalling' units and comes across the length of your deployment zone to maul the rest of your army seems like it'd be a good use of chimerae.

I've had plenty of times where I've tried to redeploy but I was too slow to escape and just kinda died as the enemy swept all the way across my table edge munching on guardsmen the whole way mechanized could help avoid this.

[Deleted]

Chimeras die if being shot on the side by bolter fire. To kill a chim from the front , you just have to worry about str6+. Necrons and Eldar usually give my Guard a good run for the money in that they have alot of str6+ firepower to throw at me. Thats why I play with 3 russes in my list to give them other things to worry about.

It's all about tactical support. To keep the infantry pinned down from assaulting my tanks, I have 2 squadrons of sentienels to sit and shoot, along with a hellhound to shake and bake. fire and move, fire and move. And when you need to (taking objectives etc) you bail out your infantry squads to hose some poor hapless squad in the open. I love the smell of plasma fired marine in the morning!

[Deleted]

When playing mechanised, you have to remember that the chimeras are your hvy weapon squads. They've got good front armour and crap side armour, so be very careful how you place them. Sit them in/next to terrain, or stick a leman russ in front of thier exposed side armour.

My mech list is actually a grenadiers army, but it works the same. Because you're mobile, it's probably not worth taking the senior officer for his extra ld, because you're likely to be moving about. As the chimeras are your hvy weapons, then it's worth complementing thier str7/6 or 5 weapons with some serious dakka: ie basilisks, leman russes, demolishers, sentinel lascanons.

I run a counter attack command squad, with commisars.

The trick is to hunker down and shoot the nuts out of the enemy. If the enemy threaten then move away and keep shooting with the chimeras. When the chimeras get blown up (and they will) then throw the squad into the ruins of the vehicle as they are now in cover and will strike first when assaulted.

Hopefully with tanks and sentinels and hellhounds etc, you have enough targets to draw fire from your chimeras and squads, because mech list's weakness is that lack of warm blooded and scoring units you have on the board. So be careful with your troops. Have a clear plan of who is going to move and where, and don't be afraid to load up and re-deploy if necessary.

[Deleted]

My main beef with mechanized is that you cant take heavy weapon platoons without buying a chimera for them.

[telecustom]

Justinhill has the right idea. If you use the standard INF PLT, that maxs out your points really fast and you don't get much for it. By using grenadiers, it gives you several mounted squads with points left over for armor to back you up.

[Deleted]

the mechanized army IS viable.
a)equip chimeras with smoke & heavy flamers/multilasers.
b)take the following:
5 chimeras
2 command squads, 4 meltaguns/1 plasmapistol each
3 infantry squads, 1 meltagun/1 rocket launcher each

that's about 1000 points( 5 chimeras, 5 squads, u can kit them about 100 points each)
for 505 points(find 5 spare), 2 russes and a MULTI-MELTA demolisher.

a) so many heavy flamers, protected by smoke.great vs. swarm(also 3x blast "pieplates")
b) so many melta, oh so many...seriously, that list fields 11 meltaguns on the infantry. the tanks can also take other tanks down, so no problem with that methinks.
c) if enemy is MEQ(marine equivalent), u deny his saves with, like, 5 gazillion AP1/2/3weapons.

[Deleted]

MEQ - Marine Equivilent, I never knew...

Problems - how do you take 5 chimmies? You've got two command squads, so that's two and three infantry squads (which cannot take chimmies). Your can take chimmies with armoured fist squads - but you can only take one per Infantry Platoon.

The only way to fix this is with Grenadiers with chimmies (gives you more special weapons too) - take 3 5 man grenadiers squads with 2 meltaguns/plasmaguns.

That's only 5 tanks and 25 men for 1000pts. But against marines and rhino's I'd rate your chances.

[Deleted]

After I get my Hellhounds and Leman Russ's, I'm getting more chimmeras, they're just fun at the price.

[Deleted]

Sorry, just realised - mechanised doctrine, being slow today.

[Deleted]

no problem. how u like my list now that you know?
vs. MEQ, so many meltas/battlecannons, vs. swarm, so many heavy flamers.

[Deleted]

I would absolutley not equip chimeras with heavy flamers. Max, equip one and stick a counter assault unit in there. More than one is a waste of a heavy bolter or multi laser.

[mccaptain]

Ditto, I like being able to pump out 9 shots from a light tank (HS upgrade). Most people won't target prioritize the chimera and then when you return all those shots it really puts a damper on their day.

[Deleted]

I have had great success over the years with my list to the point I dont use it any more, it is too effective and hasnt lost in one on one games(have had some close ones against necrons, like the captain and his last two men saying "thank god they phased"). Not tooting my horn but it is a nasty list. I use mech doctrine, sharpshooters and I think thats it.
I have a JO with a plasma gun squad and medic
- lascannon support squad with sharp shooter
platoon JO with a missile launcher
- 2 squads with grenade launchers and lascannons
armored fist squad with grenade launcher and lascannon
Two lemon russes
bassie
each squad has a bare bone chimera with multilaser and HB
1500 points

Basic strategy is to sit and fire for two or three turns depending on the mission. Thats 36 at least S5 shots from the chimeras plus the plethora of lascannon and other shots. Then after they have been whittled down, start moving to take objectives or board edges. Some armies are easier than others, some will come close to kicking your butt(necrons, occassionaly eldar). Usually you can divide your firepower into half and concentrate on the most lethal or fast units and transports generally dont stand a chance. I played a speed freak army once before the codex change and got first turn. He didnt have a unstunned or unsmoking vehicle left by the end of my first shooting phase. I think I lost 3 guys to his shooting his round and destroyed his bikes and remaining vehicles the next round.
Against necrons, its a real challenge and a blast to play against and every game has been a hairline victory with maybe a squad left if that to force a phase out.
Just remember, you dont have alot of points to spend on troops after you buy vehicles so dont splurge on extra stuff for them. Hold to the maxim of your troops take out his tanks and your tanks take out his troops.