Close Order Drill

[Deleted]

Well as I sit here trying to piece together my first regiment of Imperial Guardsman, the question of what doctrines I should take came to my mind. While I was in Algebra class today I began to think about Close Order Drill.

Then I came to the realization that I have no clue on how to use Close Order Drill, like how to actually initate the bonus. So here is my first question: How and when do/can you initate Close Order Drill? I am thinking it's just moving your models into base to base contact.

And secondly, What are your experiences with this Doctrine?

[Deleted]

The Doctrine is excellent if you have a spare point, the extra I and Ld can really keep your Guard holding the line for a long time. Combine it with Iron Discipline and you have an excellent defensive army. Yes, you initiate it by having all the models in base contact, there is an excellent diagram in the Codex. I reccomend it highly, but then, it really depends on your style of play

[Deleted]

Thanks Synster. So I initate it in my movement phase? But wouldn't that just tell my opponet to start firing off pie plates and flamer template?

[Deleted]

it would key him off, but the trick is to use it in a situation where they dont have anything to respond to it with, like ordnance or flamers. I personally never use the Close Order Drill, i hated having to wheel regiments in Fantasy and when I say Close Order drill, i was like.. "No...." so thats just me though. Though What I do is more tactic groups, like Catachans in the jungle where ranks are impossible and Mechanized Cityfighting so its tough to accomplish for my unit. It all depends on what you have and where youre playing, not so much against who youre playing

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

this is pretty much an assault doctrine. you move into melee and as you charge, you make sure you can stick your squad in so they're all base to base and thus you jump up your Ld and initiative by a point. this is really handy in getting your attacks in but also coupled with a veteran sergeant (I'm pretty sure this would work fine but don't have the 'dex infront of me) you can come out with a Ld9 line squad with a strong sergeant lending an extra couple attack or two.

you don't want to use this formation in the open field because basically everyone has blast weapons to use at range and they will see this type of formation as too juicy to pass up. there's a reason that in the discription of the doctrine they mention something like: 'your guardsmen learn to present a hedge of bayonets to the enemy' - it's meant to be a melee oriented buff.

if you get charged, then as soon as you consolidate in, then boom, you're now in close order.

[Deleted]

If you think about it, blast weapons are not that scary even if you put your guys shoulder to shoulder. If the enemy hit they still only get one covered by the small blast marker, with a fifty percent chance of another two. With a bolter rapid firing the maths are about the same. As for the larger blast marker, well, what can you do. with unit coherency a bunched unit not in base to base will suffer as many casualties as one shoulder to shoulder. The trick is, straight line, not zig zag. That way the unit is as spread out in one dimension as it canbe.

[majorjav]

I agree with turtle, close order drill is for more assaulty armies. you may combine it with carapace armour and vet sergent...Ld 9, I4, Sv 4...Nice!! but beware of plates!! I do drop troopers so once an entire squad was wipped by a double shoot of heavy plasma from a chaos dreadnought....They were in base contact (just deep striked!!)

[Turtleboy(AWOL)]

while it's great in theory to keep your troopers in wide lines, it only turns out as something that works well if you're fighting in open field battles. most often opponents will opt for more terrain when facing IG armies. I tend to tell them to bring it on, simply because I want to build my skill and turning terrain against me serves to make me sweat and think about my moves and tactics all the more.

with terrain factored in, you'll be rolling difficult terrain every round for every squad you want to move if you keep them in wide line type formations. if you don't really need to make your movement distance count, or if you're troops are 'light infantry' (the doctrine) then this might work better (as light infantry gets an extra die when moving thru difficult terrain).

typically the phrase 'move with a purpose' tends to keep my troops out of any defined troop formations as they push to take ground as quickly and efficiently as possible.