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Tactica
by Aaron Tosch
an Imperial Guard army. The purpose of this article is to illustrate tactics one can use with the infantry of the
Guard to maximize their cohesion so that, as the Tactica Imperium so eloquently states, the effectiveness of
the army is greater than the sum of its parts. Any plank can field 3 Leman Russ tanks and 3 Hellhounds and
win, so I'm going to focus more on the infantry as they're usually overlooked as cannon fodder.
One upside is that infantry have become more diverse and specialized and as such can operate with much
more versatility. The downside is that you pay for this versatility. All those little cost upgrades like plasma
guns being 2 more points and lascannons being 5 more points really add up if you intend to have considerable
numbers of troops. In my opinion it's a nice tradeoff, as it allows veteran players get more out of their men.
Similar to Chaos, and may the Emperor forgive me for the comparison, the Imperial Guard can now either be
a highly specialized force with more potential for slaughter, or a more stable generalized force for the
inexperienced.
In the old codex things were pretty standardized. There were command sections which had some decent
firepower and kept morale high, heavy weapon squads, tactical squads, and then a few specialized units like
ratlings (firepower and infiltrate), ogryn (close combat), rough riders (speed and close combat) which could
mill around and help certain areas out. The idea though was to kill everything before it got to close combat
with you because you didn't have a chance once they got there. The close combat units we got (and still get)
are really pathetic, and things haven't changed so unless you hire the services of those found in other codices,
games can only be won in the firing phase. Now we can welcome the enemy reaching our lines, knowing
that's where they'll really get plastered. With the introduction of more specialized units, which I'll go into later,
we can manage the line considerably more and use an opponent's bloodlust against him or her. There's also
more potential for serious firepower from the infantry as well, as command sections can be given up to 4
special weapons, hardened vets and stormtroopers are now cheap enough to field while still carrying great
weapon options with a BS-4, and of course, in three words- Heavy Weapon Platoons! The forces of
disorder may have won the 13th Crusade, but I'm predicting a golden age for the Imperial Guard with it's
new codex. It's payback time.
Tactics
Deployment/field of fire- You will live or die by your deployment. The next paragraph covers spacing of
units which is also very important at the tactical level, but stragetically you must think in terms of your field
of fire. Cover is nice, especially to hide important units in or behind, but it's more important for a unit to have
a good field of fire. Try to think about where your opponent will go and what terrain pieces his assaulting
units and transports will try to hide behind as they try to close in, and be sure to have a few big guns
positioned to hit behind those terrain pieces it if you can help it. Also try to think about which parts of your
line will be assaulted as your enemy deploys, and put some big guns nearby to pummel the close combat
victors. The biggest problems can be terrain that blocks line of sight within your own deployment zone, as
enemy units can concentrate and wipe out one side in close combat without fear of reprisal from the other, so
if you can help it try not to split your army up between them or at least have a plan on how to deal with it.
Spacing- This is instrumental to deployment, but also plays a large role when you consider moving units.
While it's always good policy to keep all models in each squad 4 inches away from any other models, this
isn't always easy as there's only so much deployment space. There are ways to cut corners on this, here are
a few tips.
A. By putting squads (or vehicles) intent on moving in-between squads that intend to remain static.
B. It's okay to put command squads and heavy weapon squads flush up against your tactical squads
(and preferable so they can be screened), but it's vital not to do this on your front line.
C. If your opponent looks like they have a fair amount of firepower, you can deploy your squads a
little closer together and remove casualties from the edges of squads (if you plan to do this be
sure you keep your heavy/special weapons in the center of squads).
4 inches is good for two reasons- one is that it prevents an assaulting enemy unit from engaging more than
one unit at a time, considering they must remain within 2 inch coherency and standard model bases are just
under 1 inch in diameter. The other is that when one of your units is defeated in close combat the enemy
can't consolidate 3 inches into a new squad. Try to at least do this for the outer layer of squads in your fire
base (what I consider your main line, ie. tactical squads) and around your flanks if your opponent has some
speedy units. You can always move squads if they are too close to each other and are being threatened, and
it's much better to move than risk powerful units engaging multiple squads in close combat, or consolidating
into a fresh unit after butchering the first.
Morale- This is pretty simple. Command sections should be considered for their morale when being
deployed. Always try to keep your command sections within 12 inches of any troops you don't want fleeing.
Since I usually field at least 3 command sections I put each on the flanks and the HQ in the center. There are
occasions where you might want a squad to fail it's morale check, say if it's in close combat and you want to
leave it's offenders stranded to be gunned down at close range. Moving a command squad out of morale
range in this situation has saved me before.
Breakthroughs/Hostage Situations- When enemy models reach your fire base, this is the most critical
moment of the game. Proper containment given the situation is vital, otherwise they will rampage through
your lines and can cause excessive casualties. You've already spaced your units 4 inches apart to prevent
consolidation into other squads, but what if the combat lingers? In these situations you must think in terms of
when the combat will end, which can be helped by estimating the number of casualties the offending squad
just caused. You must try to end the combat in your opponent's turn, which will leave them stranded to be
cut down by close range fire from other units. If an enemy unit assaulted a squad, didn't kill all of them
off, and your stalwart men didn't break from combat (or the cowards tried to run but were held hostage) it
may be necessary to engage other nearby squads in the fighting. I only wish we could fire into close combat,
but for some reason the men just won't fire at their buddies! These situations can vary greatly, but don't
forget that it's more important to contain your opponent or ensure the combat end in their turn than letting
them move freely within your line.
Weapons/Dangerous units- Some enemy units are more dangerous to the IG than others. Being a shooty
army this means units that are fast and/or good at close combat. Troop transports are the most common
danger. Personally I prefer autocannons as they are the most cost-effective way to destroy them.
2 strength-7 shots have a better chance of stopping a rhino than a single shot lascannon or missile launcher,
so when shooting at transports use your autocannons first. Troops with jump packs or wings are also a
serious threat, as they can jump over units to get to the good stuff behind your lines. Always try to take them
out first, and if you don't have the firepower try to spread out your squads in their assault range so they
at least can only assault one unit and get stuck surrounded and out of close combat. While there should be at
least a few lascannons in your army for the unexpected, I've always preferred missile launchers for their dual
ability to kill light troops and space marines (tainted ones of course!) with ease, and for 10 points cheaper
than a lascannon. Plasma guns and flamers are favorites for special weapons. Even with the point upgrade
plasma guns are awesome weapons that no enemy trooper can feel safe around, no matter how thick their
armor. I take as many as I can, with a few flamers for the lighter stuff. No Terminator, save a Grey Knight
Brother-Captain (who we let live out of reverance!!) has ever deep striked inside my line and survived to see
a second turn. I've never been much concerned with deep striking units, as they never do well against me,
but they can cause serious harm if intended to assassinate your commander or get at the soft armor of your
tanks. Be wary of your important units when your opponent has deep strikers and deploy accordingly, and
try to put lots of scary guns in multiple squads around them.
Specialized Units
Remnants- 5 troops with lasguns is ideal, as their inability to take heavy weapons and only one special
weapon makes them fairly useless at shooting. These guys have one use in my mind (besides grabbing table
quarters), and that's a close combat screen. All too often a 10-man squad that gets assaulted doesn't get
completely killed off and a few remaining men are held hostage during your next firing phase. This is an
extremely useful tool to an Imperial player who likes having a solid fire base of troops, which all too often can
be compromised by enemy units reaching it. Deploy them with everyone else and move them forward on
your first turn (at least 4 inches away from any other squad), even, nay especially, if this means you're
putting them in charge range of a unit that can easily kill all of them. When they're butchered your whole line
with open up on the victors at close range. Suck it up soldier. Men will die under your command. They are
ready to lay down their lives in the defense of the Emperor, and it's up to you to minimize casualties.
Special weapons squads- The title says it all. These guys are my favorite unit in the army and have many
uses. For some reason their weapons cost more points and exclude plasma guns, and now that command
squads and vets can take so many special weapons I prefer not to just load them with special weapons. It
would be a shame to waste their unique ability to take a demo charge, and coupled with a squad size of 6,
these guys were designed to move. This small size makes them an ideal close combat screen. They can
also move out covertly behind cover and grab quarters, and I guarantee the moment you kill 8 space marines
with a demo charge you'll be hooked forever. It's 6-inch range isn't a big deal as most opponents will be
trying to get to grips with you anyways.
Concripts/Whiteshields- When you compare their stats to their cost, you realize that they are as effective
at shooting as any normal guardsmen (ie-10 guardsmen with lasguns with BS-3 hit 5 times on average, while
15 conscripts with BS-2 hit 5 times on average, both groups cost the same 60 points). Unfortunately
conscripts have crappy weapon options which are actually more expensive. Clearly their strength lies in their
numbers, and apart from massive formations of conscripts tieing up enemy close combat units (assuming they
have a suitable doctrine or an officer is within range to keep them there), their main use lies in taking shots.
Simply line them up base to base along your deployment zone to screen the more expensive troops with the
bigger guns behind. Take casualties from the edges to keep your important stuff screened. Chaos is now
gloating about all the battle cannons they can take, but these simple 4 point guardsmen can strip that
advantage for at least 1 firing phase, and don't forget you can move the template =). The nice thing about
conscripts is that they ensure the Imperial Guard remain the top shooter in 40k.
Storm Troopers- Even though they existed before, I'm going to include these because they are so much
more useful now. Not only are these bad boys cheaper, but they can be bought in squads of 5 without a
costly veteran sergeant upgrade, deep strike, and still can take 2 special weapons. 5 guys with 2 meltaguns
and deep strike are now only 75 points. This means you can drop 2 BS-4 meltaguns right next to a big bad
enemy tank and nuke it. I used to pay 150+ points for a squad of 10 to do this, and even though it always
worked like a charm, the points they killed didn't always make up for their worth. Not only that, but now
you can have up to three storm trooper squads deep striking, instead of just a single squad like before.
Makes me rethink the need to have lascannons in an army. Very cool stuff.
Conclusion
I plan on adding more to this list as I use the new IG codex and get a feel for the new wargear, doctrines,
specialized units, etc... I imagine this new codex will prompt more people to play Imperial Guard, considering
how many new Chaos players were added with the highly diverse codex they got recently. The Emperor
could use more devoted servants enforcing His divine will. The Imperial Guard needs YOU!
The Emperor Protects.