Storm Troopers

BS4. 18" Rapid Firing AP3 hot-shot lasguns. 4+ saves.

Airborne assault, you can re-roll scatter dice when deep striking (from Valkyries).

Behind Enemy Lines, Infiltrate and pinning.

Reconnaissance: Scouts and Move Through Cover.

So, the way you use this silly unit is in a all scouting army. They can also go forward by themselves, but it won't be as strong imo.

Meaning, 3xStormtroopers in 3xChimeras, 1xcommand +3/5x Vets in 4/6x Valkyries, with whatever heavy support you want to bring along.

Scout everything forward, and start chopping him out of his vehicles. If he isn't in vehicles, alpha strike his ass to death.

Are you going second? Fine, use your scout move to deploy forward just enough so he can't move without giving you a alpha strike.

Scout those Stormtroopers in their Chimeras! Screw the other abilities, they aren't what you want.

In the all-scout army, you'll probably have a ton of anti-infantry firepower on your Valkyries. They can cripple the biggest threats to your dismounted units, and if everything works properly...the game will be over before it really begins.

They are overpriced, so use them in the overpowered role they seem meant for.

Enjoy. :)

Company Command Squad

So, it's just like a platoon command squad really.

Only it's BS4, can have advisors and bodyguards, and has different orders.

The advisors and bodyguards are reviewed separately, so let's look at the orders.

Before you ask--weapon options should generally be flamers or meltas.

Bring it Down! Twin-link your meltas and bring down those vehicles or MC. Best order, period.

Fire on my Target! You choose a unit, shoot it at the enemy, and they have to re-roll successful cover saves. Second best order, as it's still very useful against both vehicles and infantry.

Get Back in the Fight! You get to rally no matter what. Yeah, you, over there. The rules lawyer. NO MATTER WHAT.

All in all, company command squads are very nice to have. You should really consider bringing them along.

Infantry Squad

Ah, the basic guardsman.

3 is his favorite number.

Is he any good in the land of mech troops?

Yes, he is. Not the way you might think.

If you are going to run a squad of these guys, run them in pairs or more.

That means use the Combined Squad rule.

Whether you give them heavy weapons or special weapons, their strength is still lasgun volleys backed by commands.

However, a little realized fact regarding these platoons...is when you pair them with say Creed or Straken, and give them a Commissar and a Ministorum Priest...

Well, THIS is the CC unit in your army.

Who cares if your Priest gets CC'ed to death at some point.

You are stubborn on a 9.

You can have in a single 20 man squad, 12 PW attacks on the charge.

Both sargents, the commissar--for 30 points? With Furious charge and re-rolls to hit, you can take mass casualties and still give people the business.

I'll be incorporating this into my all-foot 'best of' Guard list.

Gotta love a good nights sleep to make the creative juices flow.

Rough Riders

Ah yes, the Rough Rider.

Misbegotten child of the IG.

Let's see, they get S5 and I5 power weapons (once, if they charge).

Base cost is 55, plus 10 per extra guy (and 10 per meltagun if you choose to).

No real shooting.

So nothing has really changed for this unit.

Priests can't be given horses (too com-pli-cat-ed) so they won't get re-rolls to hit without some fancy shenanigans.

For 105 points, you get 11 attacks. 5.5 hit. 3.63 wound. You are WS3, T3, with a 5+ save.

So the remaining Marines you just wacked will likely be Sarge + 5.

That's 7 attacks. 4.62 hit. 3.05 wound. 1 save, 2 die.

You win by 1. Marines choose to fail, and with 1 higher init than you they are just as likely to escape as to stay.

If they escape, they gun you down next turn.

If they stay...

They swing first...

That's 7 attacks. 4.62 hit. 3.05 wound. 1 save, 2 die.

You have 9 attacks. 4.5 hit. 1.485 wound. 0.49 Marines die.

Gee, now you lose and unless there's a leader around...you fall back on a 6.

Marines have higher init and are more likely to cut you down.

All the crap you IG guys love to buy for this shitty unit: 10 if you bought a PW, I know you IG players who swear it's good; 20 if you brought 2 meltaguns...and of course, 5 points if you brought meltabombs for the sarge for 'fighting' dreads.

OR, you spend 130 points and fry all those Marines with a Bane Wolf.

Don't forget mounted troops cannot hide behind Chimeras. Only Russes. So they'll likely be shredded before they get to hit their preferred enemy, and of course...are shredded by them anyway.

Leave the horses at home.

Platoon Command Squad

Orders: Yay, I can give orders that work 2/3 of the time (or slightly less for sw+hw units). Oops sorry was I not supposed to use fractions? lol

Volley fire. If you haven't seen Michael Caine in the Battle of Rorke's Drift, you should. I'm sure whoever wrote this rule was a big fan of that movie. See the movie, btw. Really excellent. Anyway, this gives you an extra shot with lasguns (no, not hot-shot lasguns, sorry fellas).

Incoming. Yay for 2+ cover saves. Good for making your troops stick around when you know they are going to get pummeled.

Move. For late game objective taking/contesting, if you ask me. I guess you can also run a unit out of harms way with this, pulling a valuable unit back...or pushing a worthless unit forward, so assault armies have to move backwards to nail it.

It has a bunch of weapons options, personally I wouldn't bother with the special weapons. Sure you can load up on meltaguns, but even with 4...it's no guarantee at BS3. If you have a command platoon nearby, it's quite a bit better obviously. Just remember you need to pass that LD8 check.

Anyway, if you are looking towards a gunline of infantry, then you'll probably want to give them a heavy weapon team and call it good. An autocannon seems best.

You can, if you really want to, use them as a weak CC unit but the commander just isn't good enough--and you are going to lose combat anyway, due to IG sucking hard in CC.

That's about it really, the orders are what make this unit work. For all of you old guard players with lots of infantry, have a ball.

When you've figured out T3 guys with BS3 tickle guns suck, put them back in your case and go mech.

Ogryns

Big. Dumb. Useless.

The Ogryn.

130 points for 3 guys?

40 points PER MODEL?

For a BS3 12" Heavy Bolter with no AP?

For I3 S6 attacks without power weapons?

Sure, this unit can beat down Marines. Tactical marines! Well gee, who can't?

Marines also bring in the Thunder Shield Terminators, Biker Command Squads, and Grey Knight Terminators (at much better costs) and pwn face.

T5 is nice. Until a Dread shows up and beats face, a Chaos Dread could potentially inflict 12 (yes, TWELVE) wounds on the charge before the Ogryns even swing.

Much like oh every non-marine army with big expensive models, they aren't allowed to be anywhere as good as terminators and probably never will be.

For these prices, you can invest in a GKT allied unit with a Ministorum Priest and absolutely wreck face from a Valkyrie.

Which amazingly enough, Ogryns can't get in. For fuck all reasons, I'm sure.

Much like Rough Riders, Ogryns are a hobbyists dream--go nuts modeling Ogre Kingdoms guys with big guns. Just don't expect them to not suck.

Ratlings

So, everyone who ever had them (or is a big Frodo fan) will field a single unit of these guys.

Unless you are also running Psyker Battle Squads, these guys are horribad at actually doing damage to the other guy, even with BS4 sniper rifles.

Even with 10 of them, they just aren't good enough. That T2 really makes them a liability in vehicles, so don't try and be a smartass and stick 5 of them in a Chimera. When the Chimera gets popped, you'll be lucky if anyone walks away and even then--they are likely to flee immediately with that LD6.

When you are done failing with these guys, get one of the better choices. Remember that ALL of your barrage weapons cause pinning, and amazingly enough kill both infantry and tanks. Unlike these guys, who don't kill tanks.

So if you really just have to pin someone with a Psyker Battle Squad, do it with a Manticore or something. Much more dangerous.

The Conscript

The human wave.

Is it worth it?

I certainly don't think so.

Yes, you can make them stubborn on a 10.

Let's all count the ways this is new.

Oh yeah, Canoness with the Book.

Not new.

Only now, they have NO weapon options.

Guess a BS2 special weapon per 10 guys is OP or something.

Anyway, nothing really makes me go 'yes I want a screen of useless idiots' when the regular guardsman is so superior for only a few more points.

I'd rather have a screen of idiots, myself. ;)

The 'Send in the Next Wave' ability is 75 + Command Squad + Character. That's several hundred points for the ability to 'recycle' a shitty squad with no transport.

Even if you outflank it, who cares? S3 guys with BS2, flashlights, and no way to beat mech? Makes me giggle.

You also need a Commissar (or Canoness) to keep them around, although one pinning wound sent their way tends to make them hide due to their very poor leadership.

Yes, it CAN be effective as a big 'deal with me' block in an infantry army. Once it's dealt with (and trust me, most armies won't mind blowing up your 275 point not-a-land-raider-but-costs-like-one idiocy on their way to your side of the board), then what? Think about all the shots you can get. Guard cannot stop people from getting to their side of the board without a lot of shots.

Spending points on this unit means less shots, and a handy pin cushion unit for fast assaulters to hit and avoid getting shot with.

Leave it at home.

Special Weapons Squad

Lost deep strike, lost infiltrate.

Gained nothing.

Are these guys worth it in 5E?

While I'm sure I'll get spanked by demo charge wielding nuts at some point, I really don't think a whole lot of this unit.

Flamers and Grenade launchers are a bargain for 45 points. Stick them in a infantry platoons ride and they are annoying as hell.

Everything else, not so much. You have better ways to bring this stuff.

Sniper Rifles, Plasma, Melta...all stuff that doesn't reliably hit?

If you are bringing a command squad and a commissar to the front to make those meltas twin-linked...why didn't you just buy Vets or Sisters? lol

The demo charges can be terrifying, I just don't see the point of it. Do you really want 3 quasi-russ shots for almost 100 points?

Against most foes in cover, it's overkill and it's quite possible you won't do diddly. Triple Flamers gives you more reliable damage for half the cost.

Anyway, definitely not something I'd bring because no deep strike and no infiltrate means I have to buy a special character or a Valkyrie to give them the usefulness they used to have--which was still marginal in 4E and is dubious in 5E as they always have to have something else (a chimera, a valk, or a special rule granted by a character) to make them stop sucking.

Heavy Weapons Squad

Ah yes, the heavy weapons squad.

Many of you have them.

Let's take a look at them in depth.

Many of you are wondering if the 'nerf' that hit them makes them worth taking.

The 'nerf' is they are now a 2 wound model.

For the record, IG players--you brought this on yourselves.

Years of endless whining on how to remove casualties and count template/blast hits, have not gone unnoticed by GW.

While not as 'gamey' as before, it's a pretty simple change that eliminates all that bs.

You also should be getting 4+ cover saves most of the time, and with only a few armies having across-the-table heavy firepower...you shouldn't bitch, be happy you can still use them without having to run them in big infantry squads.

For 60 points (plus upgrade costs), you get 3 teams.

Each team gets one big gun.

Mortar. If you bring a lot of these, everyone will be annoyed when the game slows to a crawl. However, small numbers aren't exactly effective.

Heavy Bolter. It's a heavy bolter. It is what it is, yes? Everyone gets something like this, a moderate strength weapon for shooting at infantry.

Autocannon. A nice upgrade to the heavy bolter, costing you a single shot for +2 strength.

Missile Launcher. While it's flexible in the hands of marines and eldar, in guard hands it only feels flexible--you just can't kill vehicles with it reliably.

Lascannon. Direct anti-tank. Like the missile launcher, you need to build a foot army around giving orders with boosted LD10 in order to make these twin-linked and able to hit.

Krak Grenades. Don't ask me why these are in here.

So anyway, in a foot army you can bring any combination of these orders.

In a semi-mech army, like what I did with my DH to Guard conversion; you should bring along autocannons. They are decent against infantry, MC, and light vehicles. Which means almost everything. They are damned annoying when twin-linked via command orders.

Personally I think you should have a couple of autocannon toting units in a guard army. For 75 points, I can't complain--it fills a real need in a Guard army.

Penal Legion Troopers

The possessed chaos space marine sucks because his table is a random D6 and you can only get 3.

The Penal Legion sucks slightly less, because his table is a random D3 but you can get 6.

Then you look at the Veteran squad, and you see the tanks on the other side of the board, and you wake up.

Penal Legion get: Scouts, Stubborn (LD8).

Gunslingers: Lasguns are assault 2.
Pyschopath: Suckass guard suck slightly less in CC. Feel bad when you roll this.
Knife Fighters: See above.

Since you can scout, you somehow want the 3-6 results.

Since you are stubborn, you don't mind CC.

Since you give up shooting to assault (except for 1-2), you lose a fair deal of firepower (however weaksauce it might be), making a crappy assault unit even worse.

This unit is for fluffy people, and for IG armies that want to tie up the enemy in CC until everyone is dead (or 3 rounds pass and you statistically fail your LD roll). Probably dead first.

Stubborn does NOT make this unit good for holding your objective, only for tying up the other guys. As with many 'new' units, this one is a solid miss from GW.

Leave them at home unless you are doing some crazy scout shit.