First Game with new Imperial Guard Codex

In a few hours, I’ll be playing my first game with the new Imperial Guard codex. I thought I’d take this opportunity to talk about how I’m changing my army for the new codex. Because I’m such a fan of fluff/background, I’ll post more about the background and history of the Varrian 10^th and how that influences my army selection at another time. For the purposes of this article, here’s a fairly typical list of mine from the old codex.

 HQ:

Command Squad

Junior Officer with Honorifica Imperialis, Iron Discipline

Heavy weapons team with lascannon

Plasma Gun

Master Vox

Sharpshooters

 

ELITES:

2 x Veteran Squad: Sgt with plasma pistol, 2 melta guns, flamer, 2 Vets with shotguns

 

TROOPS:

2x Platoon

Command Squad-- Junior Officer, lascannon, Sharpshooters

1^st Squad-- Plasma gun, vox caster, Sharpshooters

2^nd Squad—Heavy bolter, plasma gun, vox caster, Sharpshooters

 

2x Armoured Fist Squad—vox caster, flamer, Sharpshooters, Chimera APC with multi-laser, heavy bolter, smoke

 

FAST ATTACK

2 x Hellhound with hull heavy bolter, smoke

 

HEAVY SUPPORT

2x Demolishers with Hull lascannon

or

2x Leman Russ with Hull heavy bolter and heavy bolter sponsons

 

This formed the basis of almost every list I ran under the old codex. For more points, a Basilisk, mortar support squads or lascannon support squads could be added. To save points, I could drop the Veterans or the Hellhounds. As you can see, I’m a big fan of redundancy. If something goes down, I want to know I have the exact same thing available to fill its role.

 

Since the new Guard codex hit, I’ve been dreaming up new lists and messing with points totals. For my 1500 point game with Nick tonight, here’s the list I’m going with:

 

HQ:

Colonel Varl Paulus (counts as Lord Castellan Creed)

Vox caster, Veteran Weapons Team with lascannon, Two bodyguards, Astropath, Officer of the Fleet

 

TROOPS:

17th Platoon Command Squad

Platoon Commander (Lt. Tonius) with power weapon, vox caster, 3 melta guns

Squad 17/1—vox caster, melta gun

Squad 17/2—vox caster, melta gun

Squad 17/3—vox caster, melta gun

Squad 17/4—Heavy Weapon Squad with Missile launchers

Squad 17/5—Heavy Weapon Squad with Lascannons

 

Veteran Squad 9—vox caster, 2 melta guns, flamer, shotguns, Chimera APC with multi-laser, heavy bolter, smoke

Veteran Squad 5—vox caster, 2 melta guns, flamer, shotguns, Chimera APC with multi-laser, heavy bolter, smoke

 

FAST ATTACK

Hellhound with hull heavy bolter, smoke

 

HEAVY SUPPORT

2x Leman Russ with Hull heavy bolter and heavy bolter sponsons

 By necessity, this list is based on models I already have. All I'll be proxying is a few melta guns and the Astropath and Officer of the Fleet. We’ll see how it works. I’m excited. I have plenty of melta and lascannons to bring down vehicles or Marines. If Nick brings his Orks, The Hellhound and Leman Russes should bring down the horde, while orders should help my infantry platoon stick around and make their lasguns more effective. Given the consolidation of heavy weapons into Heavy Weapons Squads, my infantry squads are more mobile than ever, and should be able to set up an excellent firebase, screening the heavy weapons squads and Company Commander, before moving out to grab objectives the last two or three turns.

Down the road, as money and time allow me to pick up and paint new units, we’ll see more changes, while keeping the basic character of the 10^th intact. Reading the new codex, I see the capability to form a highly effective “Hammer and Anvil” army. Infantry platoons, anchored with Creed and Heavy Weapons Squads, form the anvil, while the armour and more mobile units in Chimeras or Valkyries form the hammer. 

I plan to build a new command squad, and run a Company Commander (Major Caius) along side Paulus/Creed.  Major Caius and the Veterans will be mounted in Valkyries. Veterans have always played in a big role in the Varrian 10^th, and though I miss their ability to infiltrate, I'm very happy they're now troops and I will keep using them. Adding a couple squads of Storm Troopers is also a definite possibility, in which case they could ride in the Valkyrie and the Veterans keep their Chimeras. Aside from the obvious tactical advantages, the story possibilities that come with Major Caius leading his Veterans or Storm Troopers in an airborne assault are just too good to pass up.

If you made it all the way through my lengthy ramblings, thanks. Hope you found it useful.