It is clear that in a Standard Battle, you will need two troops and one HQ. I've applied this principle rather loosely in building up my Imperial Guard army though I must admit that my first purchase was a box of Catachan Guardsmen in metal. It started with the idea of painting them first and seeing how would they look like..kinda like proving an idea to myself. It enamored me as well that Catachans are Jungle Fighters and the Philippine Army is more jungle oriented soldiers. So, there came an idea of forming my own Imperial Guard army.

I've been a student of Napoleon Bonaparte ever since elementary and am really impressed with his Imperial Guard. I've collected and painted my own share of ESCI toy soldiers in NOVA FONTANA and now turned to warhammer to sate my own lust for wargaming. Players who play Imperial Guard has modelled their army accordin to the Wehrmacht with matching swastika and iron cross. I feel I should deviate a little from this concept..so I thought of our own Philippine army with a matching Scout Ranger squad.

In starting out an Imperial Guard army, we must think of the main factors that will contribute to a balance of offense and defense. The Imperial Guard is a rather static army to be effective. Here are some tips.

First:

Infantry at the very least should have an assault weapon and a Heavy weapon. My personal preference has always been a plasma gun and a missile launcher as this both can defeat power armor while providing a punch against enemy armor. I've taken into consideration that the majority of my opponents are Space Marine players.

Command sections shouldn't be too packed in with assault weapons unless you put them on a Chimera and meltagun the opposition or burn them with flamers, thereby making them an assault unit but defeating their purpose as a command unit. Guard units have a lowly leadership of 7 and if you want to keep on firing those heavy and assault weapons in a firefight, you definitely need better Leadership. The Command section in my opinion should stay put and be given an anti-tank weapon.

A couple of flamers while cheap may also be included to fill in the assault weapons slot just for the contingency of counter-attacking. The Command Section doesn't last long in a firefight so I say you both put them in the back and let the Heavy Weapon snipe at the enemy.

Second:

The equalizer in the Guard army is the tank. Leman Russ battle tanks are meant to stand out and slug it with the enemy. The Basilisk is meant to hit things that hide in bushes and ruins. Eldar for example. With its indirect fire option, you could combine this barrage ability with the anti personel weapons of the
mortar squads. Together, they truly make an awesome artillery unit.

Chimeras are one of the most underestimated units in the Imperial Guard. For 85 points (88 if you count smoke launchers) this tank gives you the ability to transport 10 Guardsmen or 5 Ogryns with an independent character to ride in the front seat. The multilaser can make mincemeat of lightly armored vehicles and the heavy bolter provides an additional firepower towards anti-personell work.

Space marines with Rhinos look in envy at the chimera because all they have really is a pea-shooter storm bolter as their support weapon. After disembarking its cargo, the Rhino mainly becomes a decoy or serves as cover for marines advancing...the Chimera provides supporting fire to Guardsmen...and with the ability to threaten the enemy's position.

Here's a low down of my own Imperial Guard Army:

This is my second attempt at building a decent army for the warhammer range, one being Brettonians. I've always been a fan of Rammstein's music and it doesn't really suit Brettonian knights charging to the tune of Du Hast...so here comes the Catachans.

Well-muscled, gritty, dirty, stinky...and most of all deadly Guardsmen...well above your normal footslogger. I have also envisioned an army that is not like other Imperial Guardsmen due to the fact that most try to emulate Hitler's Panzer Divisions. I opted for a Jungle Fighter theme akin to the Philippine's elite unit..the Scout Rangers. And with the coming of the plastic models comes the deciding factor for choosing these models...cheap price.

The Commander:

The main guy...but the one that I rarely get into combat even if he is armed with a powerfist and protected with good armor. I usually upgrade him to Colonel so I don't have to put a Commissar in the unit and kill him.

Good leadership coupled with a standard bearer makes Imperial guard squads more stalwart. Surprise sometimes comes in with the inclusion of a Holy Relic. And you can really kill with this item with the new CityFight rules..heheheheh! Oh and I take a missile launcher for this guys to expand their roles as tank hunters and prevent side comments from grunts that they are just slinking in the background. The inclusion of a preacher with a power sword is HIGHLY recommended!

The Imperial Guard Squad:

Lasguns are fun to use! Believe me...it helps take out the tension of a serious player at times. I always take lots of these guys...hordes come in many ways and it is what makes Imperial Guardsmen so effective. Numbers carry a lot of weight in this army. Make sure to take an assault weapon preferable a plasma rifle if you intend to stick the squad for long range firing coupled with a good old missile launcher.

Most of my guys that had missile launchers are conversions from bits I bought in GW Mail order... flamers are meltas I reserve for Command Sections if I intend to attack an objective. All units always carry a missile launcher...it is a theme army as well...Jungle Fighter carry portable weapons not cumbersome auto cannons or heavy bolters but weapons that can clear obstacles, literally. =)

I even tried putting up 2 ten man squads armed with only missile launchers and the command section armed with the same for shootiness and I only spent 150 points for these guys! Three missile launchers and 21 lasguns for 150 points. =)

The Armored units:

Armored Fist Squads are good if supported by other units.Alone it is just bait. I have no particular preference when it comes to armor but I always take at least one Leman Russ Main Battle tank. It evens out every battle and they do take a lot of flak and survive. One friend of mine even insisted on hiding his Land Raider Hull down because of this tank. That shows how dangerous this tank is...but if you want to even out the battlefield...I suggest an optimum mix of tanks.

The Elites:

Again, my emphasis has always been with troops. These units are good for specific purposes. Sometimes, I take a Hardened Veteran squad which cost roughly 80 points for anti-tank purposes or Stormtroopers for infiltration attacks. Ogrys are valuable if they can get close. Ratling snipers make good bait for enemy units. =) Deathworld Snipers can cover a particular area well enough. Actually, I field them according to my mood.

The Fast Attack units:

Sentinels are just good at this. They are stop-gaps for my army. Cheap units and quite expendable and sometimes oh so useful. They give my infantry units a chance to regroup and mass fire the enemy. Rough Riders are quite vulnerable so I sometimes take only 5 of them in my army if ever for counter-attacks. They hit only 50% of the time anyways....only used for supporting attacks. Hellhound tanks are bait =) and they do this role very well...my main units survive because of these tanks.

The Heavy Weapon Squads:

Mortars..and mortars..I love them. They give me a unit that can strike at the enemy with impunity. Heavy Bolter squads are cheaper so I sometimes take two of them..and since I still have a slot..I can include a Deathworld Veteran Assault team for extra measure..kinda like bodyguard units for the Heavy Weapon teams and command section. I take the full 7-man teams armed with shotguns and demo-charges..

There is a commotion before you and behind you each moment of the day. It is the fuss, the much ado, that the angels make over your well-being.

That's all for now. I hope this article would give you budding Imperial Guard players some ideas on improving your armies. If you have some thoughts on this, I look forward to hearing from y'all. Till then, keep the hobby going and enjoy the game.