Questions about the Imperial Guard

Years ago when I first got into 40k I tried to get my father into it as well. He liked the tanks of the Imperial Guard and just pretty much put stuff together. He got quite a few infantry models as well just to "complete the set" but never played or anything, he just really liked putting the tanks together and I had to paint them. They dissappared for years and after cleaning his closet they were found and I was told to do with them whatever I want. I am curious as to how much stuff he has is close to making an actual army. I made a list based on what I think the stuff is by going with pictures from the GW site. Some of the stuff was converted with extra crap just to look cool. (ex. Everyone had missles and searchlights and gascans and stuff attached to tanks, some had barrels changed etc.)
Sorry for rambling heres the list of the stuff just given to me, I know there is more hidden in the house somewhere.



1 *Super Tank* (Leman Russ Chasis, thicker tracks, longer cannon barrel)
4 Chimeras
1 Hellhound
2 Leman Russ Demolishers
2 Leman Russ Battle Tank
2 Basilisk
4 Setinal
1 *unknown tank* (Cimera Chassis, long cannon barrel coming out of the actual chasis, not turret)
3 Forgeworld Turrets (one I belive to be a Leman Russ Plasma Turret, 1 is a Chimera Autocannon turret and the other I am not sure - could possibly be a converted Russ turret)
Infantry

Cadians
24 w/ Lasguns, 1 w/ Gernade Launcher, 1 w/ Flamer, 3 w/ Pistol and Sword, 11 no arms
*Metal Command Squad (flag, medic, communications, heavy weapon, Commander)

Catachans
34 w/ Lasguns, 3 Flamer, 4 Officers (various weapons), 5 w/ Pistol, leader w/ shotgun and plasma pistol and robot arm (he is meteal, I think hes a special character)

5 Commisars

2 Techpriests, Gun Servitor, Combat Servitor

You've got plenty enough stuff to field a mech army - though conventional wisdom would have people wailing at you to get more melta, natch.

Not too sure what you mean by that. Thanks for the help, just a bit lost on the Guard. I remember from when reading the Guard book (think there was a new once since then, not sure and that once is MIA in my messy room ) that they required a ton of infantry. Do you think I have enough infantry, as I was thinking of turning the Cadians w/o arms into corpses for my Dark Eldar. From what I have listed, do you really think what I have listed is enough to actually play? Also what do you mean by 'getting more melta' would that be specific infantry or different tanks?

I'm really just curious because as of Saturday I have these two HUGE boxes of assembled/ half painted Imperial Guard stuff sitting in the middle of my room and am trying to figure out what to do with it.

Once again, thanks for any help. I really know little to nothing about the Imperial Guard.

Most people run IG armies using veteran squads with full plasma guns or meltas mech'd up. Not many IG armies run a ton of infantry any more.

When you say Plasma and Melta guns, are those upgrades like our Blasters and Shredders for infantry, or are they on a tank? Also, those Veteran squads, are they like a 10 man unit? I also remember that I have a few Heavy Weapons teams around someplace as well.

Like I said, I havent seen a Guard codex in at least 6 yrs or so, and I'm sure its not the updated one, just want a better understanding as to what I have.

I'd suggest you head on over to Boot Camp forums. The guys there will give you a great list regardless of what flavour you want your guard army to have. I've seen plenty of various veteran spam lists, and I've also seen great mass guardsmen lists, as well as plenty of inbetween, all of them working quite well.

I don't really wanna assemble a Guard army, I was just curious if I could with what I have. Stuff is all asembled and painted and I dont wanna get rid of it because my father and I built it together. Was merely a curiosity sort of question. Thanks for all the replies everyone.

Yes, the common power build for IG is melta Vets - which is Vet squad w. melta gun upgrades in a Chimera. (Think Treublasters, but with a tougher vehicle and using better heat lances).

Most hyper competitive Guard lists involve meching up - same as with DE.

There are some pretty solid 'Power Blob' lists that involve spamming infanty with power weapons and just basically being like an Ork and dropping enough dice on the table that anything goes away.

You could most assuredly assemble a Guard army with what you have.
You lack infantry with melta guns which means you won't be able to build the most powerful builds.

What kits come with the Melta Guns? And approximatly how many would be needed per Vet Squad?

If I remember correctly only Command Squads have them, however this is most popular gun in GrimDark, so You can shamelessly loot it from Marines or Chaos.

Also, this
http://www.games-workshop.com/gws/catalog/productDetail.jsp?prodId=prod1400031
However giving plastic guys pewter weapons... gravity is one angry Wych.

You can scratchbuild them from bolters too.

IMHO easiest would be buying some resin "count as" from bits companies.

Thinking about it, I probably have quite a few lying around from the numerous Chaos / Marine projects I started and abandoned. Thanks.


...also was playing around with Armybuilder (I forgot all about it!) and am quite surprized at how much of an IG army I have. Without any upgrades (special guns, upgrades for tanks, etc) I have close to 1500 pts.

**edit**
So this is a very basic list thrown together from the suggestions and my limited knowledge of Guard/ what I own. Also from browsing Army Builder. Is this something along the lines of what you guys were talking about with the Mech army? From just looking at it it seems like the Troops act as Trueborn w/ Blasters


A Command Squad
10 Veteran Troops, 3x special guns, (Meltas/Plasmas, whatever else I can move and blast through armor with) in a Chimera (for troops, as many as needed/possible)

a Hellhound, some Sentinels (FA)

2 Russ Battle Tanks, 2 Russ Demolisers, 2 Bassilisks (HeavySupport)

Yeah, mech IG is basically guardsmen in chimeras, be it melta/plasma vets or even platoons.

Are you going to squadron those Russes? I'd personally be careful with that, my local IG players often immobilize and wreck one of them on basically every little piece of gravel the need to move over. Nasty thing to happen to you.

I dig the two basilisks, though. Place them on each edge of your table and your opponents will hate you, guaranteed. Just one of those things is difficult to deal with. Two of them is just mean, but hellishly effective.

Also, a lone autocannon sentinel or two is amazing thing to come in from flank, then charge into that one enemy infantry unit that was holding a point and had no grenades or powerfists. That brave lone sentinel will slowly stomp them into the ground. I think the record my friend has had was thirty or so gaunts tied up in close combat around the Sentinel, unable to do anything but to get squashed one by one.

Also, Guardsman Marbo. 65 point guided large melta blast plus 2+ wounding Exitus pistol and a 2+ poisoned CC weapon with two wounds. That guy is always worth it.

Awesome, so I am going to work in that direction. Thanks for all the input from everyone, I now have another project once my Dark Eldar are finished. Hopefully I'll have pictures of both armies eventually.