Imperial Guard Tactics Thread - Ultimate Apocalypse Mod (DOW SS) for Dawn of War

The Imperial Guard is the primary army of the Imperium of Man, the backbone of the Imperium. While the space marines have post-human supersoldiers bearing surgical, genetic, chemical and psychic augmentations and are protected by ceramite powered armour, the Imperial guard is formed from normal human beings wearing simple flak vests.

Truly, now more than ever, the inexhaustible forces of the Imperial Guard can weather all storms, and annihilate all who threaten the Imperium.

Edited by: Jazz-Sandwich

When 1.72 comes out, these guys will have many more tactics to use.

Just... hold the line.

Die standing. Tech up. Die standing. Send in vehicles. Die standing.

I use artillery/scanner combo to run interference on my opponent's production/resources/mob gathering.
I run a 1:1:2 conscript, guardsman, Kronus Chimera combo while advancing without the good tanks.

Just run to get those tanks, really. Tanks are salvation.
I use Guard on Hard difficulty against most races, Harder against Space Marines and Chaos, and Normal against Tau.

Addendum: I run a Commissar in the conscript squad and a psyker in the Guardsmen squad. Morale restoration and detection.
I run priests with conscripts, sometimes. Usually against monsters.

Edited by: LordRadical

My usual build order is: 2 conscripts, enginseer, commissar immediately.
Build an infantry command with a plasma generator in queue, and get the good 'aul lieutenant on the job ASAP. He and the commissar will be in melee stance to tie up stompy attackers for the guardsmen to shoot.

Depending on the enemy and the amount of resources available, this is where variability is introduced to my tactics, my time=0 build order is usually the same with Imperial Guard. But usually I like to follow up with some proper guardsmen and give them flamers/grenades depending on the enemy. Usually flamers for horde races. If I have enough resources to ditch, I spend them on levelling up the lieutenant so that he can continue to churn out units with the eventual goal of getting an early leman russ. Otherwise, it's a hold-the-line job.

Soon as I tech up, attach commissar to a conscript squad and BLAM anybody who sneezes. Then...well, it's hard to say, it all depends.

Xpwn3ntial wrote: Just run to get those tanks, really. Tanks are salvation.

Amen to that brother. Although I find the hellhound useful as soon as I can get it, can't say I've ever used the Kronus pattern chimera. Would you consider it useful for assault purposes, or for it's mobility?

Jazz-Sandwich wrote:
Amen to that brother. Although I find the hellhound useful as soon as I can get it, can't say I've ever used the Kronus pattern chimera. Would you consider it useful for assault purposes, or for it's mobility?

I can't find a use for a hellhound unless it's against a horde race.

I recommend the Kronus pattern Chimera to attack listening posts. Its mobility is kinda shit. It's heavily armored enough to withstand most early-tier listening guns and its cannon may take it down before the Guardsmen inside start shooting at it (I recommend one melta gun per squad when attacking listening posts). They're expensive, and can only carry one squad each, but it's worth it.

Against actual formations, Kronus patterns are great. Especially against heavy infantry.

I actually quite like the Hellhound. Obviously it depends how quickly I've risen up the tech tree but it absorbs so much enemy fire that I find that it can be used to distract the enemy so as to give your guardsmen time to fire ineffectually at the opposing army, shriek in high-pitched terror, and run away. If you can get a good troop of them going (perhaps three or four), you can attack move them towards the enemy base, and often their troops will wheel around to give chase. This will give you time to capture points or tech up or what have you. If I'm up to this sort this sort of trickery I usually let them down to a quater health and then race them back to my builders for a quick repair before charging back into the enemy that are by now reaching my lines! I also love the Kronus pattern chimera. I like to use them in tandem with my fragile but powerful heavy weapons teams to increase the range of sight of said teams and not expose them to the fixed defences, as the Kronus chimera can at least be repaired . Quite handy for taking out strategic points in the early game when you're trying to establish a... Oh what's that thing the Imperial Guard do? Guard the border?

The hellhounds and sentinels (with lascannons) alongside few infantry commands(with conscripts or guards on board) are able to withstand even the superheavy eldar tanks... However they loose to combination of swarm infantry+artillery, but anyway they give enough time to build heavier tanks and siege weapons to destroy enemies.

kasrkin veterans are perfect for gaining control over the map. and also i use 2 assassins to get more vision and control over map.

If anyone feels Good as IG inf doctrine player than i would be really greatfull to see some more advices here. Mostly what do you think about the best role for every inf squad and when/where is it best suited. I try to make hard lines of defence consisting of Listening post, Forward outposts fully guarded (mines in front of it) , and few turrets mixed with meele inf awaiting to engage the structures attackers, heavy weapon teams engaging the biggest threat and being upgraded when it is needed, mortars and At rockets are outside of buildings (and heat of battle) to maximize their potential. Still it is no threat even for pure inf army without arty/tank/air support. As long as it seems to be the best role for fragile inf to hold the line in FOs they can be easily jumped over or arty bombed. Any advices? Its not a hate/spam/whine/cry post i am just really interested in playing good IG Inf Defense.

Edited by: KaelaMenshaKhaine

Conscripts are obsolete after tier 0 against any race with moderate ranged or AOE capabilities but become very important once you have acess to squad attachments and the tactica upgrades. IG infantry also live or die based on their ability to hold an opponent. It is a perfectly acceptable tactic to send a sacrificial squad into melee to tie them up so your other squads can shoot them dead. Remember the motto of the guard: There is no enemy that cannot be be overcome by the brave soldiers of the imperium whether men firing guns or men stacked into barricade! Your heroes are also critical to your success. When taking territory don't overextend. Its cheaper to save a soldiers life then to train a new one. If you find a good chokepoint with a control point just beyond it take the control point then defend the chokepoint. It is far more beneficial to your economy to preserve your army and lose a point than to lose your army and preserve a point.

BEWARE OF SNIPERS! They will kill your heavy weapons teams.

Hi all. Me and some friends have notice that playing IG vs Dark Eldars is really difficult in early levels. They cannot detect steal units and have not a really counter for mandrakes or the winged-infantry of tier 1 (the bats alike sorry didnt remember the name). We have recorded some matches to show you what are we talking about. If anyone of you could counter that type of attack, we would be very thanked, so please upload the replays showing it. In other case, maybe IG needs a buff in the next patch. What do you think?

REPLAYS: "putlocker.com/file/BF9A72800931893E"
VERSION: Ultimate Apocalypse New Races 1.72.5

Thanks and greetings.

SauloMagnus wrote: Hi all. Me and some friends have notice that playing IG vs Dark Eldars is really difficult in early levels. They cannot detect steal units and have not a really counter for mandrakes or the winged-infantry of tier 1 (the bats alike sorry didnt remember the name). We have recorded some matches to show you what are we talking about. If anyone of you could counter that type of attack, we would be very thanked, so please upload the replays showing it. In other case, maybe IG needs a buff in the next patch. What do you think?

REPLAYS: "putlocker.com/file/BF9A72800931893E"
VERSION: Ultimate Apocalypse New Races 1.72.5

Thanks and greetings.

Agree ._.

SauloMagnus wrote: If anyone of you could counter that type of attack, we would be very thanked, so please upload the replays showing it.

I seem to be getting a sync error on trying to load your replays, unfortunately, but I can offer what tactics I often use. Since I cannot view your replays I may be talking about strategies you're already using, in which case I apologize in advance.

With dark eldar, I tend to field a Lieutenant and a commissar or two, and keeping them DETACHED from guardsmen squads. Commissars are very proficient melee fighters I find. They seem to be good at countering things like warriors, and also mandrakes if the latter are detected. As such, getting a tactica control ASAP is a priority, then keeping your headquarters bound to a hotkey (I keep mine at 0, done by selecting the HQ and pressing Ctrl + 0) so that I can rapidly reuse the scanner as soon as it cools down without manually selecting the building every time.

Tying the scourges (winged units) up in melee with the aforementioned troops then hitting them with ranged firepower works well enough, if you haven't teched up as quickly as your enemy and are still at tier 0. If you are also at tier I, however, it may be best to finally attach your commissars to guardsmen squads to use that execute ability. In which case commissar cadets are a good melee replacement.. A psyker on melee is also bad news for scourges, as a lightning bolt kills their morale and renders their shots inaccurate. Will also spot those mandrakes for you.

Hope this helps

Hi Jazz

Thanks for your help! The hotkey headquarter its really usefull. We (Saulo and me exchange DE or GI searchin for a counter-mandrakes tactic) use to build a fast turret or use conscripts as human barrier. Ur improvised t0 melée squad with comissars and lieutenant seems powerful, i'll try next time. we already try the lieutenant alone but our scanner use its so poor that we fail at battle. Any advice about when or where should be use it?

Bad luck we aren't all syncronized Could be the others mod? Daemon hunters, tyranid and daemons?
Thanks again!

Hello Jazz-Sandwich: as aVelasco said, thanks very much for your contestation. We have played many times and didnt find that way! its glad to see that this mod is really balanced and also the comunity is active to interchange tactics and opinions. Do you know what could be the problem with that replays? because the version i think is the same. 1.72.5 new races, we have to find out the solution and change replays, id like to see those tactics with my eyes too

Greetins and thanks!!!

It is a shame alright. I'm using the same version and all. Perhaps it's an issue with daemons mod? Do you lads have version 0.96? I'll have a look to see if it's just something on my end.

aVelasco wrote: We (Saulo and me exchange DE or GI searchin for a counter-mandrakes tactic) use to build a fast turret or use conscripts as human barrier. Ur improvised t0 melée squad with comissars and lieutenant seems powerful, i'll try next time. we already try the lieutenant alone but our scanner use its so poor that we fail at battle. Any advice about when or where should be use it?

I personally would have reservations about using conscripts as a human barrier that early in a game. Your basic conscript squad is...90 req, correct? Reinforce that squad to a large size effective as a barrier and you could be wasting up to 200 or more req, all to block a squad that the DE built for 150 req.

Quick turrets would probably be the best in my opinion - 120 req, some power, isn't it? Just note that they don't necessarily have to be at your base, but can also be at any point you want to which you want to push forward and hold. Those will detect in a nice radius, sparing you a few scanner uses. As for when you should use the scanner...it varies and is often just up to your best judgement. I like to wait until I draw the invisible enemy into somewhere where I can actually shoot them down before revealing them. Just using it in the middle of nowhere isn't going to really change anything. Try to use it in a place where you know you can take down some units once they have been revealed, because otherwise the unit can just run out of the scanner sights and it will be wasted.

Yes, we have 0.96 Daemons...its a bit weird. Yes i think as you the turret-defend tactic is the best for IG: when i play IG y really need to tier up to get some tanks, best weapons etc. Its in my opinion the most needed-to-tech faction in the game. Most of the matches vs IG ends in tier 0, and forget if you play them to try a rush, 100 moral troops at begginning is a suicide.

I hope tha replay issue could be fixed, i'd like to see those games!

Cheers

Jazz-Sandwich wrote:
Quick turrets would probably be the best in my opinion - 120 req, some power, isn't it? Just note that they don't necessarily have to be at your base, but can also be at any point you want to which you want to push forward and hold.

They are handy against DE. But What about Chaos? What can i do to hurt those motorbikes? they are fast as hell, durable and kill technopriest in a few seconds.

Sync problems depends also on the installation order. I see this problem in almost every computer that i have installed the same versions mods; to fix it we just reinstall mod in the same order in the computers we are going to play with. We should agree that order to share replays or even play (That's what i suspect it's the problem, not 100% sure)

Well, there is no HUMAN WAY to defeat DE with IG in MoonBase map. They DESTROY you in t0 with invi mandrakes, take map advantage, and when you are hardly in t1 they have all the map and are in t2. 2 games showing it: (hope you can see the replays):

ww w.putlocker.com/file/69728570B4D194DC

Any ideas?

My suggestion as it was said before: debuff walkers and put them in head quarters t0, giving them the role as motorbikes, and able to detect, cz thats the key, detection, and the fucking radar does not worth it...

Edited by: SauloMagnus

I will try to share my experience but for now the best idea is to follow Jazz Sandwich tips. Commisars are good at tying up squads to let the guardsmen and conscripts kill them. I start a match by building Techpriest and 2 conscripts ASAP. First techpriest is building FO from the general direction of the enemy close to strategic point so they will form a harder point of resistance in near future with the help of LP. Second techpriest goes out and immidiately helps to build FO, mark them both while they are building and hold Shift to que them and build generator. In the same time try to send conscript squads on run ability to quickly capture strategic points nearest to your base (forget relics at first if they are not in your base) in meantime create a guardsmen squad and leutanant and send them to capture point in front which will most likely be attacked by enemy soon. Conscripts shouldnt be reinforced until now, beacuse they need the commisars more than sheer numbers in squad. What i do now i create 2 fronts, one attack team is leutanant detached from guardsmen and second one is two conscript squads with commisar as tying up unit (press z to send commissar directly on melee). You shouldnt make 2 squads fully reinforced beacuse it will kill your economy, (if you have 3 listening posts built than) you should train 2 commisars and add 6 conscripts to each squad. What you need now is to win capturing war with DE thats why having whole army in one place is weak idea so try to build tactica control asap and hotkey HQ to use its scanner mostly to help conscript team. Whenever you are attacked by mandrakes and without any option to reveal them ( scanner already used, no psyker nearby) you should retreat immidiately beacuse your units will be easily exterminated (which you have experienced so far), to make it possible you should constantly watch your units. The less troops you have left dead on the field ,closer you are to beat quality of DE with your quantity it is crucial and I have found out that leaving my conscripts without attention or being left for open fight is easiest way to cripple your economy and make you loose t0. So push whenever you can (u need this strategic points), screen your units with commisars and leutanant, when you have 4 strategic points be sure you have built LP on them and you can tech up. Reinforce one conscript squad fully so it will kill all mandrakes tied up by your commisar and hold it behind him and second conscript squad. Guardsmen should be upgraded with grenade launchers and mortar ,keep them on back ,change stance to hold ground, attach psyker when possible, this team is good to hold mandrakes from advance and harras enemy base, leutanant is good to buy time for retreat for your guardsmen when they should focus on destroying LP and decapping, watch for them to not shoot your Lt. This way i am able to win t0 and with help of special weapons team and chimera tanks i am pushing closer and closer to their base, than you just push when their eco is destoryed or you turtle in front but beware of that even 3 lps will give them enough resources to crush your lines if you will not care too much about micro, dont be afraid of retreating.

Edited by: KaelaMenshaKhaine

Thanks for your advice but I still think DE have it way easier.
An average DE player will atack directly and kill your technopriest or troops near mid map; winning capture war.

Its simple: if you think that strategy will win, join this hamachi net: Comedmeelnardo ; pass: Comedmeelnardo . I will be very pleased to show you that its not working. Anyways, thanks for your trying.

Thing is that DE are unbalanced now against IG and thats the only way i found to have any chance to win on present circumstances :/ i didnt told thats a sure way, just my best. Thanks for invitation but i am away of my pc until monday. Btw i am sure that you will get me with your DE i used to play them for over a year on vanilla and i know what they are capable of

Your best bet against DE is to cap 2-4 points and make a defensive perimeter. The DE have a lot of trouble stopping your vehicles as long as you kill their AV infantry with hellhounds (an easy task given the fragility of DE).

churchillrifle wrote: Your best bet against DE is to cap 2-4 points and make a defensive perimeter. The DE have a lot of trouble stopping your vehicles as long as you kill their AV infantry with hellhounds (an easy task given the fragility of DE).

Again i have to disagree... the bat ones, (cant remember his name) have that insane dark spears with long range that kill buildings and vehicles very fast, they also take infantry without problems; and don't forget they can fly ._.
So DE advance to t1 faster, is a fact, and only have to span two or three squads of these, maybe a big tank and gg. Meanwhile you just arrive to t1 with poor economy and the onlly chance that works to me against that batydudes was the mortars... Very hard to beat DE even with higher player level at IG side...

But thanks for your tips
It would be great to play with you guys

aVelasco wrote:

churchillrifle wrote: Your best bet against DE is to cap 2-4 points and make a defensive perimeter. The DE have a lot of trouble stopping your vehicles as long as you kill their AV infantry with hellhounds (an easy task given the fragility of DE).

Again i have to disagree... the bat ones, (cant remember his name) have that insane dark spears with long range that kill buildings and vehicles very fast, they also take infantry without problems; and don't forget they can fly ._.
So DE advance to t1 faster, is a fact, and only have to span two or three squads of these, maybe a big tank and gg. Meanwhile you just arrive to t1 with poor economy and the onlly chance that works to me against that batydudes was the mortars... Very hard to beat DE even with higher player level at IG side...

But thanks for your tips
It would be great to play with you guys

+1