Summary:
The Imperial Guard rely on large numbers of infantry or the support of their heavy armour to deal with their foes. Their squads are generally fragile, have long range and are cheap and quick to recruit and reinforce. Similarly their vehicles are generally cheap and can be built quickly. Their defensive turrets are strong and their forward bunkers can protect their troops with multiple weapons to drive attackers back.
Differences from vanilla Soulstorm:
General
Imperial Guard squads are generally more fragile and their troops more numerous. They have more upgrades, more weapon choices and more researches.
Troops
- Guardsmen squads now start with 1 more member and can reinforce 2 more members. The squad cost has been reduced and their health has been reduced as well.
- Psykers are now in a squad of 3 members capped at 1 squad.
- Heavy Weapons Teams are now slightly cheaper.
Commanders
The Command Squad Captain now has much more health but the rest of the members have less. The members are now cheaper to compensate. The Command Squad can now reinforce Kasrkin Bodyguards.
Vehicles
- Hellhounds are slightly more expensive.
- Sentinels are now in squads of 3.
- Basilisks are now cheaper as well.
Researches
Full Scale War now increases the health of most vehicles.
The Assassin Infiltration research has been removed and the Assassin now Infiltrates straight away.
Abilities
Commissars squad health regeneration has been reduced. They now also reduce the damage received by the squad.
Commissar Execute no longer affects nearby squads, only the attached squad.
Kasrkin Frag Grenades also do less damage.
Basilisk Earthshaker Cannon does half as much damage but costs half as much to use.
The Marauder Inferno and Krak Bombs abilities have been removed and instead the Marauder drops Inferno, Krak and EMP Bombs automatically.
Weapon upgrades
Guardsmen Grenade Launchers have been moved to tier 2.
Entrenched, Heavy Weapons Teams now start with Lascannons meaning they are anti-vehicle straight away and can upgrade to either Heavy Bolters or Autocannons. Un-entrenched they now have a medium ranged Mortar that does relatively low damage but have an area of effect and high knock back.
New Stuff
Troops
- Conscripts have been added as a cheaper alternative to Guardsmen. They do not get upgrades or bonuses from researches.
- The Combat Medic can heal squads more effectively than Commissars and they get Krak Grenades.
- Guardsmen Sniper Squads have been added. They can use Infiltration and are effective against Infantry and do high morale damage but cannot upgrade their weapons.
- Special Weapons Squads are an alternative troop choice to Snipers they can use grenades and have similar weapon upgrades to Guardsmen but deal more damage and are tougher.
- Grey Knights have been added, they are good at ranged and melee combat and are capped at 1 squad.
- Stormtroopers are an alternative choice to Kasrkins, their Hotshot Volley Guns are more devastating than Kasrkin Hellguns and they can use Martyr's Gift Medi-kits to temporarily boost their health regeneration and movement speed but they have more limited weapon upgrades.
Vehicles
- The Medusa is a new variant of the Basilisk that does more damage at a shorter range. It is also more effective against buildings.
- The Griffon is a short ranged mortar tank that has a quick fire rate and can disrupt a group of infantry effectively.
Commanders
- The Support Command Squad starting with the Imperial Colonel, having the ability to reinforce Vox Casters (improving squad accuracy), the Standard Bearer (improving squad morale), the Combat Medic (improving the health regeneration of the squad) and Guardsmen Veteran Bodyguards.
- The Inquisitor has the ability to use Smite (to deal damage and disruption to a target squad) and can improve the morale of nearby units. The Inquisitor can also be upgraded with a Personal Teleport to quickly get in and out of combat. The Virus Bomb Exterminatus is a devastating ability capable of dealing massive damage and affected units will take damage over time and suffer crippling morale damage as well. The [
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Relic units
- The Stormblade is a new variant of the Baneblade with a massive Plasma Blastgun that does massive damage with a large area of effect.
- The Stormhammer is another Baneblade variant equipped with two twin-linked Battle Cannons, four Lascannons and four twin-linked Heavy Bolters. It has more health and does more damage overall than the Baneblade but also costs more to produce.
- The Arkurian Stormhammer is a variant of the Stormhammer equipped with six side-mounted Lascannons, a set of twin-linked Battle Cannons and a Stormhammer Cannon.
Weapon Upgrades
- Guardsmen squads can now upgrade to Flamers, Meltaguns (effective against vehicles and buildings but with a short range), and Stubbers which suppress enemy units by reducing their movement speed.
- Kasrkins likewise can upgrade to Meltaguns.
- Heavy Weapons Teams can now upgrade to a Plasma Cannon for long range damage and knockback with an area of effect.
- Basilisks and Medusas can upgrade to a Heavy Flamer and with the Full Scale War research can upgrade to a Heavy Stubber effective against infantry.
- Sentinels start with Multi-lasers and can upgrade to Heavy Flamer (short range and effective against morale), Lascannons (long range and effective against vehicles or buildings), Autocannons (long range and effective against infantry and heavy infantry) or Plasma Cannons (long range and knockback with an area of effect).
- Hellhounds now have an additional Flamer and can upgrade it to a Heavy Bolter (more effective against infantry) or Multi-Melta (effective against vehicles and buildings). It can upgrade its turret Inferno Cannon to a Banewolf Chemical Cannon (to be more effective against infantry and heavy infantry), a Slushpuppy Cryo Cannon that quickly freezes and slows enemy units or a Devildog Melta Cannon (very effective against vehicles and buildings). The Let It Burn ability is disabled with the Chemical Cannon, Cryo Cannon or Melta Cannon upgrades.
- The Leman Russ Battle Tank can now upgrade its side sponson weapons to Heavy Flamers, Multi-Meltas (effective against vehicles or buildings) or Plasma Cannons (with long range, disruption and effective against all targets). It can upgrade its front Heavy Bolter to a Lascannon for additional long range anti-vehicle damage. It can also upgrade its Battle Cannon to Exterminator Autocannon (to be effective against infantry and heavy infantry), Vanquisher Battle Cannon (with longer range and more effective against vehicles and buildings), Eradicator Battle Cannon with its radioactive shells having a damage over time effect, Annihilator Twin-linked Lascannons making it effective against vehicles and buildings at long range, Punisher Gatling Gun (more effective against infantry and heavy infantry), Exterminator Plasma Cannon (long range, disruption and effective against all targets) or Incinerator Volkite Mega-Culverin .
- The Heavy Bolter Turret can now upgrade to Twin Punisher Gatling Cannon, for dealing more damage against heavy infantry, Twin Vanquisher Cannons for dealing with heavy infantry or light vehicles and aircraft or Twin Plasma Cannons, for good all round damage with an area of effect.
Abilities
Guardsmen are now able to use Smoke Grenades to provide defensive cover for your troops, affected units will take less damage. Be aware that the smoke affects all units in the area.
Researches
The Infantry and Mechanized Commands now have new Squad and Support Cap Increase researches instead of increasing the caps themselves. Each additional research requires an additional Infantry or Mechanized Command building.
New researches Recruitment and Advanced Recruitment have been added to increase the maximum number of squad members for Guardsmen squads.
Smoke Grenades research allows Guardsmen to throw Smoke Grenades to reduce damage received.
Researches have been added to upgrade most leaders can now upgrade melee weapons to Power Swords, Power Fists and ranged weapons to Plasma Pistols and the Command Squad Captain to upgrade melee weapons to Master Crafted Power Claws, Power Fists and ranged weapons to Twin Storm Bolter and Plasma Pistol.
Researches have been added to increase Grey Knight armour and to allow them to charge.
Doctrines
Two new doctrines have been added, one of which is chosen at the beginning of the depending on whether the player chooses to field more infantry or more vehicles.
- The Infantry Regiment doctrine increases the cap of Kasrkins from 1 to 3 and to build an unlimited number of Heavy Weapons Teams but limits Medusas or Basilisks to 1 and Hellhounds to 3. It enables Sniper Infiltration, Kasrkin Infiltration, Advanced Recruitment, Frag/Krak Grenades and Weapon Specialization researches. It also makes the Devildog Melta Cannon, Executioner Plasma Gun and Punisher Gatling Gun upgrades unavailable. 2 additional Squad Cap Increase researches are made available increasing the maximum squad cap to 30.
- The Armoured Company doctrine increases the cap of Medusas or Basilisks from 1 to 3 and to build an unlimited number of Hellhounds but limits Kasrkins to 1 and Heavy Weapons Teams to 3. It enables the Devildog Melta Cannon, Executioner Plasma Gun and Punisher Gatling Gun upgrades. It also makes Sniper Infiltration, Kasrkin Infiltration, Advanced Recruitment, Frag/Krak Grenades and Weapon Specialization researches unavailable. 2 additional Vehicle Cap Increase researches are made available increasing the maximum vehicle cap to 30.
