Imperial Guard tutorial - Vengeance of the Blood Ravens mod for Dawn of War II: Retribution

The Imperial Guard race has three commanders in this mod. Each Commanders unlock a different army. This covers IG and Krieg IG.

Most imperial guard infantry are light or medium infantry. This means they are vulnerable to flamers, shuriken weapons, and other anti-infantry heavy weapons. They are also rather weak in melee. However you can deploy great hordes of them. Best is to use tanks or ogryns to soak up damage.

Pop cap is 500, and their infantry is one of the cheapest in game.

Your problem and salvation is very cheap and weak infantry. Always keep a Chimera in tow for soaking up damage and reinforcing your squads. Remember that the heavy weapons loadout must counter your enemy. Grenade launchers and flamers work against horde armies while meltas and plasma guns are needed for heavy infantry.
Later on, Ogryns and Leman Russes become valuable staple units that not only screen your Karskin and Stromtroopers from damage, but can deal quite the hurt themselves.
Your troops are slower than most infantry, but can be specialised with a wide array of heavy weapons and reinforced. No other horde army has this kind of ranged firepower.
Your tanks will be relatively good with a medium price, but your infantry will always have lower than usual health so watching out for them is important. Try to screen them with tanks and stay out of melee!

You can build Inquisitor, Commissar, Vindicare, Eversor, Thunderer, Artillery and can also build Guardsmen, Heavy weapon team, Ogryns, Bullgryns, Stormtroopers, and Grenadier/Kasrkin, Engineers/Catachans from Bunkers.

The Commissar can built a special beacon that unlocks additional superheavies and the Carnodon.

Cadian General: Unlocks the Cadian/Generic IG army.
Krieg General: Unlocks the Krieg Guard army.
Tau Commander: Unlocks tau. Will have their own article.

Heroes:

General: Starting ranged hero. Good at melee damage and enduring enemy damage, and can buff fellow guardsmen. Weaker than other heroes, but has a small command squad. Summons other heroes.
Commissar: Melee support hero who boosts trooper performance. Built at bunker.
Inquisitor: Melee offensive hero focused on dealing damage to enemy units. Built at bunker.

Krieg Units are somewhat slower, but can not be suppressed. Krieg lasguns deal twice the damage, but shoot half as fast. Krieg is less mobile but somewhat more durable.

Units:

Tier1:

Guardsmen: Weak infantry with medium ranged firepower. Can be given flamers, meltas, plasma guns or grenade launchers. Keep them behind cover and behind Chimeras and their hordes will wear down enemies.

Veterans: Slighty more health than guardsmen. Armed with shotguns, can be equipped with Sniper rifles. Not available to Krieg.

Catachan Devils: Faster than the rest of the guard, these soldiers can get cloaking. Good for supporting an assault. Krieg variant is Engineers, who can use poison grenades but are slower and less efficient in melee. Do note that while they can defeat enemies like shootas or fire warriors in melee, they aren't up to fight against dedicated heavy melee units like Assault Marines, Nobs or Ogryns.

Heavy Weapon Team: Slow to deploy, but cheap and can upgrade its heavy bolters to autocannons or lascannons. Putting them into cover in great numbers can help with damage output.

Chimera: Medium transport with a Multilaser turret and hull heavy bolter. Infantry inside can operate its lasguns. Always have one or two around to reinforce your guardsmen, they are great for providing reinforcements and soaking up damage. Can be given twin heavy bolters for more suppression, or autocannon for more damage.

Recon Sentinel: Fast light walker with multilaser, can take missile launcher, lascannons, autocannon and recon sensors. Early on it provides a lot of firepower, but it is rather vulnerable. Best used for Hit and run and recon, not available to Krieg.

Tier2:

Kasrkin: Stronger guardsmen with Hellguns. Can upgrade to grenade launchers, meltas, plasma guns or flamers. Their longer range makes them better at facing hordes. They are somewhat tougher, but better shield them behind Ogryns or tanks.
Krieg variant is Grenadiers, who are slower but can't be suppressed.

Stormtroopers: Stronger Guardsmen with Hotshot lasguns. Can upgrade to meltas, plasma guns, improved hotshot lasguns or stealth. Deal more damage but have less health than Kasrkin, their shorter range makes screening of them more important. Can Stealth for ambush.

Ogryns: Powerful melee infantry with medium damage and very high health. Good for soaking up damage and tying up enemy in melee. Always have a few for protecting your Karskin/Stormtroopers with special weapons.


Leman Russ: Heavy tank with two heavy bolters, a lascannon and a battlecannon. Good against light tanks and infantry. Can be upgraded with a short ranged demolisher cannon for heavy damage.
Can also take Twin lascannons, which are great at taking out vehicles or Vanquisher cannon that deals somewhat more damage and slows vehicles, but fires slower.
Can equip Plasma cannon, which is good against large blobs of even super heavy infantry, or a knockback-providing, shorter ranged but faster firing if less powerful Ryza Barrage pattern plasma cannon.
Can take Eradicator cannon for greater aoe damage, if shorter range, and autocannons against heavy infantry like tyranid warriors and kommandos.
Can also use Punisher cannon against light infantry or take Conquerer option that provides a storm bolter and a light battlecannon, sacrificing some damage for additional suppression.
Not only good for soaking up damage, but also for dealing it. Only drawback is its price and longer build time compared to other tanks. Its Heavy bolter sponsons can be upgraded with Plasma Cannons or Multi meltas.

Hellhound: Fast medium tank with hull mounted heavy bolter and Heavy flamestorm turret. Very good against light infantry. Can upgrade to an anti-tank melta cannon, or to Chem cannon that fires acid, trading raw damage for better armour penetration. Not as durable as the Leman Russ, these tanks are best suited for quick ambushes or warding off charging walkers or infantry from assaulting your guardsmen.

Armored Sentinel: Fast medium walker with multilaser, can take missiles, Lascannons, autocannon or plasma cannon. Has more health than the Recon variant, and can be used in squads to hunt specific foes.

Eversor Assassin: Powerful melee damage dealer that explodes upon death, and can stealth. Limited to 2. Can use melta bombs. Built at bunker.

Vindicare Assassin: Powerful ranged damage dealer that explodes upon death, and can stealth. Limited to 2. Can have shield breaker, Armour piercing and Hellfire shells. Built at bunker.

Thunderer: A cheaper Leman Russ hull armed only with a Demolisher cannon. Best used to soak up anti-infantry melee units as well as clear blobs of them. Can be upgraded to the Destroyer, a long range tank hunter, or the Bombard, a long range anti tank heavy artillery that is better than regular artillery but more expensive. Built at tier 2 from Bunker.

Artillery Battery: Starts as a Wyvern, which is good against blobs of light infantry with its quad long range mortars.
Can be upgraded to a Hydra for long range anti heavy infantry firepower, a Basilisk for general but mediocre artillery, a Colossus for even better anti-infantry firepower, or a Medusa that is better against superheavy infantry and vehicles. These guns got great range but fire slowly.
Built at tier 2 from Bunker.

Malcador: A slower, cheaper Leman Russ like tank with front Demolisher cannon, limited angle side Heavy bolters and a quintuple Heavy bolter turret. Its turret has a fixed angle, and can be upgraded to twin lascannons or battle cannons. It can also replace both turret and front Demolisher for a heavy flamer or a Neutron laser.

Carnodon: A relic tank that re-entered production, it lacks the Leman Russ's armour but has increased speed. Armed with twin Multilaser turret and Multilaser sponsons. Can replace these options with Lascannons, Volkites or Autocannons to have greater firepower than the Russ. Built at the Bunker.

Tier3:

Baneblade: Super heavy vehicle with 3 twin linked heavy bolters, two lascannons, a Demolisher cannon, an autocannon and a Baneblade cannon. The Baneblade cannon fires Anti tank rounds as default, and can fire an Area of effect round as an ability. The Demolisher cannon can be targeted to twice the maximum range with an ability. While the Baneblade has more offensive capability than the Land Raider, it is not quite as durable and thus priority must be taken to eliminate enemy anti-tank units if it comes under fire. Effective against all unit types. Limit 2.
Shadowsword: A very powerful long range tank hunter, it fires every 20 seconds but deals immense damage. Best used to snipe at enemy superheavies from behind the safety of your front lines. Limit 1, lacks Demolisher Cannon, otherwise hull weapons the same as Baneblade.
Banesword: A very powerful long range hybrid tank and superheavy infantry hunter, it fires every 20 seconds but deals great damage in a small area and stuns enemies. Best used to snipe at enemy superheavies and elites from behind the safety of your front lines. Limit 1, lacks Demolisher Cannon, otherwise hull weapons the same as Baneblade.
Stormblade: A very powerful long range superheavy infantry hunter, it fires every 20 seconds but deals very heavy damage in a large area. Best used to snipe at enemy elite infantry from behind the safety of your front lines, but can threaten enemy heavy vehicles as well. Limit 1, lacks Demolisher Cannon, otherwise hull weapons the same as Baneblade.
Stormsword: A very powerful short range line breaker, it fires faster than others, dealing immense damage to infantry in large areas. Best used to charge at enemy swarms to clean them up for the rest of your army. Limit 1, lacks Demolisher Cannon, otherwise hull weapons the same as Baneblade.
Hellhammer: A Baneblade variant that replaces the turret weapons with a heavy AOE cannon. Limit 1, built from the Commissar Beacon.
Doomhammer: A Shadowsword variant that has increased rate of fire but lacks some of the damage and range of the Shadowsword. Limit 1, built from the Commissar Beacon.
Stormlord: While it lacks the Demolisher cannon, the twin Vulcan Mega bolters on this tank can decimate large swathes of infantry. Unlike other IG superheavies, this one reloads fast. Limit 1, built from the Commissar Beacon.
Banehammer: A Stormsword variant that is armed with a tunneling mortar gun. It trades some damage for the ability to show enemy units in a large area upon hit. Limit 1, built from the Commissar Beacon.
Stormhammer: A relic Baneblade variant that replaces the turret autocannon and hull Demolisher with 2 lascannons, and the sponsons twin Heavy bolters with Multilasers, the front Heavy Bolters with dual battlecannons. Has increased cost and health compared to other IG Superheavies. Limit 1, built from the Commissar Beacon.

Manticore: Artillery tank with a heavy bolter. As an ability, it can fire off four Manticore missiles that can wipe out a small army. Very vulnerable, but has almost infinite range. Effective against all unit types, be it turrets, tanks, elite units, swarms or even superheavy tanks.

Bullgryns: A more powerful tier 3 Ogryns variant with power weapon damage. Can't outdo specialist melee like Assault Terminators, but can knock enemies back and can rip apart most tanks, if somewhat slower but reliably.

IG weaponry:
Lasguns: Standard ranged weapon. Avarege damage and suppression at medium range, good against light infantry and mediocre against medium infantry.
Hotshot Lasguns: Greatly improved damage over the lasgun. Better against heavy infantry.
Hellguns: Improved damage and range over the lasgun with added heavy suppression. Better against infantry.
Multilaser: Rapid fire laser weapon, good against light and medium infantry and light vehicles.
Chainswords: good against most infantry types, especially light.
Power weapons: Good against all enemy types.
Power fists: Slow firing, best against tanks and bosses. Less powerful than Thunder hammer, but allows the use of a pistol. Power weapon.
Flamers: Good against only light infantry, mediocre against heavy infantry, useless against anything else. But it does have a good area of effect, and can melt away light infantry like no other weapon.
Heavy Flamers, Inferno cannons: Just more powerful flamers. Short range.
Bolters, bolt pistols, storm bolters: Good against all types of infantry, especially light and heavy ones. Good suppression. Medium range.
Heavy Bolters: Good against all types of infantry, and can be a danger to heroes and light vehicles too. Excellent Suppression. Long range.
Plasma guns, pistols: Good against light infantry and vehicles, but best against super heavy and heavy infantry. Slow firing. Medium range.
Plasma cannons: Good against light infantry and vehicles, but best against super heavy and heavy infantry. Slow firing, but deals a huge area of effect damage. Long range.
Melta guns: good against everything, small AOE, but short range and long recharge. Best used against enemy superheavy infantry or melee vehicles or monsters. Short range.
Multi Melta guns: good against everything, big AOE, but short range and long recharge. Best used against enemy superheavy infantry or melee vehicles or monsters. Short range.
Missile weapons: Can take anti infantry/heavy infantry Frag missile with an area of effect, or anti tank/superheavy infantry Krak missile. This makes this weapon type very flexible. Fraks do good suppression. Long range.
Lascannons: No aoe, long range, long recharge time and very heavy damage. This is the anti-tank, anti-hero sniper weapon. Its low rate of fire doesnt make it much useful against infantry, but it can be used to snipe out small elite squads. Long range.
Autocannons: Good all around weaponry, best used against heavy infantry or superheavy infantry. Medium rate of fire. Medium suppression. Long range.
Vanquisher cannon: No aoe, long range, long recharge time and very heavy damage. This is the anti-tank, anti-hero sniper weapon. Its low rate of fire doesnt make it much useful against infantry, but it can be used to snipe out small elite squads.
Baneblade cannon: No aoe, long range, long recharge time and very heavy damage. This is the anti-tank, anti-hero sniper weapon. Its low rate of fire doesnt make it much useful against infantry, but it can be used to snipe out small elite squads. More powerful than the Vanquisher or Lascannons, it can fire an anti-infantry, area of effect shell as an ability.
Demolisher cannon: A very powerful cannon that deals damage in a huge area. Line breaker and blob buster, but has a short range making the tank vulnerable to anti tank fire, and a slow reload time, making the tank suspectible to melee rushing. Short-medium range. Baneblade can fire it up to long range with ability.
Sniper rifles: Excellent suppression, good anti infantry damage. Long range.
Grenade Launchers: Good anti infantry AOE damage, long range.
Manticore Rockets: Very long range artillery that deals extreme damage to all infantry in a large area, and to vehicles in a small area.
Neutron Laser: These laser weapons stun enemy tanks for a long time. Usually shorter ranged than regular las weapons of equal caliber.

Twin Linked: Twin linked weapons like Storm bolters (double rate of fire) or double barreled lascannons/autocannons (double damage, same rate of fire) do twice as much damage per second as a normal, single barreled version of their kind.