Hi all, glad to be here - was just suckered in by my local gaming group and have ordered a pile of pewter and 3D printed models. I have really enjoyed Spectrar Ghost's thread on Armoured Regiment tactics and this writeup on Minervans on D6 Addiction, and I have always wanted to field tank guard in 40k so I've been working on some lists.

Here's where I'm at for the moment. I feel ok with the number of activations but I'm a bit concerned about the lack of MW/TK and the reliance on Marauders and Valkyries for BP. My plan is basically to use those in lieu of artillery to do counter-battery and protect the tanks. Hopefully I can burn through enough activations or retain in order to engage with the storm troopers or mech infantry and fire the support tanks in firefight.

I would really like to run Hellhounds in some capacity and I've heard that Conquerers are good and Marauders aren't usually run competitively. I'm open to any feedback you might have!

Advance Group

SALAMANDER SCOUT PLATOON [125]
3 Salamanders, Salamander Command Vehicle

STORM TROOPER PLATOON [350]
8 Storm Troopers, Valkyrie Transport

CST Group

TANK COMPANY [685]
5 Demolisher, 4 Exterminator, Hellhound Squadron (3 Hellhounds), Vanquisher

FLAK BATTERY [150]
3 Hydras

MBT Group

SUPER-HEAVY TANK COMPANY [575]
3 Baneblade, Supreme Commander

MECHANIZED PLATOON [325]
10 Infantry, 5 Chimera
Salamander Command Vehicle

QRF

TANK COMPANY [390]
6 Conqueror, 1 Hydra

Air Support

MARAUDER BOMBERS [250]
2 Marauders

THUNDERBOLT FIGHTERS [150]
2 Thunderbolts

The playtest list I ran for the recent changes was roughly: 3 Baneblades, 6 Russes, 6 Exterminators, 6 Hellhounds, 6 Griffons, and 2 formations each of 3 Manticores, 3+1 Salamanders and 2 TBolts.

That was mainly to playtest the changes, and with the approval I've started tinkering with the build. The Hellhounds are staying, mostly because the 2 Salamanders are dying so other stuff doesn't get engaged. By turn 3 though none of the slower stuff can easily get to objectives. 6 Conquerors could be another option, little more expensive but you get more survivability and AT, at the loss of AP and FF.

Like yours, the list definitely lacked in TK (I miss the 3 Shadowswords I played with from before the testing) so single Shadowswords are useful there. Deathstrikes maybe too, but they are such targets that they're a real gamble. The other option would be to swap out the Baneblades for Shadowswords.

I'm of two minds on the Marauders. On one hand, its 6BP a turn. On the other, you're less likely to use it early to stall (unless your opponent's AA bubble is open), and you have to risk damage in order to use it. Using them for counter-battery missions is usually difficult as that area tends to be laced up with AA like downtown Hanoi.

One thing I will mention is you have very little to stall with. Artillery is great for that, then the cheaper scouts or something with a long range shot that can lay a BM on turn 1. Without the ability to stall you're going to be maneuvering early, giving your opponent the ability to react and potentially damage your formations before the start of turn 2. I like using my early activations to break small enemy formations so I'm left moving last on turn 1.

_________________
Dave

Blog

NetEA Tournament Pack Website

Squats 2019-10-17

Thanks for all the speedy feedback, Dave! The list definitely opens up a ton with the option to take Small Tank Companies instead of just Platoons, I was feeling a lot of pressure towards air support given the restrictions before. Your points about stalling activations and enemy AA are well-taken. How were the Griffons for you? Can't imagine a 30cm move and range with Ind. is a handy combo, seems like they'd lose out to Basilisks just by default.

What do you think about mixing in a Stormsword with the Baneblades - I guess the main issue is they can't split fire as a formation, right, but to my thinking most of the Baneblade weapons are still decent at AT if they share targets with the Stormsword. I like the idea of Deathstrikes in some ways but I feel like they need AA and ground screening support and then shoot once and all your points spent on support are kinda wasted in the backline.

We'll have to see what enemy AA is like - to my mind most lists only have 1-2 dedicated AA units and mostly they hit on a 5+ or 6+ (though they might get two shots each.) The Marauders with a 4+ and no need to jink might be ok but there are only two of them. Say it's two Hydras, that's 4 shots on a 5+ or four 1/3 chances so an average of 1.33. Three hydras, six 1/3 chances or an average of two. 50/50 chance to save on a 4+ so two Hydras are likely to kill a Marauder and three Hydras quite likely to do it, before you even get a kill. I guess the question is, what's the odds of that vs. enemy battery fire knocking out your artillery with initiative priority or engaging them from the air. Pretty close I'd imagine but that means a lot more ground targets for them to split their fire across vs. dedicated AA cashing in on your having planes.

I'll work on some lists with artillery and see what I can come up with. Thanks again!

The Griffons did all right for me, but I was facing down armies that were looking to get into firefight and assaults and not artillery dueling with another Guard army. A few games I was able to sustain with them late in turn 1 when things came into range, other times I had to double so they'd be some use later on. They are extremely fragile though, so I hid them as best I could.

I've built up the Stormswords but haven't use them much yet. I also tend not to mix the formations but 1 with 2 Baneblades would probably work out well though. You're giving up range and AT for AP and a good barrage, not a bad idea as Baneblades tend to see an engagement or two so should have some targets in turn 2 and 3.

_________________
Dave

Blog

NetEA Tournament Pack Website

Squats 2019-10-17

Had a chance to play a game with a list pretty similar to this one; no Hydras or Exterminators but mostly everything else. Was up against Vraksian Traitors with those double Basilisks, an Alpha Legion retinue and a bunch of 15cm move garrisoned tanks. I learned a lot, typical newb mistakes you only make once - leaving infantry outside of cover without touching their vehicles for a cover save, mixed units of tanks with half the models out of range, that kind of thing.

The Marauders I felt underperformed - they really should be compared to Manticores I think since they cost the same, and two Lascannon shots even on a 4+ doesn't make up for the lack of Disrupt on the 6 BP bombs (between the two models.) You're still only hitting on a 4+/5+ (AP/AT) and placing two BMs right off the bat, so on average you'll kill one model and break a unit of 3 Basilisks or whatever - it's better than shooting a unit of 3 Basilisks of your own, but you run into issues where they put their artillery back far enough that you can't easily hit them without running off the board edge and gaining a BM yourself, even without AA. I can see why they don't see competitive play at 3k.

Similarly the Baneblades really suffer from having that one really good long-range gun with no ability to split fire, but then you look at the Stormhammer and it's like, why would you lose three guns and 30cm of range just for 3+ FF and Thick Rear Armour? It seems crazy to me that they get the same number of shots at nearly half the range despite having two twin guns. The twin should at least make them 2+/2+ or give them four shots total. Anyway the unit of Baneblades failed their initiative roll round 1 and wasn't in LOS to anything so they basically did nothing for a whole round - that certainly made me want to field them in Platoons if at all.

My new build capitalizes a bit more on the option to take Small Tank Companies and mixes roles by adding a Warhound; let me know what you think:

3k Warhound Minervans TP2022

    Tank Legion Companies (39.2%)                       1175

        Small Tank Company                               415
            6xLeman Russ Conqueror                          
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     
            Armoured Regiment Supreme Commander             

        Small Tank Company                               370
            3xLeman Russ Demolisher                         
            3xLeman Russ Exterminator                       
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     

        Small Tank Company                               390
            5xLeman Russ                                    
            Destroyer Tank Hunter                           
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     

    Tank Legion Support Formations (46.7%)              1400

        Artillery Battery                                250
            3xManticore                                     

        Basilisk Battery                                 225
            3xBasilisk                                      

        Hellhound Platoon                                225
            6xHellhound                                     
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     

        Mechanized Platoon                               300
            10xImperial Guard Infantry                      
            5xChimera Multilaser                            

        Salamander Scout Platoon                         100
            3xSalamander Scout                              
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     

        Storm Trooper Platoon                            300
            8xStorm Troopers                                
            4xChimera Multilaser                            
            Armoured Regiment Commissar                     

    Titan Legion (9.2%)                                  275

        Warhound Titan                                   275
            Warhound Titan                                  

    Imperial Navy Aircraft (5.0%)                        150

        Thunderbolt Squadron                             150
            2xThunderbolt Fighter-Bomber