Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Imperial Guard (section)

====No Regiment====

=====Adeptus Mechanicus=====
*'''Tech-Priest Enginseer:''' Found in the AdMech list as well as the new Guard codex alongside Servitors. Repairs D3 lost wounds on a single Astra Militarum vehicle or AdMech vehicle with the same Forge World keyword as himself within 3" of him. This opens up some interesting listbuilding ideas, such as combining mechguard troops with Skitarii snipers or Cult Mech deathrobots, as the Enginseer can repair whatever he pleases from either list as long as they share the same Forge World. An auto-include if you brought a Baneblade. He can also repair Questor Mechanicus Knights, albeit only for a single wound per turn. 
**Imperial Guard codex kept Tech-Priest as an Elite choice, and allows him to bring in his Servitors with him as another Elite choice.
**Because he has the {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Mechanicus}} keyword the Enginseer also has access to their stratagems, most notably '''Tech Adept''' which allows you to make an additional repair roll for 1CP (RAW you can heal the same vehicle twice, overriding the normal limitations of '''Master of Machines'''). Note that you can only access these strategems if you also include a Detatchment with the {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Mechanicus}} keyword.
***Potentially you can heal 3D3+1 wounds on the same vehicle if you stack this ability with a Trojan Recovery Vehicle + "Jury Rigging".
*'''Servitors:''' 4 Guardsman bodies which are slower, have a poor BS of only 5+, but have a 4+ save. Two of them can take a Heavy Bolter, Plasma Cannon, or Multi-Melta. If a Tech-Priest is babysitting them, they increase their BS to 4+ and Leadership to 9. They are only 5 points, so that's 15 points for a plasma cannon.

=====Adeptus Ministorum=====
*'''Ministorum Priest:''' The Priests' War Hymns grant +1 attack for every Astra Militarum infantry unit within 6". These guys are useful if you think there's high probability that your boys will charge or be charged. 
**Priests synergize well with {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}}, especially when taken with Straken for A3 on your basic infantry during the fight phase. He's also great at accompanying Bullgryns, Ogryns, and Conscripts; in fact, he's a must for any infantry units you plan on getting in close combat. He also buffs nearby {{W40Kkeyword|Adeptus Ministorum}} infantry, too, so there's obvious synergy with their dedicated close-combat units as well.
**Be sure and use the Index datasheet for the priest rather than the crappy Codex version if you want access to eviscerators, bolters, plasma guns, combi-weapons, etc.
*'''Crusaders:''' A dedicated close-combat unit that with S3, T3, WS3+ with a 3++, a single wound and a power sword. They have two attacks base and the Zealot special rule. While not as tough or strong as Bullgryns, they do have access to the Index version of the Sisters-exclusive Index '''Act of Faith''' rules: at the start of your turn roll a D6 and on a 2+, you can immediately take an out of sequence action (move, shoot, or fight) or bring back a dead model. Per the Index rules, you'll only get one Act of Faith per turn, no matter how many units of these guys you have. 
**These guys can easily overwhelm their points in MEQs on the charge, and they love taking Priests with them. They can be made even tankier by using Psychic Barrier (as unfluffy as it may be to have them tolerate the presence of Psykers). 
**They're one wound wonders, but you can bring one back each turn on a 2+ so long as the unit hasn't been destroyed. They're not quite as points efficient as Bullgryns, but they can come back from the dead, and they have an easier time fitting into your list, as they can be taken in groups of 2-10 and are cheaper per model.
**It should be notes that Zealot takes place in the first round of a combat whether your squad charged or was charged. So a solid tactic is to screen these guys in front of a character or valuable unit and let them soak up a charge during your opponent’s turn, where you’ll re-roll hits. Then, at the start of your next turn, fight again on a 2+. Remember that Act of Faith takes place at the start of your turn, BEFORE your movement phase, so if you wipe out your opponent’s unit you can consolidate, move and then hopefully charge, once again gaining your re-roll to hit.
**'''BIG CAVEAT HERE:''' Crusaders got a major overhaul in the {{W40Kkeyword|ADEPTUS MINISTORUM}} Codex. Acts of Faith were completely reworked, Crusader squads are capped at 6 dudes and a lot of their rules were adjusted or removed. Most importantly, how only one Battle Enclave unit can be included in a Detachment without a {{W40Kkeyword|Ministorum Priest}} and take up no Detachment slots if there is one. There's been no mention in any of the FAQs if the new {{W40Kkeyword|ADEPTUS MINISTORUM}} datasheet completely overrides the old {{W40Kkeyword|ASTRA MILITARUM}} one or if you are meant to use one or the other, so be very careful about taking these guys until GW clarifies the situation.
*'''Gotfret de Montbard:''' A unique Crusader from the Blackstone fortress escalation box. He has Crusaders stats including Zealot, Acts of Faith and Shield of Faith, but with 4 Wounds and Attacks , every hit of a 6 scores 2 hits and is a {{W40Kkeyword|CHARACTER}} so he's safe from enemy fire and can Heroically Intervene. However, he suffers the same issue that has been stated many times in both the Guard and Sisters tactics guides: S3 Power Sword attacks just don't do enough, even if he can deliver a ton of them. For 35 points not a terrible choice, very fluffy if you're building a Feudal World melee regiment, but your Elite slot is crowded as is and cheap as he is, you have access to cheaper units that support your army.
**Alternative take: He's a 35 point character with a 3++ and the ability to hold his own vs small elite squads of objective takers. You can easily place him on a backfield objective and have him survive some flanking maneuvers.

=====Aeronautica Imperialis=====
*'''Officer of the Fleet:''' Now slightly different. He can basically attempt to call in an air-strike on any non-character that he can see (so if there's terrain on the table try to get him up to high ground to give him a good vantage point) once per game doing up to 3 mortal wounds 50% of the time, he also grants friendly Astra Militarum/Aeronautica fliers re-rolls of 1 to-hit a single ground target within 18 inches of himself each turn. This air strike makes him somewhat useful even if you're not using flyers or reserves, though he is otherwise a 20 point 3 wound Guardsman armed only with a laspistol who must put himself in the front line to provide the buff.
**'''Tactical Note:''' This is the only unit in the Codex that is both an Officer and lacks a Regiment (Aeronautica is specifically ''not'' a Regiment), which makes him uniquely suited to using the Dagger of Tu'Sakh; it allows him to outflank and bring non-regiment Infantry with him. Ogryns, Crusaders, Psykers; you spend your relic and he can do little other than calling in an airstrike once he takes the field, but for 20 points giving your dedicated melee troops a cheap outflank is absolutely wonderful.
**'''For Elysian Drop Troops: ''' It is not a bad idea to warlord the ootf with the master of command warlord trait. He is an {{W40Kkeyword|Officer}} (and also has the {{W40Kkeyword|Elysian Drop Troops}} keyword because it replaces the {{W40Kkeyword|Aeronautica Imperialis}} one) and you can use inspired tactics stratagem to get him up to two orders for 1 CP.
**'''New FAQ: ''' Now that the Dagger of Tu'Sakh is only available to officers, it is not a bad idea to give it to the ootf (he is an {{W40Kkeyword|Officer}}) because he can get any infantry unit (regardless of {{W40Kkeyword|<REGIMENT>}}) with him to deep strike almost anywhere on 2nd turn onward. That also helps your Flyers since they can zip around to get into position on the first  turn and then drop to hover mode and annihilate a unit designated by the ootf (who will be in 18" range to use his ability since he deep struck on the spot you chose and has meat shields to keep him alive).

=====Astra Telepathica=====
*'''Wyrdvane Psykers:''' Very mediocre in most situations. If you have 6 you get to add 2 to psychic tests (getting them all the way up to succeeding ''two thirds'' the time for Smite, and ''one half to one third'' for the Psykana powers, ugh), but you only roll 1d6 for both Psychic and Deny tests (the bonus for having members only applies to Psychic tests, though). And without having the character keyword, expect them to die quickly. It is, however, impossible for you to peril. You may be able to make them work by stuffing them out of line of sight and preventing your opponent from reducing their efficiency. If your enemy goes after them, they'll be wasting resources that they really should be dedicating to more worthwhile units. On the whole, though, you should avoid taking these guys unless you have a plan or are using them to support your Primaris Psyker. Note that it is possible to get these guys up to a +4 on their psychic tests now for 1 CP if a Primaris Psyker is around, so consider stuffing them behind a Baneblade alongside that Primaris Psyker or something.
*'''Astropath:''' Only 1d6 for Smite (but you should be casting Psychic Maelstrom or Gaze of the Emperor for damage anyway), but ''astoundingly'' cheap, especially if you swap his staff for a laspistol. Camp a few of these guys behind your gunline and deny powers. These guys lack the '''It's For Your Own Good''' rule, so Commissars are unable to stop them from blowing up in case they die from Perils of the Warp. However, it's also impossible for Astropaths to Perils while casting Smite (as they're limited to only rolling 1D6). 
**Most people also tend to forget about the Astropath's ''other'' special rule (note this is not a psychic power) - '''Astral Divination'''. Pick an enemy unit within 18" of an Astropath, and for the rest of the shooting phase that unit loses its cover save against AM models within 6" of your Psyker. A great way to fuck with Eldar Rangers, Space Marine Scouts, or anything that relies on cover saves.

=====Militarum Auxilla=====
Per the current FAQ, this is explicitly ''not'' a {{W40Kkeyword|<REGIMENT>}}, so you can't e.g. assign it to your Commander.

*'''Bullgryns''': From zero to hero! Their Slabshields and Brute Shields got buffed: Slabshields give them +2 to armor save rolls as of the Codex, while Brute Shields give them a 4++. Did I mention either option is now free, and you can mix and match them with the weapons now? Like regular Ogryns, they get an additional attack the turn they charge. With their upgraded Power Mauls (+1 D), that's gonna hurt a lot. Finally your Terminator-cost unit can match with ''actual Terminators!'' If only they could take orders. Also, consider the slabshields and power mauls for T5 2+, and distraction carnifex them to make your opponent leave your tanks alone. Even with powermauls you'll still be able to manually lob one grenade a turn, so they're not losing as much firepower as you'd think.
**In a high point game, consider the Ogryn Battlewagon, A Stormlord has space for 40 models and has 20 firing ports; take two minimum squads of Ogryn/Bullgryn, 20 infantry, a priest, and your choice of final buffing spot (commissar/officer etc..). With the Stormlord behind them as fire support there is very little that can survive this. Khorne begs to differ, but its is a very impressive apocalypse load out no doubt.
*'''Nork Deddog''': Need a capable bodyguard? This is the guy you're looking for. If a character within 3" of him takes a wound, he can take a mortal wound on a 2+ to cancel out the wound on the character - and with 6 wounds he can do it a ''lot''. Coming with a Ripper Gun, his huge knife (S:User AP-1 D2), 4+ armor, and the ability to headbutt an opponent (the headbutt counts as a melee weapon that can't be used for more than one attack) with the same potency as a battle cannon (S8 AP-2 DD3) he wrecks a decent amount of face in melee, too. Finally, he can make a heroic sacrifice if he loses his final wound in the fight phase: he can immediately attack, even if he had already been selected to fight beforehand.
**Note that Nork's bodyguard ability isn't optional - you are ''required'' to roll the die if a nearby character is hurt. It's just the kind of guy he is.
**Nork will actually die far, far faster than his points in Bullgryn, while dealing less damage, to boot.  Make sure you take him for his Loyal to the End bodyguard ability, ''not'' for anything else.
*'''Ogryns''': Probably one of the most improved Guard units this edition (though due more to how the game changed than anything else). They're cheaper, they get a bonus attack on the charge (AND they go first!) and they're still T5 - which in this edition is a serious boon, as all but the most lethal of weaponry will still only wound them on 3s. You need a ''Demolisher Cannon'' to hurt these big boys on 2s! The Ripper gun is the same as it was, an Assault 3 S5 AP0 shotgun, although thanks to the Codex, the bayonet on it now grants AP-1, which is nice. "Assault" is the key word here, as it now makes foot slogging them decently fast. With them moving an average of 9.5 inches a turn and still being able to shoot, they become the shock troops they were always meant to be. More importantly, the Assault Vehicle rule is gone; you can charge the turn you disembark from a Chimera/Taurox/Valkyrie, but they take up 3 transport slots, so be careful.
**Priests ''love'' to preach to these guys. A double-size squad of six will put out ''30'' attacks on the charge with the priest following them. For about 200 points it's a great pile of meat to throw across the board. Just be careful about matching your advances. The priest is a separate unit, so he doesn't advance in lockstep with the squad - you have to roll his advances separately, and he won't be able to charge, since you have to finish a charge within 1" of an enemy unit and ogryn models have big enough bases to make this impossible - this can result in your over-enthusiastic meatheads charging out of his buff radius! This applies to Bullgryns too, except of course they're more expensive.
***'''Alternate Take''' - Priests can be expensive if they have any kit worth taking, especially in comparison to another Ogryn. If footslogging, take the priest, but if you're transporting them in a Chimera then leave him at home or stick him with conscripts. In a standard squad of three you're only getting three extra attacks, and if you fit in a priest you'll either have to put in two other characters and deathstar it up or forfeit two spots in the transport. Just take the fourth Ogryn and get the same number of attacks extra anyway. Ogryn No. 4 also adds survivability, which the priest does not.
**Ogryns got their price reduced in Chapter Approved 2018 by 6 points. Only for Chapter Approved 2019 to up them back to their Codex cost for no reason at all. They're only 5 less points than Bullgryns who have access to a 4++ and better melee weapons at the "price" of losing Ripper guns.
*'''Ogryn Bodyguard''': Not a new 8th edition model, unfortunately, but a generic Nork Deddog (and so can be taken in multiple), he has a slightly weaker version of the bodyguard ability (operates on a 3+ rather than a 2+) and lacks Nork's headbutt as well as his heroic sacrifice rule; he can, however, choose from Ogryn/Bullgryn equipment. The baseline model costs nearly as much as two Ogryn Sergeants (55 to their 60) and has the same number of wounds as both of them put together, in addition to both the very serious upgrade that is {{W40Kkeyword|character}} (although they are explicitly banned from being your Warlord, unfortunately), and carrying, for free, a Huge Knife to accompany his Ripper Gun, in addition to his aforementioned ability to, on a 3+, suffer a mortal wound to block a wound on a nearby {{W40Kkeyword|infantry}} {{W40Kkeyword|character}} (As of the first codex FAQ this does not work on other Ogryns or Tank Commanders/Pask, so no wound musical chairs bullshit anymore).  
**Do ''not'' underestimate the Bodyguard ability. It's rolled on a per-wound basis, meaning it's effectively a 3+ FnP for every infantry character within 3" you can roll (successfully) up to 6 times (with the possibility for more, see below). This is an ''enormous'' survivability boost for your commanders and commissars; even Skitarii Rangers with transuranic arquebuses will have to dedicate multiple turns and squads of sniping to the task. And all the while, you're chewing them up with artillery...
**The Gun hand can carry a Ripper Gun for free, or you can pay points for a Bullgryn Maul or Grenadier Gauntlet.  The Gauntlet is garbage; since the model is a single-model unit, it can just throw Frag Bombs for free for the same effect out to 6", and out to 12", it's not worth the points cost against any target in the entire game vs. the Ripper Gun.  The Maul is worth discussing, as it is ''far'' better than a Force Staff and ''far'' cheaper, but since we're comparing it to the Ripper Gun, remember, it won't improve your AP at all - instead, you're contemplating paying 7 points for +2S and doubling your Damage to 2.  The big reason to take this seriously is that the Bodyguard can legally employ Heroic Interventions, and is ''far'' better when doing so with the Maul in hand; even against 1-wound models, he's more efficient this way against Toughnesses 3 and 5-7, and obviously, once he's hitting multi-wound models, he's better with the Maul against everything.  You can always stick with the Ripper Gun if you prefer to keep your Bodyguard cheap and contributing to the ongoing gunbattle, but he'll do real work with a Maul in hand.
***'''Alternate Take''' As the bodyguard ability causes a mortal wound which can't be saved no matter how armoured up he is and (with the exception of special characters like Yarrick or Creed) he costs more than most of the characters he will be guarding (for instance two Company Commanders or Commissars is cheaper), you have a choice of two different ways to play the bodyguard. If he's acting as a dedicated bodyguard keep him as cheap as possible with no additional armour and retain the Ripper Gun to put out some shots while stationary. The other path is to deck him out with the best gear and play him as an Ogryn Commando, your own personal over-sized Sly Marbo with his bodyguard ability as just a secondary function.
*** Given the Deathmask of Ollanius Pius, a Slabshield, and a Maul the Ogryn Bodyguard can reliably beat down most characters in challenges. Think of him as the Guards answer to Smashfucker... only instead of a jetpack he's got Downs Syndrome.
*'''Ratlings''': The same pint-size sniper unit as before with much improved abilities. They retain an infiltrate and a stealth/cover skillset, but their ''Shoot Sharp and Scarper'' ability is now a normal move, rather than a random D6" run. With a bit of planning and positioning around LOS-blocking cover, these little gits can snipe away enemy characters with impunity. Hilariously, because Heavy Weapons only impose a -1 shooting penalty for firing after a move, and Ratlings are BS3+, this lets the Ratlings still move-shoot-move, in an era where Tau Battlesuits, the originators of the tactic, have lost this ability. On top of this, sniper rifles in general have been buffed by the edition - on a 6+ to wound each rifle inflicts a mortal wound ''in addition to'' any other normal damage. So Ratlings are a good unit overall. As of the new FAQ, their movement has been reduced to 5", but that still means a 10" scarper thanks to their ability. Just beware their terrible defenses. Toughness 2 and Leadership 5 are underwhelming, while their +2 to saves in cover is small consolation when their base save is a mere 6+, so anything stronger than a stiff breeze will fold them like a deck of cards.
**With characters generally untargetable by non-sniper shooting in 8th Edition, all types of sniper unit have become much more valuable, and Ratlings are a prime example. Both cheap and good at what they do, the space halfings have gone from a quirky side-choice to an almost must-have. Two full squads of these guys are relatively cheap and will statistically down an Ork Warboss on your first shooting phase.
**'''Vs Vindicares''' 10 of our little Ratling boys require four turns on average to kill a four wound character, where a Vindicare requires only two. Taking into account the mortal wounds on 6s halves this to two turns, but a lucky 6 gives the Vindicare a 50/50 chance of killing a four wound character in one turn. Vindicares have double the range, are characters and thus are harder to target, and don't have to deal with morale. Ratlings however will do more damage against infantry unless they're shooting multi wound models or 2+ saves. With all of this in mind, the Vindicare seems to be the clearer choice for character hunting but can't be squeezed into your existing detatchments.
**'''Vs Cadian Snipers''' Ratlings can't benefit from orders, receive Cadian rerolls or Overlapping Fields of Fire. Cadian snipers will be hitting on a 2+ whilst re-rolling ones, and with Bring It Down they're increasing their chance of wounding too which is great news when you're fishing for mortal wounds. Furthermore, Cadians are T3 (vs T2) but they don't benefit from stealth/cover/infiltrate, so the strategy will vary too.
***Comparing the unit cost: Ratlings are 35pts for 5 (up to 70pts/10), Special Weapon Squads are 30pts for 3 (with three reduntant guardsmen), and Command Squads are 32pts for 4 (requiring a Commander). 
*'''Rein and Raus:''' A pair of Ratling twins from the Blackstone Fortress kit. Rein is armed with a sniper rifle, Raus has a demolition charge and Grappling Hook, and both have a stub pistol. They have a lot of the drawbacks of Ratlings, including a 6+ save that only gets to 4+ in cover (like a normal goddamn Guardsman), but they also have improved BS+ and have a full 6" move (plus they can move after shooting). Their relative fragility (T2 and W2) is compensated for by their {{W40Kkeyword|CHARACTER}} keyword - unlike your other snipers, Rein generally won't be targetable by enemy artillery. and Raus can ignore vertical distance when he moves. He also is better at using demolition charges than Special Weapons Squads, but he only gets 1. In a high points game, they're not really worth it unless you need to fill out an Elites slot for 35 points, but in a small game, they can wreak some havoc.

=====Officio Prefectus=====
*'''[[Commissar]]:''' His ''Summary Execution'' rule means that all Astra Militarum squads within 6" of him ''may'' re-roll (as of the latest FAQ, which also dropped their points cost considerably) their first failed Morale test in any given phase at the expense of a single model dying (the newly dead model doesn't count for the re-roll), which means you should be picky about when you use the Summary Execution ability. Thanks to the Aura of Discipline ability, those same Guard squads will be given Ld8. Compared to his senior ranking Lord counterpart, he has one less wound, a 5+ save, WS and BS 3 instead of 2, and no Invulnerable save of any kind. However, he's ''much'' cheaper.
** In case you have missed it, '''Summary Execution''' is an optional re-roll now. Commissars also faced a steep price decrease, now being 16 points instead of 31 at base.
**His ranged weapon should ''always'' be a bolter; you shouldn't buy him a melee weapon (apart from a chainsword), as he should be staying out of melee and providing buffs instead.
**The cheapest Commissar you can take is 15 points (16 with a Bolter), while Lord Commissars have to take a Power Weapon as well, raising them up to 34 (35 with a Bolter). They're Characters, so what you primarily need them to live through are sniper rifle shots; their points divided by how many Ratling sniper rifle shots it takes to kill them are 76 and 165, respectively (using the versions that took a Bolter).
** Consider using the Officio Prefectus Command Tank stratagem instead of taking a Commissar. For just 2CP you get a 6" LD'''9''' buff with a much better version of Summary Execution... in addition to being a goddamn tank.
***Other Stratagem options include paying 1 CP to take a test on 1d3 or 2 CP to auto-pass; if you're low on CPs, you're playing Guard wrong, especially now that a Brigade nets you 12 goddamn CP.
** Other choices, provided you can get them in, include an Astropath or a Primaris Psyker using the Fearless power.
*'''[[Severina Raine|Commissar Severina Raine]]''': The main character in the book "Honour Bound" and a bit of a mixed bag in terms of stats. She has the standard Commissar stat line and Comes with "Summary execution" and "Aura of discipline", but she is 16 points more than a Commissar with a powersword and she doesn't have much to show for it. The biggest disappointment is her Sword, "Evanfall" which is AP-1 with no buffs to strength or extra attacks meaning she is even less useful in a fight than a regular commissar. Though with her special ability, you actually don't want her to kill what she charges. Her 4+ armor save is nice and her Bolt pistol "Penance" is Ap-1 which means she is slightly more effective in close range firefights than charging in close. Her special rule, "Leading from the front"  allows all friendly guard forces within 6" auto pass morale checks is she is 1" from an enemy unit. This means she lends herself to being run along side a squad of Stormtroopers or Shotgun Veterans (both fluffy and crunchy since she mostly hangs around those units in Honourbound), to aid them in the close range shooting with her Bolt pistol and to keep them Immune to morale if they are charged, but she won't able to carry the squad in melee so next turn have her and the squad fall back and shell the squad that charged with artillery (or use '''Get back in the fight!''' to shoot the unit you coward). Overall, interesting but quite overcosted.
**A way to use her that will actually see her make her points back is to use her to buff up a Conscript melee tarpit, especially if you can keep her protected with a nearby Ogryn bodyguard to intercept any melee wounds your opponent wisely decides to inflict upon her. Her morale ability is incredibly potent and will absolutely offset any Leadership penalties you might be suffering, so suck it, enemy Psykers and debuffers. Also, keep in mind that she only has to be within 1" of an enemy to prevent a Guard unit within 6" from suffering losses in the Morale phase... which means that unit doesn't need to be within 1" of an enemy itself. That means that even if your enemy starts hitting your infantry squads behind her hard with ranged fire, they'll stick around if they're close enough. Another example of why there's more to the game than Mathhammer.