Editing Age of Darkness-Warhammer 30k/2.0 Tactics/Imperialis Militia (section)

==Unit Analysis==

===HQ===
*'''Force Commander:''' You need one of these in your detachment in order to use Provenances, and all other HQ choices have the ''Support Squad'' rule, so you need one anyway. Thankfully Provenances are free this edition, so that's less of a worry. This guy has lots of good options, so he can easily be customized out the way you want him to be, and also has some of the best pistol choices in the army. The problem is that he is WS/BS4 I3, so cannot really compete in an environment that includes Space Marines, Custodians, and Primarchs. So unless you can match up some Provenances to gear that makes him marginally impressive, sometimes it's better to just go cheap and focus your attention on your flavourful squads instead. 
**A Charnabal Saber is actually a good melee weapon for him, with S3 he only tends to wound on 5+ anyway. This weapon then makes all of those wounds AP2 with ''Breaching (5+)'', and with ''Duellist's Edge (1)'' it can even the playing field somewhat against Marine sergeants. If you really want to go first, Charnabal Glaive is also an acceptable choice.
**With '''Legacy of the Great Crusade''' his Initiative jumps from 3 to 5, which suddenly puts him ahead of most basic units in other armies, giving him a fighting chance against random sergeants who might think he is easy pickings. Moreover, Iron Halo + Cyber-familiar gives him a 3++, so he gets a strong save against literally anything the enemy can throw at him.
***Alternatively, '''Marcher Lord''' gives him ''Battle-hardened (1)'', which when combined with Kinfolk Helots makes him tougher than Praetors for ID purposes. This makes him impossible to kill with Power Fists and Thunder Hammers, as he's still a 3W IC with a 3++ and possibly 6+++. Bonus points for taking '''Abhuman Muster''', making him S4 and thus able to ID Marines with a Power Fist.
**With '''Armoury of Old Night''', he can buy a Paragon Blade and/or an Archaeotech pistol. These become added expenses that probably don't justify their points on a model that won't really utilise it properly. 
**You should in most circumstances only take one Force Commander. His primary worth is as a Warlord and to unlock Provenances of War and he himself doesn't contribute to the fight in the way Space Marine/Solar Auxilia ICs do; or, at any rate, not enough to be worth 100pts base.  

*'''Discipline Master Cadre:''' The Imperial Army's version of Commissars, Discipline Masters are cheap, flexible, and indispensible thanks to their special rules boosting the Militia army list's mediocre (but very important!) Morale. Starting at 20pts, with the option to include up to ''11'' more in the same "squad." They have a wide variety of upgrades available, and their survivability can be cheaply and substantially increased with carapace armour and refractor fields. At WS4, they can hold their own in melee, though power weapons are relatively pricey at +10pts apiece. Their ranged options are less costly, but really you're getting Discipline Masters for their two ''very'' important special rules, rather than upgrades. Those special rules are:
**''Instil Order'': When a squad with an attached Discipline Master fails a Morale check, the check can be re-rolled at the cost of D3 wounds inflicted on the squad with no AP. This is a small price to pay, given that Falling Back for units with the ''Militia'' sub-type is often a death sentence. This massively boosts a unit's ability to stay in the fight, as a re-roll for the Discipline Master's own Ld8 means you're giving Space Marines a run for their money in sheer grit.
***Note that these Wounds can't be applied to other attached Characters or the Discipline Master himself. The average lasman is not encouraged by their Discipline Master whipping himself, sadly. Moreover, as it's D3 AP- wounds, your models get their 4+ Carapace/5+ Flak save against it, as well as any ''Feel No Pain'' they may have. While [[Grimdark|life is cheap in the 31st Millennium]], it's always good to know you can potentially pay nothing for the reroll.
**''Among the Ranks'': Discipline Masters are individually assigned to units with the ''Infantry'' Type and ''Militia'' Sub-type before Deployment, though this can be extended to Cavalry by an upgrade and Ogryns through a Provenance. Discipline Masters gain the special rules of units they're attached to, so Fire Support and Field Gun squads will keep their ''Heavy'' bonus even with a Discipline Master making sure they don't abandon the guns. 

*'''Imperial Militia Command Cadre:''' Basically Grenadiers you can take from HQ. The largest differences are [[What|losing 1 special weapon]] and ''Line'', but being able to take the Militia Standard, which is the Militia Vexilla except with ''Stubborn''. Combined with a Discipline Master's Ld8 and reroll, this unit can be surprisingly difficult to shift. Otherwise, treat them like Grenadiers; the sergeant-specific upgrades aren't really that special.
**Can also serve as Retinue to your Force Commander. Considering you have to take a Force Commander (because he's your only non-''Support Squad'' HQ choice) and practically have to take Discipline Masters (because Infantry/Levy have Ld6 otherwise), you're left with 1 slot, which is all you have for your Assassins, Knights Errant, etc. You don't want to spend it on a Command Cadre who are really glorified Grenadiers, so use the Retinue option and open up a slot.
**Generally not a very good unit, as they're barring the Militia Vexilla [[Fail|expensive Grenadiers who need to pay extra for Carapace, only have 1 special weapon and have no ''Line''.]] Think carefully.  

*'''Rogue Psyker''' ''(Traitors only)'' The Rogue Psyker is equal parts good and bad at the same time. If you want to take Daemons in the detachment, then you'll need at least one of these to be able to summon them to the battlefield with the ''Breach the Veil'' power. While their offensive psychic powers are either the safe-but-basic ''Aetheric Lightning'' that only risk Perils of the Warp if they want to double the strength of the attack to S6, or the bullet spamming ''Void Darts'' that risks Perils every time they use it. However, with the Rogue Psyker's terrible BS2 he is unlikely to hit much with either power. They can also purchase Force Weapons for a not-insignificant 10 points, but with WS2 they are not likely to ever hit anything either. So looks like the best use of them is to get those Daemons onto the table.
**They do have ''Fear (1)'' as an inherent special rule, so can drop enemy Ld values within 12" by one with their mere presence. This allows for useful combinations with other weapons that have ''Concussive'' or ''Pinning'' to get better use out of those weapons, depending on what squad you attach the Rogue Psyker to.
**If you don't attach the Rogue Psyker to a different squad, he is more than capable of bringing his own. He can buy up to nine Wardens at five points each, and they are quietly better than nearly every other squad in the army. They all have Ld7 as standard, and each warden has a pistol and close combat weapon as well as two attacks basic. They also can each buy a Blast Pistol for the bargain basement cost of 2 points, giving a whole squad of guys who can throw out two S6 pistol shots each. Admittedly this is not a range you want the Rogue Psyker to be within, but it does mean that his squad has a surprising amount of punch.

*'''Expeditionary Navigator''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Made available to all factions as part of the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list. Currently this is the only way for loyalists to get a "psyker" in the detachment, and for 50 points you aren't getting much, a fragile conscript model with a 5+ invulnerable save, and the ability to interfere with enemy Deep Strike within 12". Given your complete lack of Augury Scanners and poor melee performance, you want all the help you can get against Deep Strike.
**He only gets one power: the Lidless Stare, which is S2 using the flame template and has ''Pinning''. It also has ''Force'' if you want to risk the models only wound to double the strength to the overwhelmingly massive score of four.

*'''Davinite Lodge Priest''' ''(Militaris Attaché)'' Like the Navigator, the Davinite Priest is available thanks to the Legacies of the Solar Auxilia list, this time a Traitor exclusive.  A one wound model with a statline that is comparable to everything else in this army list, their only psychic power: "Ritual Healing" is able to restore a single wound to a single model, which is seemingly not very helpful to an Imperialis Militia detachment, as any model that takes a wound is liable to be dead outright...
**...until, of course, you remember you can take Ogryns. If you're building some form of Deathstar out of them, the Lodge Priest becomes significantly more useful.

===Troops===
*'''Militia Infantry Squad:''' The core Troops choice. For 80 points you get twenty models with a variable loadout depending on your taste, and they are one of your only sources of ''Line'' for claiming objectives. With ''Strength in Numbers'' you may also take up to three squads per Troops slot. Which means you can get your objective claiming needs sorted out while leaving yourself plenty of other slots for spamming the better support units. 
**Lasguns/Autorifles have the traditional balance of range vs number of shots, and can outrange all of the other standard weapons, which can be good for keeping the enemy out of charge range. Furthermore, these weapons can purchase bayonets to give the squad +1 strength in melee. Not quite a winner, but doesn't cost you anything because it's the default and is the only choice with 24" range, so it's a decent choice for just sitting on objectives.
**Lascarbine only has 18" range, but actually gives you more firepower from 12" to 18" because you get 2 shots. Considering how pathetic one S3 AP- shot per model is and how you don't want to be within 12" in the first place because you don't want to get charged next turn, taking the Lascarbines can be a significant improvement to your ranged firepower. 
**Shotguns have ''Concussive'' so are potentially able to reduce the enemy WS by -1 for a turn. At that range it can be a lifesaver when you inevitably get counter charged, as most common opponents could be reduced to equal weapon skill. Not entirely reliable as a lot of units are going to pass the test, or simply not care. But if you are going melee focussed for your army, this could be the better choice, as you can simply take lots of squads and force multiple tests. However, you don't have pistol+CCW if you have shotguns, so use this to support something else instead of charging itself.
**Stubcarbines have more firepower than Lasguns within 12", but remove your ability to shoot from 24". If you're running ranged builds, this gives the best chance of reducing the enemy numbers before that inevitable counter volley/charge.
**Taking pistols and melee weapons means committing the squad to melee, for an army that really doesn't like it. You should really only choose this if you're building the entire army around a melee build (like '''Feral Warrior/Alchem-Jackers''').
**One model can also choose to take a special weapon from the standard list. The choice should match the weapon the rest of the squad takes. So longer ranged weapons like Heavy Stubbers and Sniper Rifles will do better alongside lasguns, while Flamers work better with the other weapon upgrades due to similar ranges. Melta/Plasma are probably not worth it because the rest of the squad are unlikely to harm whatever the Melta forces them to shoot at, and only getting 1 special weapon per squad means you won't really be threatening anyone. 
*From a statistical standpoint, Infantry are behind Levies and Grenadiers on toughness (Grenadiers have 4+ saves, Levies have twice the models at the same cost) and firepower (Grenadiers have better guns, Levies have twice the models). What they offer, however, is the ability to spam ''Line'' infantry, as Grenadiers come in single squads and Levies do not have ''Line''. This means for builds where your killing power comes from elsewhere (eg. Fire Support Squads, '''Industrial Stronghold''', allied detachments), Infantry are the way to go. Given that, think carefully about giving them weapon upgrades; if you actually want your squad to do something, you shouldn't be taking Infantry, except possibly as a cheap source of shotguns.

*'''Militia Levy Squad:''' 20-50 conscripts at 2 points per model with a Lasgun, autogun, or a pistol and melee weapon. You can't really get cheaper than that. And with ''Strength in Numbers'' you can take up to three squads per slot, so you can really bulk up on the model count if you want to cover an impressive amount of ground. Like last edition, they are still expendable, so do not confer any victory points for their destruction. 
**Changes to the basic rules mean that there is considerable risk to taking them though. The ''Expendable'' rule also means that if they ever fail a morale check, they just get removed entirely, so the downsides of Militia subtype just get overwritten with worse outcomes. This makes it hard, if not impossible to use them as a tarpit unit. They do not have ''Line'' so can never score objectives, and with changes to Weapon Skill rules, they are less likely to hit anything in melee, while being more easily hit back. 
**On the bright side, they are actually more cost-effective as ranged units than normal Infantry Squads, simply because they're 2/3 as accurate but cost half as much as Infantry models. This means they're both cheaper than Infantry squads for the same firepower, and more slot-efficient because you theoretically more firepower per squad and therefore per FOC slot, on top of being tougher because you have more models with the same Ld6 and T3 5+. 
***However, this is contingent on getting all of the Levy models into range, and fitting 30 or more models into 12" of the enemy is a lot harder than doing the same with 20 models. Moreover, Infantry Squads can pull closer by taking Stubcarbines. This changes if you have '''Armoury of Old Night''', as 30" 2-shot range makes getting your models into range a lot more forgiving.

*'''Militia Grenadier Squad:''' Your other ''Line'' choice, but this one has the ''Support Squad'' rule, so cannot be taken as a Compulsory unit unless you also selected '''Warrior Elite'''. These guys are the Stormtrooper analogues, and all come with 4+ saves and +1 Leadership when compared to regular troopers. They have all the same weapon selections as regular Militia Infantry squads, so the same advice applies here, with the possible exception of remembering that with 4+ saves they are more likely to survive up close against bolter fire. Combined with the fact that Grenadiers don't pay for weapon upgrades, this means you really should take the carbines; if you want lasguns, take Infantry.
**The Bolter sounds tempting, but you're paying 175pts for 20 BS3 Bolters when Space Marines pay 200pts for 20 Tacs and get an improved statline, 3+ saves and 2 special rules in the bargain. Moreover, if you do the math, you can get roughly the same amount of damage against T4 on Stubcarbines within 12", except you don't pay for Stubcarbines. It becomes more worth it with '''Legacy of the Great Crusade''' and/or if you've taken sniper weapons/Heavy Stubber, so that you retain 24" range.
**Grenadiers are subject to far more changes from Provenances than any other unit, so their roles can change wildly depending on the Force Commander. With ''Warrior Elite'' they become the Primary objective takers, '''Legacy of the Great Crusade''' makes them more accurate, '''Survivors of the Dark Age''' turns them into Mechanised Mobile troops, while in '''Armoury of Old Night''' they gain incredible firepower that lets them outgun any other ''Line'' unit and quite possibly any other Troops unit in the game. In '''Debased Rabble''' and '''Unending Horde''' armies they become less common, or unavailable altogether.
**Note that they get both their long arms alongside a pistol and basic close combat weapon. This is important for some Provenances, for example with '''Feral Warriors''' they can take the god combo (at least for this army) of Chainaxe ''and'' Shotgun.

*'''Fire Support Squad:''' Your heavy weapon squads, just like with Imperial Guard, but as Troops choices with no platoon tax. Unfortunately as ''Support Squads'' they cannot be Compulsory choices. They come in units of 3-10 teams and have the full range of Guard crew-served heavy weapons usually for 10pts each, plus some extras like multi-lasers and the stock heavy stubbers. These units have good potential, but even with 2 wounds per "team," their inherent squishiness and the punishing ''Emplaced'' rule mean they should be kept as far back as possible and usually in numbers less than the full 10 available per squad. 
**Like with the Field Gun Battery, the Fire Support Squad is subject to the ''Emplaced'' rule. This prohibits their Reaction choices to Return Fire, Overwatch, or Interceptor, which admittedly are the only ones you'd want to use anyway. It also means that if they ever have to fall back for '''any reason''', they abandon their weapons and are removed from the game. Even more so than other units in this list, invest in Discipline Masters or other ways to boost Leadership.
***'''Heavy Stubber''': The stock option. It'll murder another Militia player's Levy Squads, but its niche of "high volume, low damage" is better done by other options here. At the very least Heavy Stubbers look cool.
***'''Mortar''': Its ability to avoid danger thanks to the ''Barrage'' rule is somewhat mitigated by only having 36" range. However, it's the cheapest upgrade available at only 5pts, wounds Space Marine statlines on a 4+, and can be a plentiful source of ''Pinning''. Due to the last of these, they're best taken in MSU to force multiple Pinning tests. That said, a S4 3" blast makes it difficult to cause wounds and force tests on models tougher than GEQs.
***'''Heavy Bolter''': The premier choice for mulching other mortals thanks to AP4. Against Space Marines, the 36" range means this squad is usually close to the fighting, so try your best to keep them in cover so their meagre 5+ armour isn't blasted apart by basic bolters. 
***'''Multi-laser''': A better choice against Space Marines thanks to its S6, it still suffers from only 36" range. 
***'''Missile Launcher''': A versatile option, but sadly lacking Flakk Missiles. S8 AP3 Kraks are great for killing MEQs by piercing their Power Armour and inflicting ID and can reliably penetrate vehicles smaller than a Land Raider, while the Frags can be used like Mortars, trading in the ability to stay out of Line of Sight with ''Barrage'' for 12" more range so the enemy cannot reach you. Not bad to be honest.
***'''Autocannon''': A versatile weapon like the Missile Launcher, except it fires one type of round at middling damage and rate instead of having alternate ammo. At the same price as Heavy Bolters/Multi-Lasers but with S7 AP4 48" range and ''Rending'', Autocannons are the better choice against anything but total chaff units.
***'''Lascannon''': The priciest at +15pts, Lascannons are as good as ever. However, be mindful of the Fire Support Squad's BS3, and that the perceived threat of Lascannons mean this unit will likely draw much more fire against a squishy and now-expensive target. 2W won't help you when basically everything at the Lascannon's maximum range has >S6 and thus inflicts ID regardless. If your game plan revolves around one of these, consider ''Kinfolk Helots'' so you take ID from fewer sources and can thus also have ''Feel No Pain'' from a Medicae.

*'''Reconnaissance Squad:''' Your "elite" troops choice. Coming with shotguns as standard, they all have ''Scout, Infiltrate'' and ''Moves Through Cover'' as well as having the '' Light'' subtype, giving them more mobility if they decide to Run and Gun. However, 50 points for five GEQ models is an awful lot to ask, and those sniper rifles come in at 10 points per model meaning this squad can easily become fragile point-sinks that have to work hard to justify their cost. Even so they are still one of the cheapest Troop choices in the game. Just have a plan for them.
**It's worth remembering that Sniper Rifles and Long Las weapons are two very separate weapons in this list. Sniper Rifles are more appropriate for taking out high value officers with their 72" range and ''Rending (5+)'' rule. While the Long Las is more effective at taking out light vehicles with S6 and ''Sunder''. This means that Infiltrating into a good position at the start of the game can be crucial depending on the chosen target, such as getting a good angle on weaker rear vehicle armour. Not taking either Sniper choice is a bad idea, as you could more cost-effectively get shotgun/stubcarbine/lascarbine on Infantry Squads.
***You get 5 Sniper Rifles/Long-las regardless of how big the squad is. Strongly consider not taking any extra models if you want to snipe, particularly with the 72" Sniper Rifle, as you will be out of range of anyone shooting back.
***There is a marginal case for the stock shotguns in support of your Cavalry, as '' Light'' subtype and ''Scout/Infiltrate'' make Recons quick enough to accompany Cavalry, while a full squad has just enough volume of fire to force a ''Concussive'' test on MEQ even if you have to Snap Shot due to Running. 75 points to make sure your Cavalry take out that Heavy Support Squad is arguably worth it. That said, for literally any other melee unit, just use normal Infantry.

===Dedicated Transports===

You don't normally get any, but 10-man Grenadier/Command Cadres get some Space Marine vehicles if you take '''Survivors of the Dark Age'''. As noted in the Provenances section, the vehicles are penalized with BS3 and ''Third-line'', without the discount your other vehicles normally get as compensation. That said, you don't care if your Rhino dies, the Termite is more or less a Deep Strike method and the Land Raider is tough enough regardless.

*'''Legion Rhino Transport:''' 35 point metal box, now with 12 seats so attached characters (read: your Discipline Masters and Medicae) can ride too. A questionable choice, as your infantry units typically want to shoot the enemy from as far away as possible, which defeats the point of taking a DT. However, it is your cheapest way to take Multi-meltas, clocking in at 65 points to the Sentinel's 75. If you expect Terminators, it may be worth it just to shoot them with glorious ''Twin-linked'' S8 AP1 from 24" while being largely immune to their return fire. Also changes if you have '''Armoury of Old Night''', as Assault Needler Grenadiers are one of the strongest close range Troop units in the game, or with '''Legacy of the Great Crusade''' to make the most of your 2 special weapons (read: Plasma/Melta); in the latter case, take Stubcarbines/Bolters.

*'''Legion Termite Assault Drill:''' Lets your units Deep Strike by coming out of the ground. Unfortunately has the same problem as the Rhino; your infantry don't want to be anywhere close to the enemy, which defeats the point of Deep Striking. Again, this changes if you take '''Armoury of Old Night/Legacy of the Great Crusade'''. Not as good as the Multi-melta Rhino otherwise; the ''Twin-linked'' pintle guns are meh, and while the Melta Cutters are strong, its 6" range can be charitably described as spitting distance, not helped by being on a vehicle with 8" movement.

*'''Legion Land Raider Proteus:''' The Legions need a Rite of War to get these as DTs for Power Armour units, and normal humans just get it because their world is rich? Seems legit. While you don't have any elite close combat units that would benefit from ''Assault Vehicle'' (no, 12 '''Feral Warrior''' Infantry models with chainaxes don't count, and you have to take 5 Ogryns to get a Thunder Hammer Boss), it's a good way to bring tons of high strength AP2 firepower (2 Gravis Lascannons, ''Twin-linked'' Lascannon in front, pintle Multi-melta), particularly if you don't feel like taking '''Industrial Stronghold'''. Benefits from '''Kinfolk Helots''', as the squad inside it can repair it too; ''Battlesmith (6+)'' is a lot better than it sounds when you have 3 characters (sergeant, Discipline Master, Medicae) inside the transport, and then there's the random scrubs outside the vehicle.

===Elites===
*'''Ogryn Brute Squad:''' 3-10 Ogryns with big sticks and flak armour, with a squad upgrade option to take Carapace armour for a set cost. They don't get a squad leader unless their unit size is five or more. Each model can take a single wargear choice for five points, and mixing is allowed. Generally speaking, Thunderstubs or Ripper Guns would be the best choice. As the former grants an extra attack in close combat, while the latter has a sufficient rate of fire that it overcomes the Ogryns appalling BS2. Thunderstubs are very cool, but are so short ranged that you may never get a chance to use them.
**Never take a second basic CQC weapon on them, because due to the usual FW proofreading [[Fail|it costs as much as a Thunderstub which gives you +1 attack '''and''' a short ranged Concussive (1) shot]]. The Thunderstub is OK because you don't have to cause unsaved wounds, so its relatively poor AP4 is not a deal breaker, while its high S6 means it can likely wound. However, the Ogryns' Orktastic BS2 means you statistically need 3 to expect 1 hit, so you need to take several, whereas they're mutually exclusive with Boarding Shields, which you also want because it's a 5++ you can use against the enormous list of weapons that will ignore your poor 5+/4+. 
***You can mix and match the weapons options, so consider throwing one or two boarding shields into a unit with Ripper Guns or Thunderstubs to tank those AP5+ (or AP4+) shots.
**An Ogryn Boss has a separate list of wargear to choose from, but can still select an item from the standard Ogryn gear. So it is possible, and probably recommended, to pair up a better close combat weapon (read: Thunder Hammer) alongside a Boarding Shield to make an effective challenger.
**They still have ''Militia'' subtype, so have to be wary about failing morale checks and losing models, and unfortunately they cannot have attached advisors unless you expressly use the Ogryn Conscripts Provenance. Thankfully they have the ''Stubborn'' rule, so unlike the rest of the army, they can have the most reliable morale, despite having the same scores as everyone else. So if you want some modicum of longevity, then best to stack up on models and go for the Boss to get the Ld boost. If push comes to shove, '''Ruthless Tyrant''' still works on them.
**Ogryns do well in combination with several other Provenances, so look for best ways to help them out. '''Feral Warriors''' for instance lets them swap those basic close combat weapons for chainaxes, giving them S6 and ''Shred'', without actually taking up one of their weapon upgrade choices, on top of +1WS on the charge. While '''Warrior Elite''' adds that valuable +1 Ld to a squad that cannot normally gain Ld boosts from anywhere else, which they cannot lose thanks to ''Stubborn''.
**While a lot of Provenances say that they cannot be combined with Ogryn Conscripts. That doesn't actually stop you from taking Ogryn squads and gaining the benefit anyway. So you can get Ogryn Brutes in [[Squat|'''Kinfolk Helot''']] armies and have Toughness 6 and ''Battlesmith (6+)'' on their Boss. Or setting their base Strength to 6 when using '''Abhuman Muster'''.
**As usual, Ogryns are the diamond in the rough of the baseline human list. With Feral Warriors and Alchem-Jackers, you can get a 220 point (read: similar cost to a 20 man Despoiler Squad) unit of five WS5 Absolute Units with Chainaxes and Thunderstubs. This gives you a total of 30 attacks at S7 with ''Shred''. Assuming you used a second unit with Shotguns and/or your Thunderstubs to dump ''Concussive'' on your <s>victim</s> target unit, you will not care about the fact you're striking second because you're hitting on 3s and those Marines are now hitting on 5s...and you're also wounding on wounding on 2s (with a re-roll). Yes, Marines will get their saves, but that doesn't help them much when they've just been hit with an average of 20 wounds (plus another 8 from HoW). Ironically this is less wounds than an Infantry Squad can shit out for less points, but Ogryns are more durable and can take Carapace Armour for another 25 points.
**If you want to, you can also add a Boss with a Thunder Hammer and Boarding Shield to the above for another 70 points. Do this if you want someone to challenge Marine Sergeants or even no-name Centurions and '''Praetors''', because apparently the Emperor's genetic engineering loses out to several millennia of life in an environment where "natural selection" meant "tard strength". Or to translate, he'll be dumping 5 S10 AP2 ''Brutal (2)'' attacks at WS5, enough to squash '''three''' Sergeants or Centurions or even almost '''''two fucking Praetors'''''. And most importantly, even when that Praetor (who costs at least twice as much as the Ogryn Boss) hits back with his own Thunder Hammer, he'll only take off about 1 wound, because [[What|your fat retard has Strength 10 so will ID the Praetor's T4, but the Praetor has Strength 8 so won't ID your fat retard's T5]]. This means it's not just the no-name Praetors that Joe Ogryn can beat, even named Praetors who don't have Eternal Warrior or a weapon with the ID special rule (or Murderous Strike and a good number of attacks) will likely fall to this beast. Anyone else starting to think Emps may have failed to see the real evolution of humanity?

*'''Imperialis Militia Medicae Detachment:'''  3-12 field medics that you can disperse to other infantry squads in your army to grant them ''Feel No Pain (6+)'' that cannot be combined with any other version of the rule, nor can multiple medics be stacked on the same unit. Given his fragile your infantry are, any addition to their survivability is usually a welcome one. But a 6+ save is unlikely to reliably affect any outcomes.
**Medics inherit the rules/subtypes of whatever unit they get attached to, so bear this in mind. So yes, that Provenance that lets you attach them to Ogryns also means you [[What|get Ogryn medics]]. Maybe kitbash them from Ogre Kingdoms Butchers?

*'''Field Gun Artillery Battery:''' A Rapier analogue with two key differences, the first being that the gun crew and weapon all count as a single model (effectively making them an even bigger version of the Fire Support squad), and the second being that these are ''Emplaced'' guns which lack the Rapier's ''Relentless'' mobility. The ''Emplaced'' rule means the unit is also instantly destroyed if it has to Fallback, but having ''Heavy'', 3 wounds, and very cheap carapace armour means they're rather tough by Militia standards. In terms of weapons they have three choices - one of which is the clear winner, and the other two having niche uses that can be helpful if you lack the points or FOC slots for alternatives:
**The basic '''Thunderblast Cannon''' is a safe but unremarkable bet. It is a S7 AP4 Blast (3) weapon with ''Barrage'' and ''Pinning''. Its 72" range means it can be kept far from trouble, but having only a 3" Blast template and S7 means its damage output is minimal. Use this if you want long-range guns in an Elites slot, and you've already used your Heavy Support slots for tanks, or bigger guns that do the Thunderblast's job better. 
**The '''Heavy Lascannon''' is pretty much a normal Lascannon with S10. It is inferior in stopping power to a Laser Destroyer but has better range. The unfortunate downside is the added cost of effectively 60 points per gun, which adds up in bulk. You otherwise could have had regular Lascannons in Fire Support squads for 35 points per gun, which usually does the job just as well. That said, S10 ID is valuable against [[Heresy|Custodes]] as well as Daemons and weaker Automata.
**The '''Kalliope Mortar''' is the standout star of the Field Gun options. It's analogous in many respects to the Rapier Quad Mortar, having the same strength and AP, and both use the Large Blast template. The Quad Mortar has longer range and ''Shred'', but the Kalliope has a trick up its sleeve in the fact that it causes ''Pinning'' with ''Shell Shock (1)'' meaning that it can reliably shut down enemy squads. It doesn't cost any extra either, so it allows for peppering quite large areas when taken in multiples per unit, and ends up being cheaper than multiple Rapiers for potentially a better outcome.
***It can't be overemphasized how important the 5" Large Blast is for the Kalliope relative to the Thunderblast. Outside of edge cases needing very long range or higher Strength for bullying a vehicle's top armour, the Kalliope will deliver much better results with S5, Large Blast, and ''Shell Shock (1)''.

===Fast Attack===
*'''Cavalry Squad:''' At last! Rough Riders are a part of the Imperial Militia. You get a proper fast moving unit that has a surprising amount of punch. They all have a pistol and close combat weapon as standard, but can choose an additional weapon on top of that. Shotguns, Lascarbines, and Stubcarbines are all perfectly viable options, though the unit gets access to the unique Militia Lance, giving them S7 AP3, with ''Brutal (2)'' and ''Sudden Strike (2)'', meaning when they charge they now hit at Initiative 5 and have a respectable chance of killing any MEQ in a single hit before they get struck back. ''Ungainly'' means they only ever get one attack with this weapon, and only ever when charging. So it pays to match up units that use it with accuracy boosting Provenances like '''Feral Warriors''' and/or '''Debased Rabble'''.
**While the Cavalry Mount gives ''Shrouded (5+)'' on Running, ''Light'' also gives them +1 to cover when not Running. Consider taking cover in terrain if you don't really need to get somewhere quick, as a 4+ cover save can potentially be even better than ''Shrouded''. 
**Much like Grenadiers, they take their long arm (or Lance) separately to their pistol and close combat weapon. They can also take Carapace armour for a fixed cost, overall meaning in some builds you can just treat them as faster Grenadiers. It helps that their sergeant has Ld7 base.
**'''Feral Warriors''' also allows them to swap their basic combat weapon with a Chainaxe, which makes a perfectly serviceable back-up weapon if you can't use, or don't take, the Lances. Not having Lances opens up the possibility of shotguns and therefore ''Concussive'' and is moreover cheaper (even if you take Chainaxes), so it's a decent idea if you are willing to stomach losing ''Sudden Strike''.
**Remember that they are still Militia, so if you use them as a melee unit, they are still likely going to break and be destroyed very easily when the opponent strikes them back. Luckily Discipline Masters can be added to them if they buy their own mounts.
**Can ''Scout'' and therefore ''Outflank''. You can't reroll Reserves, so it's not reliable, but you can surprise your opponent by putting your Cavalry in Flanking Assault and running over key units in his backline. 

*'''Cargo-8 Hauler Squadron:''' Channel your fiercest Gorkamorka energies and mount no less than 22 models in the back of a hulking and very fragile freight truck. At a measly 50 points to start, with +40pts for two more Haulers in a squadron, these are priced to move. Not that they'll move especially quickly with 10" of Movement, or safely with only 12AV on the front (still better than a Rhino). You can upgrade to an Armoured Container for +10pts to get 12AV all-around and the option to buy two extra Heavy Stubbers, but any effect on survivability this will have is negligible (no buff to frontal AV, and if your enemy can target side/rear AV you're doing something wrong), and it comes at a steep cost of cutting the transport capacity down to just 12 models. 
**The best use for Cargo-8s is to keep them cheap and keep them moving. Dozer Blades are just +5pts and will save you the embarrassment of having 22 men footslogging because the Cargo-8 hit a rock. They ''will'' die the moment any halfway serious anti-vehicle firepower comes there way, so make the most of that 10" move to get your transported infantry where they need to be. This will usually be Stubcarbine or Assault Needler units; shotgun/melee units cannot charge after disembarking due to lack of ''Assault Vehicle'', while lasgun/lascarbine units don't need to get so close.
**Interestingly, the Cargo-8 can be used to transport up to four Sentinels if it doesn't have an Armoured Container. The Cargo-8 is quicker than the Sentinel and the Sentinels don't care that it's not an ''Assault Vehicle'', so it's worth considering if you absolutely must deliver Sentinels somewhere. That said, Sentinels are pretty tough due to not being vehicles anymore, so it's not really necessary. Conversely, you can technically transport smaller units of Rapiers/Field Guns/Fire Support squads and the former can even fire after disembarking due to the actual Rapier having ''Relentless'', but they all have decent range and you generally don't want them any closer to the enemy than absolutely necessary, so transporting them is a questionable proposition.  

*'''Arvus Lighter:''' It's a flying transport for 40 points.  It has no weapons to speak of, and can't even be jury-rigged like last edition, effectively turning it into a rather expensive drop pod. With that in mind, there aren't really many ways to get Deep Strike in this list without taking '''Survivors of a Dark Age''', so if you want to vary your deployment this is it.  Because of its capacity of 12 it can only really transport Grenadiers, Recon squads and HQ units.

*'''Sentinel Squadron:''' The chicken walkers are back, and GW has even released a much chunkier refresh of the old model. They're perhaps a touch overpriced at 60pts per Sentinel (with no discount for additional walkers), but they at least come with fairly solid statline and the benefits of the ''Mechanized'' Unit Type. They're the only unit in the army to come with a native 3+ Armour Save, and when paired with T6 and W3, they can shrug off small-arms almost entirely and even handle things like Autocannons or Volkite Culverins to some extent. Being ''Mechanized'', they can also fire their solid weapons options on the move, which is especially helpful if you take advantage of their ''Scout'' rule to Outflank and hit enemy vehicles in the sides or rear. The free Autocannon in particular benefits from rear hits, while the Multi-melta needs to get closer for ''Armourbane''. Alternatively, take Heavy Flamers and roast some poor Auxilia/Militia. 
**The Multi-Laser comes stock, and can be swapped at no cost with either a Heavy Flamer or Autocannon. These are all solid anti-infantry options, though the Heavy Flamer is risky due to needing close range, and the Sentinel lacks any sort of melee weapon upgrade.
**The Missile Launcher is the first "paid" upgrade at a very reasonable +5pts for Frag & Krak Missiles. The Lascannon and Multi-Melta both come at a pricier +15pts, but definitely benefit from being mounted to a fairly quick and durable platform, especially when it comes to getting close enough to take advantage of the Melta's ''Armourbane'' at half-range. In particular, the Multi-melta's inbuilt ''Twin-linked'' remedies the Sentinel's BS3, so it's stronger than it sounds.
**While it's tough, it has the same flimsy Ld7 the rest of the army has, and you can't make them braver with Discipline Masters/Provenances. At 5 max, you will take a Morale check every time you lose a model (unless you have 5 and you lose 1), and with ''Militia'' they won't be coming back if they're under half-strength. As a result, you really have a choice between taking 4 or 5; you can lose 3 Sentinels (2 is half of 4 and therefore not under half) before the squadron goes under half-strength in either case, so taking 4 means you don't risk losing 2 Sentinels to ''Militia'' regrouping rules, while taking 5 lets you not take a Morale check when you lose the 1st Sentinel. Taking any less is a waste of a slot, being too easy to rout and too lacking in firepower.

*'''Thunderbolt Fighter:''' Compared to the Astartes version, it gets a 50 point discount for effectively the same skeleton of a unit. 120 points is a more reasonable cost for your only serviceable flyer. However you are BS3 and have the ''Third Line'' rule in exchange for that discount. GW also didn't fix the inherent problem of having more guns than you can fire. It does not have the Advanced Reaction of the Solar Auxilia version, so it's not an automatic counter to enemy Flyers. Can take missiles like the Astartes/Auxilia versions.
**Heavy Krak Rocket has built-in ''Skyfire'', so you can't use it with your Lascannons to hunt tanks, while being a Flyer means you can give ''Skyfire'' to your weapons in the shooting phase anyway. However, being on a Hull mount means it can be useful for Interceptor, as it has a wider arc of fire than the guns and retains ''Skyfire'' even outside your own shooting phase. You don't have Augury Scanners, but that only prevents '''free''' Interceptor, so you can still use up one of your Reactions as per normal. The Heavy Frag Rocket is a Kalliope Mortar on a Fighter without ''Shell Shock''; as you should already have Kalliope Mortars, this isn't such a good idea.

*'''Beastmasters:''' Quite frankly a very bad unit for a number of reasons, you get three militia for 50 points, '''before''' factoring in what animals you want to add to the unit. You also need one Handler for each creature that gets added in, so you have to buy more of the crappy dudes in order to get more Beasts. Unfortunately the militia and beasts have mutually exclusive subtypes, special rules, and profiles: With the exception of the Caiman, all Beasts are faster than their human handlers and are therefore stuck at the slowest speeds. Most Beasts have ''Light'' which '''would''' allow them to get +1 Initiative when running but are prevented from doing so [[Fail|as long as any humans remain in the unit.]] Furthermore, any Provenances taken by the Force Commander will not apply to Beasts because they lack the ''Militia'' subtype which would make them eligible, but the Beasts will still suffer from the drawbacks inherent to  ''Militia'' subtype as long as the unit contains any models with the rule, therefore they are liable to being removed from play under certain situations while they are stuck with their Handlers. Best case scenario? Kill off the Handlers as soon as possible and let the animals run wild! The beasts are apparently loyal enough to refrain from attacking your army even without their handlers, and their instinctual behavior (move towards the nearest enemy and charge if within 12") is more or less what you wanted them to do anyway. 
**Mastiffs, Felidae, and Raptors all have ''Fleet (1)'', but as above, are unable to use the rule while any models without the rule remain in the unit.
**Mastiffs have ''Furious Charge (1)'', which allows them to strike at S5 on the charge. 
**Felinids have ''Rage (1)'' [[FAIL|which does nothing because ''Rage'' replaces your +1A on the charge, so ''Rage (1)'' is business as usual]] and can get the attack in before the enemy at I5, but because they are only S3 their odds of hurting anything is quite slim.
**Raptors have ''Shrouded (4+)'' so they get an actually good damage mitigation save against shooting. They don't have an armour value at all, but it's fairly irrelevant when the other animals have 5+/6+ saves which are ignored by simple Bolters. Raptors also have three attacks base, so have equivalent or better damage output to Felidae, just at a lower initiative.
**Caiman have S5/T5, two wounds, and ''Feel No Pain (5+)'', so they are clearly the hardest hitters of the bunch and are the hardest to kill under regular circumstances. They also have the slowest speed and aren't ''Light'' so they lose the least while still being attached to their Handlers. They still won't kill anything, but they're a good roadblock in melee against enemies without AP like Space Marine Troops if you can't be bothered with Ogryns.

===Heavy Support===
*'''Rapier Battery:''' Your mobile artillery unit. Regardless of the weapon you choose, they always have ''Relentless'' so they can move and shoot. They start with Gravis Multi-lasers, but you can swap them for Heavy Bolters, Laser Destroyers, or Quad Launchers. Of these, the Laser Destroyers have the most useful niche, as AP1 and two twin-linked Ordnance shots outperform both the Lascannon and Heavy Lascannon in a comparable role without even factoring in ''Exoshock (6+)''. The other choices aren't bad by any means, but other options exist to do their job for cheaper and in less high-demand FOC slots. 
**It's difficult to overstate how important the Laser Destroyer Rapier is in this list. You only get so many sources of AP1/2, and the Laser Destroyer ranks high on durability (Rapier model has 3+ save, unit can become majority T5 after you remove crewmen), firepower (''Twin-linked'' Ordnance 2), availability (6 per slot) and cost-effectiveness (55 points/model). If you don't have '''Industrial Stronghold''', taking a full battery is almost mandatory to counter the Terminators and Dreadnoughts that populates literally every single Marine list. Even then, the Rapier gets you more bang for your buck than even the mighty Leman Russ Vanquisher, and the Rapier no longer competes with the Russ for slots because you get Russ-exclusive Heavy Support slots, so it's still worth considering.
***Can also serve as emergency anti-air, as 2-shot ''Twin-linked'' gives you a decent chance of hitting Snap Shots when you consider how many Rapiers you get in a battery, while S9 AP1 Ordnance means whatever poor Flyer you hit is very likely to explode/Crash and Burn from a penetrating hit. Not its optimal use considering how much you need them to kill 2+ save models, but if it comes down to shooting down that Thunderhawk or not...
**Unlike most of the other artillery units, this one doesn't suffer from any variant rule where they abandon their guns if they fall back. They are still ''Militia'' so morale is a worry, but at least this gives you a second chance if there are enough models in the unit.

*'''Heavy Ordnance Battery:''' Earthshaker guns that have the longest range out of the entire armoury. Able to strike pretty much anywhere on the table, Earthshakers are very likely to wound their targets with S9 and ''Shred'', and at 75 points for the initial cannon, and 65 for each additional one, they are very reasonably priced. They are Immobile though, and the Ld7 crew have a special rule where if they fall back the guns are simply lost, this makes them really fragile, which probably accounts for the cost. They can buy up to twenty crewmen for only 2 points per model, so arguably should be stocked up as much as possible to avoid those 25% shooting morale checks, as well as BS1 and rerolling Hits for scatter when having less than 2 crew per gun. The Medusa is a hard sell, as its 36" range can be tough on an immobile platform and ''Rending (6+)'' really isn't that impactful even if it were a swap, but you're paying 25pt/model.
**Not very good. The Kalliope Mortar does a better job of Pinning enemies due to ''Shell Shock'', while destroying vehicles can be done with other Heavy Support choices that also have enough AP to threaten Terminators/Dreadnoughts. Still, being able to tag basically anyone on the table lets you pile on the hurt against backfield non-''Heavy'' models, as you can force failed armor saves with your S9 5" blast and you can get 3 for the bargain bin cost of 205pts, not counting extra crewmen. It's also good against vehicles, but you should have that covered with Rapier/Vanquisher spam.

*'''Imperial Militia Leman Russ:''' Leman Russes, everyone's favourite, chosen from the Vanilla, Annihilator, Exterminator, Demolisher and Vanquisher flavours. Of these options, only the Vanilla option with the Battlecannon is truly ''bad'' in every sense of the word. However, the Vanquisher is good. Really good. Good to the extent that it outperforms every other variant through (oh the irony) sheer versatility, consistency, and cost-effectiveness. The other options can work well, and you shouldn't feel guilty about using your preferred options in an army very much leaning towards creativity over competitiveness, but you really just can't go wrong with the Vanquisher for anything but killing chaff (and why aren't you using the rest of your army to do that?).
**Note that unless you take the ''Industrial Stronghold'' Provenance, Leman Russes are purchased individually. With that Provenance, you can take Russes in squadrons of ''6'', which is equal parts insane and hilarious. 
**For whatever reason, Militia Russes can no longer take sponson weapons. As for the hull-weapon, the Heavy Bolter and Heavy Flamer options are unremarkable, while the Lascannon costs a frankly scandalous +20pts for a single shot at BS3. Purchase it with clenched teeth, because it at least means ''Weapon Destroyed'' damage results won't automatically nuke your turret weapon. 

*'''Malcador Heavy Tank:''' One highly customisable vehicle, for 185 points, which is a significant reduction when compared to the 245pt Legion and 225pt Solar Auxilia versions of the same tank. You get a lot of guns on a ''Reinforced'' chassis (meaning it's immune to 2/3 of the Vehicle damage table, and with ''Third-line'' AV13 you will be rolling on it '''a lot'''), and every weapon on the tank can be swapped out for something else. However this variant doesn't get the ''Independent Fire Control'' of other versions so you may actually be better served by keeping the left and right sponson weapons as Bolters, Multi-lasers, or Flamers as they are Defensive weapons that can still fire at the nearest target independently of the main turret(s) in front.
**The Vanquisher cannon may not be the best idea, despite its awesomeness. With BS3 you can only hit half the time, otherwise you might be better with 125 points of a Leman Russ, that gets a coaxial weapon to give more accuracy. That said, because you can only take 1 Russ per slot, the Demolisher/Vanquisher Malcador may be a necessary compromise to get a tank that can counter Terminators, Dreadnoughts and Automata if you don't have '''Industrial Stronghold'''.
**Malcadors are actually the one of the fastest units in the army list with a movement speed of 14.
**The tank also has the ''Support Squad'' rule, which in most cases is meaningless, since Heavy Support slots are not usually compulsory unless you are playing some unique mission variant.

*'''Gorgon Heavy Transporter:''' The classic "LCA on tracks" returns to duty in 2.0, now as a dedicated Heavy Support choice instead of a DT. At 8" it's not much quicker than your infantry, but if you wanted to move quick, you'd have taken some Cargo-8s instead. What you take this for is to get a seemingly invincible transport (''Third-line'' AV15 rounds out to basically AV14, except [[Awesome|immune to Glancing Hits from S8]]) that will make sure your infantry units make it to the frontline in one piece. This implies you want to load up on the close-quarters units who actually need the help getting into range, like Assault Needler units in '''Armoury of Old Night'''; otherwise, consider simply taking more squads (seriously, 250 points can buy you 3 more Infantry squads) instead of taking the Gorgon so you can spend your Heavy Support slots on something else.
**Unlike most transports, GW didn't give the Gorgon extra slots for attached characters, so you cannot fill it with 2 full squads of 20 and then add ICs/Discipline Masters/Medicae. Build your army accordingly.
**The Gorgon can take up to 6 extra Lascannons for 65 points in total. Due to being a ''Superheavy'', it is immune to the Vehicle damage table and can therefore never lose damage output and can also fire at full effect while moving at full speed to transport its passengers. Given the general lack of AP1/2 in the list, worth considering if you were taking a Gorgon in the first place; for reference, a Lascannon on a Fire Support team costs 35 points.
**[[Derp|GW forgot that Open Topped isn't a thing anymore, so because it isn't an Assault Vehicle that big ramp is meaningless]]. Don't put your Ogryns inside in expectation of charging them out. 

===Lord of War===

*'''[[Baneblade|Militia Baneblade]]:''' -  This edition it comes with the ''Third Line'' drawbacks, but it's still a Superheavy Vehicle it is less bothered by penetrating hits, so the downside is mitigated somewhat, while it also means you don't pay '''The Price of Failure''' for losing a Lord of War. Though outclassed by the Legion Fellblade, the Baneblade is still a nasty proposition to face and since it's only 400 points, this is the only reasonably priced Baneblade available to any army. Sporting a Baneblade cannon, Autocannon, Demolisher Cannon and a twin-linked heavy bolter, the option of two Lascannons and two more twin-linked heavy bolters/flamers ''(the sponsons don't come as standard here)'', optional pintle mounts, AND optional Hunter-killer missile, it is a rolling fortress of death.
**That said, it competes with the far more point-efficient Russ in '''Industrial Stronghold''' lists, as the Russ can take weapons with more useful AP in this game of Terminators and Dreadnoughts. Even though it's your only superheavy, [[Fail|it's still not an autotake.]]

===Fortifications===