Codex - Drop Troops

Codex: Drop Troops is a created by the Elysian Drop Troops Discord community. Originally a super-niche Imperial Guard regiment sold only by Forge World, the Elysian Drop Troops were the premier grimdark paratroopers of the 41st millennium, until someone at FW decided that we can't have nice things. We originally had full rules and an Imperial Armour series, but were dropped completely from the official rules with the release of the Imperial Armour Compendium at the start of 9th edition, having only a couple of unique units move to Warhammer Legends, even though our Regimental Doctrine now no longer exists in the rules, so you can't even legally play with Aerial Drop. Drop Troopers who can't, well, drop.

But the bright side of killing off a much-loved Guard regiment is that it often has fanatically loyal followers. They banded together on Discord and launched the Alpha version of Codex: Drop Troops in August 2021. (Version 2.1 here).

These are completely unofficial, homebrew rules created bby the 700+ members of the community. You can find the page for the current Elysian rules (and just how god-shit awful they are) in the official game here.

Introduction to Codex: Drop Troops

Codex: Drop Troops is a fan-devoted labour of love at 180 fully-illustrated pages replete with custom lore, artwork, model galleries and rules. The Codex is a standalone, independent document set apart from Codex: Astra Militarum and focusses on the Airborne regiments of the Imperial Guard and their Imperial Navy aircraft.

In both the lore and the game, Drop Regiments are comprised of typiccally elite light infantry who specialise in dropping (often in great numbers) behind enemy lines to capture strategic locations and disrupt the enemy. Often drop assaults are made in concert with ground forces who will then attempt to break through and reinforce them. Drop Regiments generally can't take heavy equipment such as tanks, so they rely on superior air power for fire support, but as a result are quite brittle and will often found themselves surrounded by superior enemy numbers. As a result Drop Infantry are typically better trained and have higher morale and discipline. Well, some of them...

Following the Horus Heresy, Rowboat Gorillaman decreed that the Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy should be split up, so that if a Commander turn Traitor no one man could field such combined power. This extends not just to capital ships in space, but right down to any airborne aircraft such as Valkyries and Marauders. This is, obviously, a bit of an issue since your drop boys and the Valk pilot might want to be discussing where the fuck they're going first. As a result, the aircraft are still nominally part of the Imperial Navy, but often get seconded long-term to Drop Regiments and establish a close working relationship with them. However, this does sometimes provoke the ire of more puritanical members of the Holy Ordos.

The upshot though is that a Codex: Drop Troops force gets a lot more out of their aircraft than standard Imperial Guard detachments. The Codex also covers much more than just the Elysians, but also the Harakoni Warhawks, Phantine Skyborne, Hell Harlots, D-99 and rules to create your own.

Why Play Drop Troops of the Imperial Guard

If you thought that regular Imperial Guard needed a wheelbarrow to carry around those great brass balls before charging a Carnifex with a flashlight and a butter knife, then the Drop Troops really dial that up to eleven.

From a gameplay perspective, Imperial Guard Drop Troops ditch the grinding war of attrition for rapid strikes from the air. Tanks and heavy artillery get left behind in favour of elite infantry, powerful aircraft and a few light vehicles - with strong synergies between them. This is a highly tactical army to play as you will start games with having most of your army able to deploy from deep strike, allowing you to quickly capture key objectives and neutralise key threats. However, since you have an army of entirely T3 5+ infantry and T7 3+ aircraft - with no invulnerable saves - you will get ground down and take casualties, fast. The key between victory and defeat will be in how effective your opening turns are, and if you can have the patience to keep some units in reserve turn 2 and 3 and deploy them to disrupt your enemy's initiative. As your units are also still cheap, it is very viable to play this as "horde deep strike".

Pros

• Lots of cheap infantry that can be buffed through the Orders system by their Officers.
• Drop Troop infantry benefit from Aerial Drop, higher Ld and can take better gear such as krak grenades, demo charges and aux grenade launchers.
• You're still effectively a horde army, so losses won't hurt you as bad as some armies. You can also afford to sacrifice units to keep the enemy tied up.
• You have a variety of elite infantry options with specialist weapons and abilities. Special Weapon Squads and Sappers can bring melta and plasma to eliminate high threat units, and Stormtroopers and Forward Recon Squads are useful for handling objectives. Sniper Squads are some of the most point-efficient anti-charectar in the game, and can be further buffed with camo-cloaks and anti-material rifles.
• Your Aircraft are your mainstay for heavy fire support, with lots of synergies, Pilot Aces and stratagems to get the max out of them.
• Valkyries in a Drop Troops army are Dedicated Transports, meaning you can field a lot more Aircraft per Detachment than any other army in the game.
• Air Cavalry lets you Deepstrike on Turn 1, copying SM Drop Pods.
• You have shit tonnes of opportunities to create your own regiments and kitbash your own unique guys.
• The Codex has a full suite of Crusade rules, and also has a Custom Aircraft Loadout tool that lets you make some crazy combinations for aircraft in casual games.
• There's a lot of fun in playing homebrew rules. It is YOUR game, YOU can make it what you want, and this can help encourage other players too, so long as both players agree before the game.

Cons

• Expect to take high casualties. Your whole army is either T3 or T7, with no invulnerable saves. Your strength is in numbers.
• You have the volume to be capable in shooting and melee, but you excel at neither. Most 40k armies are specialised and will be hitting on you for less one way or the other.
• Your infantry greatly rely on Officers, who are very fragile and easy to pick off. They need to be protected by other infantry squads and your elimination of enemy sniper and anti-charectar units is key.
• You trade tanks for aircraft, which are great and have universal -1 to hit protection, but are less resilient than T8 Leman Russ tanks. You also need to be careful with the rules for Aircraft in 9e, as you can easily overshoot the board and put your flyers into Strategic Reserves. It's smart to pre-plan flight paths, or put your Valks/Vendettas/Vultures into hover mode.
• FW Elysians have been Out of Production for many years, and authentic kits go for $$$ on eBay. Your best (legal) options are to either kitbash your own Regiments or turn to the miracle of 3d printing.
• As a homebrew Codex, this army has no official rules support. It is therefore highly unlikely that you will ever be able to play a Drop Troops army in a GW store or tournament setting; this is best kept for club and friendly games. You may also find that "meta" players will refuse to play you, or worse if you do end up winning they may just complain that your homebrew codex was OP. Or it may just be that they are That Guy. But then again, do you want to spend 2 hours playing a twat like that in the first place?
• Because the rules are fan-made, there is also likely to be a lot of bugs and errors in the rules, which is why the dev team chose to release in Alpha state first to gather playtesting and feedback. It will take time to balance out the rules and expect plenty of significant changes to come in later versions.

Special Rules

• Defenders of Humanity: Troops gain Objective Secured.
• Air Cavalry:
• Aerial Drop:
• Command Squads:

Regiments and Regimental Doctrines

Elysia: Drop Expert - The classic Elysian Drop Troops, loosely based on French Foreign Legion Paratroopers, even though they seem to almost always die in the official fluff. Got invaded by Chaos Space Marines during the Great Rift and are in the middle of battling it old with the help of the Emprah's Golden Boys.

• INFANTRY units with this doctrine can Advance and still Shoot with any weapon type that is not a Heavy weapon. When they do so, they suffer a -1 to hit penalty. Assault weapons may shoot without penalty.
• INFANTRY units get the benefit of Rapid Fire at 18", rather than 12" as normal. Hot-shot Lasguns get up to 12" instead.

Harakoni Warhawks: Armoured Descent

• INFANTRY units with this doctrine get 4+ SVs with carapace armour.
• 6+ FNP to Vehicles and Infantry wearing carapace armour. Helps your boys be more durable during the fight.

Phantine Skyborne: Wings and Talons - The small number of "ground" forces supplied by the planet of Phantine during and after its liberation in the Sabbat Worlds Crusade. Though best known for their elite pilots who uncharetaristically do not form part of the Imperial Navy, Gaunt's Ghosts do pitch in with a battalion of their paratrooper infantry during the Siege of Ourenberg. On the battlefield they enjoy unique synergies between their infantry and aircraft, as they are the only Guard regiment in existence that officially has their own aircraft.

• A <PHANTINE> AIRCRAFT that targets the same enemy unit as a <PHANTINE> INFANTRY unit during the Shooting phase may re-roll hit rolls of 1. Army wide Officer of the Fleet / Tactical Air Controller.
• A <PHANTINE> AIRCRAFT gets to treat themselves as having double wounds for purposes of the vehicle damage chart. One half of the Valhallan doctrine, but only benefitting Aircraft.

Hell Harlots: Overhead Assault

• Units with this doctrine always wound a non VEHICLE unit on a 4+ with a close combat weapon.
• When resolving an attack made in the Fight phase, an unmodified wound roll of 6 is resolved with a bonus of -1AP

Arnheim Pathfinders: Utrinque Paratus - Modelled on a blend of modern-era and WW2 British Paratroopers, these guys strike a dashing sight in their maroon berets and are known for their ferocity on the battlefield even in the face of impossible odds. True to their Arnhem / Battle of Britain roots, they benefit from buffs in the Morale phase and harder-hitting aircraft.

• INFANTRY units with this doctrine ignore combat attrition modifiers for morale tests.
• AIRCRAFT with this doctrine may re-roll wound rolls of 1.

Custom Regimental Doctrines

With The Greater Good, the IG can follow in the footsteps of several other factions in making their own Regimental Doctrine, combining two of the following rules:

• Agile Warriors: Infantry can re-roll advance dice.
• Combined Auspex: When a vehicle fires Overwatch within 3" of another vehicle from the same Regiment, it hits on a 5+. Half of the Mordian doctrine.
• Disciplined Shooters: Infantry with Rapid Fire weapons fire an extra shot at 18" instead of the usual distance. Half of the Armageddon doctrine. A defensive buff pretending to be a offensive one, as many foes at 18" out won't be able to launch a charge in their next turn, (18" away moving 6" closer gives them a 12" charge)
• Fire from the Hip: Infantry can shoot Rapid Fire weapons after advancing, with a -1 to hit. Before considering this trait remember that there is an order that lets you do this for free with no penalty.
• Gunnery Experts: When rolling to determine the number of shots it fires, a vehicle can re-roll one of the dice. Half of the Catachan doctrine.
• Jury-Rigged Repairs: At the start of the turn, roll a d6 for each vehicle that has lost a wound. It heals one wound on a 2-4, and d3 wounds on a 5+. Who needs Enginseers?
  • Further, you can take Gunnery Experts, and genuinely run some potent vehicles.
  • Stacks with Enginseers: force your opponent to kill the tank or suffer. Double trouble on Atlases; not only can they repair other tanks, they benefit from this Doctrine themselves!
  • While other regiment's tanks may shoot more accurately or more efficiently, this will make your tanks the toughest, forcing your opponent to kill tanks outright, lest you rebuild them with Elmer's glue and MRE wrappers.
• Lords' Approval: Infantry melee weapons get -1 AP if within 9" of an Officer (which includes tank commanders). No matter how many ways you stack the odds in your favor for CC, other CC armies will still smash you ('Nids, Orks, Chaos, naked women with giant chainswords...) You might as well optimize for solid ranged warfare and/or durability of your vehicles.
• Monster Hunters: Heavy weapons inflict 1 mortal wound against Monsters on an unmodified wound roll of 6.
  • This has a more noticeable impact the weaker the weapon's S, AP, and D, especially if you haven't got access to the ability to re-roll successful wounds. Focus on weapons with high A instead - heavy bolters and flamers, gatling cannons, etc.
• Pyromaniacs: Flamers, heavy flamers, and twin heavy flamers re-roll wound rolls of 1. A very nice effect, but irritatingly leaves out vehicle-specific weapons on things like Hellhounds or the Malcador Infernus.
  • This got indirectly buffed in 9th, as now all the weaponry that this would effect has a range of 12" instead of 8".
• Slum Fighters: Infantry scores an additional melee hit on an unmodified melee hit roll of 6.
  • See Lord's Approval above. It's cool, but certain aliens are literally bred and evolved to slaughter you in melee. You can fight a little harder and kill a few more with this in melee, but you can do far more at range, out of melee. That said, it works like +1 to hit only better, so it's most noticeable the worse your WS - put this on Conscripts to make them hit like regular soldiers.
• Spotter Details: +6" to the range of heavy weapons with a range of at least 24". Half of the Vostroyan doctrine.
  • Especially potent on Demolisher & Punisher Russ's, giving them a 35" grinding advance threat range.
• Wilderness Survivors: Infantry that did not advance get the cover save bonus to their saving throws. Not bad, as you can still move and even get within 12" (or 18" if you combine with discipline shooters (hint hint)) of the opponent and use cover out in the open. In fact, if for some reason you want to charge the enemy, you'll get the bonus against Overwatch shots, and even less likely, if you end up still in combat in the following shooting phase, it'll work on any pistols you get shot with.

Maintaining Regiment Doctrines

Most units in Astra Militarum detachments (excluding Superheavy Auxiliary detachments) benefit from a regimental doctrine if every unit in the detachment has the same Regiment and/or is on the list of units that do not break regimental doctrine. These units include:

• Aeronautica Imperialis. Not "this unit, and that unit", but all Aeronautica units, like Vendettas.
• Militarum Auxilla AKA Abhumans, each and every single one.
• Ministorum Priest and Crusaders. Not Adeptus Ministorum units, just those two.
• Officio Prefectus AKA Commissars.
• Militarum Tempestus units won't prevent your army from getting a Doctrine, but they themselves won't get their Storm Troopers doctrine unless all other units are Tempestus themselves (or people from this list). So, if you want to bring Artillery or other vehicles, you'll need to bring them in a separate Spearhead detachment.
• Scholastica Psykana AKA Primaris Psykers (no relation), Wyrdvanes, and Astropaths.
• Tech-priest Enginseer (either your copy, the elite with Astra Militarum, or AdMech's copy, the HQ without) and Servitors. Not Forge world units, just those three. Remember this is an Astra Militarum Detachment. They DON'T gain a Dogma, NOR AdMech Stratagems, Relics or Warlord Traits. If you want those rules, you can bring them in a separate Vanguard detachment, for all the good it'll do you.

As alluded to above, Superheavy Auxiliary Detachments don't benefit from Doctrines. If you want a LoW with a Doctrine you need to take them in either a Superheavy Detachment (3-5! Lords of War), a cheaper Supreme Command Detachment (3-5 HQs plus 0-1 LoW), or give it the Steadfast Leviathan Tank Ace trait in a Superheavy Auxiliary Detachment.

• The Death Korps of Krieg and Elysia can also be selected as your Regiment, though they do not have a proper Regimental Doctrine. Instead, they get a modified unit and Order selection with several choices unique to them, along with a number of special rules that more or less form a Doctrine. They lack any unique Warlord Traits, Stratagems or Relics, but have access to all the regular ones. Check out their sections towards the bottom of the page for more information.

Warlord Traits

Pilot Aces

Did you like the Tank Ace from the Psychic Awakening book ? Then you can now have similar abilities for your planes ! Your Drop Troops can skip taking a warlord trait and/or use a stratagem to apply an Ace Pilot trait to an eligible aircraft. Regular aircrafts and super heavy aircrafts are separated in two different ability list. As the Tank Ace, Brood Brothers detachment cannot include an Ace Pilot. These traits also cannot be given to a named character.

Aircraft Ace abilities can be taken on any unit with that is not a super heavy aircraft.

• Tank Buster: Re-roll wound rolls of 1 when targeting enemy VEHICLE or MONSTER during the shooting phase (no bonus against enemy AIRCRAFT, only ground stuff)
  • Do you like A-10 Warthog ? Now you can go brrrr with your Avenger and blast away those tanks with more efficiency.
• G-Force Junkie: You can pivot 180° before moving your aircraft instead of the usual 90°.
  • Simple, but it might save you if you screwed your positioning. Being forced out of the table for a full turn might cost you a lot.
• Insane Luck: Your aircraft get 6+ Invulnerable Save.
  • Aircrafts are harder to kill than regular vehicle, having a little more tankiness might save you against dedicated AA weapons and other lucky shots.
• Dog-fighter: Your aircraft add +1 to hit against enemy AIRCRAFT.
  • Helpful when you specialized your plane for ground target hunting and your enemy bring its own air force. Don't forget you cannot cumulate modifiers anymore so if you spec your planes with AA missiles this trait won't really help you.
• Master Mechanic: Reduce ranged weapon damage against your aircraft by 1 (to a minimum of 1).
  • For when that hydra really want you dead. Will make your plane harder to damage and might keep you longer in the better damage bracket.
• Well-stocked racks: Re-roll the (one or any) dice when determining the type characteristic of a ranged weapon your aircraft is equipped with.
  • Perfect choice when you want the most out of your anti infantry missiles and rockets.

Super Heavy Ace abilities

• Bombardier: Add 1 to the dice roll to see if an enemy unit is damaged by bombs.
  • Bombs are one of only source of mortal wounds for the Drop Troops. More reliable damage is always good
• Full Payload: Always deal maximum damage on D3/D6 damage ranged weapons.
  • Mostly only useful on the Marauder destroyer for its missiles and lascannons.
• Shatterer of Will: -2 leadership for one enemy units that was damaged by your aircraft in the shooting phase until the end of the turn.
  • when you really want the enemy to run away.
• High Altitude Deployment: Your aircraft can only be hit on 6+ until it start moving.
  • If you don't have the first turn and don't want your expensive plane to be useless or destroyed before you actually use it.
• Steadfast Leviathan: The user can benefit from a Regimental Doctrine even if they're in a Super-heavy Auxiliary Detachment.
  • Marauders are very expensive and being able to field your nice model without investing your points (and selling one organ or two to actually get that many models) is a very good thing.

Secondary objectives

9th Edition Warhammer 40,000 places emphasis on scoring and holding points, primaries will always be your most consistent source of points. You score 5 points per turn for holding an objective, 10 points for holding two or more objectives, and 15 points if you meet the other two requirements and hold more objectives than your opponent. However, you can tailor your secondary objectives based on the scenario and the opponent's army composition.

Purge the Enemy

- Assassinate

Not the best thing we've got going for us. Yes you can probably pick off an enemy if they over-extend, but we don't have the melee or sniping potential we need to make the greatest use of this. Side note, expect a lot of people to take this against you.

- Bring it Down

Now this is more up our alley. The guard has plenty of ways to kill tanks, including a few tanks of our own, or the ever-reliable (if pricey) Lascannon. Of course your enemy needs to bring enough tanks to max this out.

- Titan Slayers

This is probably our best pick from this category. Between the aforementioned abundance of AT we can potentially bring, Old Grudges allows you to declare "fuck that thing in particular" on any titanic unit to reroll wounds.

- Slay the Warlord

This is almost never a good idea, simply because if you're able to do this, you probably could have made more points with another secondary.

Warpcraft

-Mental Interrogation

This one is okay. However, your psykers are already going to be stretched fairly thin casting buffs on your swarms of infantry, so taking a power off to cast this can be a serious drain on your casts.

-Psychic Ritual

This is an interesting one. Guard can hold their ground, particularly if you brought bullgryns and have relatvively cheap psykers, meaning it won't be the end of the world to allocate one to the ritual. It's a serious risk, but has serious reward.

-Abhor the Witch

This isn't one you want to take much unless you plan on running Krieg. The main reason being that it can only be taken if you haven't brought any psykers, and even after the cost increase on astropaths, their buffs are still crucial for keeping your infantry on their objectives.

- Pierce the Veil

Potentially a good one considering you should have at least one Astropath near your expeditionary force.

No Mercy, No Respite

- Thin their Ranks

This is one of the better ones for guard. Between Blast, flamers, and good old massed flashlight fire we have plenty of ways to clear lots of light infantry, and have enough big guns to bring down something big enough to be worth 10 points if we ever see it.

- Attrition

Not a good one for guard. It is said that guardsman lives are like amunition, a valuable resource, but one that should be expended without hesitation. Guard specialize in MSU and we lose guardsman squads like anyone near the bloody magpies lose relics.

- While We Stand, We Fight

An interesting one to be sure. Our most valuable units are more often than not literal tanks, and can be screened quite nicely by guardsman squads and bullgryns. Worth considering if you plan on playing your tanks like its 8th edition.

- First Strike

Did somebody say 600" range with no need for line of sight? Guard arty is some of the best at punching down squishy units on the other side of the field. Furthermore, this makes it easier for us to consider the other half of the secondary, killing more than we lost. If you're up against a melee army that comes online in the 2nd or 3rd round, this can be an almost certain 8 points.

Battlefield Supremacy

- Engage on All Fronts

Considering the standard guard tactic is to drown the enemy in your own blood, this one seems made for us. With an aggressive army like the Catachans and cheap troops to spread the field, it isn't difficult to cover the board in bodies.

- Linebreaker

This doesn't play to our strengths quite as well. The Imperial Guard is a strong shooting faction, even if we do have nippy vehicles like our newly buffed Hellhounds and buff schwartzenager men to go punch the enemy to death with. If you're punching the enemy back all the way to their deployment zone great! But by that point you were probably winning anyways.

- Domination

Pick this one if you plan on going with a more elite, more defensive army using bullgryns and probably cadians. Otherwise Engage on All Fronts is better.

Shadow Operations

- Raise the Banners High

Similar to Domination, this one is good if you plan on doubling down on take and hold. Guard is one of the best armies for these missions, as we've got plenty of bodies we can leave to handle the actions. Taking a single guardsman squad out of the action for a turn won't hurt us nearly as much as some armies (looking at you Custodes)

-Investigate Sites

This one is tricky, as it means we not only need to take the center of the board, but also clear it and keep it clear long enough to pull it off. However, we've got plenty of tarpits and roadblocks to slow the enemy down, and as stated, enough MSU to not be hurt by losing one for a turn.

- Repair Teleportation Homer

This is probably the worst out of these for us. It's not that tricky to slingshot a unit of Guard into the back line, but keeping them there through the entire enemy turn is another matter entirely. Guardsmen are versatile, surprisingly deadly in large numbers, and have the biggest balls in the galaxy, but they do die remarkably quickly without some serious support.

Stratagems

Universal

Standard strategems that can be used by any and all Regiments.

• Aerial Spotter (2 CP): Use at the start of the shooting phase. A Wyvern or Basilisk can re-roll failed hit rolls in this phase. If you're sitting your artillery still like a good guardsman, this stratagem will bring your hit rate up to 75%. Just imagine a Wyvern with 75% of its average 14 shots hitting (especially since they already reroll failed wounds).
• Consolidate Squads (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the end of your movement phase. Select two Infantry Squad units within 2" of each other that share the same <Regiment>. The selected units combine to form one big unit. Who didn't see this coming? Allows you to sort-of recapture the blob guard armies of yore and use less orders/get more out of buffs, but it'll now cost you command points. Also a good option to 'save' orphaned special and heavy weapons by adding them to less mauled squads. Use this properly and your opponent will tear their hair out trying to kill off the growing pile of heavy and special weapons you're rolling together like a meaty snowball of doom. Combine with your strong morale abilities to ensure special weapons survive all but the heaviest shooting, and fold them into the next squad down the line at your leisure. Them give the whole mass an order and clean up.
• Crush them! (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the start of your charge phase. A Vehicle Unit may charge, even if it has advanced this turn. In addition, all attacks made by the vehicle will hit on a 2+. Remember how the Baneblade family has 9 powerful melee attacks that are reduced in effectiveness by WS 5+? This will fix that in an instant and make sure that even dedicated melee units won't want to get into its newly boosted charging range (Tallarn Titanic units also have their heavy weapons count as assault if they advance... Just throwing that out there). Another clever use of this is to get Sentinels into melee with great reliability. No, they can't fight too good, but that's not the point - the point is its a T6W63+ model fighting, not your flimsy infantry!
• Defensive Gunners (1 CP): Use this stratagem when a charge is declared against one of your vehicles. When it fires Overwatch for the rest of the phase, it hits on a roll of 5 or 6. Mordian vehicle formations can serve as a literal wall of iron in front of your infantry, as the enemy won't be able to slip through them without declaring multiple charges. And you thought charging a Wyvern was already a risky proposition. For further hilarity, use this on a Mordian Malcador Defender, and it will actually shoot more accurately then when it's normally shooting!
• Fight to the Death (1 CP): Any Imperial Guard unit can take a morale test on 1d3 instead of 1d6. You've got plenty of morale improving abilities already, but it's cheap and could be useful in an emergency. Now that commissars got the nerf this one got a lot more useful. You might want to use this stratagem if you’re using infantry or vets and need them to survive morale, and don’t have anything else to buff leadership nearby. It’ll help them survive losing 3-5 guys at once much more easily.
• Fire on my position! (3 CP): Use when the last model is slain from an Astra Militarum unit equipped with a vox-caster, before removing it from the table; for each unit (friend and foe) within 3", on a 4+ that unit suffers 1d3 mortal wounds. Note, specifies unit with a vox-caster, not model (you use it when the unit dies, not the specific model with the caster), and if several models all die together, you can choose which is the last to be removed from the table, to maximize the potential victims of this stratagem. Useful if your squad was wiped by several MSU units and/or characters.
• Go! Recon! (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the beginning of your shooting phase; select a unit of Scout Sentinels. They immediately move 2d6", but cannot shoot or charge this turn. Useful for getting a Scout sentinel to an unguarded objective or out of trouble, but only applies to one unit, and can't be applied to an Armoured Sentinel; sacrificing a turn of shooting makes it extremely situational, and it doesn't even benefit a unit with a chainsaw blade, as they can't charge, either. It does not however, prevent you from popping smoke, which given that you can't shoot anyways, you might as well.
• Grenadiers (1 CP): Use this stratagem before an Astra Militarum Infantry unit either shoots or fires overwatch. Up to ten models in the unit that are armed with grenades can throw a grenade this phase, instead of only one model being able to do so. Vostroyans are better off using Firstborn Pride with FRFSRF for offensive purposes, since it affects more than just 10 models, but this can be a powerful tool for any regiment in Overwatch on a roll of 3 or more (especially Mordians). Bullgryn Frag Bombs can become a hail of bolter shots.
  • Extra powerful in Cities of Death, where grenades both reroll all failed wounds and get the maximum possible amount of hits. That's 60 for ten models.
  • Can also give Scions squads a nasty bite. Krak grenades will do a better job versus tanks than a hot-shot lasgun. 6 of them can supplement the squad's special weapons nicely, especially since scions are out of order range a lot more often.
  • Krieg Combat Engineers are white hot death with this stratagem! The whole squad carries Acid Gas Bombs, AP-2 DD3 Grenades that wound non-VEHICLES on a 2+, and have good AP to melt entire squads of Space Marines. And that's not all - the entire squad also carries krak grenades, allowing you to take a bite out of tanks and buildings if you wish. For 1CP, it's possible to erase nearly any unit stupid enough to get too close.
• Jury Rigging (1 CP): Use this stratagem at the start of your turn. Select a AM Vehicle in your army, that vehicle can't move, charge or pile in this turn but immediately heals 1 wound. Can only be used once per turn. Good for giving that little push into a better health bracket if an Enginseer isn't around (or it wasn't enough), and you can still shoot with the targeted vehicle.
• Imperial Commander's Armoury (1/3 CP): One use only. Use "before the battle" and you may take 1 additional relic for 1 CP, or two additional relics for 3 CP; all relics must be different and given to different characters.
  • "Before the battle" means, surprisingly, "before the battle". Use it to get the Dagger of Outflank before deployment? It works. The Grand Strategist WT needs the Warlord to be already on the field (which won't happen until the deployment phase) to refund your CP, so that won't work. But enemy Kurov's Aquilas do work, since they only need to be written in the enemy's roster, not any "while this Warlord is on the battlefield" limitation. You spend CP and gain extra toys before the battle, simple as that.
• Inspired Tactics (1 CP): An officer can issue 1 more order. You can only bring so many Platoon and Tank Commanders, after all, and not everybody is Creed, Pask or Kell. Its important to remember because this will help you squeeze out one more Move! Move! Move! order in attempt to snag an objective or hurriedly tie down an enemy unit trying to do the same.
• Mobile Command Vehicle (1 CP): Use at the start of a turn; pick a Chimera in your army and until the end of the turn, any embarked officers may issue orders to units outside the vehicle, measuring range from the vehicle. He is also treated as having access to a Vox.
• Opening Bombardment (2 CP): One use only. After deployment but before the first battle round, each enemy unit on the battlefield suffers a mortal wound on a 1d6 roll of 6+. Like Fire on my position, this can be useful against MSU, but less so if they hid themselves inside transports.
• Officio Prefectus Command Tank (2 CP): Commissar Tank! Pick a Leman Russ at the start of the first round, before the first turn - it gives all Astra Militarum units within 6" of it Ld9 for the rest of the game. It also lacks the Summary Execution rule while granting a superior LD buff, so you should always consider taking this stratagem over a regular Commissar. "Drive me closer, I want to hit them with my sword!"
• Splash Damage (1 CP): When attacking with the main weapon of any Hellhound subtype and the target is in cover, you can re-roll the wound roll.
• Strike First, Strike Hard (1 CP): In the shooting phase of the first battle round, select a unit of Armored Sentinels or Scout Sentinels. Their attacks gain +2 to hit. That trio of lascannon Sentinels just got a lot more threatening. Makes for an interesting distraction: Does your opponent shoot down the armored sentinels which are tougher than average for their price?? OR, go after the bigger tanks which they really should be shooting at??
• Take Cover! (1 CP): Use this stratagem in your opponents shooting phase if they target one of your Infantry units. That unit immediately adds 1 to their armor saves until the end of the phase. Can get Scions up to 2+ in cover.
• Tank Ace (1 CP): One use only, used before the battle begins. A vehicle from your army (Not a named one though, sorry Pask) gets a Tank Ace ability.
• Vengeance for Cadia! (1 CP): Any Imperial Guard unit can re-roll failed hits and wounds versus Chaos when shooting or firing overwatch. Scary, but keep in mind it affects Vehicles too. From the humble Sentinel to the mighty Manticore and Baneblade, the Stratagem's effects are far more powerful than its cheap cost would suggest.
• Vortex Missile (3 CP): Nuclear launch detected, for when targets require not so much strategy as a "fuck you". Use this stratagem when you get to fire a Deathstrike missile (pay after rolling the 8, before resolving the shot). You can re-roll all failed to-hit rolls with the weapon, and add 1 to the roll made to determine if nearby units within 6" of the target unit are hit (so a 3+, rather than a 4+). If a model is wounded but not slain by the attack, roll an additional die, on a 6 it suffers 1d6 additional mortal wounds. Makes the missile go from 5.25 mortal wounds dealt on the target + 1 to each nearby to 8.46 + 1.72 per each nearby, but the amount of variance is very high, and that assumes you're shooting a parking lot, as single-wound models won't trigger the stratagem's extra mortal wounds.

Psychic Awakening Stratagems

Added in the Greater Good, these stratagems are useable by all Regiments.

• Concentrated Fire (1CP): Heavy weapons team gains +1 to hit and wound when targeting a single enemy unit. Cadian HWTs, especially when under orders, become ruthlessly effective!
• Deft Maneuvering (1CP): Armored Sentinels can pop this when shot at, halves all damage inflicted. Make them the toughest 35 point model in the galaxy bar none!
• Direct Onslaught (1CP): Wyvern or Manticore gains +1 to hit when shooting at a visible enemy.
• Experienced Eye (1CP): When shooting with veterans improve AP of all ranged weapons by -1 for a single shooting phase. Up to 4 AP-1 lasgun shots per veteran? AP 4/5 plasma/meltas? AP 2 Autocannons? Don't forget shotguns!
• Focused Bombardment (1CP): Master of Ordinance's artillery becomes 6 shots rather than D6.
• Furious Charge (1CP): Ogryn models inflict 1MW on the charge for each 4+. Not bad on a bigger unit, since regular Ogryns are reasonably priced.
• Hail of Fire (2CP): When shooting at an enemy VEHICLE a Leman Russ fires max shots with all multi-shot weapons. This seems to be pretty strong. A LR command tank with a Demolisher Cannon should be strong enough to destroy a Land Raider or damage a knight with its main gun only. Then again it needs to be in range for this.
  • Use this stratagem with the relic Battle Cannon, Hammer of Sunderance. A full payload of 12 shots that do 3 damage a piece? Unlike the short-ranged demolisher, you can do this from 72" away. Have fun!
  • Don't forget the Executioner with sponson Plasma Cannons or a Conqueror with triple Heavy Flamers!
• Head First (1CP): +2" to charges after disembarking from a chimera. Useful for a few niche units like crusaders, Ogryns and their smaller cousins, Catachans.
• Psychic Conclave (1CP): Used on a Primaris Psyker (note that this is using the keyword, not the unit name - Aradia Madellan has this keyword and is thus eligible) and Wyrdvane Psykers when within 6" of each other; 2+ to cast and able to manifest 1 extra power each. This is pretty good, as it makes extra smites all the more dangerous after you cast your standard Psychic Barrier and Nightshroud. It also can make Aradia's power go off fairly reliably.
  • If you're interested in pure damage the best way to go about this is to take a Primaris with Psychic Maelstrom (your choice for the other power) and 7 Wyrdvanes in a valkyrie along with a command squad full of plasma, and air drop them next to something you hate. Come the psychic phase, pop three Smites and a Maelstrom. The 'smitebomb' averages 6.8 mortal mortal wounds, after which you hose down your target with overcharged plasma. Don't worry about overcharging without a reroll buffer - if you punch your opponent this hard the unit doing the punching isn't going to live much longer. Runs about 300 points, and can be a distraction Carnifex if your opponent knows what's coming. Note, however, that the above average can vary wildly due to the large number of rolls involved.
• Relentless (1CP): Non-TITANIC unit may use top bracket of damage table. This is a pretty strong stratagem. Your enemy (almost) destroyed one of your key units? I say fuck him, shoot with full BS anyway! Malcadors like this, as they are some of the largest non-titanic models.
• Rolling Death (1CP): Taurox unit that shoots after moving 1/2 distance or less receives +1 to hit. Better on Taurox Prime than a standard Taurox, obviously It cannot be used on Taurox Prime, obviously.
• Shield of flesh (1CP): Use on Bullgryn unit, when closer to enemy models and within 3" of an infantry unit, that unit is -1 to hit.
• Splash Damage (1CP): Hellhound turret weapons gain reroll wound rolls if the target is in cover. Sadly, notably does not affect the Artemia Hellhounds, since it specifically names the standard variant's weapons.
• Strike First, Strike Hard (1CP): An Armoured or Scout Sentinel unit gains +2 to hit for the first battle round. This actually makes armored sentinels with Lascannons, Plasma Cannons and, most importantly, Hunter-killer Missiles pretty darn good - they don't have Vehicle Squadron this edition, so the stratagem benefits up to three sentinels at once. Equipping them with HK's makes for a particularly mean sucker-punch on turn 1; 3 attacks, hitting on 2s, S10 AP-2 Dd6? Yes please. Lascannons are nice too, but you only get the stratagem once - might be better to give them flamers, smack an enemy tank so hard it'll wonder where you hid that Manticore, and then charge and harass infantry for the rest of the game.

Rulebook Stratagems

Just in case you forget, the following stratagems can be just as crucial as the ones above, if not more so. 9th Edition changed up some stratagems, while adding in several new ones. Prepared Positions was deleted.

• Command Re-roll (1 CP): Changed up a bit from 8th Edition. Re-roll a single Hit roll, Wound roll, Damage roll, Saving throw, Advance roll, Charge roll (this means you re-roll both dice), Psychic test, Deny the Witch test, or a roll to determine the number of attacks made by that weapon. It's much more narrow in its application, as you can tell. No more re-rolling shrugs or objective-based rolls.
• Counter-Defensive (2 CP): Used in the combat phase after an enemy unit that charged has fought. Pick one of your units to immediately attack.
• Cut Them Down (1 CP): Used when an enemy unit Falls Back, before models are moved. Roll a dice for each model in your army that is within Engagement Range (0.5") of that unit. For every roll of a 6 that enemy unit suffers 1 mortal wound.
• Desperate Breakout (2 CP): Used in the movement phase. Pick a single unit in your army that is within Engagement Range of an enemy unit. Roll a dice for each model in your unit. On a 1, the model is slain. Then, they may make a fall back move, passing through enemy models as if they weren't there. At the end of the unit's fall back move, if any models still remain within Engagement Range of an enemy unit they are automatically destroyed. The remaining unit may not perform anything else this turn, even if they have an ability to do so. This is here to help you in case those Orks or Genestealers attempt to wrap around a unit to prevent you from falling back and save them from being shot at (unless you're Valhallan). However, you cannot order them to "GBITF". The value is in freeing up the wrapping unit for the rest of your army to shoot.
• Emergency Disembarkation (1 CP): Used when a Transport model in your army is destroyed. You can set up disembarked units within 6" of the Transport model, but now are destroyed on a 1 or 2. Again, wager a 1/3 chance of dying (risky but acceptable) vs being auto-deleted by a bubble-wrapping horde unit (which is quite infuriating) trapping you inside of your transport.
• Insane Bravery (2 CP): This stratagem can only be used once per game. Used at the start of the Morale Phase. Automatically pass a morale test for a single unit of your choice. This is one you should save for a Conscript/Combined Squad.
• Overwatch (1 CP): Used in the Charge Phase. Pick a single unit that an opponent's unit declared as the target of a charge, it may fire Overwatch. It's now a stratagem, goodbye shenanigans.

Wargear

Melee Weapons

As a rule of thumb, all of the following are available as options to Sergeants and Characters. The Guard do have a few other melee weapons (Ogryn and Rough Rider units mostly), but they'll be detailed in their unit entries later on.

• Chainsword: SU, AP0, D1, bearer gains +1A. Some credit must be given to the old standby. In addition to being free, it gives an extra attack with it. This serves to make units like Rough Riders a lot nastier than they might look from their statline (Rough Riders effectively carry two of these, giving them 2 bonus attacks with this profile), and is why Infantry Squad Sergeants should give all of the other options here a complete miss, unless maybe they have a priest.
• Power Sword: S+1, AP-3, D1. Even at 5pts and with the new 9th edition S bonus, it's not enough for your S3 models - and the S4 models prefer the Fist. You should generally avoid this unless you're looking for a budget choice for Catachans or plan on taking one of the numerous relic swords the Guard get.
• Power Fist: Sx2, AP-3, D2, bearer suffers -1 to their hit rolls. Company/Platoon Commanders and Lord Commissars won't feel that too much, but Veteran Sergeants may. While expensive, almost everything that can take this will see the best results from it.
  • The Vostroyan Warlord Trait makes this deadly and their Relic armour can keep him alive long enough to use it.
  • Catachan Company Commanders are the most obvious choice for a power fist, and they become S8 with their Regimental Doctrine. Have him order Fix Bayonets to himself and a nearby Infantry Squad (preferably a combined squad) and put them both in buff range of Straken and a Priest. That's nine S8 powerfist + fifty-four S4 attacks all hitting on 4+.
• Power Maul (Legends): S+3, AP-1, D1. The new 9th edition S bonus is effectively Sx2 for you, making this a budget powerfist. That being said, it's generally worth shelling out for the powerfist unless you're going against other T3 W1 models.
• Power Axe (Legends): S+2, AP-2, D1. the only thing that this isn't Legends for is an Enginseer. Your best bet against Marines, since every bearer goes up to at least S5. Exceptions are the Catachans (naturally); they prefer the sword against T4 targets since they go to S5 and get an extra point of AP, and the axe against T3 targets since they now wound on a 2+.

Ranged Weapons

Basic

• Autogun: 24", rapid fire 1, S3, AP0, D1. Think of it as a lasgun that cannot FRFSRF. Previously only available to Ministorum Priests, now Veterans can take these for some reason. Would be cool if they had special ammo or something so they had a reason to exist.

• Shotgun: 12", assault 2, S3, AP0, D1, becomes S4 if the target is within 6". Available to your Commanders (Index) as well as to Veterans, with whom they go well alongside their plethora of flame weapons.

• Laspistol: 12", pistol 1, S3, AP0, D1. A lasgun that's a pistol. More of a placeholder than anything else, but it's free. Just about anything in your army that can take something better should, but some things are stuck with one, like the Master of Ordnance.

• Lasgun: 24", rapid fire 1, S3, AP0, D1. Your trusty flashlight hasn't changed. What changed is the way strength rolls against wounds, allowing it to wound T5 on a 5+, and T7+ is no longer immune to them. Paper stats aside, the sheer number of these you can field and combined with FRFSRF will make even Terminators shit their ceramite-plated pants.

• Bolt Pistol: 12", pistol 1, S4, AP0, D1. 2pts for a real pistol for your sergeants and free for Commissars. The only advantage the bolt pistol has over the boltgun is that it can be fired in close combat, if you expect your squishy meatbag Guardsman to be fighting there for some reason. Worse than the boltgun, better than the laspistol.

• Boltgun: 24", rapid fire 1, S4, AP0, D1. 2pts allows your Sergeant/Character to actually contribute to a firefight instead of merely looking cool. This is realistically the only option you should be taking. You can somewhat kitbash these by clipping off the lasgun magazine and barrel and replacing with a boltgun magazine and flash hider.

• Hot-Shot Laspistol: 6", pistol 1, S3, AP-2, D1. What it says on the tin, but only 6" range means you may not even get to shoot it in overwatch before a charge. Creed has two, just because. If you find yourself within the 6" range to fire it, you may as well just throw a krak grenade instead, which is better in every other way.

• Hot-Shot Lasgun: 18", rapid fire 1, S3, AP-2, D1. Available to Scions and Krieg Sergeants and Grenadiers. The short 18" range makes it unable to rapid-fire right after a Deep Strike natively, even though its most common carriers love Deep-Striking. Considering the number of mobility options available to Scions though, as well as new regimental rules, and this downside can quickly be mitigated. Having massed mid-AP weapons would usually be a reasonable counter to MEQ's, but you still wound on a 5+.
  • This basic infantry weapon became widely feared after the Greater Good update; Iotan Dragoons gain +6" range with rapid fire weapons, allowing you to fire it out of Deep Strike. Lambdan Lions improve the AP of their weapons by 1. Kappic Eagles gain +1 to their hit rolls after they disembark, thus hitting on a 2+.

• Plasma Pistol: 12", pistol 1, S7, AP-3, D1, may gain +1S and +1D but hit rolls of unmodified 1 kill the bearer. An actual officer's weapon, it's a toss-up between this or the boltgun for most models, but your Scion Sergeants in PlasmaTrooper squads will love this.

Grenades

• Frag Grenade: 6", grenade d6, S3, AP0, D1, blast. Damn near every Infantry model in the Guard carries them.
  • Note on the maths: if you're able to issue FRFSRF in rapid fire range, you're statistically better off taking the flat four lasgun shots over the average 3.5 shots a frag gives you. However, your sergeant will never do worse with a frag when compared to his laspistol.
  • Not bad on their own, but they really shine when you use the Grenadiers stratagem on a BS3+ Veteran Squad jumping out of a transport; most of the stats aren't great, but 10d6 attacks will still decimate most units.

• Krak Grenade: 6", grenade 1, S6, AP-1, Dd3. A rarity in the Guard, available only to Scions, Kriegers, and a few characters.
  • Another one that can be combined with the Grenadiers stratagem. Most of your Stormtroopers will be minimum strength to get past their paltry Ld7, but this may see use in your 10-man Krieg units or a single ten-man SS Squad for a Krak-ikaze.

Special

• Flamer: 12", assault d6, S4, AP0, D1, automatically hits. Being an assault weapon that always hits, there's no penalty for advancing and firing, especially for Special Weapon Squads. Flamers are most effective when taken in Catachan Special Weapon Teams or flamer Command Squads because they can reroll their D6 shots with the Burn Them Out! order.

• Grenade Launcher: 24", assault d6, S3, AP0, D1, blast or 24", assault 1, S6, AP-1, Dd3. The mini missile launcher isn't bad, but there are better things available. It's main problem is that meltaguns, plasma guns, and flamers cost 5pts too.

• Hot-Shot Volley Gun: 24", heavy 4, S4, AP-2, D1. A Militarum Tempestus-exclusive, replacing their access to the sniper rifle (also mounted on Taurox Primes). This, and not the flamer, is the Scion's response to hordes.

• Meltagun: 12", assault 1, S8, AP-4, Dd6, gains +2D if the target is within half range. Good against anything with lots of wounds, not just Vehicles. As of Chapter Approved 2020, you're paying 5 points for regular guardsmen and 10 for anyone with BS of 3+ or better (Scions and Veterans).
  • Note on the maths: On a model with BS3+, the meltagun within half range has a slight advantage in terms of average damage dealt per point over a supercharged plasma gun in rapid firing range against T8/3+ targets and TEQ-characters. Guys with a BS of 4+ are almost always better off with plasma as they get two shots and aren't as expensive if they melt themselves with it.
  • The choice between plasma and melta should be based on what you want your Infantry units to be doing. If your dudes are going to be sitting in a static gunline, plasma is the better choice due to the range. If you are getting your men close to murder bigger things, melta can be the better option.

• Plasma Gun: 24", rapid fire 1, S7, AP-3, D1, may gain +1S and +1D but hit rolls of unmodified 1 kill the bearer. Now that Marines are W2, expect to be seeing a lot more of these and for the points cost to increase because GW base all points costs around their golden boys. Given that you have a huge variety of ways to re-roll 1's (Take Aim order, Cadians Regimental Doctrine, Harker's Hellraisers from Harker (obviously), Hero of Hades Hive from Yarrick, etc.), casualties from supercharging can be easily minimized.
  • Given it has the same 24" range and rapid fire profile as boltguns and lasguns, plasma guns should be the default special weapon choice in most squads. Remember, it is 5pts on BS4+ models and 10pts on BS3+ models as of Chapter Approved 2020.

• Sniper Rifle: 36", heavy 1, S4, AP0, D1, may target Characters even if they aren't the closest model and wound rolls of unmodified 6 inflict a mortal wound in addition to any other damage caused. At 2pts no matter the BS of the bearer, this is your cheapest special weapon. The weak stats and low odds of even inflicting the additional mortal wound means these should be spammed as much as possible to do something of note or not taken at all.

Heavy

• Autocannon: 48", heavy 2, S7, AP-1, D2. A good all-rounder, but worse then the heavy bolter and frag missiles against Infantry and worse than the lascannon and krak missiles against Vehicles. However this weapon is amazing when spammed, which it should be. It's cheaper than the anti-tank weapons and the long range lets you have a lot of overlapping fire arcs among your army. You should be letting your anti-personnel weapons and anti-tank weapons fire first, and then you use your autocannons to pick off any priority targets that are left. With heavy bolters at D2, these are only better than them against T6 and 10-13, and even then, only by 33%, unless ACs get buffed as well.

• Heavy Bolter: 36", heavy 3, S5, AP-1, D2. It's still standard on every vehicle in your motor pool and it's better than the autocannon against T4 and less, with the exception of T3. The heavy bolter is alright, but nothing to write home about.
  • With the advent of 9th edition giving this weapon D2 and all Marines W2, you now want the heavy bolter against MEQ's instead of the autocannon; the one extra shot helps make up for your BS4+ and 36" is long enough for most boards. It's even also better than the autocannon against heavy vehicles T8/9, and just as good against T7.

• Heavy Flamer: 12", heavy d6, S5, AP-1, D1. Can be taken on most Vehicles in place of the heavy bolter, as sponson weapons for the Leman Russ, and in Command and Veteran Squads. This almost strictly better than a flamer, with the only downside that it can't advance and fire (outside of Tallarn Vehicles). Not a bad choice on Leman Russes and Chimera, especially if they are expected to be close to the fight.

• Lascannon: 48", heavy 1, S9, AP-3, Dd6. The ever-reliable Imperial tank-buster, the improved strength over missile launcher is critical; krak missiles wound on 4's while the Lascannon wounds on 3's against T8 targets and the extra AP doesn't hurt, either.

• Missile Launcher: 48", heavy d6, S4, AP0, D1, blast, or 48", heavy 1, S8, AP-2, Dd6. Still the Jack of all trades, still the master of none. At its current point cost, specializing with mortars and lascannons is generally a more efficient option.

• Mortar: 48", heavy d6, S4, AP0, D1, blast and does not need line-of-sight. The has been the go-to for heavy weapon teams on competitive tables. While not terribly powerful, being able to fire out of line-of-sight is an asset the Guard can always use.

Other Wargear

• Vox-Caster: Your only Infantry wargear in this section. This machine is the beating heart of the Orders system. If an Officer is within 3" of a model with a Vox, and the target squad also has a Vox (and is of the same <Regiment>), the range of the order is tripled to 18". The important thing to note here is that it means your Officers can improvise their command structure a lot more - any Vox can send, and any Vox can receive, as long as the Officer and target squad share regiments. It is entirely legal - and fluffy - for your Platoon Commander, his assigned Vox operator having been killed, to run to a nearby squad of Tempestus Scions and commandeer their Vox Operator to continue sending orders! This also means you don't need to rely on flimsy four-man Command Squads for your Officers to send orders out; squads of Veterans with sniper rifles and heavy weapons, and even Militarum Tempestus Scions can be used as "command" squads.

• Augur Array: The vehicle may re-roll one hit die per game, at a cost of 5 points; with the vast array of other possible sources of re-rolls, this upgrade should be taken with a bucket of salt. Can be used to fill out points in a list, and could prove useful. Auto take in power level games. Very much worth a look now that guard are no longer CP factories.

• Dozer Blade: Adds one to melee hit rolls when charging. Not bad per se, at 5 points, for that rare situation where you want to charge with a Leman Russ (finishing off MCs, for instance). Can be combined with Crush Them! if you're trying to hit something giving you a penalty to hit, and has some synergy with Straken's aura. Or if you just want your tanks to look cool.
  • Actually crush them just forces a +2 to hit regardless of modifiers, probably not worth it considering how many CP you'll have.

• Hunter-Killer Missile: This is a slightly more powerful Krak missile launcher (S10 AP-2) that can only shoot once per game, at 5pts. Not bad on Pask or a Tank Commander for a little extra punch on turn 1. Sentinel squads can spam these like no-ones business, even better with the new stratagem to give a sentinel squad +2BS, load up 3 with lascannons and HK missles and DELETE a single piece of armor t1.

• Pintle Heavy Stubber: 2 points for 36" Heavy 3 S4 AP0 D1 is a bit more to think about it; outside of Tallarn. Compared to the storm bolter, it's the same cost, but for extra range and more shots from 12"+ away. Take this if your vehicle is sitting still, otherwise grab the storm bolter if you're running all over the place.

• Pintle Storm Bolter: 2 points for 24" Rapid Fire 2 S4 AP0 D1. A perfectly respectable option on just about everything, and particularly useful in Overwatch.

• • When considering whether you should take the heavy stubber or the storm bolter, it comes down to how far you expect the enemy to be in relationship to your vehicle, specifically if you think they will or won't be within 12" of you. The heavy stubber has an extra shot over the storm bolter outside 12" as well as having a longer range. By contrast, the storm bolter will have mor dakka in its preferred range of 12", not to mention that, unlike its competitor, it's not a heavy weapon, so it would suffer a penalty to hit when firing at units within engagement range.

• Track Guards: Easily the most useful of all the vehicle upgrades. Makes the vehicle ignore the damage table in respect to degraded movement range. This one does actually make sense to take as it will keep your vehicles agile even when they're on their last wound.
  • As far as upgrades go, 5 points (latest errata dropped from 10 to 5!) is an investment - put it on a Hellhound and laugh as your opponent fails to escape its auto-hitting cleansing flames even when its down to 1 wound!
  • Also useful on Leman Russes (particularly Tallarn who want to be moving) and short-range tanks like Demolisher and Eradicators.

Heirlooms of Conquest

Relics return in the new Codex. Like Warlord Traits, the regiment-specific ones really are regiment-specific, so custom regiments can only use the Universal list, but once again, this list contains the best options anyway, Kurov's Aquila and The Laurels of Command. The only one available to Tank Commanders is the Relic of Lost Cadia (Cadia only); The Tactical Auto-Reliquary of Tyberius has no keyword restrictions beyond being Militarum Tempestus only, but there currently aren't any Militarum Tempestus Vehicle Characters.

• The Blade of Conquest: Replaces a Power Sword. At S+2 AP-4 D1d3 it's better than a Relic blade...but if you want one why not take an actual Relic Blade on a SM (who are much more than just dudes with Str4)? But if you're bent on demonstrating mortal hands are worthy of this Macharian blade, an Armageddon/Catachan/Vostroyan Company Commander with their respective trait, or Lord Commissar, could make something out of it, especially when supported by the usual retinue of Ogryn Bodyguard, Priest, Commissar Yarrick, Bullgryn, Crusaders and Conscripts (plus Straken for Catachans). The Guard may be a shooty army, but mortals can still fight the good fight with blade, boot and bodies. Plus the sword is only 5pts, try having some fun.

• The Dagger of Tu'Sakh: Infantry officers only, per the FAQ. During deployment you can set up the bearer and one INFANTRY unit of the same Regiment (if the bearer has one) in ambush behind enemy lines. At the end of any of your movement phases these units may launch their attack. Set them up within 3" of each other, more than 6" from any battlefield edge, and more than 9" away from enemy units. Surprise Special weapons are always welcome, especially when they're a part of a bigger plan instead of just them.

• The Deathmask of Ollanius: Infantry only; the bearer has a 4++, and once per game, at the start of your turn, can heal 1d3.
  • An Ogryn Bodyguard with a Slabshield and Bullgryn Plate will now have a 2+/4++, massively increasing his durability for non-Mortal Wound threats, risks that are both diminished by it suddenly healing 1d3W, helping the overwhelmed Field Medic.

• The Emperor's Benediction: Replaces a Commissar's or Lord Commissar's Bolt Pistol, giving it +2 shots, -1AP, and +1D. While it can also target Characters like a 12" sniper, it can't do so when the bearer is within 1" of the enemy, unlike the very similar Imperial Fists Spartean relic Bolt Pistol. Still, better than a Plasma Pistol.
• Kurov's Aquila: Officers only (now including Tank Commanders!). Every time your opponent uses a stratagem, roll 1d6, and on a 5+, you gain one Command Point. The only relic available to non-Cadian Tank Commanders. Punish Ultrasmurfs for their recycling command points!
  • Unfortunately you can only regain one per battle round, so the days of old where you could recycle CP left and right are gone. Still, being able to get one when your opponent spends is still good and you can combine this with the Grand Strategist warlord trait to have even more chances to reclaim them.

• The Laurels of Command: One of the better relics too! Officers with Voice of Command. When the bearer issues an order to a friendly <regiment> unit within 6" of them, roll a die; on a 4+, the bearer can immediately issue them another order, which does not count against the orderer's maximum, and can trigger Laurels again. Also the only way in the game to stack multiple orders on one unit, though the bonus orders can't be the same as the first (so no, you can't use Fix Bayonets like 10 times if you keep making the roll).
  • Has phenomenal scaling with a Cadian warlord with Superior Tactical Training; every order issued can cause an 'exploding' propagation of orders, easily allowing one man to command very large numbers of units. The easiest way to resolve having both is as follows: 1) Issue an order to unit A. 2) Roll for STT; on a success this order affects unit B as well. 3) Roll for Laurels; on a success, go to 1 for unit A's next order. 4) Repeat the process on an unordered unit.

Unit Analysis

• Keywords: Common keywords are Astra Militarum, Imperium, and the placeholder <REGIMENT> which can be substituted for Cadian, Catachan, or the like.
• Sergeants: Like most armies the Guard's infantry (and cavalry) squads have non-commissioned officers leading them. These Sergeants (or Bone'Eads, if you're an Ogryn) have +1 Attack and Leadership over the rest of the squad, and in Infantry squads they swap the longarm of the rest of the unit for a laspistol and chainsword. Infantry Squads, Scions, Veterans, Rough Riders, Ogryns, and Bullgryns all have sergeants in some form, none of whom cost more than the non-Sergeants in the squad with them.

HQ

Regimental

• NAMED ACE: 35pts.

• Drop Company Commander: 40pts.

• Drop Company Commissar: 40pts.

• Drop Platoon Commissar: 30pts.

• Ground Scanner Officer: 30pts.

• Recon Platoon Leader: 75pts.

• Sentinel Commander Vehicle: 55pts.

• Tauros Commander Vehicle: 50pts.

Officio Perfectus

• Drop Lord Commissar:

Troops

• Drop Trooper Squad:

• Forward Recon Squad:

Elites

• Command Squad:

• Sappers Squad:

• Special Weapons Squad:

• Stormtrooper Squad:

• Tactical Air Controller:

• Master of Ordnance:

• Veteran Squad:

• Ogryns Bodyguard:

• Drop Ogryns Squad:

Dedicated Transports

Tauros Maximus

Valkyrie Airborne Assault Carrier

Valkyrie Sky Talon

Fast Attack

• Drop Sentinal:

• Recon Bike Squad:

• Armoured Sentinels:

• Tauros Assault Vehicle:

• Tauros Medicae:

• Tauros Venator:

Flyers

Standard Flyer rules for your reference: Airborne (model cannot charge, can only be charged by Fly models, and can only attack or be attacked in the fight phase by Fly models), Hard To Hit (enemy shooting attacks against this model suffer -1 to their hit rolls), and Supersonic (pivots up to 90 degrees before moving in a straight line and advances 20" instead of d6").

• Valkyrie: The original badass of the skies can hold 12 Astra Militarum Infantry, with Ogryns counting as three models. The most modestly-armed of the three IG V-flyers, it comes stock with a multi-laser (36" heavy 3 S6 AP0 D1) and hellstrike missiles (72" heavy 1 S8 AP-2 Dd6, roll 2d6 for damage and discard the lowest). The multi-laser can be swapped for a lascannon and the hellstrikes can be swapped for two multiple rocket pods (36", assault d6, S5, AP-1, D1). You can take a pair of optional heavy bolters. Obviously it would be best for you to match the weapons to their best role, anti-tank or anti-infantry. Additional special rules include Hover Jet (loses the three flyer rules to reduce their movement to 20") and Roving Gunship (it if's hovering, it gains +1 to hit rolls). Grav-Chute Insertion allows models to disembark from a Valkyrie, but if the Valkyrie has moved more than 20" then disembarking models are killed on a d6 roll of 1. Disembarking models cannot move again this turn and most deploy more than 9" away from enemy models.
  • Candidates for embarking include Command Squads (Guard or Scions) with special weapons and Cyclops Demolition Vehicles. Otherwise drop a squad of Ogryn and hope for a nice, long charge distance or drop them into cover to set them up for a move and charge next turn.
• Valkyrie Sky Talon (FW Legends): An Elysian-exclusive variant, this model has a heavy bolter and two hellstrike missiles (two, not the one that the regular Valkyrie has), which can be swapped for two multiple rocket pods. The main difference is that you swap the Infantry transport for the ability to carry one Elysian Tauros model (which are fast enough that they don't need help getting around the map unless you're playing apocalypse and even then artillery will make a bigger difference) or two Elysian Drop Sentinels.
• Vendetta (FW): A Valkyrie whose first words were "fuck tanks". The three usual rules and hover jet, alongside its transport capacity of twelve models make it capable enough for dropping troops, but note that it doesn't have the Grav-Chute Insertion rule of the Valkyrie. But obviously, you're not taking her to mainly transport things, since the Valkyrie does it better and cheaper. No, you're taking her for the three 72" twin lascannons she has as standard. Two of the twin lascannons can be swapped for the hellstrike rack (72", heavy 2, S8, AP-2, Dd6+2), but you shouldn't do that as you're swapping four lascannon shots for two weaker attacks that may do more damage, but not as much damage as two additional lascannon shots. Finally, she can also take two heavy bolters. With 9th edition removing the -1 to hit rolls for moving and firing heavy weapons if you're a Vehicle, this model is back in relevance now. Note, however, that it does not have Roving Gunship, which means the improvement in tank-hunting power over a Valkyrie is less than you might think. This will hit 3 times on average with tank hunting weapons, versus the Valk's two. Your call whether that's worth 80 points and tbe loss of Grav-Chutes.
• Vulture (FW): The last of the V-flyers, this is the only one without transport capacity and is a true gunship. With a Valkyrie's statline, the Vulture comes stock with a heavy bolter, hellstrike rack (72", heavy 2, S8, AP-2, Dd6+2) and two multiple rocket pods (36", assault d6, S5, AP-1, D1). You can swap the hellstrikes and rockets for two punisher gatling cannons (24", heavy 20, S5, AP0, D1). Good for mulching guard-shaped enemies (statistically, it'll delete an Infantry Squad a turn) and hurting heavier Infantry with sheer volume of fire. The range in the guns is deceptive - 24" is a lot meaner than it looks when it's mounted on a platform that can cover nearly four feet of board space without advancing. You'll get exposed to enemy fire, but you're Hard to Hit and have more wounds than a Leman Russ. Never take it into Hover mode unless you absolutely have to - it's lost its Strafing Run rule in 9th, so you get nothing from staying still.
• Avenger Strike Fighter (FW): Brrrrrrrrttttt! Someone put the A-10 Thunderbolt into 40k. With T6 ,W14, and Sv3+, the Avenger is decently rugged, but can't stand up to sustained fire for long. Two lascannons and a heavy stubber are secondary weapons, you're taking this thing for the 36", heavy 10, S6, AP-2, D2 Avenger bolt cannon. With 9th edition giving Marines W2 and heavy bolters D2, this model no-longer fills a niche it used to, but it still looks cool-as-fuck.
• Voss-Pattern Lightning (FW): With the same profile as the Avenger, the Lightning nominally carries more anti-tank firepower but not that much. Two lascannons are standard and a hellstrike rack is optional (72", heavy 2, S8, AP-2, Dd6+2). Honestly? You have better anti-tank firepower.
• Thunderbolt Heavy Fighter (FW): The Thunderbolt has an extra wound and point of toughness over the other fixed-wing Flyers. A quad autocannon and twin lascannon with optional hellstrike rack make up their armoury. Can be thought of as a tougher and longer-ranged Avenger Strike Fighter.
• Arvus Lighter (FW): An unarmed Chimera that fly's. Literally, it has no weapons. Carries twelve models but no Ogryns, so think of this as an expensive and restrictive Drop Pod for Imperial Guard.
• Aquila Lander (FW Legends): Jesus fucking Christ, at least the Arvus is meant to Kamikaze. T7, W12, Sv3+, with a heavy bolter, autocannon, or multi-laser (36", heavy 3, S6, AP0, D1). Only carries seven models and no Ogryns, so a couple Characters and a Command Squad.

Heavy Support

Sentinel Powerlifter

Support Sentinel

• Heavy Weapon Squad: Three Heavy Weapon Teams. Some of the most point-efficient firepower in the game - at the cost of ALL durability. You have no extra bodies with lasguns to take wounds for you, no Sergeant to bolster leadership, and you're still T3 with a 5+ save - if these guys get caught by anything more energetic than a gretchin's sneeze they'll die. Even after the point hike, mortars are still the best option - LoS blocking in addition to their long range will let these guys survive until turn 2, and 3d6 S4 shots is nothing to laugh at, even at AP0 and D1. The Blast revision has helped them - they're a genuine threat to hordes now - and the Concentrated Fire Stratagem makes them a threat to Marines, even without orders. With orders they turn into consistent anti-infantry damage, and this goes even further if they're Cadian.
  • 50 points gets you 6 wounds and either three Mortars, Autocannons, or Heavy Bolters. For 55 points you get Missile Launchers or Lascannons.

• Cyclops Demolition Vehicle (FW): Bonus points for painting a Kamikaze headband on the model. M10", T6, W4, and Sv3+ means a flock of these models should get to where they want to be going. The demolition charge they carry hits hard, with 6", heavy 2d6, S9, AP-2, Dd3, blast. When this model attacks, it makes attacks against EVERY visible enemy unit within range and is destroyed afterwards; RAW, this makes it one of the best Character-killers in the game. It cannot complete actions or capture objectives, but it CAN fit in a Transport while taking up the space of six models and cannot shoot in a turn they disembarked. It is also more likely to explode, going off on a 5+ and inflicting d3 MW's on all units within 6".
  • NOTE: The Cyclops can only detonate if it is chosen to shoot while within engagement range. Because there's no way to get into engagement range and shoot without giving your opponent a turn first, for this thing to actually go off means it's been in melee for a turn and your opponent has both failed to kill it already and not fallen back from it - an extremely rare circumstance, and not one to be relied upon. Take this to scare your opponent off of objectives or force him to devote AT weaponry to getting rid of it - but don't expect to actually kill anything with it.

Lords of War

• Marauder Bomber (Forge World): 40k's version of the B17 'Flying Fortress' and probably one of the largest flyers in the game (and one of the largest you can actually afford). Two twin heavy bolters and a twin lascannon make up the fixed wargear, alongside Airborne, Supersonic, and Hard to Hit from the Flyer section. You then have a choice of two heavy bombs or two inferno bombs. Both are one-use and one-per turn, but you select a point the model moved over to be the target. With heavy bombs, roll a d6 for each unit within 6" of the target point and subtract one if that unit is a Character; On a 4-5, those units suffer d3 mortal wounds, rising to d6 mortal wounds if the result was a 6. Inferno bombs are slightly different, with you rolling for each unit within 9" and subtracting one if the unit is a non-Vehicle or non-Monster Character unit and inflicting d3 mortal wounds on a 4+. It should be noted that this affects ALL units, not just enemies.

• Marauder Destroyer (Forge World): A slightly tweaked Marauder Bomber, for when you want moar dakka instead of moar bombs. She carried a marauder autocannon (literally a heavy 12 autocannon), twin heavy bolter, twin assault cannon, a single heavy bomb, and an optional hellstrike missile rack (72", heavy 2, S8, AP-2, Dd6+2).

Regiments

Armageddon

In the grim darkness of the far future, what you cannot crush with words you will crush with the tanks of the Imperial Guard!
Armageddon takes strongly after the Wehrmacht of World War II, particularly the armored divisions. On the tabletop, Armageddon is your premier Armoured Fist Regiment. Most everything about them is dedicated to the fine art of piling out of a Chimera, evaporating some sorry traitor/xenos scum (Orks strongly preferred), hopping back aboard and zooming off to do it again.

Regimental Doctrines - Industrial Efficiency: INFANTRY units with this doctrine may double the number of attacks they make with Rapid Fire weapons (i.e. Lasguns, Bolters, and Plasma guns) at 18" instead of 12". Armageddon VEHICLES treat attacks against them with AP-1 as AP0.

• 18" is a distance that is almost impossible for enemy infantry to cover in a single move-and-charge, instead of the usual 12" that will get you in combat the next turn guaranteed. Increased RF range and good Chimeras will make you a master of positioning (which is paramount in 8E), and in turn you'll get almost double the use for lasguns (and Plasma guns!) than other regiments. Pretty darn solid. Or great, if you can pull off the fire and manoeuvre AFV tactics it calls for. If you can roar up mid board in with a pack of chimerae and hellhounds FRSRF first turn, and fall back holding down the lasgun triggers behind the flaming pillboxes of your flamer transports, pewpewpew murderburning half his troops before they can even make eye contact with any of your big guns or objectives. A bit like kiting, keep falling back so they can’t charge you. Pour on the lasguns.
• While situational, the ability to ignore AP-1 is quite handy against autocannons which are common in take-all-comers lists, and will nicely insulate your light vehicles from attempts to weigh them down under heavy bolters. Light weapons are a joke against your 2+ armoured vehicles in cover.

Warlord Trait - Ex-gang Leader: Add 1 to the Warlord's attack characteristic. In addition, add 1 to all wound rolls made for your warlord in the Fight phase.

• Outright superior to the BRB warlord trait Legendary Fighter, but of dubious utility since even with this and a Blade of Conquest, you won't be good enough in melee to excuse jumping into it; you'll get a lot more mileage out of combining Grand Strategist with the Armoured Fist stratagem. This, like many of the other Regiment Warlord Traits, is trying to encourage you to make your generally shooty Warlord a more competent melee combatant which is often not a competitive choice, but it can be a fluffy one.
• Funny enough, you can give this to a tank commander. It's not a good idea, but with this and the Crush Them! stratagem, you get 4 attacks that hit on a 2+ and wound anything up to toughness 7 on a 2+ as well.

Relics -Skull Mask of Acheron: -1 to enemy Ld within 3" of the wearer, -2 for Orks. Doesn't specify "Infantry" character.

• Fact is, since hordes (like yourself) have ways around morale, inflicting battleshock is better on expensive multiwound models, but those have a naturally high Leadership and -1Ld isn't good by itself. Thus, combine it with your other Imperial stuff: Terrifying visions inflicts -2Ld; Metalica Sicaran Infiltrators allies provide another -2Ld (aura + stratagem) and appear where you need them while moving almost as fast as Rough Riders; while Reivers inflict -1Ld alongside -1 To Hit (Shock Grenades) and have a higher chance to a successfully charge out of a Grav-chute (Black Templar Tactics, Combat squads). You could also use a Dark Angel's Termie Chaplain with the reivers, and blow a CP on another -1 with the eye of the unseen. One such separate detachment is cheaper than 6 Bullgryn, which are basically Maul Terminators now. Reaching -5Ld with Metalica Infiltrators isn't too hard, up to -6Ld with the Reivers. Even Chaplain/Dark Apostle-boosted Primaris/Plague marines will become as cowardly as Conscripts, and they lack Commissars. Disregard the bit about orks, though.
• Another approach that stays within the Guard: take a Support Ace with Shatterer of Will, a psyker with Terrifying Visions, and a Patrol detachment from the Psian Jackals (Militarum Tempestus are still Guard, dammit! Scroll down, we have their regiments and everything!). Since Armageddon is all about keeping the enemy away, put the Skull Mask on a Tank Commander with a Punisher Cannon. Since fixed-shot weapons can fire into melee now, the Mask can boost his already-impressive close quarters power even further.

Order - Mount Up!: Targeted unit may shoot and immediately embark as long as they're within embark range and did not disembark in the movement phase that turn.

• In 8E you may embark and disembark regardless of the transport's entry points - as long as it's within 3" you're good to go. This order allows you to use your extra-resilient 4.75-inch-long Chimeras for piggy backing more than 10" a turn without having to use FFtE instead, and it can be combined with both your Armoured fist Stratagem and Industrial Efficiency Doctrine : One turn you can Mount Up! within 3" of the front of your Chimera, the next one disembark (optional Stratagem) within 3" from the other side of it, then move 6" away from the enemy while you also move the Chimera so that it ends up on the other side of the squad. This way you can constantly keep the enemy 18" away, which is extremely hard to cover in a move+charge for most squads, but precisely the range you can Rapid Fire from.
• Also be sure to shoot the Chimera you just embarked on AFTER you issue this order. The Lasgun arrays on your Chimera can only be fired if a unit is embarked; nothing about WHEN that unit embarks. They’re often overlooked but it’s 6-12 extra lasgun shots. Shoot, jump aboard, shoot again.
• This can also be away keep Plasma vets command teams safe for two turns just let fire then order them back into transport. While keep Commissar Yarrick near by for those re-roll ones.

Stratagems - Armored Fist (1 CP): At the start of the shooting phase, select an Armageddon Infantry unit that disembarked from an Armageddon transport this turn. It can re-roll to-hit rolls of 1 until the end of that phase. Best used when coupled with the FRFSRF order. Or triple veteran plasma gun squads and sarge with a plasma pistol? Ooh yeah. Use your Armageddon order to blast away again next turn, to mount up and escape retribution. Great on flanks. Overcharge plasma and shoot up his artillery, dread, other thing you need to die.

Special Characters

Tactical Objectives

Tactics

Cadia

In the grim darkness of the far future, worlds break before the Guard does!
Cadians are the most recognizable Guardsmen at a glance, and even after the destruction of their homeworld, they still make up a huge portion of the Guard forces.
On the tabletop, they benefit from sitting still, which makes them more accurate and has great synergy with Grinding Advance on Leman Russ tanks.
Their unique characters specialize in getting more orders out than normal Commanders or Tank Commanders. Cadia stands (still and gets to re-roll lots of dice)!

Regimental Doctrines - Born Soldiers: All models with this doctrine may re-roll 1s to hit during the Shooting phase if they did not move in the movement phase. If an infantry unit is issued the order "Take Aim!" and has not moved, they re-roll all failed to-hit rolls. Only infantry may reroll failed hit rolls, russes can only reroll ones... but so does your artillery. This means Cadia has almost no use for a Master of Ordnance.

• This makes Cadians second only to Catachans (see below) as the best artillery regiment. Basilisks that reroll 1s are really nice. However, if you're using heavy weapons teams, seek no one else - Cadian lascannons are the most point-efficient anti-tank in the game, and mortar teams can have your opponent wondering where you hid that Thudd gun.
• Do not underestimate the advantage of rerolling failed hits for infantry who are static and ordered to take aim. Guard's greatest shortcoming is their generally meh ballistic skill. Rerolling misses effectively brings you basic guardsmen's 50% accuracy up to 75% - statistically better than having a 3+ BS! Cadians have the best static infantry gunline in the Guard, bar none.
• Combining rerolling on ones with Pask's 2+ and ability to command himself and another russ to "Pound Them To Dust" means that you can mimic the catachan regimental doctrine AND have a 2+ reroll 1's (98% accuracy) all for just 55 pts more than a normal Russ.

Warlord Trait - Superior Tactical Training: Roll a die every time your Warlord issues an Order; on a 4+, the order can affect an additional Cadian unit of the same type within 6" of the warlord.

• A high-risk, high-reward version of Master of Command, statistically multiplying a Commander's number of orders by 1.5. Keep in mind, however, that the rules are "copied" to another unit. This trait helps when you want the units to both FRFSRF, but when you want to issue different orders, then MoC's reliable higher number of independent orders will serve you better.
• STT helps you better the more orders an officer can issue. As such, it's worse than MoC on a Platoon Commander or Tank Commander, statistically equal on a Company Commander, and superior if you have a way to get to 3 or more orders base, which currently requires named characters.

Relics - Relic of Lost Cadia: One use only; unveil at the start of any turn. Until the end of that turn, all Cadian units within 12" of the bearer re-roll both hit and wound rolls of 1; they re-roll all failed hits and wounds against Chaos units.

• Doesn't specify Infantry model either, so it can be given to your Tank Commander to widen the bubble and move it wherever you need to.
• Given that Cadian units already get the primary effect of this relic if they haven't moved, you're primarily going to take it for the bonus effect vs Chaos.

Tank Order - Pound Them To Dust!: Ordered vehicle can re-roll the dice for determining the number of shots for Leman Russ turret weapons until the end of the phase. Combine with Grinding Advance, and your Battle Cannons will be able to blow apart blobs and armor alike, just as they could in previous editions. Because there aren't any Leman Russ turret weapons that roll multiple dice for attack volume, this will behave like the Catachan doctrine, only worse, since it will only buff the turret, not the sponsons; its efficacy depends on your loadout.

• "Gunners Kill on Sight!" is strictly inferior on a Battle Cannon, Eradicator Nova Cannon, or Executioner Plasma Cannon; it is strictly superior on a Punisher Gatling Cannon or Vanquisher Battle Cannon. On a Demolisher Cannon, it is strictly inferior against a unit of 5 or more models, and statistically equivalent against smaller units. For a static Leman Russ, GKoS won't stack, so your best bet for a Russ you're planning on keeping static is an Executioner Plasma Cannon that's going to constantly overcharge, along with a lascannon and a pair of plasma cannons. If you want to keep your Leman Russ more mobile, it's a lot more involved.

Stratagems-Overlapping Fields of Fire (2 CP): When a Cadian unit causes an unsaved wound on an enemy unit, you may use this stratagem and ALL other Cadian units add 1 to hit when firing at that unit. Useful for felling large centerpiece units like Knights or greater Daemons, or pretty much anything that essentially needs to die this turn.

• Gets even better when you consider that this is only restricted by the <Regiment> keyword. Basilisks smacking units from out of sight on 3+, re-rolling 1s, is a glorious thing indeed.
• Very valuable against plaguebearer spam as this means most your army will be hitting them on 5+ instead of 6+, with most your units rerolling 1's,2's and 3's.

Special Characters

HQ

• Knight Commander Pask: A flat upgrade to a Tank Commander, but a pricy one, plus with the fixed WT of Superior Tactical Training (which is less redundant on him than it is on Creed, assuming you brought at least three Russes including him). He has BS2+, which is awesome, and even the underpowered Vanquisher cannon starts to look alright when he's firing it (not really). If you're going to upgrade any of your Leman Russes with extra sponson or pintle weapons or an HK missile, he's the guy to do it to, since he is much more likely to hit something. Probably best used when supported by a Techpriest and sitting still with one of the longer-ranged turret weapons, as he can benefit from re-rolling 1s, shooting his turret weapon twice, and even use the Jury Rigging stratagem if necessary to get back a lost wound. On the other hand, if you can keep him out of the line of sight, he's downright scary in a Punisher.

• Lord Castellan Creed: Though MIA in the fluff (actually in Trazyn's collection, so he'll be back at some point), you can still field Creed as your Warlord, and you should do so if you're running Cadians and want to maximize your order potential and CP benefit. He's only about 25 points more expensive than a bog-standard Company commander, and he gets to give orders at 12" instead of 6" without a vox (and gets one more order a turn). You also get an additional 2 CP if he's your Warlord, which isn't bad. His shooting isn't impressive (two hot-shot laspistols), but hopefully, he never has to fire a single shot or swing his power sword. Unfortunately, gone are the days of outflanking Baneblades. He must take the Superior Tactical Training WT if he's your Warlord, which means he's going to pump out even more orders (and that's before you throw Kell into bodyguard for him). In small games, however, you probably won't have enough units to actually order to get the most of him.

Elites

• Colour Sergeant Kell: KIA in the fluff (RIP, he will be missed), but usable in-game still like Aun'Va, Konrad von Carstein, Vlad von Carstein pre-End Times, and the like. If you have a lot of units on the field and not enough Commanders to give orders, consider taking Kell, as he lets one officer within 6" issue an additional order every turn. He can be taken without Creed now, but that's not fluffy, and you also waste his ability to bodyguard for Creed on a 2+. Also, Cadian units within 6" can re-roll failed Morale tests. Pretty solid, if pricey.
  • Creed always has Superior Tactical Training if he's your Warlord (and you'll always Warlord him, to avoid wasting Tactical Genius), so this brings his average order pool from, statistically, 6, to 8.
  • Now that Pask and Tank Commanders are officers, Kell can support them, too. This brings Pask up to 3 orders (statistically, 6 with Superior Tactical Training), or a regular Tank Commander up to 2 (3 with Master of Command, statistically 4 with Superior Tactical Training).
  • For maximum order output, the Laurels of Command are an order doubler, statistically, just like Superior Tactical Training, which can be combined on a Company Commander with Kell, bringing him from 2 to 3 (Kell) to 6 (STT) to 12 (Laurels), although remember that Laurels and STT proc in opposite ways (STT lets you order more units; Laurels lets you pile additional orders onto the same target, so scales less well without access to useful Fix Bayonets!).

Tactical Objectives
Tactics

Catachan

Hailing from the Death World of Catachan, the Jungle Fighters specialize in particularly gritty theatres of war.

On the tabletop, they hit harder than the usual guardsmen, both in terms of their strength of 4 and their usually better shot output from vehicles. The death worlders also possess some of the best characters and officers, most of which lore wise slay Tyranid type monsters with their bare hands (use caution on the tabletop).

Regimental Doctrines-Brutal Strength: INFANTRY units with this doctrine gain +1 Strength (i.e. S4), plus +1 Ld too if they are within 6" of a friendly Catachan Officer. Furthermore, each time a Catachan vehicle fires a weapon with random shot volume, you may re-roll one die when determining the number of shots that weapon gets. Grinding Advance Russes, dual-flamer Hellhounds/Chimeras, Basilisks etc. are now quite a bit nastier - and remember, overwatch counts as firing a weapon.

• Space Marines can do melee because they're heavily armoured, hit hard, often and can get close surprisingly fast. You merely punch hard - still a shooty army. That being said, what you do have is hordes of infantry with a better wounds-to-points ratio, and can boost them with Straken, Ministorum Priests and "Fix Bayonets!". As in, all those three at once. Now that's proper Catachan melee, and supported by better vehicles, not some Renegade rabble.
• A note on the math - you re-roll only one die, and it's a re-roll, not an additional unkept die, so assuming you do the sane thing and only re-roll 3 down on a 1d6 and 1 on a 1d3, your expected values go from 3.5 to 4.25 and 2 to 2.33, respectively (and if you use a vehicle with multiple dice, the value of the benefit plummets, of course - in those cases, you always re-roll the lowest die, obviously). Earthshaker, Stormsword Siege, and Twin Earthshaker cannons are special; the way you should fire them is to roll the full number of dice, then re-roll the one lowest die, no matter what it is, then drop the lowest dice.

Every example of this Doctrine's effect on vehicle rate of fire (listing an example weapon), assuming you only re-roll when you ought to:

• 4D6 (Wyvern Mortar): 14 -> 15.79 (x1.13)
• 3D6 (Deathstrike Missile): 10.5 -> 12.06 (x1.15)
• 4H2D6 (Twin Earthshaker): 9.34 -> 9.93 (x1.06)
• 2D6 (Twin Heavy Flamer): 7 -> 8.24 (x1.18)
• 2D6 (Inferno Cannon): 7 -> 8.24 (x1.18)
• 2H1D6 (Earthshaker Cannon): 4.47 -> 4.96 (x1.11)
• 2H1D6 (Artemia Inferno Cannon): 4.47 -> 4.96 (x1.11)
• 1D6 (Heavy Flamer): 3.5-> 4.25 (x1.21)
• 3D3 (Volcano Cannon): 6 -> 6.70 (x1.12)
• 2D3 (Neutron Laser Projector): 4 -> 4.56 (x1.14)
• 1D3 (Plasma Cannon): 2 -> 2.33 (x1.17)

As you can see, the greatest impact is on 1d6 weapons - a Leman Russ Battle Cannon's rof*damage goes from 7 to 8.5, while a Demolisher Cannon against a single target goes from 4 to 4.66.

Warlord Trait- Lead From The Front: The Warlord has a 6" Heroic Intervention (double in range and distance as normal). In addition, if your Warlord was charged, did a Heroic Intervention, or was charged himself, then they re-roll failed hit rolls until the end of the turn. While rerolling failed hit rolls is powerful, especially for low WS models, you should remember that you are playing Guard and even with this, you are comparatively weak in assault even if you have a Warlord like Straken in the fight.

Relics - Mamorph Tuskblade: Replaces a power sword. A reskin of the Blade of Conquest at S+2 AP-3 D2, so guaranteed 2D instead of having to roll for it, in case you decide to use a mortal to hunt Primaris. Works similar enough, and you do have Straken.

• Better than the Blade of Conquest against targets with 2W, the same against other stuff. The worse AP isn't that much of a factor.
  • Something to keep in mind is this is a Catachan relic, meaning the wearer Will be S6, something to keep in mind if fighting something like Tyranids.

Orders - Burn Them Out!: The ordered unit can re-roll the dice when determining the number of shots a Flamer or Heavy Flamer has. In addition, enemy units targeted by the models with these weapons in the ordered unit lose the cover bonus to saves for the rest of the phase. Better than Bring it down! on the relevant weapons, but it doesn't buff the other weapons in the squad (other than ignoring cover, which they will on the unit(s) the flamer(s)/heavy flamer targets), which is an issue on squads other than Special Weapon and Command squads, like Veterans. Worth considering if you want to gamble stacking orders with the Laurels of Command, though.

• Note the effect on saves; you don't need to wound, or technically even hit, if the targeted unit has some miraculous way to avoid being hit by a Flamer/Heavy Flamer, for the targeted unit to lose the cover bonus to saves for the rest of the phase. You can use this to turn off cover on something relying on it for durability, like Scout Marines, then actually kill it with the rest of your army. You can remove cover from multiple units at once, too, as you can target more than one unit.

Stratagems - Vicious Traps(1CP): Use this Stratagem when an enemy unit finishes a charge move within 1" of a Catachan unit from your army that is wholly on or within a terrain feature. Roll a dice; on a 4+ that enemy unit suffers D3 mortal wounds.

Special Characters

HQ

• Colonel Iron Hand Straken: At 80 points, Straken is a considerable investment over a standard Company Commander, but he might just be worth it if you're looking to run an assault army. For one thing, all Catachan units within 6" of him get an extra attack, which can turn even a Conscript squad into a nasty tarpit. His Been There, Seen It, Killed It rule makes him great for charging and finishing off wounded Monster units. He also gets S6 (effectively S7, assuming you take him in a purely Catachan detachment, where he also boosts unit Ld by +1 for being an Officer) and T4 in addition to W5, so he's a bit harder to put down. He sports a shotgun, plasma pistol, and D2 Ap-1 melee weapon. Consider running him with a Ministorum Priest.

• Sly Marbo: All memes aside, unfortunately, Sly Marbo is not even remotely competitive. While he has the ability to appear 9" away from an enemy and trigger one of three special rules (immediately shoot, which lets him snipe Characters; make a small move and add 2 to his attacks if he charges; or trigger concealed explosives that have a 50/50 shot of dealing mortal wounds), his lack of durability and lackluster weapons (not a single one has any AP) makes him a poor choice overall. He can disappear if there are no enemy units close to him at the start of the Movement phase, but you will never get to use this rule because he will most likely die and also fail to clear out the enemies he charges anyway. If he debuffed enemy leadership, had some way to mitigate armor saves, and could be reasonably expected to stick around for more than a single round, he might be worth it, but he's not.
  • Another view point. Will most effective way to use Sky Marbo is if you have alliance Militarum Tempestus detachment. Militarum Tempestus able with help Stratagems to get their foot soldiers 6 inch opponent lines means when he deep strike he not be closet model and pistol wounds get six shots and wounds 2 by average going to kill something 2 space marines turn. Doing that two turns make points back and them some. Ideal you have commission Yark with him. Which is likely best way to us him. Were Catachan provide artillery support with Militarum Tempestus will being aim to destroy vehicles.
  • There other ways using him to: Back other units charging or hide behind them and shooting.

Elites

• Sergeant Harker: Sgt. Harker totes around his Assault 3 Heavy Bolt, Payback, and has a pretty decent statline for a guardsman, think a platoon commander on miral shark steroids. You don't take him for his cool gun or stats though. Harker allows all friendly Catachan units (himself included) within 6" oh him re-roll 1s to hit in the Shooting phase. Every Catachan list should include Harker since he can buff any Catachan, from the lowly Conscript to the mighty Baneblade!

Tactical Objectives
Tactics

Militarum Tempestus

Elite shock troops of the Astra Militarum, they appear on the brink of massacre and turn it into a crushing victory.
On the tabletop, they drop in hot, distribute an unholy amount of plasma, and play in a fast and fragile balance of fire and trying to survive the incoming charge. Uniquely, they have further sub-Doctrines that make them close to being an independent faction in their own right. These guys behave like S3/T3 Marines and favor a very close range play style. They offer little in CC or tanks, but can smoke terminators with ease and favor constant air superiority.

• Regimental Doctrine - Storm Troopers: If a model with this doctrine is shooting a target at half range or less, they get an extra shot for each roll of 6+ to hit, which can't proc itself. Due to the Hot-Shot's range, you can't immediately use FRFSRF Rapid Fire Storm Troopers after an Aerial Drop (more than 9" away) unless they dropped from a Valkyrie, so order Take Aim! instead. This is equivalent to a 7/6 modifier, like Cadia's re-rolling 1s to hit, but requires you to be within half range, rather than standing still.
  • This doctrine is vicious, but hard to get. If understood correctly, drop in with those favourite overcharged plasma and get free shots on sixes? A five man squad shooting two plasma guns and a plasma pistol will likely get one from 5 total shots. Make sure it’s dead.You get +16.67% hits on any unit for which it applies (e.g. it won't apply to weapons that automatically hit); this is not as good as Catachan's trait or Cadia's order to re-roll attack dice for weapons with 1d6 attacks, especially the auto hitting ones, but it's much more versatile than those due to its wide application. Also, it's worth noting that it always works during Overwatch. In exchange, however, you can't have any Fast Attack, Heavy Support, or Lord of War choices in a MT detachment, because those slots only contain Regiment units.
  • Remember, you can use a custom regiment, such as Savlar Chem-Dogs, to pick up this Doctrine, if you want it on general Imperial Guard stuff, but doing so will not get you access to the Militarum Tempestus Warlord Trait, Heirloom, Stratagem, or Order. If you do so, it's best on very long-range weapons, to ensure the target is within range for the buff, such as a Basilisk or Shadowsword or Mortar Team. Stacks with re-rolling 1s to hit or wound multiplicatively, just like those two do with each other, so if you want all three at once, you can combine Yarrick for re-rolling 1s to hit with an order source for re-rolling 1s to wound on an infantry unit (for obvious reasons, you'll want to do this on a heavy weapons squad - all three buffs combined are still worse than FRFSRF on lasguns). The percentage gains from these are 16.67% for any 1, 36.11% for any two, and 58.80% for any three (FRFSRF is a +100% gain, which you can add to the previous three if you're combining them - combining all four will require the Laurels of Command relic).
• Warlord Trait - Faithful Servant of The Throne: Your Warlord can attempt to deny one psychic power per phase as if they were a Psyker. This can be useful, but it is very situational. Its usefulness is further questioned since Astropaths only cost 26 points as of Chapter Approved 2018 and won't break your regiment rules even if you're bringing a Militarum Tempestus detachment.
• Relics - The Tactical Auto-Reliquary of Tyberius: When the bearer uses Voice of Command, they may attempt to issue *one additional order; roll a die before attempting, and on a 2+, the order happens.
  • Can turn your Tempestor Prime into something like a Creed for your Scions. Up to four orders when combined with the Master of Command WT, 5 with Inspired Tactics. No Scion will go unordered.
• Order - Elimination Protocols Sanctioned!: Ordered unit re-rolls all failed wounds, but only against MONSTERs and VEHICLEs.
  • This is situational, but very strong; Scions usually hit on 3s, so the more significant limiter on inflicted damage is usually weapon power (even meltaguns will only damage a tank half the time). Use on squads loaded with meltas (NOT plasma, as you'll be overcharging and you want that re-roll of 1s) to get some extra oomph on a tank or large creature.
  • This also pairs quite nicely with the LAMBDAN LIONS Gifts from the Mechanicus stratagem.

Ordo Tempestus Regiments

Psychic Awakening has given our boys some new flavor. We can now add further extra rules based on specific Ordo Tempestus Regiments, which are accessed by picking one of the new Regiments from below. You can pick one of the following OR Storm Troopers. You may not get both.

• Iotan Dragons - Crack Shots: +6" Rapid Fire (for normal guard, its not that big a deal; for Scions, it makes our guns actually useable on the drop, which is clutch).
  • Relic - The Emperor's Fury: 3-shot Plasma Pistol.
  • Warlord Trait - Precision Targeting: ID units within 6" ignore the bonus of cover against enemies within 18" of the warlord.
  • Stratagem - Drilled to Perfection (1CP): Overwatch on 4's for a single unit for an entire phase.
• Lambdan Lions - Prized Weaponry: -1 AP to all weapons. This doesn't specify only ranged weapons. Hotshot lasguns now tear through MEQs and meltaguns bypass armor saves entirely, but it's most noticeable on your melee attacks suddenly being AP-1.
  • Relic - Refractor Field Generator: 5++ to all LL models within 6".
  • Warlord Trait - Keys to the Armory: LL units within 6" reroll 1's to hit
  • Stratagem - Gifts from the Mechanicus (1CP): 6s to wound for hot shot weapons inflict a mortal wound in place of normal damage for a single unit.
• Psian Jackals - Death From the Dark: Each kill counts as 2 kills for the next morale phase. Terrifying against bigger units.
  • Relic - Hound's Teeth: Chainsword with S+1 AP-2 +3 extra attacks and rerolling wounds vs knife ears. Why are you in melee, against Eldar of all people?
  • Warlord Trait - Skilled Tracker: Redeploy 3 Psian Jackal units prior to the start of the game.
  • Stratagem - Elusive Hunters (1CP): Used after a PJ unit is targetted, models shooting weapons from further than their weapons half range, get -1 to their hit rolls against that PJ unit.
• Iotan Gorgonnes - Resolute Heroism': 6s to hit at the closest enemy unit by infantry score an additional hit. Usually worse than just being Thetoid Eagles or Iotan Dragons - Eagles in particular get this on their vehicles, unlike you. However, you need not to be in half-range to benefit from this trait.
  • Relic - Blessed Bolt Pistol:12" Pistol 2 S5 AP-2 D2 (D3 vs psykers) which can snipe characters. Keep in mind that psykers are usually characters, food for thought.
  • Warlord Trait - Sanctity of Spirit: Enemy psykers witin 24" will Peril on any double.
  • Stratagem - Daring Descent (1CP): Infantry unit can drop 5" away from enemies; may not charge afterwards. Note that the unit is chosen when setting up in deep strike, not when deploying mid game.Use the stratagem in the movement phase.
• Thetoid Eagles - Predatory Strike: Unmodified 6s to hit at half range score an additional hit. Better than Storm Troopers because it is a straight-up hit instead of a shot (and if you really can get both, they'll stack), and usually better than Iotan Gorgonnes, because you have more control over when it applies (on top of this one working on vehicles). While it can't trigger on 5+s it also can't be prevented from proccing at all either. If you liked Storm Troopers, this is better in everything but a Drop Force (and better for every round after the drop).
  • Relic - Fire of Judgement: 12" Hot Shot Laspistol, Pistol 2 inflicting mortal wounds in place of normal damage. Remember, their doctrine means that 6's proc an extra hit at half range. This thing has the potential to pump out 4 mortal wounds if you get lucky.
  • Warlord Trait - Uncompromising Persecution: Wound rolls of 6 made by TE units using hot shot weapons within 6" of the the warlord are AP-4.
  • Stratagem - Full Charge (1CP): Taurox Prime can reroll hit rolls when shooting at a unit within 12"'.
• Kappic Eagles - Mobilized Infantry: Infantry models can move and shoot heavy weapons without penalty and +1 to hit after disembarking Transports.
  • The second half of this doctrine grants them +1 to hit after disembarking a transport. These guys do for free, what the stratagem can do for only Valkyries. Their WL Trait gives a 24" order bubble and can issue orders from transports. Drop your soldiers out of valkyries and enjoy their plasma shredding while benefiting from an order from downtown. This also gives your warlord a flying, -1 to hit, T7 box for protection.
  • Relic - Distraction Charges: When firing overwatch any KE unit within 3" of the bearer will halve the charge roll if they inflict 1 or more hit.
  • Warlord Trait - Master Vox: 24" order range, warlord may order units when embarked on a transport.
  • Stratagem - Tactical Misdirection (1CP): Use after one of your KE infantry units destroys an enemy unit. All other units suffer from a -1 to hit when shooting unless they target that KE infantry unit or if another unit is closer.

Stratagems

• Superior Intelligence (1 CP): Use this strategy immediately when your opponent has a unit arrive on the battlefield within 12" of a Militarum Tempestus Infantry unit; they may fire at that unit as if it was their shooting phase, with a -1 hit penalty. It allows Tempestus to also work as guardians for your army. Volley gun squads sitting on your objectives, or babysitting your guard artillery? Let them try and sneak deepstrike those termites and it will cost. Even better for volley gun command squads with 16 shots s4 ap-2. Could be useful.
• Point Blank Efficacy (1CP): A Scion unit gains +1 strength to ALL Hot Shot weapons when fired at half range or less. A Strength 4, AP-2 HSLG is literally a Space Marine's nightmare. Pairs exceptionally well with Lambdan Lions for additional -1 AP or the Iotan Dragons for the ability to double tap S4 HSLG out of deep strike. A Strength 5 AP-2 Volley Gun can be devastating.
• Unquestioning Obedience (1CP): Auto pass morale for all scion units within 12" of Commissar or Tempestor Prime.
• Precision Drop (1CP): A Scion unit that Grav-Chutes their way off of a Valkyrie or a Vendetta does not roll to see if they die, and may deploy 5 away from the enemy instead of 9.
• Hammer Blow (2CP): Used after an AERONAUTICA IMPERIALIS model kills one or more models in a units; that unit halves all advance/charge distances and shoots at -1 to hit. Absolute solid gold cheese if you somehow manage to kill something with your Officer of the Fleet’s laspistol. Not possible since to proc that stratagem unit has to be with a flyer battlefield role.
• Advanced Countermeasures (1CP): Used before the battle, a Valkyrie can switch to hover without losing Hard To Hit for the entire battle.
• Tactical Air Control (1CP): Add 2 for the roll for an Officer of the Fleet's Air Raid; range and LOS is measured from any Scion unit with a Voxcaster.
• Progeny of Conflict (1CP): Gain a warlord trait for any non warlord Scion CHARACTER. Basically an auto-include if you don't already have Grand Strategist, since you get a re-roll fornyour CP and then the added effect of refunding yiur own CPs from stratagems on a 5+ basically for free.
• Killing Zone (1CP): Use after a Scion INFANTRY unit kills 1 or more enemy models, for the rest of the phase all other Scion INFANTRY unit gain +1 to wound when targeting the damaged unit. Give your two battalion Primes plasma pistols and let them roast some measly Boy, with the safe firing mode if you wish. Next trigger this and let your other three, 10 man, quadruple volley gun squads roast another 20 or so. Dont forget orders and the +1 from the Drop Force WT and you stand a good chance of wiping the whole Boyz mob in one go!

Special Units

Special in the sense that you don't need the rest of the detachment to bring them, but then they wouldn't get their regimental doctrines.

HQ

• Tempestor Prime: The Militarum Tempestus version of the Company Commander. Compared to a Company Commander, he has access to only one order (can be improved to two with a 5 pt piece of wargear), has a 4+ save, but loses his 5++, and only unlocks Militarum Tempestus Command squads. That said, he can deepstrike to follow his Scions wherever they go. Being a Militarum Tempestus HQ, he lets you bring a separate Tempestus-only Detachment; this gives them access to their Storm Troopers special rule. Comes stock with a hot-shot laspistol you'll never fire, since it's the same range as his frag and krak grenades, and nothing in the game exists that dies faster to the pistol than it does to one of the grenade choices. You should always swap it for either a better pistol or, more likely, the aforementioned item for +1 order.

Elites

• Militarum Tempestus Command Squad: Don't forget about these guys. Like the Veterans in the Command Squad, they have BS 3+ and can take 4 special weapons, but have a 4+ armor save and the old Deep Strike ability. Take 4 plasma guns, Deep Strike them 9" away from your enemies, get your Tempestor Prime to issue them an order and laugh when you overcharge and fire off 8 Strength 8 AP -3 Damage 2 shots in rapid-fire range. You can also load them up similar to the standard Command Squad (medi-pack, voxcaster, and standard bearer, with room for one special weapon), but you'll probably only take the Vox (although it's more efficient to simply land your Tempestor Prime next to a regular squad and use their Vox instead, as you're not giving up any special weapon options that way). The standard's bubble is too small to be worth it and the medi-pack isn't all that great considering you're giving up another special weapon. With that in mind another good loadout is three Volley Guns and a Vox. Drop them in cover alongside your Prime with command rod and issue two orders across the table with some decent long range punch.
  • Remember, just like with standard command squads, you are limited to one Tempestus command squad per Tempestor Prime. Additionally, you may keep your hot-shot lasgun in addition to the hot-shot laspistol and vox-caster/medi-pack if you wish to hold onto some firepower. You may not take a special weapon if you've done this.
  • Modeller's tip: To create the voxcaster and still have the lasgun model, simply take the wrapped up lasguns that come with the sprue and glue them onto the model.

Troops

• Militarum Tempestus Scions: Scions can be taken either as a 5-man team with two special weapons, or 10 man squad with four special weapons; you only get 1 sergeant either way, of course, but your sergeant is worse than the regular Imperial Guard get, as it has no access to a bolter - you'll usually end up taking a bolt pistol and chainsword, as a result. They have better BS and Sv characteristics when compared to a Guardsman and their standard issue Hot-Shot Lasgun is mean now. With its solid AP, it can threaten nearly anything. One squad member can take a vox caster and Hot-Shot Laspistol in addition to the standard hellgun. The Tempestor (sergeant equivalent) comes with a Hot-Shot Laspistol (which you'll always replace with a bolt pistol, except for when you really want a plasma pistol) and chainsword, but can take the usual sergeant armaments (except the boltgun). Now 7 points each! As of Chapter Approved 2020 it’s now 9 points per model.
  • Best taken in five-man teams (unless you're short on orders) while spamming as many special weapons as possible. Their special weapon loadouts should be focused - all plasma (including the Tempestor's sidearm), melta, or Volley guns. Mixing and matching reduces their combat effectiveness.
  • Ten-man squads do have their place in terms of order efficiency and the ability to sustain losses without losing special weapons. The fun thing about Scions? Even with a standard loadout they punch very hard and aren't trivial to remove. 90 points for 10 deep-striking, BS3+, SV4+, AP-2 soldiers is pretty radical. Combined with your choice of effective regiment and Scions are extremely dangerous.
  • It's important to note that without the use of stratagems or one very specific regiment, your hellguns cannot deep strike or grav-chute into Rapid Fire range, your meltas can never deep strike into melta range, and hot-shot laspistols cannot deep strike into actual shooting range. The melta thing isn't so bad, but this is still worth keeping in mind. If you're not using the Daring Descent or Precision Drop stratagems, put your melta troops in a transport.
  • Plasma pistols are FREE for your tempestors. Consider taking them

Dedicated Transport

• Taurox Prime: The Taurox's bigger, angrier brother is available exclusively to Scions and Commissars, but man is it worth it. With improved BS and an impressive selection of weaponry for its points, the Taurox Prime is the new king of metal boxes. It won't last long with that toughness, but it'll make back its points in the meantime. For weapons, you should always be taking the Gatling Cannon, the sheer number of shots it puts out makes it better than both other options point for point (except against Land Raiders, where the Missile Launcher is -slightly- better). Similarly, the Hot-shot Volley Guns are always better point for point than the Autocannons.
  • Note: This vehicle is finicky about who can get on it, not just who can bring it; only Militarum Tempestus and Officio Prefectus infantry (and, of course, the Inquisition, using their special rule) can board it. This is theoretically to avoid the scenario where a Commissar, who in the fluff has the authority to command entire armies, should the need arise, can't board a simple armored car, although they're not allowed to bring their Ogryn Bodyguards with them, unlike with a standard Taurox.
  • You should only ever consider taking the Battle Cannon and/or Autocannons if you for some reason need extra range.
  • NOTE: For Inquisition players looking for transports for their inquisitor and henchmen, this is is probably the shooty metal box you're looking for.

Tactical Objectives Tactics

Tallarn

In the grim darkness of the far future, there's the quick and there's the dead.

An anachronistic amalgamation of Laurence of Arabia, Rambo III, Dune, and the North African Campaign.
On the tabletop, they play fast and tactical; with your Ambush stratagem, you can for the most part control the board, or keep important units safe until the opportune time to strike. Just don't expect to have the damage output of our Cadian and Catachan brethren.

Regimental Doctrines - Swift as the Wind: Infantry units with this doctrine can advance and still shoot all weapons except Heavy weapons, and do not suffer the penalty to hit when advancing with Assault weapons (which means they also won't suffer a penalty to hit with Rapid Fire, Pistol, or Grenade weapons after Advancing). Your infantry get to act sort of like eldar, because with you always advancing (and you should) the slowest you'll be is 7". No running about with lascannons, but the extra speed is appreciated. Tallarn vehicles treat Heavy Weapons as Assault when they Advance. This gives vehicles a little bit of extra mobility compared to other regiments, but the vehicles do not ignore the penalty for advancing and firing Assault weapons, making this Regiment less powerful for vehicles than it was in 8th. Titanic Vehicles that advance treat all their Heavy weapons as Assault, so everything on them except for storm bolters and that one lasgun can shoot after advancing at a -1 penalty. Assault Baneblade Cannons, anyone?

Warlord Trait - Swift Attacker: Your Warlord and every Tallarn unit within 6" can charge after Falling Back. This makes your melee screens infuriating to fight - start the turn, fall back an inch, Order the unit to Get back in the fight (Laurels for trolling) so they can shoot up the offender alongside the rest of your army, then charge back again if that wasn't enough (though they'll recieve Overwatch), keeping whatever they were in melee with locked in melee still, despite having pulled out for Shooting. It is important to note that this Warlord Trait effects all Tallarn units, not just infantry. Rough Riders benefit from this since they can use their hunting lances only on the charge and any vehicles you may want to charge can use the Crush Them stratagem every turn. This Warlord Trait can be very useful if you plan to be in your opponent's face.

Relics - Claw of the Desert Tigers: Replaces a power sword; SUser AP-3 D2, and can make 2 additional attacks. Unlike the Mamorph Tuskblade, actually is interesting compared to the Blade of Conquest - taking a model from S3 AP-3 to S5 AP-4 is better than A3->A5 against T4 specifically, but worse against T3 or T5 - but you shouldn't be taking this, since Tallarn is all about running circles around your enemy and staying in a gun-battle.

Tank Order - Get Around Behind Them!: The ordered unit can move up to 6" before or after firing, and this does not count against the range calculation for Grinding Advance (turret firing twice). Look at me, Tau: I am the Move-Shoot-Move now. Or, shoot twice while maintaining nearly normal speed (by definition, infinitesimally less than 12"). This can be especially potent on boards with good line of sight blocking terrain; move your 5" from behind a building, do some damage, then retreat 6" back behind cover for a frustrating game of whack-a-Leman-Russ. It can greatly help extend the life of a tank commander, and makes you feel like a tactical genius.

• The 6" movement is crucial here. Grinding Advance activates on movement 5" and under, so you're looking at an extra inch of movement after your Leman Russ' doubletaps. Use that extra inch to your advantage! As mentioned above, it could be used to retreat back into cover, advancing forward to an objective, squeeze yourself next to a screen, or even closing in on something you'd want to hit with your sword.

Stratagems - Ambush (3 CP): Use during the deployment phase. You may set up to three Tallarn units (only one of which can be a vehicle) in ambush. At the end of your movement phase, you may deploy them within 7" of the table's edge and more than 9" from any enemy units; they are treated as having moved their maximum distance. Outflank that Baneblade, you know you want to. Some key things to remember with this stratagem; 1) Vehicle squadrons are a thing, 2) This can be used more than once during deployment, since it is an out of phase stratagem, 3) Each unit does not need to be set up in any kind of coherency outside of unit and vehicle squadron coherency, and 4) If an outflanking vehicle is larger than 7" in all dimensions (this includes Baneblades, but only if the have sponsons) it can't be deployed this way. Do with this info what you will, and have fun!

Special Characters Fast Attack

• Mukaali Riders: (Open and Narrative Play only.) Bizarre desert space lizard beasts with 2" less movement than traditional Rough Riders, but compensate with better Toughness, Wounds, and 3 extra S5 attacks from Stomping Feet replacing Trampling Hooves.

Tactical Objectives

Tactics

• Tallarn Tank drive-bys: The Psychic Awakening updates have done a lot to buff the Leman Russ, but as with most Guard units, the lackluster 50/50 BS and lack of an invuln in an edition full of AP and multishot AT has made it so that the challenge isn't points cost or weapons, but making the most out of the unit before it inevitably blows up. For 22 points more, consider upgrading your Tank into a Tallarn Tank Commander for the ability to scoot-and-shoot (Using GABT!) while still keeping the Commander's 3+BS. Spend another CP to give the entire detachment's tanks the Emperor's Fist Keyword, which gives access to a 1 CP Strat that will allow you to move your full 10 inches and still doubletap; Spend another 2 CP to use Hail of Fire from the new PA book to bypass the dicerolls on your multishot weapons to fire the maximum number of shots(!) and watch as Tau and Eldar players go green with envy. If you really want to take out that Leviathan or KEQ, give the Tank Commander Hammer of Sunderance for 2 Heavy 6 Shots at S8 AP-2 and flat 3D. While this sounds like a big CP investment, well shut up, you're playing Guard, CP shouldn't really be an issue.
  • When compared to Cadia, Tallarn tanks are a lot more mobile and are a lot less likely to be sitting ducks. Sure,Pask stills hits on 2s and reroll 1s (with two orders), but you can only take one of him, while in a Tallarn list, you can have two Tank Commanders Fire and Fading on 3s. Giving a TC a Warlord Trait can also let them give that second order, if you want.

Mordian

In the grim darkness of the far future, discipline is the only thing keeping terror at bay.
From the night world of Mordia, the Iron Guard wear colorful parade uniforms and fight in carefully constructed formation. Don't be fooled by their colorful uniforms, for they can lay down punishing and well-disciplined fusillades of Lasgun fire.
On the tabletop, they benefit from keeping tight, defensive formations and are capable of assassinating characters with the right order to take out the enemy's chain of command.

Regimental Doctrines - Parade Drill: Infantry units with this doctrine gain +1 Ld if all its models are touching the base of at least one other model in the same unit, and can add +1 to Hit rolls on Overwatch (and their Overwatch hits on 5's too). The same is true for MORDIAN VEHICLES within 3" of each other.

• Positioning is key when using this Doctrine, so put the Special weapons in the middle of the squad and remove the cornermost models of a unit when they suffer casualties, to avoid losing the bonus. For ease, use strips of packing tape sticky-side up; a serried squad of 10 fits perfectly on a strip about 6" long. As a bonus, once it's on the table it's generally quite hard to see; all you get is perfect ranks of blue, red and gold. This is also the one and only instance that using square bases in a 40k game will not result in your immediate and violent demise via your own Shadowsword to the head. Incidentally, if you use the advice of taping your models together with packing tape, this will make your army faster to physically move your models then other Imperial Guard armies with heavy infantry cores.
• Infantry squads in the formation and in Regimental Standard range get better Ld than a Commissar. Furthermore, since the wording is units have +1 Ld (unlike "add 1 to the Ld characteristic" like Catachans), it probably stacks with a Lord Commissar's Aura of Discipline (the unit uses his Ld9, and gets +1Ld on top of whatever Ld it's currently using).
• Hitting on a 5+ essentially doubles the damage you do in Overwatch. And then the Defensive Gunners Stratagem will let your vehicles overwatch on a 4+, hilariously letting Hydras hit more ground units with overwatch than with normal fire.

Warlord Trait - Iron Discipline: Roll a die for every model that flees from any friendly Mordian units within 6" of your Warlord. On a 4+, that model does not flee. Essentially an aura of Valhallan Grim Demeanour. Mordians do have superior leadership compared to most of their counterpart regiments and Commissars are usable again as of the April of 2018 Big FAQ to further improve a unit's leadership.

Relics - Order of the Iron Star of Mordian: The Mordian infantry bearer gets a 4+ FNP, effectively doubling his wounds, lifting some of the workload from the Field Medic and the Ogryn Bodyguard. Of good use when you absolutely must ensure your Warlord's survival, as regular Company Commanders aren't that special by themselves.

Order - Form Firing Squad!: All of a unit's Rapid Fire weapons (Lasguns, Plasma, and the sergeant's Bolter, if he has one) may target Characters that are in range regardless of whether or not there are closer enemy units.

• When comparing Ratlings to FFS for character sniping purposes, there's a number of things to consider. In favour of using the order all you need to do to use it is bring standard combat capable infantry you'd already want with officers to order them. Clean, simple, and versatile. Much more durable and deadly in close range. However, using Rapid-Fire involves getting your troops to within 24/12" of a character (and closer to its guards) and then firing ON the character using up an order. Using Conscripts involves risk of failure, Infantry poor output, combined squads eats a CP, and Vets are hard to get close enough. That's not to say they can't get the job done, but it will be messy, risks getting you stuck in melee, and is usually not the best use of the units and orders. Ratlings are much more likely to be able to get in range to hit a character without getting bogged down, but if hunted down WILL be destroyed, but at range, will require committing either long ranged weapons or putting units close and personal with your lines. Choose your units accordingly. One might consider using FFS and ratlings to complement eachother. FFS could be used to finish an enemy wounded by Ratlings. Or Ratlings could be used to help manipulate the enemy's behaviour, pushing the characters into the range of Firing Squads, baiting the enemy troops into an ambush, or drawing long ranged fire (usually overkill against them). Even if they're ignored, they'll usually earn back their points chipping away at targets of opportunity.
• The best option is just to put a vet squad loaded for bear in a valkyrie or chimera and give them an officer. Or wait for your opponent's special snowflake characters to come to you, and then melt them with a couple plasma squads.

Comparison table for Infantry/SWS/Vets/Commandsquad/Ratlings vs Commissar/LordC/SMLieutenant/SMCaptain. Militarum squads in the comparison have all the plasma guns they can bring, no Heavy Weapon teams (as to not lose the lasguns), and the sergeant (if available) has a boltgun. Ratlings that pop out of LOS-blockers lower their BS by 1, so they're listed near the Militarum squads that closed to Rapid Fire range. Numbers in bold indicate the target is killed. Keep in mind these numbers are for single squads: your Company Commanders issue two orders each (multiply number by 2), and Infantry squads can also form Combined Squads. Can be combined with Laurels of Command, but only Lasguns will be affected.

Stratagems - Volley Fire (1 CP): Use before a Mordian Infantry unit shoots in the shooting phase; EACH TIME you roll a hit roll of 6+ for a model in that unit, that model can shoot again at the same target, with the same weapon, and these extra attacks cannot proc additional attacks. Better than Stormtroopers since it's firing the weapon again, instead of an extra shot from half range. You're SO combining this with FRFSRF.

• Sadly the September 2019 FAQ now changed it to "one additional hit roll". Still better than Stormtroopers since it's at full range, but we are now reduced to Orks, essentially giving us Dakka! Dakka! Dakka! for the price of 1 CP. And it is only on infantry. And it doesn't automatically hit. Yeah... On the bright side it doesn't specify unmodified hit rolls of 6, so if you really want to make use of the stratagem, you can take Aradia Madellan to give the unit +1 to hit and make it proc on a 5+. Or a Sabre Defense Searchlight, I guess. On the (grim)dark side, -1 modifiers to hit make the whole exercise pointless.

Special Characters

Tactical Objectives Tactics

Valhalla

In the grim darkness of the far future, lasguns are cheap but lives are cheaper.
The other Space Russian regiment, these ones are based on the Soviet Union and, more specifically, the Soviets during WW2.
On the tabletop, they often use infantry squads in combination with their doctrine and Relic to lessen or even ignore morale. Their stratagem is amazing in Open or Narrative play, but not worth it for Matched.

Regimental Doctrines - Grim Demeanour: Infantry units with this doctrine halve (rounding up) the number of models that flee if they fail morale tests, which makes them safer to use without a Commissar, especially Infantry squads with their smaller number and better Ld than Conscripts. Infantry heavy lists will have the flexibility to deploy forces all across the board, and squads with special weapons will be a nuisance until wiped out. Valhallan Vehicles with this doctrine that have damage tables instead count their remaining wounds as double their actual value for the purposes of determining what their characteristics are, meaning you remain at full operational ability for much longer.

• Some wound tables are affected more than others, but 11 wounds goes from 1-2/3-5/6-11 to 1/2/3-11 (meaning a repair on an injured model always improves it), while 26 goes from 1-6/7-13/14-26 to 1-3/4-6/7-26 (meaning you never need more than a full 3 repair to make it better).

Warlord Trait - Tenacious: Warlord gains 5+ FNP, 6+ if it's a Vehicle. Outright replaces the BRB warlord trait, Tenacious Survivor. Makes the Field Medic's and Ogry Bodyguard's jobs a bit easier. Effectively makes your Tank Commander W14, but there are often better things to do with your warlord trait.

Relics - Pietrov's MK 45: Infantry Officer only. The bearer may replace its Bolt Pistol with a better, AP-1 D2 Pistol 2 (as of Spring 2019 FAQ) Bolt Pistol that prevents friendly Valhallan units within 6" from losing more than 1 model per morale check, effectively replacing a Commissar - specifically the early 8th edition version that made your guys nearly immune to morale.

• Best used on Conscripts, since your doctrine already diminishes most of the effects of morale on the smaller Infantry Squads in normal circumstances, and if you have this you don't care how low their Ld is. The closest you'll come to playing Chenkov in 9th edition. Remember it doesn't affect non-Regimental units like a real Commissar does,and as of 9th it's the only way of getting this level of morale robustness in your army. A solid choice now - a Company Commander with this and Master of Command can walk 120 conscripts across the board and be an incredible pain in the жопа for everyone involved.
• Related to the above: since conscripts are unreliable on orders it's actually not optimal to bring this on a Company Commander. Put it on a Platoon Commander instead, and save your HQ slots for some tank commanders - after all, Chenkov isn't well known for his command ability!

Order - Fire On My Command!: The ordered unit can shoot at enemies that are within 1" of another friendly unit, but any hit roll of 1 is resolved as a hit against the friendly unit instead. If more than one friendly unit is present, choose which one gets hit. This order can't be issued to a unit which is itself within 1" of an enemy unit. Kill them all; the Emperor will know His own. Funnily enough, flamers are safe to use since they don't roll to hit. Told you Emps knew His own.

• Tie up a problematic unit with disposable Conscripts, then order your Heavy Weapon Squads to fire on your command...and then you bring the Second Wave - Iron Warriors, eat your hearts out. This order shines when it's YOU who is on the offensive, tying up the enemy with Bullgryn and Crusaders who actually want to be in melee and can't "Get Back in the Fight". Those squads are, in fact, so well armoured (3W/2+ and 1W/3++) they can tank a few Heavy Bolter misses better than Space Marines can tank successful hits. For other non-melee units, just Fall Back; "Take Aim!" and "FRFSRF" do more damage than shooting on allies if the latter's melee isn't anything out of the ordinary.
• Did you notice it only says "friendly units"? THEY DON'T EVEN NEED TO BE YOUR UNITS: Reivers and Infiltrators can easily survive a stray lasgun shot while still spooking -1Ld off the enemy squad, and Vanguard's Rad Saturation lets you hit a weakened enemy (especially if they are next to a Graia warlord), which you can't do otherwise. Multiple detachments! Apologize to your friends! Yay!
• Watch out for supercharged plasma: not only will the firing model be slain by the 1, but a friendly unit will also be hit. Do keep in mind, though, that Crusaders have a 3++ and one can revive on a 2+. Especially useful against Primaris.

Stratagems - Send In The Next Wave! (2 CP): Use this stratagem at the end of your movement phase. Select a Valhallan Infantry unit (no Characters or Consolidated squads) that has been destroyed earlier in the battle. Set it up wholly within 6" of your table edge and more than 9" away from enemy models.This would be amazing, but in Matched Play, this does cost reinforcement points. This is crippling - you have no tactical reason ever to hold back a unit you've already paid for, especially if it only arrives once a friendly identical unit has been destroyed and especially if it only shows up in your deployment zone. Since you should be running a battalion anyway though and trying to max out CP this rule is perfect for when games go badly, don't listen to other edits. It's an amazing Stratagem /s.

Special Characters

Tactical Objectives Tactics

Vostroya

In the grim darkness of the far future, Cossacks get ornate lasguns and more range than your average Guardsman.
One of the two Space Russian regiments, this one is based on the Cossacks and noblemen of the old Russian Empire, with the bling to back it up.
On the tabletop, they have more range than other regiments, and are generally best used as a static or slow moving gunline, enjoying their increased range and strategems.

Regimental Doctrines - Heirloom Weapons: All units with this doctrine extend the range of all Rapid Fire and Heavy weapons with a minimum range of 24" or more by 6". 30" RANGE MULTIMELTAS, as well as Demolishers and Punishers. You also get 42" heavy bolters and plasma cannons, and 54" mortars and lascannons, but that's less impressive. This Doctrine has the greatest impact on 24" guns since the relative buff is greatest on them. Guns with abilities that are relative to their range (Multi-Meltas, Magma Cannons, Rapid Fire guns) end up getting +3" to their half-range profile, a consequence of +6" to their maximum range. Yes, Demolisher squadrons can be a thing. They had that 15 point price drop late 2019 down to around 140 points each? Take three. Always. Blow them up with 30in multimeltas on your tank commanders. Drive them out from cover to king hit counterpunch knights off their feet.

Warlord Trait - Honored Duelist: Re-roll failed hit and wound rolls in the Fight phase for attacks made by your Warlord. Again, a shooty character trying to be in melee. Not terribly competitive.

Relics - The Armour of Graf Toschenko: The wearer gains Toughness 4 and Sv 2+, effectively giving your Company Commander Terminator resilience. Kit him out with Power Maul and Bolt Pistol, along with the Vostroyan Warlord trait and get yourself a cut-rate Terminator for only 35 points. Not a CQC monster by any means but he will hand any errant Sergeant-equivalent his arse on a platter. Though, the best defense is not being hit in the first place.

Order - Repel The Enemy!: Targeted unit can fire any of their weapons at enemies within 1" of themselves, like Pistols can. Doesn't give the actual Pistol weapon type, only the ability; you can still only use one grenade per shooting phase (without spending CP). Get Back In The Fight will usually get the same job done, but sometimes you don't have the luxury of falling back, e.g. you don't have enough space or you would lose control of an objective. In those cases, this can be a lifesaver.

• Combined with the Grenadiers stratagem, this can let a squad tie up the enemy and bite off their nose. A skilled opponent will often charge, wipe the front squad, and then consolidate into CC with the squads behind, ostensibly weakening your shooting. Pop this order, Grenadiers, and Firstborn Pride for good measure, and show him what's what.
• You can also use this to allow infantry squads or veterans to fight alongside proper melee units. Rough Riders, Ogryn types and allies can find themselves wanting help with nothing but guardsmen nearby. You won't be able to use this ability until the turn after they charge, but it can turn a combined squad with flamers or plasmas (and maybe a priest) into decent budget backup, whereas shotgun vets with specials (while crap in melee) will be dangerous to ignore.

Stratagems - Firstborn Pride (1 CP): Used at the start of the shooting phase. Select a friendly Vostroyan unit; they add 1 to all hit rolls. Use this to make your supercharged plasma weapons 100% safe; static Russ Executioners are your best source of plasma. Or have your conscripts shoot like real men (an you can always buff them further to hit on 3s if you take a Defensive Searchlight). Is this the best guard stratagem? So good. Tank Commanders fully kitted? Can all hit on 2s now. Shadowswords? Can all hit on 3s now.

Special Characters

Tactical Objectives Tactics

Death Korps of Krieg

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only death, atonement and trench warfare .
The Death Korps is a somber, fatalistic lot, based roughly on designs from WW1 and the Napoleonic Era. In lore, they fight grueling battles of attrition and slaughter to repay their debt to the Imperium.

On the tabletop, Kriegers stand out from the rest of the Regiments with their unique units, which tend to be specialized towards close-quarters combat. Combat Engineers bring their vicious shotguns and gas grenades to chop up and melt down the enemy, and the infamous Death Riders - the only Cavalry remaining in the Guard that are not Legends - are fast and deceptively strong and tough melee fighters.

In exchange, however Kriegers get no unique orders, stratagems, OR relics.

Special Rules

• Regimental Doctrin - Cult of Sacrifice: When taking Combat Attrition tests, no modifiers apply to your roll. This applies to all Infantry units listed above, not just the Death Korps exclusive ones. This rule helps mitigate the punishing effects of morale, which is both fluffy and reduces their dependency on Ld-boosting aura effects. In addition, if any Character or Vehicle dies by enemy fire (thus avoiding plasma misfires) and doesn't explode, you need to roll a 4+ to get one last attack or shot with one weapon.

Weapons and Wargear

• Gas Bombs: One half of the nightmare that is the Combat Engineer Squad. 6" Genade D6 S2 Ap-2 D1 Blast, and wounds anything that isn't a VEHICLE or Titanic on a 2+. Combos with the Grenadiers stratagem like nothing else.
• Engineer Shotgun: The other half of the Combat Engie dream team. 12" Assault 3 S4. Lost the awesome Carcass Shot from last edition, but still lets your dudes drop a small mountain of bolter-level attacks on an unsuspecting target.
• Melta Bomb: Currently removed from the Engie Watch Master as of IA Compendium
• Mole Launcher: A Krieg Combat Engineer exclusive, courtesy of their short beardy friends, this bad boy has half the range of a regular Mortar, but brings 1 more Strength and AP.
• Death Rider Hunting Lance: lance for your cavalry, give only Ap-1 but on the charge, it becomes S+2 Ap-3 D2.
• Savage Claws: even horse attack, Each Rider makes 2 additional S4 Ap-1 attacks.

Units

HQ

• Death Korps Marshal: The equivalent of a Company Commander with a power sword or chainsword and take a las, bolt, or plasma pistol. At the moment before the Guard's 9th codex, the Marshal is a 5pt cheaper way to give a Commander a power sword.

• Death Rider Squadron Commander: A Field Officer on a horse, with a boost to Toughness and Wounds to go with it. Having the same Augmented Mount ability as other Death Riders helps to increase his durability, and for obvious reasons, he's the go-to option for getting Orders to your cavalry.
  • Read that line again - Orders to Cavalry. Forget Rank Fire - with Move, move, move! your horses can cover a blistering 27" in a single turn. That's almost all the way across most boards. And if you've gotten stuck in and survived a turn of melee, order the squad to Fix Bayonets! To get 6 attacks per model (8 if they're Death Rider Veterans or Watch Masters). On their own, Death Riders are solid. With this guy in charge, they're downright nasty.
  • Also note that he can deliver Orders to Infantry as well - his improved speed can help him keep up with squads he's ordered to 'Move, move, move!'. And of course his toughness can help in the event your opponent brought a sniper.

• Death Korps Marshal Karis Venner: (Legends) Death Korps Marshal that removes half-strength penalty from Krieg Infantry within 6" and has a 5+++ FNP.

Troop

• DEATH KORPS GRENADIER SQUAD: (Legends) Tempestus Scions without the deep-strike and WS 3+. Listed at 7 points per model which is pretty good, though legends status.
• QUARTERMASTER CADRE SQUAD: (Legends) Apothecary with servitor assistance, giving your troops a 6++ FNP. As it's not a character, have to hide and pawn wounds to the servitors to keep the unit from the target. Frankly its kind of useful but just going to get shot, so its like a spooky distraction?

Transport

• STORM CHIMERA: (Legends) Replaces the muli-laser with a autocannon.

Elites

• Death Rider Commissar: (Legends) Mounted Commissar for speed along with the augmented mount abilities.

• Combat Engineer Squad: Shotgun infantry with decent 4+ armour save and BS 3+; quasi Stormtroopers, Krieg style! Has native deep strike, for a 5 man squad to belch 15 bolter rounds. If you prefer shooting shoot guns from cover, take a Mole Launcher which is a shorter range mortar with S5 & AP-1. Opponents are Recommended not get close as gas grenades (combo with grenade stratagem) can wreck most things that not a vehicle.
• Death Korps Death Rider Command Squad: A must-have for any list focusing on Death Riders. More elites Death Rider that get 2 lance attack. They don't take up slots for each Death Rider Squadron Commander you have, in case you also want to fill your fast attack slots also with other elites.
  • Practically the same price as the fast attack but a fixed size of 4 with no Sargent.

Fast Attack

• Death Korps Death Rider Squadron: 15pt per model. A big step up from the basic Rough Riders. Very quick durable and hard-hitting melee unit which is a big change for the shooty Imperial Guard. WS+4 & S3 but T4 W3 Sv4+/5+++ FNP, with a lance that hit about as hard as a human powerfist with steed producing 2 attacks that hit like Astartes Chainsword. They have the ability to outflank from reserves, so extra points for being able to get close to their charge target.
  • Combination of 4+, 5+FNP, and W3 makes this a great mobile tarpit unit.
  • Tougher than they are killier, but certainly tough for their points.
  • Let them fight GEQ and MEQ and they will serve you well. Against heavy assault infantry (termies, etc.) they aren't going to kill much but can survive longer than your opponent expects.

Tactics

• Outflanking Death Riders *Death Riders are perhaps the single greatest edge you have over any other IG regiment, Rough Riders simply cannot compare (despite going to legends although they do make excellent tank hunters). Use Flanking Maneuvers to put up to 45 horses in your opponent's backfield. Death Rider Command units are no longer required to allow your Death Riders to Flank. Death Rider Command Squads can also not take up Force Org Slots if taken at a 1:1 radio with Death Rider Commanders. An all Death Rider army is perfectly feasible and highly competitive, though it works best when supported by a horde of infantry and mortar artillery.
• Combat Engineers' We lost Carcass Shot and the ability to bring special weapons, but gas Grenades make splinter rifles look tame by comparison. If your Engineers get locked in melee (and with a 12" threat range it's going to happen) fall back 6", Get Back In the Fight!", and then use the Grenadiers stratagem to lob 10 gas Grenades at your opponent.
  • Your Engineers will need a transport, either a Centaur (Legends) if you're running them in MSU or a Chimera for a full squad and a Field Officer. A Field officer with The Dagger of Tu'Sakh with a full squad of engineers coming in behind the enemy is very powerful. Just say they tunneled up from below.
• Krieg used to be the best IG regiment when it comes to melee (other than Catachans). We lost WS3+, higher Ld, and old Cult of Sacrifice, but we keep our Death Riders and can now run Ogryns/Bullgryns that we previously didn't have. We can also take Telepathica units to help boost some of our units on the field.
• Krieg excels in games with heavy terrain like few other armies. Deathriders aren't impeded by charging through cover while mortar artillery ignores cover saves completely. And Combat Engineers are even in better in Cities of Death where they can benefit from Fire In the Hole.*Tunneling Engineers the other great unit we have is engineers, these guys are king at deleting enemy units. Give a field officer the relic dagger (or shovel) and pop up from the flanks and let an enemy unit eat 15-30 Shotguns shots.

Elysian Drop Troops

In the grim darkness of the far future, some times the only way forward is feet first into Hell.
Elysians Drop Troops are the paratroopers of the 41st millenium. Guardsman life expectancy is short as is, and Elysians even more so, but its a job that needs to be done and glory never dies. On the tabletop, Elysians are your airborn support. While they lack heavy armour, their heaviest unit being the Tauros Venator, they make up for it with tactical flexibility and the ability to deploy anywhere they damn well please.

Update January 2021

The start of 9th edition has been sadly very disappointing for Elysia. We did not feature at all in the Imperial Armour Compendium (Nov 2020) which is the 9th edition textbook for FW units. As of the Warhammer Legends update at the end of 2020, it got even worse. We no longer exist as a faction in either official GW rules or Warhammer Legends. This was to be expected given we have been out of production at FW for many years now, but bad news for folks with (very expensive) Elysian armies on their shelves.

The only Elysian units making it to Legends were Sniper Teams, the Skytalon transporter and the Tauros & Tauros Venator. But our army-wide ability to aerial drop (deep strike) is now gone entirely, as have our unique twists on infantry squads (better LD and different weapon options), officer traits (iron discipline), and our unique orders are dead. Breacher charges and lascutters remain a wargear option via Legends. Battlescribe has also now been updated to reflect this. So to play Elysians using official/legends rules, your only bet is to use the standard Codex: Astra Militarum and maybe use custom regiment traits as appropriate.

But did you really think we'd die that easily? Drop Troopers don't die, we just go to Hell and regroup!

That's right kids. Your faith in the immortal God-Emperor of Mankind will trump all retcons and rule changes. The Elysian Drop Troops Discord community has grown exponentially and began a project to create a full, glorious homebrew Codex: Drop Troops. This covers all Guard airborne infantry, including Elysia, D99, Harakoni Warhawks, Phantine Skyborne (of Gaunt's Ghosts fame) and rules for creating your own custom regiments. Designed to be played in "friendly" Matched Play and Crusade games, this will never see the inside of a tournament or a GW store. But it has been an awesome way to keep Drop Troop armies alive and rearm them with a full suite of stratagems, units and high quality rules. Because hell yes you should be able to deploy an entire army from Valkyries. This is Romeo Foxtrot, shall we dance?

CODEX: DROP TROOPS RELEASED! August 2021 - Alpha 2.1 has officially dropped, with 180 pages of fully-illustrated homebrew awesome. Let's show the GW Studio how to do a Codex. Filled with artwork, photos, lore and rules - Codex: Drop Troops covers not only the Elysians but all the Airborne regiments of the Imperial Guard, including the Harakoni Warhawks, Phantine Skyborne and our own creations - plus custom rules to design your own. It features a host of new units, stratagems and a full suite of optional Crusade rules. Download the Codex here. Submit feedback and playtesting here, and join our Discord here. Full 1d4chan write-up on the Codex to follow!

Regimental Doctrine, Stratagems, Orders, Warlord Traits, Relics

Are all gone as of the Imperial Armour Compendium and Warhammer Legends update of 2020 (9th Edition). RIP. The remaining options below can be taken via Warhammer Legends only (with the exception of the Cyclops). So since the Elysian Drop Troops no longer exist as a faction, your best bet would be to run a standard Codex: Astra Militarum army and select Elysian Drop Troops as your <Keyword>. Technically as a named Regiment you wouldn't be allowed to take a Custom Regiment Doctrine a la Psychic Awakening: The Greater Good, but always have a word with your opponent to see if you can. Since our few remaining options are Legends, we can't play in official Matched Play rules now anyway.

Weapons and Wargear

The following two options are added to the Astra Militarum Special Weapons List, but are only available if your <REGIMENT> are Elysian Drop Troops. Seems a bit much to have access to these in return for having no Regimental Doctrine...

• Breacher charges (Legends): Now a Grenade D6 S8 AP-3 D3 profile, but can only be used once per battle. Swingy but fun.
• Lascutters: Elysian Drop Troops can take lascutters (an S9 AP-3 D1d3 melee weapon which can only make 1 attack) as special weapons. From a competitive perspective, these are neither worth the special weapons slots nor the points. Charging from deep strike is about a 28% chance, and charging from Valkyries is expensive. Even if you get your veterans (or whatever squad you put these on) unharmed into melee, it is very hard to imagine a scenario where this would outperform some shooting with a melta or plasma gun. If efficiency is not something that concerns you, it can be quite a bit of fun. Theoretical cool setups include 10 veterans with 3 lascutters, a breacher charge, and a power fist, or 3 command squads with 12 lascutters, or 2 special weapons squads with 6 lascutters.

Units

Elites

• Elysian Sniper Squad (Legends): A Heavy Weapons Squad but carrying one Sniper Rifle per team instead of a heavier weapon, though with BS3+ instead. Laughably cheap making them some of the most point-efficient anti-character units in the game. However they do not have Aerial Drop on their datasheet, and with the Elysian faction effectively having been killed off, they can no longer deepstrike.
• Elysian Drop Sentinels (Legends): They are more expensive than regular guard sentinels but can aerial drop, now hard-coded into their datasheet. If you don't aerial drop them, they have the Scout Vehicle rule allowing them a free move after deployment before battle begins, same as regular Scout Sentinels. For weapons they can take either a heavy flamer or a multi-melta, two options which the regular Guard versions cannot take. You can add a Hunter-Killer Missile, but be aware that Drop Sentinels can not benefit from sentinel-specific stratagems from the Guard rules as those reference specific Armoured Sentinel or Scout Sentinel keywords from the main book.
  • Alternate Take: You're deep striking a Multi Melta for 55 points now, which is pretty good. Having 6 wounds on T5 means they are gonna get killed, but a unit of three can force your opponent to completely change their strategy, allowing you to counter their movements. What makes these useful is their ability to stay out of anti deep string bubbles while still firing at full effect, and they will require your opponent to prioritize them. They also possess the scout vehicle rule, allowing you to deploy them on the board and strike hard and fast if you need to. Otherwise, using them as tough(ish) suicide Multi Melta units seems to be the only useful role for them.

Fast Attack

• Tauros Assault Vehicles (Legends): Remains a <REGIMENT> keyword so not restricted to Elysians, however with the Elysian army faction no-more, these lose Aerial Drop. Can pack either a Heavy Flamer or a Tauros Grenade Launcher (twin stock GL) plus a Hunter-Killer Missile. Is insanely fast and gains a 5++ if it advances, with the dude clinging on for dear life on the back still blasting since the GL is an Assault weapon. An effective harassment and board-control option, worth remembering that blast weapons cannot be fired in melee, but heavy flamers can. Can be taken in squads of up to 3.
• Tauros Venators (Legends): The AV's bigger brother, identical statline but packing either a Twin Multilaser or Twin Lascannon. Again can be taken in a pack of up to 3.

Heavy Support

• Cyclops Demolition Vehicle:Funnier than when other Regiments take it because unlike them, you can drop this right next to the enemy. You can't drop it close enough to actually threaten them, since it won't explode past 6 inches and you'll be more than 9 inches away, but it's still a very disquieting 60 point ball of worry - and, of course, if you drop it next to some enemy melee units, they really won't want to deal with it themselves. Not updated for 9th Edition Imperial Armour Compendium

Flyers

• Valkyrie Sky Talon (Legends): A heavy-lift variant of the stock Valkyrie, this can transport either one Tauros or 2 Drop Sentinels. For weapons it can either take 2x Multiple Rocket Pods or 2 Hellstrike Missiles... except that Hellstrike Missiles technically no longer exist in the game as the Imperial Armour Compendium replaced them with the differently-named Hellstrike Missile Rack... thanks GW. A beautiful model and a fun concept, but with Drop Sentinels being able to Aerial Drop themselves and the Tauros being fast-as-fuck anyway, this seems very expensive for the points.

Tactics

Matchups and Counter-play

<tabs> <tab name="10th">

Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (10th Edition)

General Tactics	General Weapons Terrain
Imperium	Space Marines (Black Templars, Blood Angels, Dark Angels, Deathwatch, Space Wolves) Grey Knights
	Adeptus Mechanicus Adeptus Titanicus Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Sisters of Battle
	Adeptus Custodes & Sisters of Silence Imperial Agents (Inquisition, Rogue Traders, etc.)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons World Eaters)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Chaos Titans
Eldar	Eldar (Craftworlds, Corsairs, Harlequins, Ynnari) Dark Eldar
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults
Votann	Leagues of Votann

</tab>

<tab name="9th">

Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (9th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications Tactical Terrain Weapons Apocalypse
Imperium	Space Marines (Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Space Wolves) Grey Knights
	Adeptus Mechanicus Adeptus Titanicus Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Sisters of Battle
	Adeptus Custodes & Sisters of Silence Inquisition Officio Assassinorum Rogue Traders
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons World Eaters)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Craftworld Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins Ynnari
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults
Votann	Leagues of Votann

</tab>

<tab name="8th">

Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (8th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications Apocalypse
Imperium	Space Marines Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Talons of the Emperor (Custodes and Sisters of Silence) Adeptus Mechanicus
	Adeptus Ministorum (Sisters of Battle and minor factions) Adeptus Titanicus
	Imperial Knights Imperial Guard Inquisition Officio Assassinorum
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (Death Guard Thousand Sons)
	Chaos Daemons Chaos Knights Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults

</tab>

<tab name="7th">

Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (7th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications
Imperium	Space Marines (Siege Assault Vanguard) Blood Angels Dark Angels Deathwatch Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Adeptus Custodes Cult Mechanicus Skitarii Adeptus Sororitas
	Imperial Knights Inquisition Officio Assassinorum
	Imperial Guard (Armoured Battlegroup Death Korps of Krieg Assault Brigade Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment Elysian Drop Troops D-99)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines Khorne Daemonkin Chaos Daemons Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Harlequins Corsairs
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks Ork Dred Mob
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids Genestealer Cults

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (6th Edition)

General Tactics	General Movement Psychic Fortifications
Imperium	Space Marines Blood Angels Dark Angels Grey Knights Space Wolves
	Adeptus Sororitas Inquisition
	Imperial Guard (Armoured Battlegroup Death Korps of Krieg Assault Brigade Death Korps of Krieg Siege Regiment Elysian Drop Troops) Militarum Tempestus
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines Chaos Daemons Renegades and Heretics
Eldar	Eldar Dark Eldar Corsairs
Necrons	Necrons
Orks	Orks Ork Dred Mob
Tau	Tau
Tyranids	Tyranids

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Warhammer 40,000 Tactics Articles (All)

General Tactics	General (8th) Movement (8th 7th) Psychic (8th 7th 2nd) Fortifications (8th 7th) Tactical Terrain Apocalypse (8th)
Imperium (8th)	Space Marines (8th 7th 6th 5th 4th 3rd) Blood Angels (8th 7th) Dark Angels (8th 7th) Deathwatch (8th 7th) Grey Knights (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd, AKA Daemonhunters) Space Wolves (8th 7th 6th 5th)
	Talons of the Emperor (Custodes and Sisters of Silence) (8th 7th) Adeptus Mechanicus (8th 7th) Adeptus Ministorum (Sisters of Battle and minor factions) (8th 7th 6th 3rd, AKA Witch Hunters) Adeptus Titanicus (8th)
	Imperial Knights (8th 7th) Imperial Guard (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd) Inquisition (8th 7th 6th) Officio Assassinorum (8th 7th)
Chaos	Chaos Space Marines (8th 7th 6th 5th) Death Guard (8th) Khorne Daemonkin - 7th Edition Thousand Sons (8th) Chaos Daemons (8th 7th) Chaos Knights (8th) Renegades and Heretics (8th 7th 6th)
Eldar	Eldar (8th 7th 6th 5th) Dark Eldar (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd Revised) Harlequins (8th 7th)
Necrons	Necrons (8th 7th 6th 5th 4th)
Orks	Orks (8th 7th 6th 5th 3rd) Ork Dred Mob - 7th edition (6th 5th) Ork Kult of Speed - 3rd edition Feral Orks - 3rd edition
Tau	Tau (8th 7th 6th 5th)
Tyranids	Tyranids (8th 7th 6th 5th) Genestealer Cults (8th 7th)

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