Infantry Squads in Ninth Edition - Rules, Review + Tactics for Imperial Guard / Astra Militarum

Grab your lasgun, there's a new edition inbound!
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[@NoUseForAName06]

Move move move has to be my favorite order. It just feels like a really nice warm blanket. You can always correct movement mistakes by using it in the shooting phase and you never really feel that bad for skipping shooting on a barebones guard squad. Such a nice option to have in your back pocket.

[@bonomael7902]

I have once win a week-end long battle with this order, people don't think of this order and see you are to far away of the objective. And last second you launch your order and cease the victory. Beautiful , really

[@Pikilloification]

This order is probably the best Guard can offer. And the rerolling ones with TCs.

[@0jutai]

Honestly, the biggest strength of the humble guardsman, is that people ALWAYS underestimate them. As you’ve demonstrated, they’re very effective, point-for-point, and while people like to meme about how lasguns are glorified flashlights, a couple of guardsmen can smoke lightly armoured infantry pretty effectively, and in great enough numbers, but hurt on elite infantry like marines

[@fan9775]

Mine are always getting over-estimated.

[@ConfusedGuardsman]

I'll run a lasgun and vox caster squad into rapid fire range, and give them 1st rank fire 2nd rank fire. This mean I get 36 shots. I have wiped 5 man space marine squads.

[@AlvarazCMSB]

just happy i never bought more grots since they cost the same as a guardsman

[@markhohenbrink5230]

I think when the new codexs come out there are going to be more points changes across the board at a faction basis. Another 5 point increase for very unit except for the horde guys may work out. The games will be smaller and elites will be more elite.

[@charlesb.1945]

Yeah dude I’m stoked that my cultists cost MORE than a fucking guardsman that makes so much sense!!!!!

[@kompatybilijny9348]

@@charlesb.1945 We came round the full circle, for the majority of 8th cultusts were 5pts and guardsmen were 4pts

[@charlesb.1945]

Kompatybilijny ikr like why?? I think if they want everything to cost more then 5 point cultists would be great, same as guard but not as good, but I wouldn’t complain. 4 is great and fluffy because there are supposed to be hoards of cultists. But 6?? Like shit dude.

[@jsizzlesaurusrex]

@@charlesb.1945 well, you have to consider what a cultist does for the army they are attached to as opposed to the guardsman. You can have them in a detachment alongside CSM, unlike guardsman and space marines.

[@mothersmilkltd4329]

Regarding the voxcaster. In 9th edition, enemies can choose the secondary objective of eliminating characters. Giving orders from 18 can take away a few victory points from the enemy.

[@Stuffandstuff974]

I fully believe that with the new rules the best option is going to be the full fat brigade detachment and having a good mix of everything. Infantry to clog up the midfield and deep striking, tanks and artillery for damage output and sentinels/hellhounds to just be an obnoxious theat for your opponent to have to consider instead of the tanks.

[@bryanpierce5000]

I think something to consider with Grenade launchers is that they have more value in command squads. Plugging 4 in a squad that is shooting on 3+ instead of 4+ can actually get some work done. Melta and Plasma seem like a good choice but the 5 points only applies to BS 4+ models. Doubles in points on BS 3+ models. So have some flexibility and still cheaper special weapon is nice in command squads. Krak good for those MEQ and frag nice for infantry clearing. Wouldn’t think as useful though in Vet squads as the overall cost is higher with bodies

[@Snoopy.8613]

I think they Are really bad in command squads 18" range, no guardsmen to také wounds instead of them. They Will die to 2 intercessors taking a shot at them

[@Blacksheep045]

I was running grenade launchers on my Lambdan Lions because that additional -1 AP made them actually a very wothwhile upgrade for 3 points on stormtrooper squads I was keeping cheap. Now, with the price of plasma/fusion rifles coming down and grenade launchers going up, there's no way I'd take them even with the additional-1 AP, and certainly not without it.

[@Snoopy.8613]

@@Blacksheep045 yeah. Even can go with volleyguns. -3ap

[@bryanpierce5000]

Snoopy8613 yeah I see your point. I use them as a death squad. Come in or even from reserve. Hit something hard and die. They are cheap and not meant to live. If someone’s Intercessors are shooting them great! That is less pressure on my main squads who are doing the objective work

[@bryanpierce5000]

Blacksheep045 when it comes to scions agreed. Not worth it. That is a good point. I was just talking standard guard command

[@MarcinObuchowski]

Got 200 of those guys but it doesn't seem to be valid this time :D

[@miklow6605]

Make some of them veterans etc.

[@zaganim3813]

of course it is, thats just 1000 points to swarm the whole board forever. then take 3 manticores and three wyverns on top of that and add any other tank that hunts big things

[@Jarms48]

@@zaganim3813 In 5th and 6th I had 3 blobs of 50 guardsmen. At the start of 8th I had 3 battalions with 3 squads of 20 conscripts. Then later in 8th I had a minimum of 3 battalions with 3 infantry squads.

[@theblindbuildergrandminuti5648]

Conscripts being on the point; might just be the point, but I got to say; paying 5pts for grotz and conscripts feels bad man.

[@MyDelta38]

I think Grots and Conscripts should be 4 points, and cultists should be 5. Big hoard units like tons of Gretchin and Conscripts have been nerfed enough with blast and coherency changes. The high points cost is just too much. I wont be running conscripts anytime in the near future.

[@Jarms48]

@@MyDelta38 I think conscripts have been dead for awhile, they were good at the start of 8th and then nerfed to uselessness. It really sucks. 4 points might actually make them viable.

[@MyDelta38]

@@Jarms48 Yeah, the drop to squads of 30 instead of 50 and the 50% for orders to be ignored was enough of a nerf, the increase to 4 points in 8 was beating a dead horse. Any two of those nerfs would have been enough for the conscripts to not be auto-take like early 8th, but all three really make them useless. Wish they would give commissars a rule where they can make the guard better at doing orders, would be a fun thing I think and a fluffy way to help conscripts

[@Jarms48]

@@MyDelta38 I think they should have just removed the option to give conscripts orders entirely and left them at 3 points. Now in 9th they're still just as bad, they should have been 4 points compared to a Guardsmens 5.

[@MyDelta38]

@@Jarms48 Theybused to be 4 points back in 7th edition. They had their uses. I would love to run a 50 man blob of Conscripts with Straken, a priest, and the named female Primaris Psyker to get a super nasty combat blob going. She could make them hit on 4s, the priest (if in a conclave) could make them re-roll 1s, and between the priest and Stracken 3 S4 attacks per model. Alas that will never be.

[@DeadWayfes]

Well you can no longer take vigilus formations in 9th competitive so i dont see a lot of people taking them

[@christopherjohnson9485]

The best combos I've done is put guardsmen in reserves with an officer and snipe objectives after clearing/thinning them with artillery using the move order. It works better than tempestus because you can deepstrike and move in without charging and dying.

[@saurosthewise7371]

Well. I could always bring 20 squads of 5 Intercessors each. Then I avoid blast

[@LordAlbrecht]

Sure but then you don't get any command points

[@saurosthewise7371]

@@LordAlbrecht who jeeds em when i have... 100 ASSAULT BOLTERS. assume there was a big echo Edit, I mean the bolters you can run and gun with. I don't use them so I don't know what they are called.

[@LordAlbrecht]

assault bolters are the things inceptors have. Do you mean autobolt rifles?

[@gon-play1227]

You have forgottenThe Rule of 3 bro xd

[@linkofvev]

@@gon-play1227 Doesn't work for troops or dedicated transports. MOAR INTERCESSORS!

[@MyDelta38]

Have they addressed how the Astropath's ignore cover ability interacts with Dense Cover? Is the minus 1 to hit considered a benefit of cover? Astropaths would be super helpful if they can help units ignore the minus one to hit, especially since any penalties to hit for guard units tends to get pretty brutal.

[@paraphidd]

Something I’m curious about is if the Leman Russ Vanquisher is any more viable than before now, anyone know whether it is any more useful now with the new rules buffing vehicles??

[@fan9775]

Its just too under-killy. Either needs more AP or more strength.

[@restoredtuna8264]

I’m currently in the process of making my first guard strategy, I’m not very wealthy so I can’t go spending just to find out I’m not interested in the units I bought. What I’m devising is that I’m going to use catachan rules, specializing in infantry and light vehicles. Mostly sentinels, with a few chimeras. And the infantry will use move move move to reach the front line with meltas and 1 flamer (I bought the box when it had nothing else) to help the sentinels while squads with snipers and auto cannons hold back. And perhaps I’ll find a use for scions as specialist objective grabbers. And I think I want a commissar in the fray just for the looks. I’ll probably get a few more different units as needed like maybe a few tanks if my enemy is particularly tough but I think this is what I’m going for. Edit: I also have a detachment of space marines at my disposal, I could bring in some terminators or devastators.

[@Fenix3513]

They mingt be unviable now in 9th, but I'll be damned if I get rid of my infantry squads. The whole brigade of them will be running around the battlefield being useless.

[@patgray5402]

Think of them as meltagun delivery systems.

[@FunkBastid]

Hell ya

[@Fenix3513]

@@patgray5402 Primaris think they are special with their 2 wound eradicators? Our melta guns have 10 wounds.

[@Snoopy.8613]

@@Fenix3513 3W T5 3+. Not 2W

[@Fenix3513]

@@Snoopy.8613 Pff, more that 3 times less than our wounds. Amateurs. And we can pay 90 points if we want 3 meltas with 10 wounds and BS 3. Those poor, poor primaris marines...

[@Pikilloification]

Any kind of extra gear on these guys is usually wasted time. Couple of volleys into them and they are flying like chaff... I much rather assign those to vets/command squads or company commanders, at least I know I may get a couple hits with.

[@Jarms48]

Yep. Ever since 8th I've just kept them as cheap screens and CP filler with no upgrades. Now in 9th they're just the meatshields.

[@nathanieleck1023]

Don’t get me wrong, there’s a very valid argument there, but previously paying 4 points for a bolter and a grenade launcher was an exceptionally good idea, as both were practically free and really punched certain targets. Even now, I’d say it’s worth it to toss in a plasma gun, as if it hits a higher value tank one time, it’s made its points back. If it kills and intercessor, it’s made it’s points back, Hell, if it kills a guardsman it makes its points back.

[@UnsolicitedContext]

Which is why I’m playing DK until further notice, 5 man grenadier squad; fun toys/scout move to screen, no morals issues from shooting, and death riders, what’s not to like. And if you have a problem w the regiment having a different aesthetic, I’ve got a lot of tallarn to talk to you about...

[@randomlygeneratedname]

Until you get discontinued as well

[@lincolnmv4043]

Eh I think I'm going to mostly play Crusade anyway. That'll still be fun with infantry squads

[@johnadam4004]

As you put it, the Gaurdsman is the games best screen, but I always believed that screens are as good as who they protect, in order to sell their lives dearly they must enable someone or some thing to deal considerable damage. my question is 'who is the capital ship to the guardsman screen?'. tank commanders are just well trained tanks, and the baneblade is not as powerful as it once was. who is worth protecting besides the front gate to the parking lot full of long-range guns?

[@peterpackard45]

Alas, scions are eternally a footnote

[@McRalphinson]

We'll get our day one day! (hopefully)

[@georgestauber2636]

The big problem with guard squads is keeping them from getting blown off the table. I wasn't impressed with them before the blast rule got changed. I think your better off just taking the basic Scions and keeping them in deep strike.

[@Jarms48]

I was thinking this as well. If you keep the minimum 5 man squads of scions you're effectively nerfing everyone else's blast weapons. Then you hold them all in reserve and deploy them where needed. Give them plasma guns as well and you have a ton of targeted plasma attacks.

[@helikontex2467]

Deep striking scions and plasma guns next to tanks rips them a part

[@codykrueger796]

So now that the new rules for voters has been released at 2 damage, how different is it from the autocannon?

[@gerritvandenbosch4681]

Grenadiers are finally useful now!!!!! Although only against other hordes.

[@Beinirham]

I have spammed missile launchers, flamers, and vox casters in every infantry squad except one squad has a grenade launcher. I hope they do better than you say.

[@tomrulz11]

Does anyone know if they will ever rerelease other regiments ?

[@chappy4756]

With how the Blast rule is written, would an infantry squad with a Hvy Wep team now only be 9 models, and not have the big blast rule applied to them? Same with heavy weapon squads which strictly speaking are only 3 models.

[@Kingofsea7591]

Its 11 or more nets u max shots below that is min 3

[@Jarms48]

@@Kingofsea7591 The only thing it has an effect on is the VP point for killing 10 models. But it'd only amount to an average of 1 less VP to the enemy per game.

[@maximeboure9028]

When I read Statline I see Staline

[@fredbutez7973]

Me too xd

[@drebodollaz3504]

I’m collecting CATACHAN and just purchased the snipers blister. How would they be used best? Added to an infantry squad? Veteran? Special weapons?

[@ernestsmith5044]

Im nowhere near to being guard expert but i would put my snipers in command squads or maybe veterans and keep then near some reroll 1s to hit while giving them bring it down order.

[@Jarms48]

Command squads are the best place to put them, they're relatively cheap and benefit from the BS 3+. You can almost get 2 squads of 4 snipers for the cost of 1 veteran squad of snipers. The only issue with this is that as soon as the enemy targets them they're dead. So you want to try and put them as far away as your range will allow and preferably in cover. Or just proxy one as a Vindicator assassin they're better snipers in every way.

[@jonathanpilonduhamel9827]

Hey Auspex, could you take a look to Crusaders? I'm building some and I'm hearing all sorts of heretical slander about them.

[@Jarms48]

They got nerfed pretty heavily compared to the other things in the guard codex.

[@jonathanpilonduhamel9827]

@@Jarms48 That's sad... they were a nice unit in my opinion. Not game winning but, conversion worthy...

[@dragomusic4907]

Why do Guardsmen cost less then cultists? :(

[@LeCharles07]

Our exquisite logistical infrastructure.

[@dragomusic4907]

@@LeCharles07 yes of course the adminstratum is known for its excellent handling of resources my mistake

[@rosalindacaseley6996]

Lost my faith after 6th Ed... May the Emperor forgive me (and the Inquisition not find out...)

[@nicholaswalsh4462]

I really want Veterans to become Troops instead of Elites, giving me a better infantry alternative to Scions. Right now, it's Conscripts, Infantry, or Scions with my only middle ground between Infantry Squad and Scion Squad being the Elite slot Veteran Squad. Plus, with Conscripts and regular Infantry being 5 points now, the Veterans can be a nice choice for 3+ ballistic skill at the relatively cheap cost of 7-ish points (I'm not entirely sure on the current points cost of all Astra Militarum units going into 9th, sorry). But yeah, that's my opinion. Make Veterans a Troop choice instead of an Elite and give my Sergeants lasguns.

[@Jarms48]

This, if Conscripts were 4 points they might actually be worth it as well.

[@666LilBull]

What you mean whit durable they get kill super easy, every faction has basically infantry whit S4 -1ap so you wound hold any objective. To cast spykic power u need to sacrifice HQ spot .

[@markhohenbrink5230]

You can bring 3 astropaths in the elite slot and they cast psychic powers.

[@miklow6605]

They are durable for the points you pay. Paying 50 points for 10 wounds is cheap.

[@666LilBull]

@@miklow6605 first, i rather pay 85 point for space marines that cant die and kill 20 guardsman. Second there suppose to hold a objective for one hole turn which they cant know because basically every new stuff has weapon whit S4 -1Ap, so pay to win get all the new stuff to play. Third theres better cheaper screens then guardsman, like servitors, every cheap character or go to corner of the table and put a unit infrond of what you wand to screen.

[@666LilBull]

@@markhohenbrink5230 Astropath only cast whit one dice ! and everything 4+ to cast so 50% you fail strait away.

[@miklow6605]

@@666LilBull That is only if you want to cast smite.

[@teaandmedals7677]

Correction*. Little more than a flashlight for a gun and cardboard for armour

[@miklow6605]

Cardboard is stil better than a T-shirt.

[@karl-erikvik4967]

I'm gonna pu 4 squads in a Stormlord with an autocannon and sniper rifle each.

[@stupidfrog2205]

Aggressors go BRATT BRATT

[@linkofvev]

Or PHWOSH PHWOSH

[@konigstiger3252]

24" melta says tanks go bye bye

[@konigstiger3252]

GW: just play SM :)

[@FunkBastid]

It’s genuinely incredible to watch marines get more and more models, while they are cutting models for other factions, especially when the guard hasn’t gotten new infantry in well over a decade.

[@miklow6605]

@@FunkBastid They may get to them after replacing the entire old SM range.

[@AMDiety]

Too many ads far to many

[@defiante1]

We need more of this, unit recaps for 9th edition. A lot of your 8th edition videos have suddenly aged and are no longer valid anymore, especially anything involving a vehicle and heavy weapons.

[@Leifenguard]

Just don't play guard, and use them as intercessor proxies.