Alot of the choices made depend very much what sort of battlefield you are playing on. Me and my mate very often played several games on the same battlefield but swapped sides. 2nd battles often very different and even more fierce. Often battlefield setup and visiting player sets out half objectives then roll to choose sides day or so before actual battle. makes a big difference seeing what your fighting on before selecting troops.
As for using vindicatirs vs sh tanks is certainly different, can see advantages, but I would rather use shadowswords or my titans to destroy sh tanks, or catch them in rear.

Hellhounds only really effective if attacking buildings as can engulf building and catch whatever is stacked behind. I very often have the flamer on my warhounds with a turbo laser destructor,(titans discussion coming here soon)

Sounds good
will give it a try maybe

Another fact for liking Vindicators is that
it is that is one of the few units a SM army can bear which uses a better "to-hit-roll" than 5+

Imperial guard detachments

Deathstrike missile battery - not worth it, missiles travel slower. Get them mounted on a titan as one shot and no travel time

Thudd gun - not a bad support unit 2bp but only 75cm range. More use against infantry or coveing a defending unit.

Mole mortar - same price as thudd gun but longer 150cm range, weak barrage. Very hard to get a titan stuck in crater. Hardly ever use except with marines sometimes.

Land speeder - effective close combat but if you can use them well getting them in position can inflict good damage. +3caf 3+ -2 weapon and 30cm basic move

Tarantula -one of the better support units firing once in each shooting phase with 75cm range and -2 save. For 100 points I often field them as a filler if defending an area.

Sentinel squadron -I like these alot, very often overlooked, they are great working with armour as anti-infantry with a 4+ to hit and a 2+ caf and able to keep up with armour.

Hellhound - another useful unit especially in built up maps or against large infantry formations.

Robots - jot a program down for them and let them go.good 2caf slightly longer range gun 75cm. But they ate a pain to get points of as you have to kill all 4 for just 1 point, even worse if opponent fields 5+ units of them.

Chimera - if transport bit better than a rhino but only useful for moving heavy set as other det tobig for the 3 chimeras in a det.

Chimera variants - better weapon options but for 150 points but pricey. Only really support and better options available.

Hydra det - over priced and not much use. Great for snap fire but if enemy has no air they can't shoot anything else but titans.

Thunderbolt fighter - don't often use these as bit too short range and easy targets. But if you can manouver them well they can be effective, 3 shot -1 gun and 3 barrages 4bp they can cause lots of damage.

Maurader fb - This version I like, double range weapons if 50cm and barrages and a heavy battlecannon for those sht, and other armour. May be bit pricey at 350 but worth it if you can use them well.

Tech Guard

There aren't many non titan formations with these as they are titan orientated, but the knights are very good.

TG titan defence company - Handy infantry formation, pretty bog standard. handy for holding ground or just covering, primarily for deployment in a Imperator titan to defend from boarders. Small point is that there is only one hq stand.

TG Mech company - same as tg defence company but with chimeras. poorer troops than tact marines but better transport with a slightly longer range gun. Good for getting forward and taking ground.

TG mech assault comp - A later addition not well thought out. as same as tg mech but with assault troops and chimera variants and extra 150 points. Would of been better same price as normal mech with assault troops. or heavy or tactical with chimera variants. have never deployed this formation

TG heavy mech platoon - handy heavy det to get into position fast, although bit pricey. may be better to get tg heavy comp and have 3 chimera dets with it cheaper.

TG - Knights

shield, all knights have a shield that negates the save modifier to their front. even if a plasma cannon will still just be a normal save roll if it hits on the knights front 90 degrees. You need to always watch your facing with your knights so they dont get side hits.

Lance, this gives the knight double its caf IF it charges into combat. makes paladins +8 in close combat

If you get copy of knight households you can field households of not just paladins but lancers and knight errants also.

Paladin - great alround knight with a +4 caf and a battlecannon thats 4+ with a -2. One minute a great tank hunter next close combat rampage. 20cm move also so good mobility and +3 saving roll too.

Lancer - Although not as tough as the paladin in close combat it still has same weapon. Also has a power lance which means if given charge orders it can fire this off at begining of close combat section. the power lance hits on a 3+ with a -3 save, believe me put that in the rear of a titan they will know about it and hopefully you should cause major damage or even kill it if strikes in the right place. 25cm move so very quick across the battlefield.

Errant - Not actually fielded this one yet. between the paladin and lancer for caf with +3 but has a 2 shot weapon with a -3 save although only 25cm range. seems to me like a ground based jet bike.

Castellan - one of the 2 support knights, doesn't have a lance but still has a shield and a 2+ save. Heavy duty with a quake cannon and a 3 shot 50cm range autocannon. ideal for covering fire and taking buildings down.

Crusader - 2nd of the support knights same as castellan but the autocannon replaced with a 2 shot lascannon with a -2 save. so ideal for tank hunting.

Baron - commander, like a paladin and lancer in one with +1 to knights morale within 10cm. battlecannon has 2 shots and has a power lance as well so very effective, although 150 points.

Am putting titans in seperate thread as people vary wildly in what the think and like in regards titans

Chimeras give a Imperial army the speed it needs
with 3+ armour save and 4+ to hit
they give excellent support to Inf. and tanks

Hydras are great too IMO.
Do not forget that the are also able to shoot at troops in buildings and on hills
12 attack dice are fantastic
any flyer formation will take heavy damage
another good use is to take down Titan´s/gargant´s shields

We play a houserule:
any AA unit may also shoot at ground troops, like the Eldar firestorm

Totally agree about the knights here
Errants and Lancers are difficult since their CAF is low
with a bit luck they can be devastating, though.

We used Knights for hunting Tyranid Titans most.
Baron is a fantastic unit.

Very useful units cause they are fast
overall low CAF, though.
I never field a mech assault CO. too

Chimera's can be good suppoet but would rather put it into armour support or artillery than short range weapon. They can't take a tactical detachment as you would need two chimera detachments.

As for hydra's tried them a few times but for 350 points just a bit too much, rather get some maurader fb's for that

Choices for ig vs marines

Marines have the advantage of movement and a better caf. Although they are expensive compared to ig they will invariable get to objectives before ig can March to them and with thunderhawk gunships they can hityour vunerable spots/units.

I usually field at least one beastman company and 1 roughrider or 2 bike companies. Using the fast moving units to pin and slow the marines and the beastmen to dig out the marines. Rest of the army usually consists of some sht and at least 2 leviathans and a heavy company. Plus reaver titan bg if a large point battle. Also some ogryns to be used as shock troops or to hold an objective.

shooting targets : full rhino's, vets/terminators

Only close combat with your bikes/rough riders and beastmen/ogryns

Your leviathans and sht should target titans and any armour especially land raiders as they can be very effective against your armour/sht

_________________
My Grand Campaign

My Campaign Rules

My TOEG

Very interesting read. Thanks for posting.

choices for IG vs Orks

The orks have larger formations than the Ig and better caf. Although their weapons are shorter ranged and pequilier.

You will need beastmen if you are even thinking of letting the orks get to close combat. But i always take an artillery company, heavy companies and super heavy tanks (mix of all 3, ss, bane, sh) and at least one knight household plus 2 bike companies. Ranged firepower is the key, let the orks attack you and shoot them to bits.

Biggest threats from orks :- pulsar rockets, wierdboy tower, dragsters

Pulsars - royal pain in the but, if they are good at judging these it will restrict movement and when they go bang they will hurt
Wierdboy tower - very long range, very deadly. good when it goes bang but if it doesn't its going to batter tians, sht
dragsters - take out the bubbles first (will take alot of fire some times) then the dragstars as they can shoot up to 10 shots per dragster!

You want to shoot the orks before they get you in close combat. Watch for Nob's and Nob bikers they are deadly and with the shooting rules you have to take oppurtunities when you can. I have seen them take titans out as they have 2 shots and a minus to save plus, when on bikes they can get all over the place, thats why i take bikes so they can hold them up even if its briefly.

You needn't worry about their gargants as they are short ranged (belly gun has potential but one turn to reload) and their flickering shields mean you can take them down pretty easily.

Artillery is pretty effective against orks and if indirect may scatter onto the nobs. Remember sometimes better to group it so better dice roll chance than shed loads of having to roll 5+

_________________

If i have missed any marine or imperial gaurd info let me know, more than happy to add more. Was going to do imperial (sm and ig) vs tyranids but that was a very dark time and painful as never won against nids

_________________