I have been discussing this tactic with a few friends, and I have seen it posted around the net in different forms. Can it be done? CAN you make an effective assault based imperial guard list? I think so, and this is how I might try it. Now, our local games are normally based at 1750 points, so I will stay at that limit for this list.
HQ is easy. I think twin Lord Commissars, each with a powerfist. These will be split one to each mob, which I will get to in a moment. I would also take 4 munitorum priests, each with an eviscerator. Here I split them into pairs, one with each mob, as dicussed below.
For Troops I take 2 identical platoons as mobbed up squads, the "mobs" I was referring to above. Each as follows: Junior officer with power weapon, add a Commissar with a power weapon. Then add 5 infantry squads each sergeant has a power weapon and commissar with power weapon. This totals 64 models each, or 128 between the two mobs. Each platoon deploys to the front of your deployment zone, with as much as they can muster in cover. Then move forward and run screaming at your enemy. These squads will never get all of their attacks at once, but you can move all of those special weapons toward the front lines. Even if just these get into combat it looks like this: 4 s6 powerfist hits, 6 s6 eviscerator hits, 48 s3 power weapon hits....then the regular joes hit.....2 attacks each x50.....well you get the idea. Now there are a few things to remember about alist like this, and it looks scary, but check this out.
-Without exception all of those attacks are made at initiative 3 or less.
-These squads are Leadership 10, with multiple commissars in the units, they are NOT going to break.
-All of these guys are on foot, so you are moving almost 125 models by hand, and deploying 125, and then removing most of them every game.....man my back hurts already!
-On the same note your opponent is already scratching his head wondering if he can kill that many models before they get to him....and I haven't even touched on the support for this list, just the core at less than a thousand points spent!!! Something to be said for intimidation....
So how DO you support this? well, you need a ton of anti tank to crack open tin cans so your mobs can eat the gooey center...it needs to be mobile, and long lived. While there are several ways to do this, I think a squadron or two of lascannon load-out vendettas should do it. I also think a few heavies to support the combat with higher strength are in order. Two chimeras with maxed out ogryn squads should do well in that role. Ok so assume 4 vendettas, and 2 squads of ogryns, and you are looking at north of 150 models without any armour value higher than 12 in truly frightening list.
-Will it crumble quickly? no, but you will be putting models away as fast as you got them out, so get used to that.
-Will it break and run? no never. Those commissars are the last models removed, and until they are dead, the squads go nowhere.
-Can it hold objectives? not well. Really this list needs to be played with a conga-line approach to objectives, or have a veteran squad or two left in the backfield with more heavy weapons.
Thoughts?
I played against Allen with a IG Mob Squad. He backed them up with a large number of Mortars and Autocannons. IIRC there was also a Russ or two. It worked well (although he did not like the Doom of Malin'tai).
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