Product Review – Codex: Astra Militarum

While it took a little longer to get around to than planned, it’s time for a summary review of Codex: Imperial Gu… err, Astra Militarum!

When I reviewed the Space Marines release, I broke the book down into three distinct categories for discussion, which included the rules, the “fluff,” and the synergy. I then came back at the end with a conclusion drawn from these three areas. The same criteria will work well for the Imperial Guard, so let’s get to it!

The Rules

Much of the core structure that underpins the Imperial Guard remained the same. The army is still based around cheap, weak infantry, backed up by sturdy and abundant vehicles. The officer corps finishes the triumvirate of power, giving more backbone to the infantry where they need it the most by buffing friendly squads and de-buffing enemy squads. In these regards, the book is largely unchanged.

There have been a few point cost increases across the book, and a few units are now marginally cheaper. The Chimera received a big change to how many models could use its fire point, and with this change came a moderate increase in cost. Coupled with the slight tweak to loadout options on Veteran Squads, the overall efficiency of the mechanized list has been arguably reduced. This change is okay in the long run, because it opens room for efficient foot-mobile builds without taking out the option of a mechanized approach. The Vendetta also received a sizeable point adjustment, but this simply had to happen. The vehicle’s old point value was determined in an age where it was only a Skimmer. Becoming a Flyer, essentially for free, left it susceptible to abuse. With the increased cost and reduced transport capacity, it is still a viable anti-air option, but there is much less capacity for it to be spammed heavily.

While several of the artillery pieces have been pulled from the Codex, I don’t think this has left any significant gaps in the Imperial Guard’s tactical coverage of threats. The Russ chassis can still fulfill nearly any function with the right loadout, and the old workhorse, the Basilisk, has remained with us. The Guard gained a new artillery piece, however, in the form of the Wyvern.

At first glance I wasn’t a fan of this vehicle, but the more I look at those howitzers the more I see their applicability. 6^th edition is replete with cheap, small, frail units that cower on objectives while their brutish cousins tear the enemy to pieces. Cultists, Fire Warriors, Plaguebearers, and Guardians; each of these has a different strategy for holding that back objective, but they are all relying on Line of Sight blockage and Cover Saves to see them through. The Wyvern is more than capable of tearing these units apart, and at their cheap points investment you can afford to play multiples in a squadron for added insurance. In higher numbers they become a threat for nearly any foe; huge groups of Orks and Demons will be torn apart by the ridiculous numbers of shots, and even Space Marines will be whittled down nicely.

I’m also eager to test out the Deathstrike; the template on that thing is insane, and it will clear a huge swathe of the enemy’s deployment zone just in time for your poor, bloody infantry to sweep in and claim the objective for the Emperor.

I’ve only covered a few of the high points in their rules; there are still Tank Commanders, Commissars, and The Old Man himself to consider, but for the sake of brevity I’ll leave them out for now. I plan to cover these units in tactics articles in the future.

The Fluff

A very particular strand of the Imperial Guard story has always appealed to me. I’ve never really been drawn to the Rambo-style Guardsmen, those who always succeed and come out the other side broken and bleeding, but victorious. It always felt too much like a bad action movie, with Steven Seagal or Jean-Claude Van Damme playing the part of the infantryman.

I’ve said it before, and I will say it again. 40k should live up to its slogan, and grim darkness is included in that slogan. Invincible good guys do not make for very good grim-dark. This is one reason I’ve always like the Imperial Guard better than the Space Marines. Someone has to die to hold the line, and the basic trooper of the Astra Militarum is always there, willing or not. It takes a special kind of courage for an unaugmented human to fit his bayonet and stand against a demonic horde, and it is this poor, hopeless soul that draws me to the Guard. Casualties be damned, the Imperial Guard will fight until the last drop of their blood is spilled to protect humanity from the encroaching dark.

This Codex does an excellent job of representing this type of Guardsmen. There are still the over-the-top heroes like Straken, and that is fine. Those who thrive on the heroes can still do so, and those who seek after the poor bloody infantry will also find their fill. The book is filled with stories of administrative errors that get regiments annihilated, and of hard-nosed Commissars who take their duty too far and doom entire worlds. Reading these stories is tragic, but imagining the men who were a part of those stories is even worse.

The Siege of Vraks has always been one of my favorite Imperial Guard stories, and this book gives many examples in the same vein, covering the futility of the human soldier’s life in the 41^st Millennium. It gives me a little guy to root for, and therefore draws me into playing the army.

Synergy

Synergy is a difficult variable to quantify, especially when a product is still new. Consider that a qualifier to the thoughts expressed in this section; there are many combinations and unit quirks that are waiting to be discovered in the new Guard book, so these are simply initial impressions.

The orders system immediately comes to mind, since it forces a minimum of two units to work toward a common goal that you wish to achieve. While they serve a similar role to Psychic Powers, they are different in several important ways.

First, orders are much less random than Psychic Powers. Even on a chart with five abilities that are suited to your psyker, a Mastery Level 2 model still has a chance of ending up with the Primaris and that one inferior power. With the orders, you know exactly what you’re bringing, and there is no need to wonder if you will have access to the ability you really need.

Secondly, orders cannot be affected by enemy units that garble your psychic efforts. Deny the Witch, Runic Staves, Shadow in the Warp; your officer is made of much sterner stuff!

Finally, as one negative in comparison to Psychic Powers, orders use the Leadership of the unit being augmented. This can be painful, especially in the cases of Heavy Weapon Squads and Special Weapon Teams, since they’ve decided they don’t need no stinking Sergeant! However, this is another place where synergy can enter the picture. Commissar Lords and attached Independent Characters can drive the Leadership up on critical units, helping to keep them in the fight and increase their odds of receiving the orders.

Speaking of Independent Characters, the Primaris Psyker is also an incredible addition to this book. With his better Leadership he can provide staying power to back field units, and access to Divination is HUGE for the Guard. Those mediocre Heavy Weapon Teams become pretty gruesome when under the effects of Prescience or Perfect Timing.

Conclusion

A final consideration is their power in the given meta, and I think the Imperial Guard have this area covered nicely as well. By this, I mean that they have a sufficient answer to nearly every problem they’re going to run into. There are sufficient, cheap AA options, and even the heaviest Monstrous Creatures will not escape from forty Guardsmen with an attached Commissar. Used properly and in conjunction with one another, the Astra Militarum stand to be an efficient fighting force against nearly any opponent. And if you have a problem with death stars in your area, just Ally in a couple of Imperial Knights!