Imperial Guard Tactics
by Commander Tallyrand
(Editor's Note: These were actually written before the codex was released, but still apply just as well.)
Don't beat yourself up too bad, at least not on my account. Personally I don't play IG but I have a friend who does and he was losing quite a bit because he was not willing to adapt his tactics to the new edition. Here are a few things that we have worked out, some might work others may fail horribly, I make no guarentees.
HQ
Your commander and standard bearer are vital! You have lots of guys you need to keep together so protect these guys. I believe the IG are the only guys that still have a Leadership radius and rerolls from the banner, so use it, it can save your butt. the comisar is good, hold on to them for all of your command squads they give an extra punch either with a meltagun or as one who can hold his own in hand to hand.
ELITES
Storm troopers are great, their increaced BS can come in really usefull, so make all their shots count. I know that they don't have a model for it, but if you can give the squad a lascannon, let others worry about the infantry get them tanks.
Ogryns, I have heard mixed reviews, but with their three wounds they have high survivability, one of the few units you can send forward to intercept your opponents assault troops. they might not prevail but they will slow them up, and if your opponent gets assault troops into your lines, you're wasted.
Ratlings: Sniper rifles are great! Awesome for dropping monstorous creatures with high toughness (avatars wraithlords carnifex etc)also their ability to pin is wounderfull! this can slow up your opponent's advance like nobody's business. Against Nids the termagants and hormagaunts have a pitiful leadership, and the hive mind can't save them, that's only good for Morale tests, this is a simple leadership test. Same goes for orks, low leadership, and the mob size check is only good for morale. And I've even had my Space Marine bike squads pinned by darn ratlings! that bit!
TROOPS
Infantry platoons,are wounderfull, and soooo cheap, get lots, and don't worry about heavy or special weapons, you have other troops to take care of that, just let them pour on the fire, becides it's fun to roll buckets of dice. under dirty tricks, when your squads get whittled down to one or two guys rotate them to the back and keep their heads down, make your opponent EARN the VPs for wiping them out!
Armoured fists are good, especially for scenerios taking table quarters, and great in recon cause you can get points for both the squad and the vehicle once they sepperate(this goes same for command squads in chimmeras as well). Give them both a strong heavy and special weapon and put them in a good firing position, with command squads with multiple special weapons can be great for firing from the moving vehicle, skip the multilaser, give it to them with melta guns, or palsma guns or even anti infantry with flamer fun.
Mortar squads: almost all the fun of snipers, but without needing a line of sight! again great against nids and orks, even other guard.
Fire support squads: personally I recomend heavy bolters, giving almost as good a chance to wound on most infantry and more shots than the auto cannon, leave tank busting to others because even the str7 has a hard time penetrating from the front of vehicles, and the AP still won't crack power armor.
FAST ATTACK
Rough Riders: Crap, skip em!
Sentinels: Not for infantry anymore! Monstrous creatures with fixed saves and flanking tanks, also, like Ogryns, one of your few elements you can send forward, also good for taking on assault troops (don't laugh)once engaged it can take quite a while for the assault squads to take them down(read:delaying tactic), unless there is a powerfist, watch out for that! but at str 5 and an AR of 10 str4 hits have only a small chance of penetrating, and str3 troops have none! talk about pissing off an ork player!
Hellhounds: Not so great, the inferno cannon is great for it's automatic fallback rule, especially if you've deployed an armoured fist squad behing them:) but the fact that under the current rules (internet Q&As aside) they can only move 6in and still fire gives you much better things to spend your points on, like:
HEAVY SUPPORT
Anti tank squads I'm not too sure about, haven't seen them used, but if you're going to use them, give them lascannons, I know missile launchers give greater flexibility, but you have other things better at anti infantry, and the krack missile is inferrior to the lascannon.
Leman Russ, ooohhh YEAH baby! The jury is still out on side sponsons, they're good if the enemy gets too close to your lines, but you can still get a heavy bolter up front. I know you can't move and fire the battle cannon, but with a 72in range how much do you need to move? Get them in a good position, line of fire, and hull down, and then terrorize his army with it, I've had an ENTIRE assault squad vaporised from those bad boys.
Demolisher: a little more questionable than the leman russ, the short range hurts, but boy can it lay the smack down! deffinitely give it smoke launchers, becaust the first turn, you will almost have to move it, If you can't get it hull down don't worry too much, it's increaced armor helps a lot, and it only takes a few turns for it to make its points back.
Bassilisk: another kick bootie big gun, and what a range, of course you still need a line of sight, but if you got it, WHAM! A great selection if you're running low on points for tanks, a steal at 100pts granted its weak armor and being opened topped decreases its survivability just keep it out of the way, or at least hull down.
Griffon: You thought the Bassilisk was a value lookie here! Yeah I know it is comparatively weak and poorly armored, but its ability to fire indirectly more than makes up for this, hide that thing, and let them have it! if they get too close for comfort, or under 12in move it out and let them have a taste of the heavy bolter!
A note on ordinance weapons: Remember they all pin, so every thing I said about sniper rifles goes double for them, and all ordinance gets to roll two dice for AP and pick the highest, this gives even the griffon a chance on some things.
Remember the IG are not about flexibility, at least not individually, each unit has its own purpose, have them stick too it, at least untill they become obsolite, then just shoot at whatever you can!
Disclaimer: This is all the opinion of the author, he is not responsible for your wins, your losses, loss of limbs, nor your dice rolls, he makes no claims as to the veracity of his claims, he doesn't even play Imperial Guard! But the ideas seemed good to him as he wrote them.