Why Astra is so weak ?

[Narzalion]

Hello i would like to know why with 3 basilisks and 1 tank commander i can t even kill a simple unit of devastator who got 12 hp ? Why with 4 troop of IG i can t take down a simple trrop of SM wich was 1/2 life? And why the SM got more amor than a f..... tank ?

You will say the astra is more numerous. But if i need 8 units to kill one, what is the point to only have 3 or 4 more units than the ennemie ? Astra need time to reach his tanks unit but what should i do if a SM rush me turn 20 and steal all my out post ?

[General Coma]

Originally posted by DabuDabu:

Leman Russes lack firepower for sure, devastators have twice the firepower of a leman Russ. They need vanquisher or Executioner Cannons options

Which I find odd, since in both the lore and the tabletop game, the Leman Russ is an absolute beast on the battlefield. There's a reason they call it the "Backbone of the Guard". The Leman Russ should be a unit that scares the crap out of other players when they see it. It should be the unit that finally puts the Imperial Guard on an even footing with other factions and finally allows them to start going on the offensive rather than just "holding the line".

[Wobbliest]

I think the issue you may be running into is using the guard as an attacking army. They are meant to be a hold the line/turtle army. Find the choke points in the map and set up your guardsmen as MEAT SHIELDS. That's right, mass produce and let them soak up the damage. Be sure to get Medi packs and cycle them out with fresh guardsmen while medi is on cooldown. Of course when able have them shoot at stuff, but it's more of a soften the target idea, not any serious damage with their flashlight.

You can keep a SM force busy all day long by just cycling out guardsmen. Won't kill them, but you'll protect your buildings long enough for you to produce something that can.

For the stopping/killing power use thier support units to strike at the SM, you need armor pen so treat SM infantry like fighting tanks. Stationary heavy weapon squads are your friend. As mentioned the commissary is a powerful tool with these weapon squads. And the Psykers Primaris molten beam will put a large hurt on armored foes, especially the cap.

Anyway I hope this helps.

[Jean-Luc]

Astra isn't weak, it's just your faith that's lacking. ;)

[General Coma]

Originally posted by Jean-Luc:

Astra isn't weak, it's just your faith that's lacking. ;)

Agreed. The Imperial Guard is a faction that must be killed off early because if you let them build up their industry and start churning out units, their territory will eventually become nearly unassailable and their tanks and guns will eventually grind you down.

They are the ultimate "long game" faction.

[Daliena]

Originally posted by usn27:

Last night, four Guardsmen, two Heavy Weapons, two Scout walkers, and a commisar with bring it down did a grand total of about 4 damage to an SM captain. Said captain was standing on a desert tile with no forest, ruins or rocks.

AM is EXTREMELY weak in the early game, as in, weak to the point of absurdity.

Same Commisar was killed in two turns by one Assault Marines unit and a Tacitcal Marine unit firing from two tiles away.

Nobody can really do a lot of damage to SM Captains because they have stupid amounts of damage reduction other than armor.

[SpaffMiester]

I completed them on very hard recently. Early game is tough, army composition and placement is key. They're not weak.

[SPQR Flamidius Chlamidius]

lots of basic guards + med kits + both granades doing miracles then i rush tank commander + item for him from shop amor + heal + tech priest to heal him and so far i won mostly

[Emperor Fooble]

Maybe I'm just a wierdo, but I think Astra have the strongest early game. Only the Necrons can compete due to how easily they defeat neutrals and can destroy cities with just Necron Warriors.
Depending on your start point, you can either push out insane amounts of infantry, or a Hydra every 2 turns very very early.
Mind you I mostly play against impossible AI's, which are much easier than against other players, but still, their early game shoots off.
Heck if you have some decent food tiles near your city, you can still focus on hydra rush, and then build 2 barracks' and pump out infantry as well, seeing as how their troop trainer is almost free - it provides one pop cap and one loyalty.

[mecklenberg]

I've played AM a few times without too much trouble and like all the factions they have both good and bad points. However, I think from a lore point of view Basilisks in Gladius are indeed a bit underpowered. If you look here for example https://1d4chan.org/wiki/Basilisk_Artillery_Gun or here http://warhammer40k.wikia.com/wiki/Basilisk the Basilisk is a pretty powerful unit not just a long range popgun. It would make sense to increase both its cost and damage by say 50%

[Mythrayn]

Originally posted by Emperor Fooble:

Maybe I'm just a wierdo, but I think Astra have the strongest early game. Only the Necrons can compete due to how easily they defeat neutrals and can destroy cities with just Necron Warriors.
Depending on your start point, you can either push out insane amounts of infantry, or a Hydra every 2 turns very very early.
Mind you I mostly play against impossible AI's, which are much easier than against other players, but still, their early game shoots off.
Heck if you have some decent food tiles near your city, you can still focus on hydra rush, and then build 2 barracks' and pump out infantry as well, seeing as how their troop trainer is almost free - it provides one pop cap and one loyalty.

Early and mid game I find SM and Necron are both easy mode. Haven't played Orcs, and AM are very weak.

Late game AM get fairly strong, but only because of numbers. If an SM or Necron faction can field the same numbers, they'll still wipe the AM from the map because it takes four to six AM units to kill one SM or Necron unit. That doesn't hold true in reverse.

[Emperor Fooble]

I have the most trouble with early game as SM, because tac marines are the worst basic troops until they get melta bombs, until then they are inferior. Good armour is nice and all, but zero healing abilities and average damage is just meh.
SM early game is basically captains + help until you get dev marines.

[Daliena]

Originally posted by Emperor Fooble:

I have the most trouble with early game as SM, because tac marines are the worst basic troops until they get melta bombs, until then they are inferior. Good armour is nice and all, but zero healing abilities and average damage is just meh.
SM early game is basically captains + help until you get dev marines.

Cato Sicarius and his armored backup dancers.

[WDI]

AM early game is insane you easily outnumber your opponent army 2v1 and with nades you can one shot all T0 squads even in cover. Guads are also quite resilient for their price and their survability goes up once medpacks is tech (which should be asap).

Also Primaris Psykers handle very well what guardsmen cant (single model armored target like Kastellans/Heroes)

[BLACKcOPstRIPPa]

I am going to have to try AM for first time. I have played SM and Necron and have found both to be fun in their own rites.
The space Marines I find are a less is more type group, they only have 1 city but with access to for taking, controlling land is key, getting to 1 turn to produce units is vital, once the SM can produce units in 1 turn, multiple types non stop you can send small waves every turn to a different front line and just annihilate enemies, then that "strong" counter can be shut down with terminators dropping on a tectical marine squad for free😊
Early they are strong but not invincible, anti armor punches a hole, and every loss is a felt pain for them in the start.

Necron is more so a small single unit entity then SM, small specialized groups that can spawn reinforcements on them right before a fight with scarabs and the hero that spawns the melee people. They are even more vulnerable though in city placement can't be choosers but is predefined for them. They can be super strong but need to get built up for it. Necron in my opinion is strong but early game they can be out manuevered even by SM and that is their weakness, in a 1v1 fight number wise the healing makes them king, so always have numbers when facing them. Also hit multiple units at once, so if they use the pay heal, they run out of influence faster.

The orks from what I have seen are weak individually but the amount of units they mass is where they Excel, the Zerg of Warhammer they are. I am afraid to play them because I am going to get addicted and then have to pry myself away to have a life lol
Once tyranids are released assuming they will be, my life will be over outside of work rofl

[Jeffrey]

Get as many basilisks as you can, field them behind your tanks and infantry.

When you take on infantry hit them with a barrage of basillisk fire. Then finish them off with the guards men.
WHen you take on armor, use the heavily armed infantry and tank units against those. If you can't tank down the tanks you're trying to kill, then pulverize them with basillisks.

Basically, infantry and tanks are ya bread, artillary is your butter.