Tips for Astra Militarum?

[Sightlessfate]

I've finished the game with Marines, Chaos, Orks and Necrons, but I keep getting stuck with the Imperial Guard. And it's ALWAYS Necrons that get me. Im only just finishing up the tech for Russ's, and they're coming at me with 6 destroyers and a monolith, I feel like I don't Tech fast or gather enough resources, and it's hard to scout since your base infantry is crap. Any tips?

[Stardustfire]

6 Destroyers is an unexpected mass for AI, AI is mostly more fond of Praetorians and the T3 Infantery.
you gave no infos how and what you do at the start.

i ignore Inf with Astra as well. my start consists mostly of a fast mechanicus building and 2 Sentinels. this guys work together with the start infantery and can clear most obstactles in your start proximity. next step are around 3 Hydras. TTs AA rules are nearly noneexistant in this game so the Hydras make exelellent hitters vs all starting enemy units (exept some heros of course) and wildlife. if time allows it at least one Tank Commander is build too. next step will be 3-5 Basilisks (dependend on citys too, at least one Basilisk lazes around near each city core) they dont do much dmg, but can do the last tick to kill enemys with no big problems of los or range.
and after this all you can start dream of mass Russ.

[Noodlesocks]

Vehicles and tech priests to repair. Tank Commander hero will get you an early game Leman Russ but the commissars have aura buffs to increase damage and armour penetration too. Don't bother too much with infantry unless you start on grassland but even then they're mostly just fodder.

[Sightlessfate]

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

6 Destroyers is an unexpected mass for AI, AI is mostly more fond of Praetorians and the T3 Infantery.
you gave no infos how and what you do at the start.

i ignore Inf with Astra as well. my start consists mostly of a fast mechanicus building and 2 Sentinels. this guys work together with the start infantery and can clear most obstactles in your start proximity. next step are around 3 Hydras. TTs AA rules are nearly noneexistant in this game so the Hydras make exelellent hitters vs all starting enemy units (exept some heros of course) and wildlife. if time allows it at least one Tank Commander is build too. next step will be 3-5 Basilisks (dependend on citys too, at least one Basilisk lazes around near each city core) they dont do much dmg, but can do the last tick to kill enemys with no big problems of los or range.
and after this all you can start dream of mass Russ.

Are Hydras really that good? I just ignore them, but maybe this time I'll give them a shot
Generally I try to get 6 units, 4 infantry, 2 heavy weapons, and try to start scouting around, I usually get into an issue where I run up against 3 Karstellan robots, 2 sets of enslavers or recently vespids who all box me in. I usually try to rush 2nd expansion for cities and builder camp.

[Stardustfire]

Catellans are the biggest wildlife trouble for every race, when you see them you must focus them down one by one. and kill the techpriests that trail them at once.

[[VN] Michael Doan]

Originally posted by Sightlessfate:

I've finished the game with Marines, Chaos, Orks and Necrons, but I keep getting stuck with the Imperial Guard. And it's ALWAYS Necrons that get me. Im only just finishing up the tech for Russ's, and they're coming at me with 6 destroyers and a monolith, I feel like I don't Tech fast or gather enough resources, and it's hard to scout since your base infantry is crap. Any tips?

Haven't played much since chaos dlc, not sure if these things still apply.

The thing with AM on higher difficulties or PVP is you NEED infantries screening for your vehicle, if the other race has heavy armor, go for heavy weapon troops (great 3 range AP damage dont put them in the front, they are like papers), get health kit/ grenades tech as soon as you can, put them together with commissar with AP/ increase damage skills and they will hold the line/ do great damage even against heavy armor troops. Train as many commissars as you can, these guy rocks big damage skills for your army. After that, go ham on vehicle techs, build 2 mechanicus in every cities as soon as you can, bump out whatever vehicles you can, even the scouts sentinels are good against pesky wildlife.

AM is pretty easy macro wise as well with your city wide edict. Expand fast and your economy will boom in no time. Mid to late games, AM has the best of everything. You see that many high techs from enemies early game is because you are playing on higher difficulties with fast speed I think, that is not recommended, they will pull ridiculous things out of their behinds faster than you can kill.

[dexgattaca]

I like to go infantry with 4 guard / 6 rocket squads then go to Russ by turn 60 then fill in heroes. End game army is Russ Packs + Tank Commanders with infantry support. 4 cities for long games.

[Rick Dalton]

Found it sooo hard, even in Medium difficulty Necron always got me too. I tried many different tactics but always end-up being smatched by these guys they seems honestly broken ?

[Foxassassin]

If you have DLC, Chimera. -always-. You slop your guardsmen into them and once you've used all of them up, shift to making hydras. One guardmen per Chimera to make use of the Manned weapon.

I thought the hydra was going to be dedicated AA and nothing else and I was horribly mistaken. Incredible jack-of-all-trades unit.

Edit: clarification.

[Maestro Rugosa]

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

Catellans are the biggest wildlife trouble for every race, when you see them you must focus them down one by one. and kill the techpriests that trail them at once.

Minor quibble here -- when you first see the robots, do not engage them. Instead, run the other way and get out of their line of sight. If you shoot at them, they will stay at war with you until you break line of sight; soon they will forget about you.

(Early in the game, turn off your Guards' overwatch or you might attack powerful neutrals before you are ready to fight. Nothing ruins my day faster than four vespids swarming my helpless guards.)

Only engage with the robots when you have enough firepower to destroy them. That means a few heavy weapons teams or tanks. As described above, kill their datasmith as soon as you can once you start fighting them.

Originally posted by Foxassassin:

I thought the hydra was going to be dedicated AA and nothing else and I was horribly mistaken. Incredible jack-of-all-trades unit.

Another vote for Hydras. They seem to be one of the units that the AI never shoots at for some reason.

[Stefan]

XD yes there is no balance. You have ab aneblade in lategame? Nice i never see lategame at medium difficulty with imperial army. Last time a airpower of 24 scythes came over forba party. Followed by an insane army. So they have no problems with scouting and collect outposts like spacemarines. They will ever have more ressources as you. Still in latgame without you🤣

[Grotzel]

Originally posted by Stefan:

XD yes there is no balance. You have ab aneblade in lategame? Nice i never see lategame at medium difficulty with imperial army. Last time a airpower of 24 scythes came over forba party. Followed by an insane army. So they have no problems with scouting and collect outposts like spacemarines. They will ever have more ressources as you. Still in latgame without you🤣

Necrons are a pretty tough foe, but the Astra Militarum (brrr ... let's just call them by their proper name: the Imperial Guard) defintely can deal with them in various ways (e.g. Commissar+Bullgryn+Psykers cursing Monoliths and then taking them apart).

Hydras were already mentioned by others - but in my opinion even the often dismissed infantry can deal with Necrons (well ... if they are properly supported by some vehicles ... like hydras). Although against that kind of airforce you'd ideally need A LOT of hydras (or your own airforce). Probably a Tank Commander for a smokescreen, too.

24 scythes on MEDIUM difficulty?

Was that from a single Necron faction ... or from two allied forces working as one? I know that the AI likes their aircraft armada, but that sounds a bit excessive. How far into the game was this ... and on what speed setting?

[Stardustfire]

when Necrons got there scythes, why you dont got your Thunderbolts? this things are monsters vs air. and make big holes into ground units too.

[Stefan]

Originally posted by Stardustfire:

when Necrons got there scythes, why you dont got your Thunderbolts? this things are monsters vs air. and make big holes into ground units too.

Because imperial guard is passive. Most weapons are weak after moving. Necrons push an return to regenerate. So i have to follow and give up good positions. 25 scythes + army... Today ive started a Session near necrons and i hope ill beat them before they grow up.

[Stardustfire]

err Imps are mostly about Tanks, what means vehicles, what means zero, nada, no drawback for movement before shooting. sounds like someone needs to get the basics in line first.... and i woudend call a faction that steamroles enemy citys with lvl 3 tech units in early game passive....
funny fact the same lvl 3 tech units shortens the lifetime of necron scythes by alot.

[Terzief]

Rogaldorn makes brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr