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Total Points: 2000
Army Analysis
Strategic Analysis
Army Grade
Army Strength
This army's greatest strength is its overwhelming board presence. With 209 models, it can flood objectives and control the table through sheer numbers. This is amplified by a host of powerful characters, led by Ursula Creed, who provide critical buffs and free stratagems. The list also contains a surprisingly potent melee punch with two large units of Attilan Rough Riders, giving it a credible threat against vehicles and monsters that many Guard lists lack. Finally, its secondary scoring potential is excellent, thanks to units like Gaunt's Ghosts and numerous cheap infantry squads.
Army Weakness
The most significant weakness is a severe lack of dedicated, high-strength anti-tank firepower. The single Scout Sentinel's lascannon is the only notable long-range anti-vehicle weapon. While the Rough Riders are potent on the charge, they can be screened out or destroyed before they connect. This makes the army vulnerable to vehicle-heavy lists, especially those with multiple T12+ models. The army is also susceptible to anti-horde firepower (Blast, Torrent) and will struggle against opponents who can efficiently clear large blocks of infantry.
Overview
This is a well-designed Astra Militarum horde list focused on board control and attrition. The game plan is to use the numerous infantry squads, many with Scout moves, to seize control of the board early and hold it throughout the game. The infantry blobs, buffed by a deep roster of characters, form a resilient anvil. The two units of Attilan Rough Riders act as the hammer, held in reserve for a decisive counter-charge against high-value enemy targets. Ursula Creed is the lynchpin, providing free stratagems and crucial orders to maximize the army's efficiency. Gaunt's Ghosts provide a flexible tool for scoring secondary objectives and harassing the enemy backfield.
List Balance
The list is heavily skewed towards infantry-based board control. It has an excellent balance of durable objective holders (Death Korps), mobile objective takers (Cadians), and cheap screening units (Catachans). The character selection is robust, providing layers of synergy and buffs across the entire army. However, the balance is tipped away from ranged anti-tank capability in favor of a strong melee cavalry threat. While this is a valid and powerful build, it creates a clear vulnerability that skilled opponents can exploit.
Statistics
- Total Points: 2000
- Total Units: 23
- Total Models: 209
- Characters: 8
- Battleline Units: 12
- Scout Units: 9 (Cadians, Catachans, Rough Riders, Sentinel)
- Infiltrator Units: 1 (Gaunt's Ghosts)
Critical Units (Auto-Includes)
- Ursula Creed: Her two free Stratagems per battle round are game-changing. Protecting her is paramount.
- Attilan Rough Riders: The list's primary answer to heavy armor and monsters. Their impact is essential for dealing with the army's biggest threats.
- Scout Sentinels: The Daring Recon ability (re-roll hits of 1) is a massive force multiplier for the entire army's shooting phase.
Anti-Vehicle
- Attilan Rough Riders (on the charge)
- Scout Sentinels (Lascannon)
Anti-Elite
- Attilan Rough Riders
- Massed lasgun fire with the 'First Rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire!' order for Lethal Hits.
Elite
- Gaunt’s Ghosts
Infantry
- Cadian Shock Troops (x4)
- Catachan Jungle Fighters (x2)
- Death Korps of Krieg (x6)
Role - Fire Overwatch
- Any 20-model Cadian or Krieg squad, especially using Ursula Creed's free Stratagem ability.
Role - Screening & Chaff
- Catachan Jungle Fighters
- 10-model Death Korps of Krieg squads
Ability - Scout
- Cadian Shock Troops (Scout 6")
- Catachan Jungle Fighters (Scout 6")
- Attilan Rough Riders (Scout 6")
- Scout Sentinels (Scout 9")
Ability - Infiltrators
- Gaunt’s Ghosts
Overwhelming Board Control
With 209 models and extensive Scout moves, the army can dominate the primary objective game from turn one, forcing the opponent to fight on your terms.
Powerful Character Synergy
The combination of Ursula Creed's free stratagems, numerous officers issuing orders, and the Scout Sentinel's targeting data creates layers of buffs that make the humble Guardsman far more effective than their stats suggest.
Strong Melee Counter-Punch
Two full units of Rough Riders provide a significant and unexpected melee threat that can eliminate key enemy vehicles or monsters, a capability many opponents will not expect from a Guard army.
Lack of Anti-Tank Shooting
The list has almost no reliable way to deal with high-toughness (T12+) vehicles at range. This forces a reliance on the melee-focused Rough Riders, who can be screened or destroyed before making an impact.
Vulnerability to Anti-Horde
Armies equipped with significant Blast and Torrent weapons (e.g., Thousand Sons, Grey Knights, other Guard armies) can clear infantry squads much faster than you can replace them, negating your primary strength.
Character Dependency
The effectiveness of the infantry hinges on receiving orders. Opponents with access to precision weapons can snipe your officers, drastically reducing the army's damage output and resilience.
Dominating Primary Score
Use the sheer number of bodies and sticky objectives from Cadians to max out primary points early, creating a scoring gap that is difficult for the opponent to close.
Exploiting Free Stratagems
Leverage Ursula Creed's ability to use key stratagems like Reinforcements! or Fields of Fire for 0 CP. Bringing back a 20-model infantry squad for free can be a back-breaking play.
Trading Up with Rough Riders
Identify the opponent's most valuable vehicle or monster and commit the Rough Riders to destroy it. Even if the Riders are lost in the process, trading a 120-point unit for a 250+ point enemy model is a significant win.
Vehicle/Monster Spam
An opponent bringing three or more very tough vehicles or monsters will be a nightmare matchup. The list simply lacks the tools to deal with that level of armor saturation effectively.
Effective Screening
A savvy opponent will use cheap units to screen their valuable assets, preventing the Rough Riders from reaching their intended targets. This neutralizes your main anti-tank threat.
Losing Ursula Creed Early
If the opponent manages to kill Ursula Creed in the early turns, the army loses its most powerful force multiplier. This will severely hamper your ability to respond to threats and execute your game plan.
Army Strength
This army will control the board with an immense number of models. Its infantry squads are deceptively effective when buffed by a large cast of characters, especially Ursula Creed, who provides two free stratagems per round. While its shooting is mostly low-strength, it has a surprisingly powerful melee punch from two large units of Attilan Rough Riders, which are a serious threat to your vehicles and monsters.
Army Weakness
The army's primary weakness is its almost complete lack of dedicated long-range anti-tank shooting. If you can neutralize their Rough Riders, their ability to deal with your toughest vehicles is minimal. Individual infantry models are extremely fragile (T3, 5+ save) and die in droves to any focused firepower. The army is also heavily reliant on its characters; killing them will cripple the infantry's effectiveness.
Overview
To win against this list, you must manage the horde and neutralize their key threats. Prioritize weapons with Blast and Torrent to clear infantry efficiently. You must have a plan to deal with the two units of Rough Riders, either by screening them out with your own cheap units or by destroying them at range before they can charge. Focus fire on their characters, especially Ursula Creed, as their removal will cause the army's synergy to collapse. Do not let them dictate the pace of the game with their superior numbers; be aggressive in clearing them off objectives.
Army Rule
Voice of Command: Officers can issue Orders to nearby REGIMENT units. These orders provide powerful buffs, such as improving Ballistic Skill, granting Lethal Hits, or allowing a unit to move after shooting. Killing the officers is the best way to counter this rule.
Detachment Rule
Born Soldiers (Combined Regiment): If a REGIMENT unit Remained Stationary, its ranged weapons gain the [LETHAL HITS] ability. This makes their static gunlines surprisingly dangerous. Forcing their units to move to contest objectives will deny them this powerful bonus.
Core Flaws
This army's design has three exploitable flaws. First, its anti-tank capability is concentrated entirely in the fragile Attilan Rough Riders. Second, its effectiveness plummets without its characters, which are vulnerable to Precision attacks. Third, despite its high model count, the individual models are weak and will fail leadership tests if you can inflict significant casualties, potentially causing units to flee or become battle-shocked on key turns.
Top 3 Priority Targets (Kill Order)
- Ursula Creed: Eliminating her denies the Guard player two free stratagems per round, a massive blow to their resource game and tactical flexibility. She is the highest value target on the board.
- Attilan Rough Riders: These are the only units capable of reliably destroying your heavy armor. Destroy them at range before they can charge. If you can't kill them, screen them with disposable units.
- Scout Sentinels: This unit's Daring Recon ability gives the entire Guard army re-rolls of 1 to hit against a target of its choice. Removing it makes their entire shooting phase less efficient.
Counter-Deployment & Movement Cues
Deploy to counter their Scout moves. They have nine units that can move before the first turn starts. Use your own infiltrators to zone out their forward deployment and limit their ability to rush the midfield. Be prepared for the Rough Riders; deploy cheap screening units forward to absorb their charge, protecting your more valuable assets behind. If you see their infantry squads remaining stationary, they are setting up for the 'Born Soldiers' rule; punish this lack of movement with indirect fire or by charging them to force them out of position.