Army Showcase Sunday - Luqman's 793rd Regiment!
Greetings fellow Imperial citizens! Welcome to Army Showcase Sunday (A.S.S) - a new weekly series where we showcase our players, and their beloved armies!
We're kicking it off with some boys in green, the bedrock of our army - Luqman's 793rd Regiment of the Astra Militarum! (Sometimes better known as the Imperial Guard!) Let's see what Commander Luqman has to say about his men:
So why Astra Militarum? Any particular reason you were drawn towards this army?
I’ve always been an avid fan of militaristic themes, Command & Conquer games & war movies. When starting out, I was immediately drawn towards the faction when I found out they pretty much represent a force that sort of functions like real-life troops.
I do like the idea that they are just common soldiers in a universe full of super soldiers and aliens but could still somehow go toe-to-toe against all odds.
Is there any particular model or unit you're most fond of?
At first, I wasn’t a fan of the Bullgryn models since they looked mismatched in the whole regimental theme, but they became one of the most fun models to paint. Surprisingly, when I added them to my army, I started to put in more effort to give them additional battle-scars and details when painting them.
Another unit I’m proud of are my Leman Russ Tank Commanders. Initially, I simply painted them basic green but over time I included scratches and have them looking worn out. It sorts of adds to my head narrative where these guys have been through rough terrain and only maintained enough to keep them functioning after every fight.
That camo effect on your guardsmen is pretty cool, how'd you achieve that?
I guess I got lucky after experimenting with washes. I started basing all my Guardsmen with Castellan Green before colouring in the weapons and flesh. I then layered their flak armor with Ogryn Camo and let them dry for a while. To get the camo effect, I simply dabbed Militarum Green contrast paint all around. I intentionally made some blotches thicker than others to give some “randomness” to their camouflage. Afterwards, I just wash them all with Nuln Oil to blend in all the colours and have them looking dirty (as how soldiers in the field would usually be haha).
How would you describe the way your army plays on the tabletop?
I’d say comparing to the other factions, Imperial Guard can be quite swingy in terms of outcomes. They’re not as durable against most factions but over time I’ve learnt how to optimise each unit’s limitations. They are after-all just normal guys on foot and vehicles.
When I first started and still learning the quirks of the game, I would play aggressively and go out guns blazing. This usually left my units in the open for charges and we don’t fare well in melee. But nowadays I realised playing a more defensive stance works better. I’ve been using Chimera transports to keep my Infantry protected since they’d die so quickly and using terrain to keep them out of line of sight.
People always get nervous when I explain my Tank Commanders and Manticore artillery, just because how much damage they can deal. Everyone will always try to target them early game! Nowadays, I’ll try to keep them alive for as long as I can by keeping them protected behind cover. If my Tanks and Manticores can survive by Turn 3 and still be able to destroy stuff, I see that as an absolute win!
On a good day, I’ll be able to shoot off anything that comes in range - allowing me to get my troops in transports to get across the board. If not, then I just hope my Infantry Squads can last a little longer before they inevitably go down one by one (or all at once haha!)
Any fun stories or stand-out story moments in your games? You appear to be quite active in the community-run Mithras Crusade!
Yeah! The Mithras Crusade has been a great way for me to experiment with different tactics and play styles. Since it’s pretty much casual play, I don’t feel as pressured and losing is just as fun since I can easily tie-in to my army’s narrative!
I guess my most memorable game so far might be my first ever League GT game versus Jokoh’s Death Guard. Coming into the game, I was nervous since I was trying out a new competitive list that I only practiced with once and was about to go against a veteran player with strong list. During the battle, I managed to go first and my Manticores managed to deal enough damage to destroy one of his Plagueburst Crawler and slowed down the other. From there, I played as defensively as I could, trying to block his Terminator’s advance with my Bullgryns and had my tanks shoot anything that comes in range to slow him down.
He did manage to overrun my positions towards the end of the game, but by then I held my objectives long enough. It was nerve wrecking from start to finish! I lost by 10 points (85-95), but it was ultimately a very close fight. A memorable start to the League game, definitely!
So what's next for your army?
For now, I’m more than happy with my boys in green. I’ve played enough games to know all their abilities and what not. However, I’m still missing an iconic Imperial Guard unit that I’m hoping to add to my arsenal soon - the Baneblade! Good or not, it just looks like a beast to play with. Looking forward to having it on the board to shoot down more stuff!
Any words of advice for aspiring IG players?
If you love the whole military theme like me, you’re going to enjoy the faction and its lore no matter how you play. Painting wise, it can be unnerving to see so many units to paint. I say to take your time and just keep them simple. Remember - they just soldiers, it’s okay to have them looking messy and dirty.
Tabletop-wise, don’t be disheartened if you tend to lose a lot of games before you start winning. IG may not be the best army now, so you will have to learn how to work around our limitations.
Playing against other veteran players was the best way for me to learn how I could do better and plan an effective army list.
Over time and practice, I’m sure any Imperial Guard commander can go up against any faction. When you do win - it becomes more satisfying knowing you managed to outmanoeuvre your opponent or had your gun line destroy half their units off the board.
End of the day, it’s all about having fun. With all our tanks and soldiers, it’s always a cool sight to see them all lined up on the board. And when our 9th Edition Codex inevitably drops, our time to shine will come and we’ll have our vengeance (for Cadia!).
