18-19th century styled army list [1000]: tell me what you think!

[bloodinferno]

I'm having trouble deciding whether I should use missile launchers as opposed to Lascannons for the anti-tank squad. Which represents a 'cannon' more so than the other to you guys?

HQ-326pts
Junior Officer + Honorifica Imperialis + Power Sword + Iron Discipline
Lascannon Team
Standard

Anti-Tank Squads
2x Lascannon Squads

Troops-580pts
Platoon Gamma
-Command Squad
-Junior Officer + Power Sword + Iron Discipline
-4x Infantry Squads
Platoon Epsilon
-Command Squad
-Junior Officer + Power Sword + Iron Discipline
-4x Infantry Squads

Fast Attack-94pts
Rough Rider Squad
-1x Veteran with Lance
-7x Rought Riders with Lances

Total: 1000pts
Random Stats:
7 Lascannons
10 Las Pistols
98 Las Guns
115 models

Overview: I find that i'm playing this list more for fun than to win, however if you guys have any more suggestions of how I can make this list better while keeping the feel/style of the army alive and well please comment on the list. Thanks

[Sokhar]

I'm sure there's a better way to put this, but why in the frickin' hell would you put all your heavy weapons in small squads that are easily targeted and destroyed, but not put any in your infantry squads (who, with only lasguns have virtually negligible firepower?) Its not often I say this, but I honestly think you might have too many models in your army. 115 models at 1,000 points is amazing, but almost all your guys are equipped with lasguns. No special weapons, heavies are only concentrated in three squads, and that's it. How do you expect your guardsmen to do appreciable damage to the enemy? Wait until they get within 12" and pray to god that rapid fire brings a few down before you're ripped to shreds?

[bloodinferno]

Originally Posted by bloodinferno

Overview: I find that i'm playing this list more for fun than to win, however if you guys have any more suggestions of how I can make this list better while keeping the feel/style of the army alive and well please comment on the list. Thanks

Why? Because this list is supposd to be styled after a 18-19th century army regiment. Basic infantry did not get heavy weapons. They got a gun and some ammo and the pack of supplies on their back thats it. Heavy weapons (ie cannons) were basically run by small gunning crews (ie heavy weapons teams). The rough riders represent the cavalry at the time, who were armed with close combat weapons flank enemy infantry and gunning crews.

Don't you understand the power in numbers man? I mean you should, you play guard. More guard is always better. The lasgun sucks compared to the bolter sure, but it is still effective in numbers. Another reason for this style of list is to test how my oppenenets react psycologically. Maybe they will fear the guardsmen, or maybe they will think, wow fresh meat, eitherway I will be able to win by using my numbers.

Any more comments or suggestions ABOUT HOW THIS LIST MAY BETTER REPRESENT AN ACTUAL 18-19th CENTURY ARMY?

[Sokhar]

The problem I have with overly-themed lists (at least ones posted here) is that someone attaches an overly-restrictive theme to their list but then asks for critiques on the list. However when you try to offer some useful pointers, they bury their heads in the sand, condemning themselves to lose horribly all for the sake of theme. Its why I'm considering just not bothering.

If you want a theme list, you can have it without sacrificing all chance at actually winning a few games. You've got plenty of infantry, you've got some cavalry, and some artillery (to respond to your earlier question, i think missile launchers would be a bit more representative of cannons, being that they're more of a threat to infantry). Hell, you could even go out and get the Mordians or Praetorians, who take to battle in full dress uniform. Give 'em redcoats or whatever gets your rocks off, and you're off to the races.

Basic infantry did not get heavy weapons. They got a gun and some ammo and the pack of supplies on their back thats it. Heavy weapons (ie cannons) were basically run by small gunning crews (ie heavy weapons teams). The rough riders represent the cavalry at the time, who were armed with close combat weapons flank enemy infantry and gunning crews.

That's all well and good, cannons could get away with small crews because they were placed behind the lines of infantry and weren't really threatened by the enemy until the battle lines broke. In case you hadn't noticed, almost all 40k armies are more mobile than the ones from this time period. Not to mention that there's no screening. Not to mention that most of your opponent's main line squads will likely have heavy weapons. So your's aren't safe unless you actually put some infantry around them. I know you like theme and all, but this is putting theme ahead of tactics, survivability, and flat out common sense.

Don't you understand the power in numbers man? I mean you should, you play guard. More guard is always better. The lasgun sucks compared to the bolter sure, but it is still effective in numbers.

I understand the power of effective weapons in numbers, and I understand mathematical averages. Want to know the strength of the lasgun, even in numbers? Lets just see how effective the lasgun is against a MEQ (Marine EQuivalent) unit. I'll show this equation backwards so its easier to follow along with. We're going to calculate how many lasgun shots it takes to kill a single MEQ. With a 3+ armor save, the MEQ will only fail his save one out of three times, so to kill a single marine we have to inflict 3 wounds upon the unit. With a toughness of 4 (versus the lasgun's strength of 3), we will only wound one time for every three hits. So multiply our three needed wounds by 3, for a total of 9 needed hits. Now Imperial Guardsmen aren't exactly sharp shooters (even if you give them the crappy doctrine of the same name), and they only hit one time out of two with their ballistic skill of 3. So we take our 9 needed hits and multiply that by two, for a total of 18. Eighteen. Eighteen. One whole squad of guardsmen rapid-firing at a marine squad twelve inches away will statistically kill ONE Marine. Even if you get the full benefit of long-range shooting (shooting them once each when they're 24" away, once when they're 18" away, and then twice when they're 12" away before they rapid fire and/or assault you into oblivion), a guardsmen squad will kill two marines before going down in a pathetic heap. That's not strength of numbers. That's not strength of anything. Its just plain pathetic. Meanwhile the marines could fire for one round when they get into 12" range with their bolters and gun down almost the entire squad. Still feel good about your strength in numbers?

The strength of the guard is that we can bring so many many to the field of battle as well as a large amount of heavy and special weaponry. In all but the most desperate cases, the only real purpose for those guardsmen with lasguns is to protect the one guy holding a plasma gun or a missile launcher. They're the only ones who'll do damage against MEQs (who are sadly more common than "normal" troops). Against Orks or 'nids, lasguns can do some good things. But against anything tougher there's almost no way to "waste" lasgun shots because they're so painfully ineffective. Everyone hears funny stories of terminators getting rapid fired by lasguns and failing their save, but they stand out and are remembered because they're extreme exceptions to the rule, that are bound to happen eventually, statistically.

I'd rather not bank my entire army on extreme odds though, when I can improve my chances of victory dramatically by taking common sense measures. But maybe that's me, I like my list to be competitive. But on the plus side, well, your list still has....theme.