Imperial Guard Army List
This section of the book is given over to the Imperial Guard army list, a listing of the different troops and vehicles an Imperial Guard Commander can use in battle, or in your case, games of Warhammer 40,000. The army list allows you to fight battles using the scenarios included in the Warhammer 40,000 rulebook, but it also provides you with the basic information you'll require to field an Imperial Guard army in scenarios you've devised yourself, or as part of a campaign series of games, or whatever else may take your fancy.
The army list is split into five sections. All of the squads, vehicles and characters in an army list are placed in one of the five sections depending upon their role on the battlefield. In addition every model included in the army list is given a points value, which varies depending upon how effective that model is on the battlefield.
Before you can choose an army for a game you will need to agree with your opponent upon a scenario and upon the total number of points each of you will spend on your army. Having done this you can proceed to pick an army as described below.
Using A Force Organisation Chart
The army lists are used in conjunction with the Force Organisation chart from a scenario. Each Force Organisation chart is split into five categories that correspond to the sections in the army list, and each category has one or more boxes. Each box indicates that you may make one choice from that section of the army list, while a dark toned box means that you must make a choice from that section of the army list.
Using The Army Lists
To make a choice, look in the relevant section in the army list and decide what unit you wish to have in your army, how many models there will be in the unit, and which upgrades you want (if any). Remember that you cannot field models that are equipped with weapons and wargear that are not shown on the model.
Once this is done subtract the points value of the unit from your total points, and then go back and make another choice. Continue doing this until you have spent all your points. Now you are ready to do battle!
Army List Entries
Each army list entry consists of the following:
Unit Name: The type of unit, which may also show a limitation on the minimum or maximum number of choices you can make of that unit type (0-1, for example).
Profile: These are the characteristics of that unit type, including its points cost. Where the unit has different warriors, there may be more than one profile.
Number/Squad: This shows the number of models in the unit, or the number of models you may take for one choice from the Force Organisation chart. Often this is a variable amount, in which case it shows the minimum and maximum unit size.
Weapons: These are the unit's standard weapons.
Options: This lists the different weapon and equipment options for the unit and any additional points cost for taking these options. If a squad is allowed to have models with upgrades, then these must be given to ordinary team members, not the character.
Special Rules: This is where you'll find any special rules that apply to the unit.
Standard Missions
Compulsory: 1 HQ, 2 Troops
Optional: 1 HQ, 3 Elites, 4 Troops, 3 Fast Attack, 3 Heavy Support
The Standard Missions Force Organisation chart is a good example of how to choose an army. To begin with you will need at least one HQ unit and two Troops units (dark shaded boxes indicate units that must be taken for the mission). This leaves the following for you to choose from to make up your army's total points value: Up to 1 additional HQ unit, 0-3 additional Elite units, 0-4 additional Troops units, 0-3 additional Fast Attack units, 0-3 additional Heavy Support units.
Errata — Chapter Approved: Codex: Imperial Guard Q&A (v1.0): Codex: Catachan may still be used to build a pure Catachan Jungle Fighter army, but Catachans fielded within a standard Imperial Guard army follow this Codex instead. All other older regimental rules — including those for Codex: Armageddon, Codex: Eye of Terror, and the various White Dwarf/Chapter Approved rules for Commissar Gaunt's HQ platoon — are superseded by this Codex.