Mid-2008: A learning process.

Mid-2008: Licking my wounds after my first thrashing, I promptly assembled myself even more men, the results being as per below:

Platoon 01 - Squad 03, (Assault) led by Sergeant Blonde

Special Weapons Squad 01 - with demo charge

Special Weapons Squad 02 - with demo charge

Heavy Weapons Squad 01 - mortars

Heavy Weapons Squad 02 - missile launchers

Heavy Weapons Squad 03 - lascannons

Heavy Weapons Squad 04 - heavy bolters

Taking count of my restocked arsenal and appropriately decrepit paintjobs (I assembled all these in a flurry of a week), and with a command squad (not pictured) I loaded up on weapons, close-combat doctrines, carapace, etc, etc. I played games at my local group almost every week (marines & orks too), and every week I was given an even sounder thrashing. In fact, the local marine player scoffed at my army and attempts, asking me when I was going to start a REAL army (e.g. other marines).

All my efforts fell short as the 3rd ed. dex, 5th ed. Kill Points let me down time and time again, and my men just couldn't cut the mustard and hold their nerves together in objective games. Note that this was before I started on tanks, mechanised, or drop troops, so this was the dark, dark time (for me) when massed horde infantry Guard, as the fluff seems to have intended originally, were not the cheese of the day, but the 7-stone weakling that even bullies found kicking sand into the faces of rather unsporting old chap.

So what did I do? Get even more men? Or did I try re-fitting the fluff to justify the new tactics (tanks, mech, drop troops)?

I had lost every game (800-1000pts-ish) out of the 9 games I had played so far. I was willing to try anything at this point.