Warhammer 40,000: Infantry tactics
All infantry squads fall into one of four categories: Assault, Devastator, Tactical or Cannon Fodder. Each has a particular role to play and each has its owns strengths and weakness's. What possible strength does cannon fodder have I hear you ask, well read on.
Assault
Though the most obvious assault infantry is the actual specialist
close combat troops such as Genestealers, Assault Marines and Banshees,
many infantry types are good assault troops. When kitted out with the
correct equipment and grenades, normal Orks, Eldar and Marines all make
fine assault troops. The basic trooper with a few close combat weapons
and grenades is best used against vehicles as they cannot fight back,
and the more refined true assault trooper should deal with enemy infantry
and characters. Remember that assault doesn't just mean hand to hand,
it also covers short range fire fighting and destruction. Fire Dragons
are the prime example of true Assault troops rather than hand to hand
specialists, as they are lethal at short range rather than solely in close
combat.
Troops should have different kits depending on what they are fighting. Vehicles are best destroyed with a combination of melta guns, melta bombs, powerfists, krak grenades and power axes. For those lucky few who get them take chainfists, lightning claws and thunder hammers. These combinations will soon penetrate vehicles and luckily most basic troopers have access to at least some of them (except of course Imperial Guard). Against infantry, where not so much strength is required, chainswords, powerswords and most pistols are good, try to take 2 swords of some kind if you can and avoid basic weapons so that you get 2 attacks and 2 parries. Even basic troopers with this kit are quite hard and can easily stand against hardened h-t-h specialists and when you give the specialist these kinds of weapons they become deadly. Against characters a sword and a powerfist is probably best, so that you get the extra attack and still have a parry and a strong weapon that negates most armour. Equpping entire squads with some of these weapons is very expensive, so look at the role of the squad and equip as such. Don't take a squad that will be vehicle killers and give them all powerfists if they have the option of melta bombs (only 50 points instead of 100 for a squad of 10, and has higher armour penetration), even krak grenades are probably more use as they are very cheap and give you a powerful, if short ranged attack, but you are ASSAULT and are supposed to be powerful at short range. Equally, don't give melta bombs and such to character killers and infantry killers on the off chance you meet a vehicle, it is a waste of points. If you equip every assault squad as a flexible unit, you will be very difficult to beat in certain circumstances, but will have only a fraction of the troops you would have if you specialised each squad.
So, tailor each squad to a purpose: Vehicle, Infantry or Character killer and equip as such and then use it for that purpose! Don't suddenly change you mind part way through a battle, devise a plan and then stick with it. If you have to re-locate during the battle, then do it, it is better than attacking the wrong targets and failing or dying, and is certainly better than equipping everyone for all eventualities and being heavily outnumbered.
Devastator
Due to their weapons fit, devastators have the same role as assault
squads - kill infantry, vehicles and characters but only have to equip
for two eventualities as unlike melta bombs and powerfists, a lascannon
is just as good at killing a vehicle as it is a character, and a heavy
bolter/autocannon can mow down troops and characters/vehicles. The best
all round heavy weapons to take are missile launchers, the variety of
missiles mean that it can blow down massed troops (Frags), destroy vehicles
and characters (Krak/Melta), block off areas of the battlefield and lines
of sight (Plasma/Blind) and clear areas of the battlefield for advance
(Anti-Plant). This versatility means that I always like to go into battle
with a core of these to provide heavy firepower, even if I do not know
who or what I am fighting against/for. If you have only enough points
for 1 extra missile always take plasma, as the ability to damage troops,
block LOS and cut off areas of the battlefield mean that it is more flexible
than the others.
The other available heavy weapons thus fall into two categories vehicle/character killers and infantry killers. The former are usually long ranged weapons such as Heavy Plasma Guns and Lascannon, while the latter are usually short ranged weapons such as Heavy Bolters, Heavy Flamers and Shuriken Cannon. However do not forget the crossovers, Autocannon are long ranged and can destroy infantry, characters and vehicles, and Assault Cannon are short ranged but have the same penetration against vehicles as a Krak missile.
Due to these options it is best to take at least three squads of devastator troops, one with missile launchers to cover any problems, one with heavy bolters and such to wipe out infantry and one with lascanon etc to destroy vehicles and characters. The one problem weapon is the Multi-melta as it has a such a short range (24"). To counter this either field it in squads all by itself (expensive for 2,3 or more) or field it as the heavy weapon for a normal squad, so that as soon as the bolters/lasguns/shurikens catapults etc are in range, so is the multi-melta, this negates the normal problem of holding back the squad to fire the heavy weapon, as the heavy isn't in range until the squad are.
Heavy weapons are very useful, but remember that whereas assault troops can move and still attack and destroy vehicles with up to 3 attacks, heavy weapons get 1 attack and cannot move and fire, so don't rely on them. Assault squads on their own could possibly win a battle if equipped right, I don't think any heavy weapon troops could. As with assault troops tailor each squad for a particular task and stick to your plan. If you dilly-dally and mix weapon types you will not get maximum effectiveness.
Tactical
These are the Footsloggers, Line Animals, Grunts and a whole host of other
less pleasant names. Like it or not though, in the end it will probably
be these who Take and Hold or Engage and Destroy so get used to having
them. For sheer flexibility there is no better squad. Most tactical squads
can take grenades, so kraks are always a good idea, just in case characters
and vehicles get too close and no friendly help is at hand. Unlike Assault
and Devastator troops, Tactical squads have only one real purpose - hold
the front line against the enemy. Devastators and support batteries are
no good without a line to protect them, and where do the assault squads
fall behind for regrouping when the going gets too tough? The basic armament
of most Tactical squads is good, bolters, shuriken catapults etc are very
versatile and can usually mow through the oppositions troops. Unfortunately
the lasgun is not the best of weapons, but it is all a Guardsman gets
so use it anyway. Fire a massive volley and you will probably do some
damage - I have seen a Khorne Berserker Chaos lord with Chaos Armour and
a Conversion field fend off a Calidus assassin, Colonel and Command Squads
with melta guns and a squadron of leman russes and chimeras - what killed
him? A lasgun (Sorry Sam, I had to say something to make a lasgun sound
OK).
The ability of these squads to react to most situations means that you should always try to make a good portion of your troop allowance Tactical. This is even more so if you don't know what you will be facing. Give them a few grenades and maybe a sword or two if possible, avoid heavy weapons other than multi-meltas and heavy flamers as they slow you down too much and get out there holding the line and protecting every other damn thing in the army!
Cannon Fodder
This section is a subject of some debate, Gretchin are there to soak up
the fire, no question and they do it admirably. However, are Guardians
cannon fodder merely because they are not Aspect warriors? I think not,
but I know an eldar player who does. Either way, cannon fodder has a major
weakness: if it is true cannon fodder like Gretchin, each individual
is crap, badly armed and badly protected. However, if it is true cannon
fodder it is also very cheap and so you can field lots of them. Use the
cannon fodder to protect your front line and to allow the Tactical squads
to react and redeploy according to the enemies plan and to yours. If you
survive and anything gets close, shoot it, you might just kill it.
General Tactics
Use infantry as true support for the characters and vehicles,
most units are not simply there to absorb fire, they will add their own
firepower to the mass and increase the chance of you winning. Many battleplans
rely on infantry to work.
A good example is shown below in the pincer movement.
In this example, the IG player has sent a pincer force of Leman Russes
up each flank, and is slowly crushing the enemies line. The only reason
this works is because the enamy has nowhere to flee - his back is a table
edge, and there is bloody great line of troops in front of him. Behind
the initial line will be squads of mortars, heavy bolters etc and in the
case of other armies the pincers would also contain Banshees, Assault
Marines, Boarboyz and other fast moving hand to hand troops. The pincers
only have a chance of working because the infantry reinforces every point
of the attack (pincers, centre and support) and because they prevent any
vehicles from being overrun by enemy troops. When the pincers have hold
of the enemy and they are struggling to move, assault troops with jump
packs or another fast method of transport/moving choose their point and
hard the front line hard. This combination of crushing the line, pouring
fire into it and then striking it in close assault means that very few
armies can withstand it. From the other side of the battle, troops are
the only reason the pincers don't instantly crush the army, assault troops
lie in wait ready to ambush the tanks and characters and therefore they
move more cautiously, heavy weapons cover the approach and probably lessen
the impact and a large powerful front line means that the enemy has to
work hard to destroy it. If either or both sides consisted of just vehicles
and/or characters, the battle would be short, boring and probably a draw
of total annihilation.
The Hammer and Anvil shown below is another good battleplan that requires
a good amount of infantry.
A hard 'Anvil' made of heavy vehicles, tough (Terminators) or numerous
(IG and Orks) troops and a good amount of support troops in the form of
heavy weapons and assault troops. As with the pincers fast striking assault
troops wait behind the main line and pounce as the enemy is forced towards
the line of infantry. Advance the front line slowly so that you can cause
damage as their line is driven towards you, then pull the 'Hammer' in
behind their army and catch the enemy between two hard fronts. Neither
should give and anything outside of the two lines should be easy to pick
off. Again, the held back assault troops leap into the fray while the
enemy is in disarray and help break it up even further. This will only
work though if you have a very good solid front line. A couple of squads
will not do it, you need many squads, preferably spread out and every
two-three squads place a large tank between them to act as a fire break
and to add its fire power to crushing the enemy. An ideal line would be
70-100 men and 3-5 tanks. The hammer should be fast and powerful. APC's
should support the anvil, and heavy weapons need to be deployed well back,
out of range of assault troops as they are driven towards you.
Other tactics where infantry are key include most tanks tactics. In the examples under Vehicle Tactics none of them would work if the infantry didn't support them. Enemy characters and vehicles would mince the formations.
Most battle plans are variations on the themes above, but all would fail without infantry, so give 'em a break and a little more respect.
How to beat Infantry
The best way to kill most infantry is with low power sustained
fire weapons such as heavy bolters, shuriken cannon, shuriken catapults,
multilasers etc or with blast area weapons such as frags (grenades and
missiles), plasma grenades and multi meltas (but it really should be targetting
vehicles). Normal weapons fire from bolters, lasguns and such is also
very good at removing normal infantry. The key is to lay down as much
firepower as possible. If you can lay down a spread across the entire
battle front, then go for it it. If not, target your fire on those units
which are most troublesome to your plans and destroy them first. As with
vehicles, focus your attention to one squad at a time and destroy it,
then attack another. If you eliminate whole squads, you get the VPs and
no chance of it fighting back.
Close assault is very good also, as potentially one very good character can kill up to 8 opponents in a single turn. Tool up squads with swords, power weapons, plasma pistols and the like, they should be able to march straight through most infantry squads you will face. Remember also that close assault can also include running them over with vehicles and tricking them into getting in h-t-h where you fry them with talons, electro hull, frag defenders and auto launchers. I have seen 14 genestealers leap on a Leman Russ with electro hull and not one of them survived. Many troops have an Initiative of 2, 3 or 4 which means there is a good chance of them failing to dodge out of the way of an oncoming vehicle, combined with the fact that most vehicles are Ram value 7+ means that even Space Marines are wounded on a 2+ with no save allowed.
As with any other target engage them with the correct weapons and units and destroy them before turning your attention to the next target.