Board Thread:Warhammer 40k General Discussion/@comment-27642965-20160211003725/@comment-27642965-20160429222655

88.171.98.229 wrote: About ground battles, that's not only a matter of people, that's a matter of who is in charge too. take the Imperial Guard for exemple. They are a potent force, but they get slaugtered by billions because of old WW1 tactics and "for the Emprah !" -style charges. IF they used modern combined arms techniques and if the Imperial Fleet did half of its job (aka giving them some fucking air support and orbital strikes), they would roll over any force in the 40K Universe.

Then, about the whole "you can't beat the Imperium on ground and space..." Well, if you think about classic sci-fi settings, with a technology that is ahead of us but not that much (a few centuries to a few millenia), yes it's true, because of sheer manpower and industrial output.

Well I know for a fact that even though the Imperials can pack a punch in space they can't really stand up against reality-bending... whatever the heck Culture is. Also I don't know what Culture is capable of in the ground (If they even need to use ground forces) but you're a bit wrong on what the Imperium itself is capable of.

Contrary to popular belief, the Imperium DOES use combined-armed-tactics with armour and mechanized infantry as the tip of the spear. Whatever the armour and the artillery does not blast to pieces, the infantry (Usually vets or Stormtroopers on Valkryies) clear out the fortifications with long ranged Titans in support. The Navy, though not in direct command under the Guard, does support the Guard wherever they can. Usually when the Imperium uses Orbital Bombardments its to destroy an infestation or a Exterminatus. Orbital Bombardments don't really leave many resources to use for the Imperium after the battle... Anyways, if there is an extreme amount of resistance then the Space Marines are deployed, usually on their own accord, but almost always either striking at enemy Commands, or relieving beleageured Imperial units.

If the Imperium does not have the numbers to take the offensive, then they will go on the defensive. Like REAL defensive. If they are defending a city, then every street and building will either have a fortified checkpoint or become a fortress. If they are on the plains they will build an extreme amount of defensive redoubts, bunkers, and trenches supported with concrete on steroids (Ferrocrete its called I think?).

All this is coupled with whatever Imperial Regiment is in the battle. And due to the massive amount of resources the Imperium will send in a battle there will be a huge diversified amount of entire regiments given to just one or two roles. Inflexible, yes, but the Imperium works around that by always deploying regiments with different roles in the important battles. Like the "Panzer" Steel Legions, the "Prussian" Death Korps of Krieg, the "Rambo" Catachatans, the "Airborne" Elysians, and the "Russian/Finnish" Vallhallans.