Editing Warhammer 40,000/8th Edition Tactics/Imperial Guard (section)

==Orders==
THE Imperial Guard Gimmick, the Orders system grants abilities to your troops to tip the scales of battle! At the beginning of your shooting phase units with the {{W40Kkeyword|OFFICER}} keyword and '''Voice of Command''' rule may issue an order to friendly {{W40Kkeyword|infantry}} units of the same {{W40Kkeyword|<Regiment>}} within 6" of them. {{W40Kkeyword|Krieg Officer}}s are the only ones who can also order {{W40Kkeyword|Cavalry}}. Similarly, a {{W40Kkeyword|Tank Commander}} with the '''Tank Orders''' rule can issue a Tank Order (labeled as such below) to a friendly {{W40Kkeyword|Leman Russ}} of the same {{W40Kkeyword|<regiment>}} within 6".

Note that Regiment-Exclusive Orders, like Warlord Traits and Relics, but unlike Doctrines, can only be used by their designated Regiment: a custom Regiment, like the {{W40Kkeyword|Savlar Chem-Dogs}}, has to play without any exclusive orders at all. A way to step around this problem is to bring separate detachments, each with the Doctrine you want the units to have, which ''is'' fluffy (e.g. Prosan 314th is Catachan 182nd & Elysian 90th)...or to talk with your opponent/organizer. This is still supposed to be a game to have fun, after all.

Imperial Guard Orders, both general and regiment-exclusive, can basically be put in four groups: Re-roll Orders, Movement Orders, Extra Attack Orders, and Targeting Orders. Elysia's Morale order is the only one not falling into any of these groups.

*'''{{W40Kkeyword|Elysia}}''' - Loses '''Fix Bayonets!''' for '''Hold the Line!:''' The targeted unit ignores models killed during both the Shooting and Fight phases for the purposes of the Morale phase until the next Movement phase. This makes commissars even less useful for Elysians, though you will, in most cases, use the other orders, since your company commanders already grant a re-roll.

====Re-roll Orders====
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These orders allow a unit to re-roll dice when attacking (attack volume, to-hit, or to-wound). Both "Take Aim!" and "Bring it Down!" are better than "First Rank Fire! Second Rank Fire!" when you don't have massed lasguns. Tempestus Scions are an interesting case though, because they can't rapid fire their hot-shot lasguns when they deep strike, and particularly if you're using Vox-Casters, you'll only have 1-4 hot-shot lasguns in the unit, both of which make FRFSRF less than compelling, so think their orders out carefully.
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*'''Bring it down!:''' Ordered unit re-rolls to-wound rolls of 1 until the end of the phase.
**When compared to Take Aim!, Bring it down! has the exact same effect on chances of wounding, making the two orders interchangeable, except for cases of Gets Hot! (where "Take Aim!" is better) or auto-hitting weapons (where "Bring it down!" is better), or for special interactions, like {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} units that don't move.
*'''Take Aim!:''' Ordered unit re-rolls to hit rolls of 1 until the end of the phase. ''Did someone say "Supercharged Plasma"?''
**The main argument for "Take Aim!" is that your guys won't die from supercharges; FRFSRF is a better infantry-killer in the cases written above. Still, your dudes not dying IS argument enough, and even more so when facing the heavier stuff.
*'''Gunners, Kill on Sight! (Tank Order):''' This is simply the Tank Order version of "Take Aim!", it just doesn't compete with FRFSRF.
**''Unlike "Take Aim!"'', however, static {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian Leman Russ}}es do '''not''' upgrade to re-rolling all hits like static {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian Infantry}} does, so it doesn't affect them when not moving. Luckily, they have the next order for that.
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====Movement Orders====
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These orders allow units to double move or advance/fall back and shoot, not only making transports less necessary but also letting you play with weapon ranges or slipping away from your foe.
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*'''Forwards, for the Emperor!:''' Ordered unit can shoot, even if it advanced in the movement phase. Heavy weapons will behave like Assault weapons on the advance, while Rapid Fire ones will behave even better, not taking any penalty to hit.
**Can be used for close play with weapons range: Get your special weapons into Rapid/Melta range without giving up your Lasgun shots (which can be split-fired), or get your Lasguns into 24" range to begin with. If deep-striking infantry arrived within 9+" of your unit, give the order and now they'll need a charge of 9" + your advance", although you'll be firing at a penalty if you do it with heavy weapons, since you moved. Get around corners; it's run & gun, man. If pure speed or rapid firing lasguns is what you're after, "Move! Move! Move!" and FRFSRF will serve you better.
*'''Get back in the fight!:''' Ordered unit can shoot, even if it fell back in its movement phase; ''no penalty, unlike Ultramarines''.
**The main point of falling back is allowing the rest of your army to shoot at the enemy and forcing it to eat another round of overwatch, if at the cost of the retreating squad's shooting. This order waives away that penalty, which can mark the difference when it rallies something like 20 rapid fire lasguns and plasma and flamers (specialists last longer) back against the enemy. Undeniably better than just punching them. HOWEVER, if the retreating squad is a badly mauled handful of survivors and you're forced to choose, you're better off ordering a nearby, healthier squad to FRFSRF: One sgt and three guardsmen don't really bring much back to the fight.
*'''Move! Move! Move!:''' Ordered unit must move as if it were in the movement phase, and it must advance and cannot charge. This lets your infantry ''outrun tanks and assault marines'', moving 19" on average. Get where you need to be (or out of dodge) ASAP.
*'''Full Throttle! (Tank Order):''' This is simply the Tank Order version of "Move! Move! Move!", and is identical in every other respect. ''Did you ever expect a Russ to move 27", outrunning Eldar skimmers?''.
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====Extra Attack Orders====
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These orders are effectively "double phase" orders, allowing a unit to effectively shoot twice (Lasguns & Hotshots) or fight twice, doubling its attack volume.
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*'''First Rank, Fire! Second Rank, Fire!:''' Your bread and butter. Ordered unit's Lasguns and Hot-shot Lasguns become Rapid Fire 2. That means ''4 shots when Rapid Fired'', so mind your range! Especially with Scions, who can't Rapid Fire immediately after deepstriking but want the increased rate of fire to proc Storm Troopers more often. While Conscripts have less BS, can only get to 30 and reject orders half the time, 20 Infantry pasted together do the same FRFSRF damage, ''reliably''.
*'''Fix Bayonets!:''' May only be issued to units within 1" of an enemy unit. Ordered unit may immediately fights as if it were in the fight phase.
**Ordering Get Back in the Fight is better on most scenarios: your BS and WS are the same, so two punches are the same as a rapid firing lasgun...but falling back forces the enemy into overwatch again and allows the rest of your army to shoot at them (your squads are never on their own), and special weapons are way better than a bayonet. HOWEVER, a single melee boost like the Priest's or Straken's (preferably both) turns this around: unless you are a {{W40Kkeyword|Mordian Conscript}}, punching three or four times is better than rapid firing + overwatch...especially if you're a S4 {{W40Kkeyword|Catachan}}. And if you are against a [[Tau|lightweight enemy with bad melee and good shooting]], then it becomes a damn good tactic.
**As the unit is fighting while still in the Shooting Phase, the {{W40Kkeyword|Cadian}} Doctrine and '''Take Aim!''' will let them re-roll 1s to hit. Likewise, '''Bring it Down!''' will let them re-roll 1s to wound.
**{{W40Kkeyword|Krieg Cavalry}} ''can take orders''. They don't pause to think about the considerations of wether to fall back or not, <u>they just attack 8 times a turn</u>.
*'''Strike and Shroud! (Tank Order):''' Allows the ordered Russ to both fire its weapons (including Grinding advance) and protect itself with its smoke launchers, as if it had two shooting phases. If you can't avoid retaliation like {{W40Kkeyword|Tallarn}}s can, you can use this rule to get into a shooting position (you can see the enemy but it can see you too) and cripple the enemy while you survive the return fire. Smoke launchers are One Use, and so is this rule.
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