By Ross Watson

The first time I encountered Storm Troopers, I was playing with my Dark Eldar army against a friend's Imperial Guard. I noticed that there were these funny-looking guys in masks standing around defending one of the mission objectives. Pointing towards the strange models, I asked "Who are those guys?" The answer came back quickly: "Those are Imperial Storm Troopers," he replied with a smug grin.

"Storm Troopers?" I scoffed, thinking of certain other Imperial Stormtroopers who wear white armour and can't hit the broad side of a barn with a blaster rifle. Then I charged in with the Warp Beasts and the Beastmaster. Suffice to say, the Storm Troopers turned my Beasts into hamburger and forever stood in my mind as formidable warriors.

Storm Troopers fill a great number of roles in an Imperial Guard army. They are able to out-shoot and outmaneuver many of their fellow Guardsmen. Storm Troopers are able to Deep Strike as well as Infiltrate, and have the option to purchase a Chimera transport. In addition to their rapid mobility, Storm Troopers can take up to two Special Weapons and already come equipped with Frag and Krak grenades, Hellguns, Targeters, and Carapace armour. Finally, Storm Troopers are highly skilled, possessing a base Leadership 8 and a BS4. Special skills, transport vehicles, lots of equipment and a great statline – what's not to like?

Deep Strike
Paying 1 extra point per Storm Trooper (raising their base cost to 11) allows your unit to Deep Strike if the mission permits. Representing the Storm Troopers' ability to deploy via grav-chute, the Deep Strike special rule gives your Storm Troopers the opportunity to land behind enemy lines or next to a vulnerable target. Storm Troopers equipped with Meltaguns often use this tactic to destroy enemy tanks. When you have the option to Deep Strike, carefully consider your opponent’s capabilities. A force that is strong at close combat is one you don’t want to drop next to when you Deep Strike. Deep Strike means that sometimes you can lose your entire squad either due to an unlucky Scatter roll or to incoming enemy assaults if you land in a bad spot. Generally, Deep Strike works best when you have specific target objectives or when your entire army Deep Strikes. Your army’s doctrines may also have some impact on your decision whether or not to include this ability. Storm Troopers do not qualify as Guard Infantry, so many doctrines have no effect on them. If your army has the Drop Troops doctrine, for example, you will need to purchase the Deep Strike ability separately for your Storm Troopers in order for them to Deep Strike along with the rest of your forces.

Infiltrate
The ability to Infiltrate also costs 1 point per Storm Trooper, just like the Deep Strike ability described above. A Storm Trooper unit that can Infiltrate can set up closer to the enemy after most or all of your opponent's forces have been deployed. Thus, Infiltrating Storm Troopers can respond to enemy deployment, putting their firepower where it is needed most. The ability to Infiltrate is highly useful when trying to capture objective markers or set up a firebase where the Storm Troopers' Hellguns and BS4 Special Weapons can pummel enemy forces. Infiltrating is almost always a good idea, as doing so allows your Storm Troopers to get into more desirable tactical positions. Of course, when you don’t want to be closer to the enemy (such as when you are facing World Eater Space Marines, Tyranids, or Orks) or when there is very little terrain, the ability to Infiltrate isn’t very useful. Much like the Deep Strike ability above, deciding whether or not to pay points for your Storm Troopers to Infiltrate may be influenced by your army’s doctrines. An army that has the Light Infantry doctrine, for example, will probably want to purchase this ability so that the Storm Troopers may Infiltrate alongside the regular troopers.

Chimera
Storm Troopers can ride in a Chimera as their transport, although doing so eliminates any possibility of taking the ability to Deep Strike or Infiltrate. Since Storm Troopers carry no Heavy Weapons, they can easily embark and disembark from their transport to get from place to place on the battlefield. Their mobility, armour, and leadership make Storm Troopers a viable alternative to an Armoured Fist Squad. In addition, the Chimera can make up for the one thing Storm Troopers lack: heavy weapons fire. The Chimera can provide a Storm Trooper squad with some serious firepower in the form of the Multi-Laser turret and Heavy Bolter hull weapons. An army that finds itself short on points to spend, however, should probably skip the Chimera – these transports are effective but not cheap. Also, as mentioned above, you can’t Deep Strike or Infiltrate if your Storm Troopers are mounted in a Chimera. Inquisitional Storm Troopers or Storm Troopers taken with the Grenadiers doctrine can’t Deep Strike or Infiltrate anyway, so these two kinds of Storm Troopers are generally the best candidates for a Chimera transport.

In my own Imperial Guard army, I liked the mobility of my Storm Troopers so much that I always purchase a Chimera to chauffeur them around the battlefield. It’s difficult to find a better fast-reaction force for the Imperial Guard than some Storm Troopers! I have found that the Chimera lets the Storm Trooper squad respond to the enemy’s deployment and get to whichever part of the battlefield they are needed in most.

Special Weapons
Storm Trooper squads can have up to two Special Weapons and can select from a group of four: Flamer, Grenade Launcher, Plasma Gun, and Meltagun. Generally, Storm Troopers perform well when optimised for a particular mission, from close-in support (where Flamers excel) to tank hunting (Meltaguns suit this mission perfectly). Mixing types of special weapons inside the same squad rarely proves as effective. Just like anything else having to do with the Imperial Guard, more is always better! Although Storm Troopers possess a fairly reliable BS 4, you can’t count on that accuracy to prevail every turn of the game. Thus, having a backup in the form of a second Special Weapon of the same kind is usually a good idea.

The Flamer is the cheapest option, although it is also the weakest. Primarily used for hitting multiple foes, the Flamer does best when Storm Troopers employ it as part of a mobile unit, such as those units in mechanized assaults. Twin Flamers can make jumping out of a Chimera and taking on an enemy unit much more feasible!

The Grenade Launcher is also cost-effective, but much more versatile than the Flamer. Able to fire both Frag and Krak grenades, the Grenade Launcher combines antipersonnel and light antitank capability in one weapon. The Grenade Launcher also has a good range, firing up to 24" with no penalty from movement. The Grenade Launcher is a fantastic weapon for a stationary firebase of Storm Troopers and serves mobile Storm Troopers extremely well.

The Plasma Gun is more expensive, but also more powerful (and more dangerous to the user). The Plasma Gun combines impressive firepower with a decent range (as a rapid-fire weapon). The downside is, of course, that the Plasma Gun can overheat and kill the gunner! While this threat is much less among the carapace-armoured Storm Troopers, you should still be aware that a couple of poor shooting rolls can cost you a 20-point model. Stationary Storm Troopers will find the Plasma Gun a powerful addition to the number of shots they can fire downrange, but mobile Storm Troopers or squads that are looking to save some points should consider a different weapon.

The most powerful Special Weapon available to Storm Trooper squads is the Meltagun. While possessing a short range of only 12", the Meltagun can destroy any vehicle and many multi-wound models with one shot! The Meltagun is excellent for fast-moving Storm Trooper squads, giving them the capability to deal with nearly any enemy they encounter. Storm Troopers who go tank-hunting find the Meltagun’s armour-penetrating ability invaluable. A Storm Trooper squad with two Meltaguns also makes a good “headhunter” squad, targeting any multi-wound characters or monstrous creatures they can engage with these powerful weapons. The Meltagun is also expensive, however, and can quickly drive up the overall cost of the squad.

Meltabombs
An optional squad upgrade, Meltabombs are fantastic for destroying all kinds of vehicles. When combined with the Chimera transport or the Deep Strike or Infiltrate squad abilities, Storm Troopers with Meltabombs can be a real threat to any tank. The drawback, of course, is that the Meltabombs are extremely expensive, costing 4 points per model. An alternative is to buy Meltabombs for the veteran sergeant, cutting down on overall costs but keeping some of the hitting power. If you decide to go this route, keep in mind that even if the Veteran Sergeant fails to do any damage with his Meltabombs, the rest of the squad can still make attempts with their free Krak grenades!

Hellguns
While not much more impressive than the standard Lasgun, Hellguns do have an AP value of 5. This benefit gives Hellguns enough power to punch through lightly armoured infantry, such as Dark Eldar Warriors, Eldar Guardians, Orks, Kroot, Lost and the Damned traitors and mutants, and many Tyranid organisms. Thus, the Hellgun is far more effective against certain enemies than its weaker cousin. Storm Troopers armed with Hellguns can lay down impressive amounts of accurate fire, and can be devastating when employed against some of the aforementioned foes.

Targeters
One of the best reasons to include a Storm Troopers squad in any Imperial Guard force has to be the Targeters. Part of the standard Storm Trooper's equipment, the Targeter allows you to pre-measure ranges before opening fire! This advantage is priceless, since you can infer from the ranging just how far away any assault-oriented enemy units are as well. Targeters remove the guesswork – you don't have to think you know how far away the enemy is – with a targeter, you know for certain.

Carapace armour
Also part of the standard Storm Trooper equipment, Carapace armour provides a 4+ armour Save. A 4+ is a great armour Save to have, as it gives your troop a 50-50 chance of surviving most basic weapons and hand-to-hand attacks, and it does not get modified by even Khornate Chainaxes or Choppas. Heavy or Special Weapons are necessary to punch through Carapace armour, meaning that a unit of Storm Troopers has a better-than-even chance of surviving a given Shooting Phase! It's a rare Imperial Guard unit indeed which can boast equivalent protection.

Grenades
All Storm Troopers carry both Frag and Krak grenades, adding yet another layer of versatility to these already capable soldiers. Frag grenades allow the Storm Troopers to assault units in cover without suffering any penalties, and Krak grenades can be utilized to damage or destroy light to medium vehicles. Storm Troopers are suited to nearly any battlefield task, and the grenades they carry make any assigned mission that much easier.

Inquisitorial Storm Troopers
Occasionally, an Imperial Inquisitor will call upon units of fanatically loyal Storm Troopers to assist in an investigation. Inquisition Storm Troopers have even more choices than their Imperial Guard brethren; they can select a Rhino instead of a Chimera as a transport, and the Veteran Sergeant can choose items from the Daemonhunters armoury. A powerful counter-assault combination includes a Storm Trooper squad upgraded with a Veteran Sergeant who is armed with a Thunder Hammer and transported inside a Rhino.

Roles
Storm Troopers typically excel in one of three battlefield roles. If a Storm Trooper squad is tailored to fit a particular role, they will often perform impressively. Listed below are some of the ways in which Storm Troopers can be utilized to full effectiveness.

Fire Support. Fire support is one of the missions that Storm Troopers are almost ideally suited for. The high Ballistic Skill and special equipment (Hellguns and Special Weapons) of the Storm Trooper mean that they make their shots count much more effectively than your average Imperial Guard squad. As discussed above, the Storm Troopers have many ways to get into position on the battlefield, and once in place, can reliably hold that position against nearly any enemy they encounter. In addition, a Storm Trooper squad’s firepower can support the advance of another unit or slow down the enemy’s approach, whichever you prefer.

In my own army, I prefer to send my Storm Troopers ahead of the main force, utilizing them both as a firebase (where their Hellguns can threaten enemy infantry) and a mobile reserve. Should I need their help elsewhere, the Storm Troopers mount up in their Chimera and drive to the trouble spot.

Objective Claiming. Many scenarios involve an objective, such as table quarters (in the Cleanse mission), objective markers (as with the Rescue mission), or a strategic piece of scenery (such as Take and Hold). Storm Troopers are among the best troops available in the Imperial Guard to capture and keep such objectives. Although they don’t move quite as fast as Rough Riders or a Hellhound, Storm Troopers have the manpower and firepower to make your opponent think twice about trying to take away the objective. The various mobility options (described above) go far to make the Storm Troopers competitive with speedy enemy units like Chaos Space Marine Bikers or Ork Stormboyz. When added to the respectable firepower, armour, and leadership that Storm Troopers possess, these options make Storm Troopers a difficult nut to crack when it comes to taking or defending a mission objective.

My own Imperial Guard army has two units of Storm Troopers, both of which operate as objective-claiming units. I send my Storm Trooper squads to claim or contest table quarters or objective markers in order to discover the Rescue mission’s prize. So far, they have never let me down!

Counter-Assault. Although Storm Troopers are not as impressive in hand-to-hand fighting as Rough Riders, Ogryns, or other dedicated close combat units, they can hold their own in an assault. Don’t forget that a Storm Trooper Veteran Sergeant can purchase a Power Weapon for only 5 points! Also, the Storm Trooper’s Carapace armour and high Leadership means that they can slow down most assault-oriented foes for at least a few turns, giving you the opportunity to prepare a properly “warm” reception for your unwelcome guests. However, Storm Troopers should only use this assault role as a fallback, being far better at shooting the enemy or defending a strongpoint on the battlefield. Most of the time, you should only consider Storm Troopers as close combat troops if it is crucial to hold the line or plug a hole in your defences.

My Storm Troopers don’t seek out close combat, but if they are drawn into an assault, I know I can rely on them to keep the enemy bogged down for a little while. As I generally send my Storm Troopers ahead of my main battle line, I have to keep in mind the possibility that they may have to serve as assault troops should I be outmaneuvered. Fortunately, since I mount my Storm Troopers in Chimeras, I usually have the option of driving away from foes who get too close!

Send in the Storm Troopers!
In closing, let me suggest to all the Imperial Guard commanders out there: don't be afraid to field some Storm Troopers. They're rock-solid soldiers who can do just about any job you assign to them. Properly equipped, deployed, and supported, Storm Troopers can have a decisive effect on any given battle or mission. I'm not trying to say that Storm Troopers are the best choice or the only choice, but I am going to say that Storm Troopers can and will surprise you and your opponent with their battlefield prowess.