![warhammer 40k imperial guard models warhammer 40k imperial guard models](http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2013/4/2/479608_sm-.jpg)
We’ve been promised a complete overhaul of Forge World along with 9th and Guard have the most to gain from this. A lot of these units however are underwhelming and not particularly viable. Imperial Guard have the more Forgeworld units that any other faction, with around 60 vehicles and two whole army lists. Unlike some factions their strength has always been in their units. They’ve never been an army that really relied on stratagems to work. Even if they need to spend CP on getting more detachments its not a huge loss for Guard. In addition they can, even with point increases, build strong brigades allowing them to take whatever they’d like.
![warhammer 40k imperial guard models warhammer 40k imperial guard models](https://www.frontlinegaming.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/03/march-6-2012-002-1024x768.jpg)
They have a broad pool of units to pull from and can fill most roles an army would need.
![warhammer 40k imperial guard models warhammer 40k imperial guard models](https://www.picclickimg.com/d/l400/pict/313575554610_/40k-Astra-Militarum-metal-VALHALLAN-Heavy-Bolter.jpg)
This is overall I think good for IG who have a lot of strengths as a mono-codex army. 9th seems to be pushing the game more towards mono codex lists with the way CPs work. We never ended up seeing a ton of mono-guard lists get played. I think in many ways Guard lists ended up being under developed do to a preference to soup. Guard, while good, were always overshadowed by soup lists. 9th however seems poised to make some big changes that could put Guard on top. As a result Guard proved stronger in soup lists, where they formed an integral part of several top armies, providing bodies and CP, while allies did a lot of the heavy lifting. While Guard had a lot of strengths, 8th’s rules made a lot of their tanks, a large part of the army, underperform. However they never quite made it into the big leagues on their own. They sat on the cusp of greatness with a strong codex and some powerful units. Throughout 8th Edition the Imperial Guard, sometimes known as the Astra Militarium, were an “almost there” faction. The new 9th Edition rules are looking to be a godsend to the Imperial Guard.