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I thin kthe remnants came about due to the packaging of the imperial guards

1 Box of shock troops 20 Guardsmen, you need ten in a normal squad but once you build the 4 you need for the command squad you have 6 loose guardsmen, Since they didn't want these 6 to go to waste they made the remnants rule. It fits with the fluff and their production scheme

Not only do you have to love them, you technically have to own them. At minimum, a Guard force (without Grenadiers) has 4 squads of 10 men and 3 squads of 5 men. 55 foot soldiers at LEGAL MINIMUM.

It's their mutton chops. The sheer manliness protects them from harm.

I don't know about that. Between the year 1916-40,0000 there hasn't been much improvement in the Imperial Guard seeing as they still wear flak jackets.

I like the sideburns thing, but they don't all have sideburns.

Their pith helmets containa refractory field for 4+ normal save, 6+ Invuln Save

This conversation has been had about a million times before. On an individual basis modern infantrymen could whipe the floor with Imperial Guardsmen, and in my opinion they could do well against the other factions as well. That is, if you use the stats as a base for relative strength.

A modern US infantryman probably has this stat line:

BS6 WS4 S4 T3 I4 W1 A1 Ld10 Sv4+

Let me explain why I think this. First of all, I think that they can hit a target 11/12 times. The S4 comes from that these men are incredibly fit, and if you put a soldiers strength behind a bayonet on an M4 he can punch through a Space Marines armour.

Their rifle would have two firing modes:
S5 AP5 48" Heavy 1
S5 AP5 18" Assault 3

Optional rifle mounted grenade launcher:
S8 AP2 48" Heavy 1, Blast


The problem with making your average soldier have stats like that is that the game completely changes. It's now all about cover and everything dies reeaaal fast. Actually, I'm tempted to play a game like that..

Sorry man, but you need to take into consideration the training tha goes into the imperial guard. Ever read Fifteen Hours? Their boot camp makes ours look like a cakewalk. I get the feeling that an American infantryman would be more along the lines of:

ARMY:
BS3 WS3 S3 T3 I3 W1 A1 LD7 SV5+
Special rules: Deep Strike
Equipment: Autogun, (M-4) frag grenades, Flack Jacket, Demo Charge
DOCTRINES: Die-hards, mechanised, Drop troops

ARMY RANGERS
BS4 WS4 S3 T3 I3 W1 A1 LD8 SV5+
Special Rules: Scouts, Infiltrators, Deep Strike
Equipment: Autogun Combiweapon-grenade launcher(frag only) Frag grenades, Flack Jacket
DOCTRINES: Iron Discipline, Die Hards, Drop Troops

MARINES:
BS3 WS3(4) T3 I3 W1 A1 LD8 SV5+
Special Rules: Deep strike
Equipment: Autogun Combiweapon-grenade launcher(frag only) Frag grenades, Flack Jacket, Demo Charge
DOCTRINES: Sharpshooters, Hardened fighters, Iron Discipline

MARINES SCOUT SNIPER
BS3 WS3(4) T3 I3 W1 A1 LD8 SV5+
Special rules: Scouts, infiltrators
Equipment: Sniper Rifle, Frag grenades, Flack Jacket, Ghillie suit
DOCTRINES: Sharpshooters, Hardened fighters, Iron Discipline, Special-equipment: Camelioline (Ghillie suit)

NAVY SEALS:
BS4 WS4 S3 T3 I3 W1 A1 LD8 SV5+
Special Rules: Scouts, Infiltrators, Deep Strike
Equipment: Autogun Combiweapon-grenade launcher(frag only) Frag grenades, Flack Jacket
DOCTRINES: Iron Discipline, Die Hards, Special-equipment: Camelioline (Ghillie suit)

please note that I take offense to being place below Marine Infantry. If modern US Infantry were being represented in 40K the stat lines would be the same and would use counts as rules for Army or Marines. The would then use the Bradley or the L.A.V. respectably in place of the Chimera. The Black Hawk and Cobra / Apache would take the place of the Valkyrie and Vulture. HMMVs would take the place of Sentinels. Now the Abrams would be a good swap for the Leman Russ it would more likely be the M60 or the Sheridan. Basilisks would be represented by Paladin 155mm self propelled howitzers. while is wouldn't be on the same chassis the Hellhound would be a M113 with flame turret, they exists and I have the manual to prove it. Salamanders would be old M114s. I could go about this all day but the Army makes me go into work for a small period of time today and I need to prepare some things first.