Imperial Guard in 6th Edition: Heavy Support

(Delayed due to watching Olympics Opening Ceremony)

Please read my disclaimer.

For more in depth approach, I would recommend pottering over to 3++, where they are starting a far more comprehensive analysis.

Leman Russ Squadron
I currently have three Leman Russ - two Battle Tanks and one Demolisher. I've tended to favour the Demolisher for tournament & competitive play as I've found that the instant death on T5 and the AP2 are pretty much priceless.
In the world of hull points, I think the rear armour of 11 also has something to be said for it, giving just a tiny bit more survivability.
I had considered the Executioner with plasma side sponsons, but with plasma now getting hot, I'm not sure I'd like to spare the glancing hits...
On the subject of side sponsons, I think the new wound allocation rules and new vehicle movement may mean that I start breaking them out rather than my habits to date, which has been main gun plus lascannon.


In the tournament meta of all the power armour in the world, I'm really not convinced by the Eradicator, Exterminator or Punisher, but they should probably have at least one outing each for me to see how they fair - but they won't be my first choices.


Things to try:
- All the side sponsons
- Cheap and plentiful Leman Russ with no upgrades at all and see if all the AV14 makes people sadder.
- Vanquishers - including against 'nids, where they are a bit of a points waste, but I if I take them for a tournament list, I'm going to have to cope.
- Taking mixed squadrons now wound allocation rules aren't so punishing

Hydra Flak tank
Still worthwhile, despite not having Interceptor. I am constantly shocked by people wiffling on about how the lack of it has "ruined" the Hydra. At 75 points, it remains a good deal. Twin linked snap fire still has some chance on ground targets, and I expect to see a lot of fliers about.

Things to try:
- Singles or pairs? Squadrons or no?
- When facing flier free armies - are some upgrades worthwhile to give them something else to do? Stubber & Hunter-killer are springing to mind, but that does up the points cost

Ordnance Battery
Underused last edition, possibly criminally so. I seem to remember reading that minimum range is no longer as bad as it once was, which may up the value of some of them no end!

Things to try:
- Basilisk, for the sake of tradition
- Medusa single & paired, with and without bastion breachers, and paired; one with and one without. One of my top picks for meta changing approaches
- Colossus, for all your marine killing needs
- Griffon on its own, plus also the Griffon as a 'spotter' tank for the other ones now wound allocation works differently - but I need to check how the new battery fire rules work
- A pinning list, with Psyker Battle Squads and a lot of artillery

Manticore
Not quite as good as before, but still a firm and solid favourite on the field. It will put a lot of firepower down  range, and while it's not going to be getting so many "destroyed" results without AP2, it will still be getting reliable glancing hits all the way home. My current guess is that it will be less spectacular, but a more reliable performer.

Deathstrike
Still requires a lot of planning to use, but as good as it gets in terms of strength, AP and ignoring cover. The huge blast will put a serious hole in a lot of armies. Much better against static shooting lines than armies that are closing with you fast. Also needs some serious thinking about where you want to close or don't.

Things to try:
- 1 Deathstrike supported by other army elements
- Army focused around 2 or 3 deathstrikes.
- Not wiping out my own army with the blasted things