Guard do have one kneepad, but it's mostly for kneeling to fire crouched. Mostly it's cost. There are hundreds of billions of Guard in the universe, armoring them all would be a nightmare. That's why they're deployed in such numbers. After a while, a wall of bodies absorbs all the bullets you need!

-Dirge

 

its because the manufactorium sees that its only worth protecting the vitals like the head, chest area and the lower shin where the shin armour is on the boots, sholders because without arms you cant fight.

and also there is billions on each planet so if they protect every body part you would have less ammo and other gear.

 

they're armed so poorly because theres so damn many of them lol

there's only so many space marines, and that's why they get the best stuff; obviously, its the opposite in the guard's case

 

Omg why is this even a question...

Because they are guardsmen. Have you not read the quotes that are in the codexs and books

"I expend ammunition and men in equal measure" - Commisar Vulyarn Vostoryans 8th

No one gives a crap about guardsmen (and i play and love this army) All the guardsmen are good for is holding what the marines have gained and protecting tanks. Its in the manual lol

 

Exactly the point is that guardsmen are expendable.

 

Because they're the squishy things that stop the bullets from hitting the valuble targets like tanks and whatnot.

 

the same reason i only have a kevlar helmet and vest...

 

do you really think a flak pad is gonna stop his knee being blown off?, looks how thick a flak jacket has to be to stop a bullet from for example a 7.62mm round, now apply that thickness to your knees, your guardsmen suddenly suffer from being in difficult terrain for the whole game

a kevlar helmet

and they've already proved how much they can....or should we say cannot stop :biggrin:

 

Because there are hundreds of trillions of them. I can't think of what comes after trillion. They don't need good gear, their sheer numbers will wear you down, and let them be victorious. You know like the Russians did against the Germans, and what China will do to the rest of Asia when they decide to take it over. I know you're not supposed to start a land war in Asia but when you have a standing army of almost 1.5 billion people, who's really going to stop you? Besides the Siberian winter of course. :biggrin:

 

and if your really worried about it buy the Carapace Amour upgrade for you Guard Infantry

 

lol carpace for each soldier...thats not worth it

 

Ive done some experimenting with it and it can be effective sometime. Look at bolters, AP5 right, now if you upgrade to Carapace Armour then your actually getting a save against Marines. Its also proved good against 'nids in combat

 

As said it is simply the fact there are so many to supply armour for . Although taking it from a perspective of todays look taking casulties in war its just rediculous for IG they simply just get on with losing thousand of people.

For most IG commanders reports probably sound quite like this "sir we've lost half the army by a stray shopping bag " commander's reply ? "Everythings going to plan then"

 

well if you have got and read the imperial guards uplifter primer it says that your faith will protect you more then your armour which is practicaly true considdering they have carboard armour.

also that you are nothing.so sacrificing yourself in the emperor is considdered good for some stupid reason if it kills the enemy

 

Got to love Imperial motivation eh, so ...... invigerating

 

after I read it I felt they could defeat anything even the void of space! hold your breath

 

Armor costs money, the dead cost nothing...simple economics to the generals

 

If you get shot by an Ork Slugga in the knee and some how magically your crappy armored knee pad (which has to be obscenely heavy and bulky to the point where you better off ditching it to run to cover faster in order for it to be any good at the massive rounds they are throwing around in 40k) is not penetrated by the round your knee cap is shattered and you lie on the ground screaming horribly and you might as well just have had your leg shot off because either random gunfire is going to kill you or the commissar decides your screams are bad for morale and shoots you. So you die and you just wasted the Imperium a bunch of time and money making those knee pads that do not do crap.

 

I see it like this, No need to equip the millions of soldiers fighting mostley conventional wars. Most IG regiments only see duty fighting like equipped enemys. So they are "state of the art" if you will. Now the units that get into the more specialized combat theaters get better equipment. Storm Troopers. Those that are fighting against CSM or the better armored and armed forces are usually in place in high numbers and the rate of loss and replacement is more cost effective than equipping with better and more advanced gear. Plus if fluff is to be considered they ARE at the cutting edge of technology for military hardware. The soldiers of the Imperium are sent to battle with the finest and most protective armor that mankind can produce, cost is not even a consideration. :taunt:

 

The cost of equipping everyone with Carapace armor is ridiculous compared to equipping everyone with body bags!

-Dirge

 

HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHA :laugh::laugh::laugh:

very good mate, very good. I guess we can supperise this intire arguement by saying that there IG, they were born to suck

 

There's the cost, and also the problem with armour. A flak vest, steel helmet and steel shoulder pads isn't much weight on you (steel is surprisingly light, try wearing a WWI British helmet, light as a feather), but you start adding kneepads (which we've worked out are useless) gauntlets, groin guards, leg armour, and anywhere else suddenly you've got a trooper who's so worn out he can't fight. Add to that a gun (I don't know how heavy a lasgun is, but if its like a Lee-Enfield or Thompson it'll be very heavy), extra ammo, grenades (again, heavy) and general equipment it'll weigh more than the trooper himself.

Plus movement. Ever seen a knight fight? Very clumsy, relying more on his enemy not being able to hurt him so he can strike when he can. Now imagine your enemy CAN hurt you, and you're blundering around with no movement. Dead in a few seconds. Flak vests don't cover the abdomen, which seems stupid (ever seen Saving Private Ryan, with the US ranger trying to hold is innards in) as theres a lot of blood and organs there, but armouring it will mean you can't bend over, so you can't leap into cover (which is better) and you have a lot of dead troopers.

Just my thought. I'm not military, so I don't know quite HOW heavy all the gear is but what I've tried its pretty harsh.

 

Flak vests don't cover the abdomen

Yes it does

 

I imagine that the imperium doesn't have the resources, manufacturing capability or knowledge to give the entire Guard proper armour. The sheer number of Guardsmen also exasperates the problem. Besides, for the Guard its quantity not quality that owns the day.

 

Wouldn't be much of a flak vest if it just covered your nipples :wink:

"Oh I've been shot in the stomach"

"But at least your nips are fine..."

 

OH MY NIPPLES EXPLODE WITH DELIGHT!

 

I think the main thing is that Guardsmen are expandable so no point wasting resources on them.
I mean look in the Vraks books they worked out many men they needed and how many could die for each meter of ground they covered.
Also remember 70% of guard will be fitting against other humans. It seems that most guard dont go upagainst Xenos or CSM much at all. So maybe there armour would be ok against, lasguns.

 

well they are guardsmen, they were born to die
I imagine this is a Guard commander "drown the enemy with your blood men, it just might work better than your flashlights"

 

beinging a marine my combat load is pushing close to 70 to 85 lbs.
combat load consisting of: flac jacket front,back,and two side sappi plates groin protector, neck guard, rifle, filled ammo clips, and kevlar.
I was a heavy equipment operator and with all that crap on is was just about impossible to effectively operate let alone trying to climb into on of our trucks so i am glad uncle sam is a cheap skate and dosent give us any more useless crap to carry around!

 

It's not so much the cost, for the most part each planet raises and equips its own PDF. Some may get drafted into being a part of the larger Imperial guard and go on the great crusades etc. but for the most part guard are doing that just guarding. Their role is more of a defensive one. It's the well-equipped specialists like the space marines who tend to engage in offense. If someone is going to be going into the heart of enemy forces its going to be the shock forces of the marines. Guard are primarily there to act be a defense force. They guard the supply lines, major cities and planets. For the most part, guard are going to be dug in and using trenches, minefields, and fortresses.