Well... I've used Rough Riders successfully, but they need dedicated screening units. And something else needs to be scarier, like a Banewolf, to be a priority target.
I used to use Power Blobs, though that was because EVERYTHING used to try to assault them. 4 Tactical marines? Power Fist still alive? Doesn't matter, assault! I would say they were better
counterassault but it worked quite nicely. Power Axes gave them a boost, since they struck after not-Orks and not-Necrons anyway.
Straken's obscenely overpriced... he's more expensive than a comparable Marine Lord. He can be useful if you're running a dedicated assault blob, or a big horde'o'scripts with a Priest or something leading them. You need to leverage his CC aura. Stupidly, the best selections to go with Straken are Heavy Weapons and Plasmaguns [and the MoO, if you're like me and love the guy] because you can move and fire at full pop, and still charge. Moving and dropping the MoO's shot is fun times.
I try to like Ogryns. I do. They're just not there. I've said it for years, but if I could give the Bone'ead a Power Fist, I'd buy the models tomorrow. Hear that Tangi? When you get hired, punch every sculpter there and then say, "Imagine that was a power fist, and then imagine it was an Ogryn with a Power Fist. You'd buy that, wouldn't you?" And once everyone's hard-ons subsided, they'd start sculpting them. Ogryns that is.
I also used to use Commanders with Fists all the time, but they're really just not worth the points. So many cc targets have S6+, and no decent save is just junk. Or Stomped. That's always fun.
The Blade is an overpriced, under-AP'd Power Axe. You're striking last anyway.
FNP on GEQ toughness is going to help with non-specialists.
On the whole, Guard assault never seems to get above "bully" level, and other bullys tend to beat us up anyhow. Though for the points, you can't go wrong with Rough Riders. Pulling off a charge with them is like imagining an Ogryn with a Power Fist. All that thrusting, and pounding. What's not to like?
