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| Image stolen from games-workshop.com |
My name is fester (with a little 'f' goddamit!) and I have a soft side for crazy and crappy armies made good, or armies that don't fit in the traditional mould used by a majority of players (aka hardcore Fluff Bunnies and WAAC douchebags). I like armies written by real people with real flavour and real synergy.
To this I would like to enter Bretonnians as an example.
The more eagle-eyed of you will have noticed a slight error in the title.
Go look. Check again. Got it?
How to make Bretonnians Work in 5th Edition
[Pink Army] You idiot fester... Fantasy is 8th Edition. Way to live in the past!.
WRONG!
How do I make my now completely useless, crappy and defunct Brettonian army work in 5th Edition Warhammer 40k.
Crazy right? Hear me out.
Have you read Descent of Angels, the Horus Heresy Novel by Mitchell Scanlon?
If you have, skip this paragraph.
If not, start here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horus_Heresy_(novels)#Synopsis
The Dark Angels, pre-unification, had a similar makeup to the current Dark Angels according to the story. They had a "Ravenwing" so named because of their dark armour amongst other things. As old Humans from the first expansion, they also have rudimentry power armor of sorts, bolt pistols, chainswords...
See where I am going here?
Lists...
Time to dredge the 3++ backlog and YTTH for ideas:
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| Image stolen from http://www.ironhands.com/ |
I suggest NOT using the Dark Angels Codex. If you wanted to though, use Stelek's "Scary Dark Angels" list. http://www.yesthetruthhurts.com/2010/06/rare-builds-scary-dark-angels.html
Otherwise... Look into Smurfy's How to Space Marine Bikers Series.
I wish I could say "here is one I prepared earlier", but if I could, this woudn't be an ideas post, more of a showcase of my awesomeness. It's more of a - "here's one I stole earlier". If this is yours and you want it back, let me know :) I am fighting a friend for a Bretonnian to do a proof-of-concept for you as you read this.
Issues...
Now obviously, in this kind of Pre-Heresy, Pre-Crusade list, there are some issues with list making you need to address.
The first is Vehicles. You can't really have any unless they are artillery and nobody really wants Whirlwinds, so give that thought away. Also, no dreadnoughts.
Second is Attack Bikes. How do you model Attack Bikes with horses. I've never seen a sidecar'd horse before. How do I suggest we get around this? What I would do is put a Knight on a 60mm base, and have a single peasant or Men-at-Arms walking beside carrying the weapon. This represents a Knight and his steward.
Now, everyone love TH/SS Termies. Why not just whack 3 Men-at-Arms on a base with shields and swords and go all counts-as? You now have most of a fast-and-slow list...
Cost...
Let's presume you don't have any Bretonnians laying around. Let's also presume that we are comparing with doing a "proper" traditional biker army, and we are not looking at particular weapon kit outs and the bits-ordering associated with this. I am pricing the Darkwings 2000pt list from Smurfy (see above links), at Wayland Games prices (link/banner above).
Models required:
2 Captains on bike.
10 Command Squad on bike.
26 bikes
2 Attack Bikes.
Ravenwing models
Just buying Ravenwing Battleforce's we are looking at needing (6 per box, attack bike, and a speeder we dont want)... 7 battleforces.
Total, 287 pounds. Army completed.
Traditional Space Marine Models
13 x Space Marine Bike Squadron @ 20.00 = 260
2 Attack Bikes @ 9.60 = 19.20
Total: 279.20 Army completed. A little cheaper.
So far we are bits building the HQ's. With the Bretonnians lets splash out..
Bretonnians
2 Bretonnian Lords @ 6.55 = 13.10
5 Knights of Bretonnia (8 per box) @ 15.00 = 75
1 box of Men At Arms @ 15 = 15 (just for the 2 attack bikes.)
Total: 103.10
Final Selling Points
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| Image stolen from koinoniaretreatcenter.com |
Things people overlook when they make a tournament army...
Objectives
Watchers of the Woods. Monsters of any kind (how about the Griffins from Island of Blood boxset, they will be cheap soon as they flood the market).
Display Base
Make a path through a set of woods. Make it look eerie.
Bases
Iron Halo's Wyldewoode come to mind.
Peanut Gallery...
So now you have a Pre-Crusade custom army, with loads of fluff, packs a huge punch and is balanced.Next soft-scores event you attend, you have only got to be "not a douche" and you should win the day!
Anyway, I throw it out to you.
1. Would you be happy to face this kind of list at a tournament, seeings as its Counts-As heavy?
2. Would it make you feel like your opponent had gone out of his/her way to make a fluffy list work for 5th Ed.
3. Are you interested in hearing more of my hairbrained ideas along these lines?
4. Do you have any more concepts that you want fleshed out into a (hopefully) semi-competitive army? For instance: Pre-Discovery Angron army? (Straken + psycho Penal Legions + "jailors" anyone?)
5. Do you have any Bretonnians you want to give away to a
13 pinkments:
I'm all for cheap, competitive and characterful armies. I approve in a big big way.
This is one of the craziest things I've seen.
Crazy enough to work.
Some form of chariot model would make a good attack bike too.
I have beaten up a kid for some Bretonnians. He should bring them to me tomorrow, with his lunch money.
With luck, by the end of the week I might have a proof of concept!
Eltnot - Thought about the Chariots, but I think they are too big to be playable.
TBH Eltnot has the right answer. People will go WTF a little when they see a little dude moving 12", even if he's next to a horse, but Chariots are meant to go fast.
-willydstyle
TBH willy, I think that once your opponent has gotten over bretonnians with Meltaguns then having a walking dude running next a knight wont be a huge leap of faith.
If you wanted to do Chariots you will have to go outside the GW brand I think. Neither Empire nor Bret's have Chariots and the rest are a little too ... race specific I think.
0: Absolutly incredible idea
1: Yes, would you be planning to add a few BP/Chainswords here or there for taste?
2: As long as they painted it to a 'Ravenwing' stlyie, then yes
3: Hell yeah!
4: I'm sure someone else will have good idea's
5: Hell no! Any knights I find will be going towards this!
awesome, I really like how you linked all the relevant resources.
As I do each of these (I have another 2-3 planned and I am sure more will come to me) I will be linking the appropriate models and shops and ideas up.
If nothing else, when I come back to do each of these armies I will have a how-to list.
Now I just have to stop myself buying 40 Bretonnians :(
Go outside to your garden. Pick up a bunch of twigs/3-5mm thick sticks. Get astick about 20mm wide. Cut said stick into 4 4-5mm wide circles. Use PvA glue to make a chariot for fuck all cost. Add Horsies. Flavour to taste.
Seriously, easy done and cheaper by far!
Real ponies Taak?
Or you could just use black templars?
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