Whilst I need three posts to cover my Age of Sigmar armies (in true Dickensian style: a post of projects past, a post of projects present, and a post of projects yet to come), I only really need one for 40K.
40K was where, like many a lad, I started out with Games Workshop, before being tempted away by Warhammer Fantasy Battles, Mordheim, Blood Bowl, Inquisitor, and eventually Age of Sigmar.
I began with Eldar when they got their third edition update, before moving on to Chaos for many years. I had, until a few years back, untold thousands of points of Chaos Space Marines.
I got back into the game briefly at the start of 9th edition, painting up some Necrons. I also planned for a Genestealer Cults army, but never really got that far into it.
So how then are my 40K forces fairing as we fumble frenetically into fall? Let’s take a look.
Necrons
Necrons are an army that never particularly interested me before 9th edition. The models were fine but I wasn’t ever really looking at them. I liked them in Dawn of War, but that’s quite different from making an actual physical (and, let’s face it, monetary) investment in them.
I really liked the approach taken by YouTuber Midwinter Minis and I copied their sandstone Necron theme. I really liked the use of texture materials on the models. This was a productive time for me, and I loved working on this army during lockdown.
My Necrons have only made it to the tabletop twice, and a couple more times since on Tabletop Simulator. I recently put together a list for the army that I was considering taking to our local league. A couple of things put me off this. The main one was just that I don’t really feel that I have enough of any one thing to really give the army much of a focus. I do have 2,000+ points painted, and I feel good about this; it’s just not a really useful, cohesive or effective force.
I have a stack of models still unpainted. I’d like to get to them, but they’re not really exciting me at the moment, so they won’t be a particular priority.
Chaos Daemons
Oh, Daemons. How I love thee! I recently listed the Daemons, listed as Legion of the First Prince, in my AoS army roundup. The thing is, if recent rumours are anything to go by, these might not be usable in AoS for much longer, at least not in the same way. This is very disappointing, and it certainly makes me regret some of my purchases.
That said, at least the army is still usable – and pretty decent – in Warhammer 40,000. I put this to the test recently, first in a 1,000 points game, and then in a 2,000 point game. The list I used in the 2,000 point game was as follows:
Army Faction: Chaos - Game Mode: Grand Tournament - Army Size: Strike Force BATTALION DETACHMENT - Faction: Legiones Daemonica HQ Changecaster (85) - Staff of change - Psychic Powers: Gaze of Fate, Infernal Flames Bloodthirster (350) - Exalted Bloodthirsters upgrade: Indomitable Onslaught - Relics: Armour of Scorn - Stratagems: Relic Lord of Change (345) - Baleful sword - Exalted Lords of Change upgrade: Architect of Deception - Traits: Incorporeal Form - Psychic Powers: Boon of Change, Bolt of Change, Infernal Gateway - Relics: The Impossible Robe - Stratagems: Relics of the Impossible Fortress, Warlord Trait Troops Daemonettes (120) - 1x Daemonette: Daemonic Icon - 1x Daemonette: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Daemonette - 1x Alluress Bloodletters (130) - 1x Bloodletter: Daemonic Icon - 1x Bloodletter: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Bloodletter - 1x Bloodreaper Daemonettes (120) - 1x Daemonette: Daemonic Icon - 1x Daemonette: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Daemonette - 1x Alluress Bloodletters (130) - 1x Bloodletter: Daemonic Icon - 1x Bloodletter: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Bloodletter - 1x Bloodreaper Elites Flamers (75) - 1x Pyrocaster - 2x Flamer Flamers (100) - 1x Pyrocaster - 3x Flamer Flamers (125) - 1x Pyrocaster - 4x Flamer SUPREME COMMAND DETACHMENT - Faction: Legiones Daemonica HQ Be'lakor (420) - Warlord - Psychic Powers: Shrouded Step, Pall Of Despair Stratagems - Relic (1CP) - Relics of the Impossible Fortress (1CP) - Warlord Trait (1CP) Total Command Points: 6/9 Reinforcement Points: 0 Total Points: 2000/2000
The game was good. The core of 40K is actually pretty decent. The scoring is a bit bloated, but hey ho. I wrote a bit more about it earlier in the week, but suffice it to say that I won, albeit very narrowly. The Warp Storm abilities are a lot of fun, and can be rather effective in the right moment. Oh, and the Flamers! Ooft!
In terms of finishing the army, most of it is unpainted. Only Be’Lakor and the Changecaster are actually finished. I’ll need to try and get some more done. I think this will be quite high on the list of priorities because it will likely be my main 40K army, and it’s one that I’m quite enthused about playing.
I will add at this point that I am actually able to field a fully-painted Nurgle army as things stand. I don’t think it would be anywhere near as effective a fighting force, but it’s still cool to consider, and I should try it out one week:
Army Faction: Chaos - Game Mode: Grand Tournament - Army Size: Strike Force BATTALION DETACHMENT - Faction: Legiones Daemonica HQ Great Unclean One (330) - Bileblade, Bileblade - Exalted Great Unclean Ones upgrade: Revoltingly Resilient - Psychic Powers: Stream of Corruption, Fleshy Abundance Horticulous Slimux (140) Poxbringer (90) - Psychic Powers: Shrivelling Pox Sloppity Bilepiper (85) Troops Plaguebearers (150) - 1x Plagueridden - 1x Plaguebearer: Daemonic Icon - 1x Plaguebearer: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Plaguebearer Plaguebearers (150) - 1x Plagueridden - 1x Plaguebearer: Daemonic Icon - 1x Plaguebearer: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Plaguebearer Plaguebearers (150) - 1x Plagueridden - 1x Plaguebearer: Daemonic Icon - 1x Plaguebearer: Instrument of Chaos - 7x Plaguebearer Elites Beasts of Nurgle (240) - 3x Beast of Nurgle Beasts of Nurgle (240) - 3x Beast of Nurgle SUPREME COMMAND DETACHMENT - Faction: Legiones Daemonica HQ Be'lakor (420) - Warlord - Psychic Powers: Shrouded Step, Pall Of Despair Total Command Points: 3/9 Reinforcement Points: 5 Total Points: 1995/2000
Naturally, these are drawn from my existing Nurgle miniatures that I painted for Age of Sigmar. Part of me feels that I should use this list just because it’s painted. I’m thinking, once my main Daemon list is done, to be stricter with myself on avoiding using unpainted miniatures wherever possible.
Aye… we’ll see how long that one lasts!
Genestealer Cults
I was briefly very excited about the Genestealer Cults. Briefly. The idea of the GSC as an army is really interesting. They are the closest thing we have to an army of imperial civilians. Take away the mutations and you’re left with a militant Union of construction workers. That’s cool!
What put me off somewhat is the sheer number of models required to make such a force work. What also put me off was the myriad of build options for the units. That’s a problem with 40K more generally.
I will get around to doing this army at some point. I love the idea so much. My issue is that I want a usable army ready to go, and the number of models required for this one is prohibitive to that goal. In terms of models gathered, I’ve acquired three of the old Start Collecting boxes and the GSC half of the Shadow Throne boxed set:
Without upgrades (and I concede that upgrades are required, and would bring the points total up), this comes to less than 1,000 points, assuming I use one Iconward. A couple of the new Vanguard boxed sets would help me put together a fuller force.
I’m keen to return to these guys, but they just can’t be the priority until I get some more compact, more manageable armies to a more finished state.
Leagues of Votann
I didn’t pay a huge amount of attention to the Leagues of Votann in advance of their release. They, therefore, snuck up on me a little bit. When the boxed set was released, I was immediately grabbed by the gorgeous bikes and the cool character sculpts. The infantry is nice as well, but the bikes and characters are just leagues (heh) ahead.
I never preordered the set but did end up grabbing one when my local stockist got them in. This was one of my trademarked Inadvisable Impulse Purchases™. Of course, there’s not much of a chance to really explore the full army until the rest of it is actually released. Here’s my first pass at a list:
Army Faction: Votann
- Game Mode: Grand Tournament
- Army Size: Strike Force
BATTALION DETACHMENT
- Faction: Votann
- Sub-faction: Ymyr Conglomerate
HQ
Kâhl (130)
- Warlord
- Mass gauntlet, Volkanite disintegrator, Teleport crest
- The Votannic Council upgrade: High Kâhl
- Traits: Guild Affiliate
- Relics: Wayfarer's Grace
- Stratagems: In the Right Hands, Warlord Trait
Einhyr Champion (110)
- Darkstar axe, Teleport crest
Troops
Hearthkyn Warriors (165)
- 1x Theyn
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Medipack
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Multiwave comms array
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Pan spectral scanner
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Magna-rail rifle
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: L7 missile launcher
- 4x Hearthkyn Warrior
Hearthkyn Warriors (165)
- 1x Theyn
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Medipack
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Multiwave comms array
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Pan spectral scanner
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Magna-rail rifle
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: L7 missile launcher
- 4x Hearthkyn Warrior
Hearthkyn Warriors (165)
- 1x Theyn
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Medipack
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Multiwave comms array
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Pan spectral scanner
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: Magna-rail rifle
- 1x Hearthkyn Warrior: L7 missile launcher
- 4x Hearthkyn Warrior
Elites
Cthonian Beserks (215)
- 6x Cthonian Beserks: Concussion maul
- 1x Cthonian Beserks: Twin concussion gauntlet
Einhyr Hearthguard (225)
- 4x Einhyr Hearthguard
- 1x Hesyr: Teleport crest
Einhyr Hearthguard (225)
- 4x Einhyr Hearthguard
- 1x Hesyr: Teleport crest
Heavy Support
Hekaton Land Fortress (300)
- SP heavy conversion beamer
Hekaton Land Fortress (300)
Stratagems
- In the Right Hands (1CP)
- Warlord Trait (1CP)
Total Command Points: 5/9
Reinforcement Points: 0
Total Points: 2000/2000
I say first pass. I’d initially included a couple of the smaller vehicles and some other odds and ends. Such is the scale of the points increases that accompanied the launch of the book that these all had to be cut from the list. I suppose that this at least means that there’s less to paint. Silver linings, eh?
Will I follow through? I don’t know. I think it rather depends on how the painting of the first units go. If I enjoy it, I daresay I’ll crack on. I’m quietly excited for this army going forwards. We’ll see where things stand when the rest of the range gets released.
The first priority for these guys will be finding a suitable colour scheme!
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