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I’m thinking of getting into 40k again. My local FLAGS does 650 point pick-up games on Tuesday nights, no model with AV 12 or greater, no model with 3 or more wounds, no model with a 2+ AS, no model with a 4+ Invul. I’m thinking I might try these games as a “cheap” way back into the hobby.

Thing is, even 650 points ISN’T cheap! Take my old army, Ultramarines, for example: Rule Book (~$75), Codex ($45), 2 Tac Squads ($70), 2 Razorbacks (~$100), and a Librarian with a Jump Pack (~$35) – That’s $335 for an army that might not even be (usually isn’t) competitive. And that doesn’t even include paint!

So I guess what I’m looking for is help in putting together an army list that would be competitive in the environment described above, but not be all that expensive to buy.

Any thoughts?

Eldar Jetbike spam.

What Eldar army can take Jetbike units as Troops?

How many Jetbikes could I cram into 650 points?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And why have I never seen this army fielded before?

Its in the new elder codex so I suppose you might not have across it much before.

Eldar got a new codex a month or so ago. It's pretty damn good. You could easily get 6 units of 3 man into 650pts all with scatter lasers. You won't make friends.

phydaux wrote:
What Eldar army can take Jetbike units as Troops?

How many Jetbikes could I cram into 650 points?


Automatically Appended Next Post:
And why have I never seen this army fielded before?

All of them. You could for example take just a CAD and lose all your friends like this:

Autarch windrider, Uldanorethi Long Rifle, 110 pts

10 jetbikes with scatter lasers

10 jetbikes with shuriken cannons

650 pts exactly. If you don't upgrade the weapons (why would you not?) you can take plenty more of those jetbikes. Just keep in mind that this is cancer and no-one will like you anymore should you go down this road.

Edit: MSU is of course the correct way to build a list like this. Don't use jetbikes in squads of 10 unless you want to make them slightly more balanced.

What you're going to want to do is avoid paying retail prices. Check out Ebay, there are a few companies that sell NiB items at 25% or more discount and offer free shipping.

Secondly, I would look to low model count armies.
Chaos Daemons flying circus
Grey Knights
Imperial Knights

Any of those three will get you 1500+ point armies for less than $400 codex included.

Grey Knight, in any form are pretty cheap.
Myself, I bought around 30 ravenwing bike online for less than 200$ (and you can easily have a 1k points list with that).

Cheapest possible army (pretty OK competitive build):

Take a DV set. Chaosify ALL the DA stuff. You get:

15 marines
1 Sorceror
2 Lords
5 Obliterators/terminators
3 Nurgle Bikes
Rulebook
1 Helcult formation
10 extra cultists

All for 90$.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If I was gonna guess it'd be in the region of 1000pt. Only thing you might want is a transport for the marines and the codex.

CSM isn't the most competitive codex but those are among the best models in it for super cheap

Can BA still field Assault Squads as Troops?

At around 650 points you'd need 9 boxes (8.2) of windriders to fill it up with scatter bikes, which would cost $369. You'd actually need an HQ, so it would be more like 7 boxes + HQ. But anyhow, that's the price

Or, you could just buy 2 of the new Imperial Knights kits for $314, which would kick the living crap out of 24 scatter laser bikes. And it would take way less time to assemble and paint.

If you want to do Eldar, spamming scatter laser jetbikes is retardedly easy to play but it's not going to win you any games against anyone that isn't a total newb. Among other things, you're stuck with S6; good luck with that. Plus, you'll probably be playing on a 4x4 (for 650 points), and 24 jetbikes have nowhere to move or hide. The first time you meet drop pod skitarii you'll get wiped out in 1 turn of DS plasma dice. The first time you meet knights you'll never be able to hurt them. Or Land Raiders, or...

Anyhow, TLDR is that scatterbikes are NOT the new Wave Serpent. Well, maybe they are, but they're certainly not as good.

So take yourself a Wraithknight, (200+ points), a couple of squads of jetbikes, and some HQ. You know, look at the codex man

Or, as the scotsman suggests, use/leverage cheap DV units. Or buy something available from Ebay.

Do please remember the compisition rules - 650 points, no model with AV 12 or greater, no model with 3 or more wounds, no model with a 2+ AS, no model with a 4+ Invul.

That all goes a long way toward cutting down on the Cheese Whiz factor.

Any word on BS Assault Squads as Troops? You could do it in 2nd, not in 3rd, I think you could do it in 4th (maybe it was 5th), did GW take it away again?

phydaux wrote:
Do please remember the compisition rules - 650 points, no model with AV 12 or greater, no model with 3 or more wounds, no model with a 2+ AS, no model with a 4+ Invul.

That all goes a long way toward cutting down on the Cheese Whiz factor.

Any word on BS Assault Squads as Troops? You could do it in 2nd, not in 3rd, I think you could do it in 4th (maybe it was 5th), did GW take it away again?

Oh, sorry, that's right. As I read down, I forgot the other limits.

In that case, if you want Eldar, take out the Wraithknight (obviously) and replace it with some other cool stuff like a seer council

I would have instantly said GK, but the rules are nooo. Those rules make the games sound boring actually, nothing to really give a speartip to an army.

To answer the question, Ork nob biker spam can be good.

Hello there!

I am a student and therefore have no money at all ha. I've recently picked up 40k again and I managed to put together 850 on £54 using ebay. Can't recommend it enough! Sure you don't get to build it all, but painting and playing is 2/3 of the run for 30% of the cost, especially if you are just starting off. So hunt through ebay for the right deals and pick an army with models that individually have high in game points costs, I chose Space Marines for example, as opposed to Guard. or similar horde armies.

Oh well I seem to have forgotten the composition rules. That would disqualify the Imperial Knights suggestion.

But with those rules you would probably do pretty well with a trukk rush orks army. I know you said inexpensive but you also said competitive. With a restriction on high armor and tough models, the best thing to do is throw lots and lots of cheap guys on the field.

Warboss w/ PK, 'eavy armor, da lucky stikk
Painboy
10 slugga boys (nob w/ pk, bp, 1 rokkit boy) in trukk w/ ram
11 slugga boys (nob w/ pk, bp, 1 rokkit boy) in trukk w/ ram
11 slugga boys (nob w/ pk, bp, 1 rokkit boy) in trukk w/ ram
Kustom Mega Kannon w/ ammo runt and extra crew
Kustom Mega Kannon w/ ammo runt and extra crew

If you got a lot of this stuff from any of the online discount stores you get get away spending only around $250 or so.


yeah sorry no more assault troops for BA.

"with those rules you would probably do pretty well with a trukk rush orks army"

That was one of the armies I initially thought of. The other was a BS Assault Squad army.

In the Ork army, can't the Nob be challenged to single combat by a Vet. Sgt. with a Power Sword and die before he gets to swing because the Vet. Sgt. is I4 and the Nob with a PK swings on I1?

Honestly, if I can't field 6 Assault Squads in a 1500 point Blood Angels army then I just might go play Fantasy Battles.

If it were me, I'd get a bunch of the DV bikes, and make a White Scars army. They're fast, tough, and fairly versatile... And cheap!

Painting the DV bikes is actually pretty fun, too.

Space Wolves Stalkers

Wolf Guard Battle Leader w/ Frost Sword on a Thunderwolf Mount

7 Gray Hunters w/ Bolter, BP & CCW, 2 Gray Hunters w/ Flamer, BP & CCW, 1 Gray Hunter w/ BP & P. Fist, Rhino

7 Gray Hunters w/ Bolter, BP & CCW, 2 Gray Hunters w/ Flamer, BP & CCW, 1 Gray Hunter w/ BP & P. Fist, Rhino


This army has mobility, short range firepower, and assault power. The guy with the P. Fist can't be challenged because he isn't a character, he's just a git with wargear. And I'll have points left over for other stuff.

phydaux wrote:
"with those rules you would probably do pretty well with a trukk rush orks army"

That was one of the armies I initially thought of. The other was a BS Assault Squad army.

In the Ork army, can't the Nob be challenged to single combat by a Vet. Sgt. with a Power Sword and die before he gets to swing because the Vet. Sgt. is I4 and the Nob with a PK swings on I1?

Honestly, if I can't field 6 Assault Squads in a 1500 point Blood Angels army then I just might go play Fantasy Battles.

Uhhhh....good luck with that bro.

Vet gets 3 attacks on the charge. 1.5 hit. .5 wound. Nob has two wounds.

Nob gets 3 attacks when charged. Two hit. ~1.8 wound. Instant death.

the_scotsman wrote:
Cheapest possible army (pretty OK competitive build):

Take a DV set. Chaosify ALL the DA stuff. You get:

15 marines
1 Sorceror
2 Lords
5 Obliterators/terminators
3 Nurgle Bikes
Rulebook
1 Helcult formation
10 extra cultists

All for 90$.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
If I was gonna guess it'd be in the region of 1000pt. Only thing you might want is a transport for the marines and the codex.

CSM isn't the most competitive codex but those are among the best models in it for super cheap

I think this is probably the best answer in the thread. Exalted.

Maybe necrons? just get a bunch of necron warriors, get a lord with res orb, they aren't invuln saves but give you a 4+ to res them.

Lord with res orb
20 necron warriors
20 necron warriors

that gives you around 60 points to work with, and half your gak won't die!

Either that or go the full other way and run inquisition and Assassins?

Get Necrons. They can get around those silly rules and piledrive pretty much anything other factions are restricted to simply by moving forward and rolling all their dice.

AV12 limit? That's ok we're "AV11" *snigger*
2+ save banned? That's fine, our regular joe peasants are more durable than terminators.

Necrons is probably the one I'd go with.

In terms of the rule of cool, and also being highly competitive.

Price wise they might lake a little, but if you're buying a net-deck you're going to get a very specific set of units and then be done.

Just scrounge ebay for deals.

Every edition of the rule book since 4th I have been hoping that the first sentence in the book would be "The Necron Codex NEVER HAPPENED."

phydaux wrote:
if I can't field 6 Assault Squads in a 1500 point Blood Angels army then I just might go play Fantasy Battles.

So if i'm reading the rumors right then I should be able to field an Ultramarines army with six Assault Squads, but NOT a Blood Angels army, right?

Yup, GW....

phydaux wrote:
Honestly, if I can't field 6 Assault Squads in a 1500 point Blood Angels army then I just might go play Fantasy Battles.

You can just take 2 CADS

Or play Unbound

Played in a tournament just like this last night. Played 2 blobs of 25 orks with PK nob (one with painboy, only allowed 1HQ) , 5 lobbas ( scratch built), and 3 defcoptas. With plenty of AOBR orks out there you could probably do this army for under $100 in models. My games all came down to the last roll of the game. 1 failed morale to get tank shocked off an objective in the last turn and 1 consolidation roll that was too low so I could not get back to the objective after the charge (only needed a 3+ too.). Had I not failed those rolls I think I would have come in first or 2nd.