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I thought it'd be cool to get a thread rolling where we work through a checklist of what GW has covered with the existing 40k races and then see what could realistically be "added" race-wise, but the one proviso is that said race must play differently to the others... I've only got one idea at the moment which I'll write at the end.

Here's how I see it:

Space Marines: Power-armoured super-soldiers.

Imperial Guard: Your standard colonial marine/conscript, can probably be sub-divided (Cadians=Aliens/Starship Troopers, anyone?), but when it comes to playstyle they range between your standard sci-fi earth marines to modern armies of today to dystopian man-rushes.

Eldar: Mystical ancient race, "space elves", Vulcans? Hurr Hurr... Give a sort of anime influence as well as mystical and, what we all need in a fantasy setting: Elves.

Dark Eldar: Because any elfy race needs to show that their amplified emotions can range both ways...

Necrons: Robots/Undead.

Chaos Space Marines: Comparatively unique to 40k... "Dark side" faction. Seeking power at all costs/furthering the goals of a bloodthirsty deity, I get a Sith vibe... in the simplest terms.

Tyranids: Aliens. Horde. We are done

Sisters of Battle: A concept that afaik is relatively unique to 40k, compulsory eye-candy faction... Battle Nuns... Playstyle? I believe they serve as the comprimise between the volume of weaponry and numbers of the guard and the sheer awesomeness of Space Marines. Contrary to popular belief: They are toughness 3 because they aren't modified, not because "women are weaker than men" as /tg/ might have you believe.

Tau: Gundam gunline... Pretty faction with nice aesthetics, cool vehicles... I believe they just play as a mobile gunline? I've never actually played a Tau army.

Daemonhunters: Grey Knights and offer the opportunity to conscript other Imperial forces... a hybrid faction?


Now on to the "ideas", though please comment on anything you've read so far or if you think that there is still a niche to be filled...


Factions I have no idea about that are in the fluff:

The Slann, I've got nothing... I don't know how Lizardmen play in WHFB or if that can be translated over to 40k but is that another template? Though I consider the Eldar to be the "ancient and mystical" race, I guess the Slann have the fact that they were created by the Gods themselves as a cool fact behind them.

That race I forget the name of that causes their opposition to age...

Factions that wouldn't add anything new rule-wise (debatable of course):

The Lost and the Damned: They'd be Guard... right? Let's put on our honesty caps here, as cool as they would be is using the normal guard codex with CSM allies really so bad?


An idea by myself:
A viral-based faction (no not Rick Rolled). A mutagen that takes possession of victims from various factions and gives them new abilities and a new statline: Modelling-wise this would allow you to collect almost any army or elements from them and greenstuff on some hideous fleshy-lumps, corrosion, tentacles and the like... No idea how they'd play though, but probably as a horde that infects the opposition: Can it be differentiated from Tyranids?

Please add anymore ideas.

A few comments...

Henners91 wrote:Chaos Space Marines: Comparatively unique to 40k... "Dark side" faction. Seeking power at all costs/furthering the goals of a bloodthirsty deity, I get a Sith vibe... in the simplest terms.

Sisters of Battle: A concept that afaik is relatively unique to 40k, compulsory eye-candy faction... Battle Nuns... Playstyle? I believe they serve as the comprimise between the volume of weaponry and numbers of the guard and the sheer awesomeness of Space Marines.

Daemonhunters: Grey Knights and offer the opportunity to conscript other Imperial forces... a hybrid faction?

1: That's not unique to 40k by any means. Superhumans betraying humanity for the "dark side" is pretty common.
2: Playstyle would be summarized as "short-ranged shooty". They are very heavily focused on destroying things in the 3"-12" range. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. I don't think I can say that enough.
3: The WH codex also offers allies. Regardless, Grey Knights are to Space Marines as Space Marines are to humans. Effectively intended to be the epitome of everything that is good about Space Marines.

How about a race that is heavily based on magic, to the point where they are pretty much made of this energy. Not daemons, however, since they would need to be good. Perhaps even more elite than any other army.

Mercenaries? That's a big one.

A dwarf-like race?
Y'know, really slow moving, short, have tons and tons of technology and armor.

Didn'T the OP forgot them =>>>

A fungi free galaxy.......

Genestealer Cult fits your idea very well as a Nid/ IG hybrid army.

They're both hordes, but a few new HQ and Elite choices with limited access to current units would make them play differently.

Examples:
x2 new HQ= Patriarch and Magus- different orders?
No HQ or SC from either codex allowed.

Genestealers as limited Elite
Hybrids as Elite- Upgraded human statline. Similar to wolf guard in that they can be added to troop squads? Access to most heavy and special weapons.

IG as troops- No Platoons. Vets represent Brood Brothers who've been taken into the brood. Limited special/ heavy weapons.

FA- Sentinels only?

HS- No squadrons. Standard Russ only?

Tear the above apart as much as you're inclined as it's off the top of my head.

personally i would love to see star wars based armies in 40k, a clone army and a droid army would be great to pitch them against the armies we already know.
could spread then to other star wars armies like the gungum (sure i spelt that wrong)

also plenty of other movie armies that would be cool to own
colonial space maries from aliens
aliens from aliens
avatar (human and alien races)
bug army from starship troopers
etc etc

I think more armies based on movies would be great, not many could resist a starwars army.

An army that's incredibly reliant on synergy, with utter crap base statlines that are enhanced differently by proximities to different units.

Aside from proximities, that's not too far off from what Sisters are. Sure, they have BS4 and a 3+ save, but the rest of their stats are GEQ, and they have to rely on synergy-- in the form of Faith Points and Acts of Faith-- in order to obtain better stats and abilities.

Melissia wrote:A few comments...

Henners91 wrote:Chaos Space Marines: Comparatively unique to 40k... "Dark side" faction. Seeking power at all costs/furthering the goals of a bloodthirsty deity, I get a Sith vibe... in the simplest terms.

Sisters of Battle: A concept that afaik is relatively unique to 40k, compulsory eye-candy faction... Battle Nuns... Playstyle? I believe they serve as the comprimise between the volume of weaponry and numbers of the guard and the sheer awesomeness of Space Marines.

Daemonhunters: Grey Knights and offer the opportunity to conscript other Imperial forces... a hybrid faction?

1: That's not unique to 40k by any means. Superhumans betraying humanity for the "dark side" is pretty common.
2: Playstyle would be summarized as "short-ranged shooty". They are very heavily focused on destroying things in the 3"-12" range. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. Also, TG is stupid, ignore them. I don't think I can say that enough.
3: The WH codex also offers allies. Regardless, Grey Knights are to Space Marines as Space Marines are to humans. Effectively intended to be the epitome of everything that is good about Space Marines.

I'm afraid /tg/ had me infected successfully after I read their Kharn stories

1hadhq wrote:Didn'T the OP forgot them =>>>

A fungi free galaxy.......

Oh gads, I feel quite thick now.

@Gamble interesting ideas, have you seen the genestealer cult fandex?

As for ZoomDakka, I'd never thought of that... but I've never played any army other than SM and IG so I dunno if that exists or not.

Amazons- A Matriarchal Human Societly that is lead by an Empress. The society reproduces by vat grown children and seeks to capture SMs for experiments upon the Geneseed.


Dwarves-An entire army of dwaven Assault Terminators with T 5 W 2 and Feel no Pain. All ranged weapons are limited to being mounted on vehicles.

fox40 wrote:personally i would love to see star wars based armies in 40k, a clone army and a droid army would be great to pitch them against the armies we already know.
could spread then to other star wars armies like the gungum (sure i spelt that wrong)

also plenty of other movie armies that would be cool to own
colonial space maries from aliens
aliens from aliens
avatar (human and alien races)
bug army from starship troopers
etc etc

I think more armies based on movies would be great, not many could resist a starwars army.

Umm you do realise that for the most part these already exist right in 40k?

colonial space marines+ Avatar soldier= Imperial Guard
Aliens + Bugs from Starship Troopers= Tyranids

The only one that dosen't really exist are the Na'vi.

Someone said above space dwarves? they're called Squats and they are extinct thanks to Tyranids.

But don't worry, we still have the Demiurg.

One could say that 'Elementals' are missing(fantasy template, I know), although I've never actually seen the beings made into a whole faction or anything. Just a thought.

Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:

Someone said above space dwarves? they're called Squats and they are extinct thanks to Tyranids.

GW dropped Squats(Drunken Biker Dwarves) because they didn't fit.

GW has said on several occasions that Space Dwarves(True to the classic heroic archetype dwarves) are a possibility. If GW can find a way to make the Dwarves true to the classic Archetype they will make them, providing that their is space/time in the release schedule.

Ronin-Sage wrote:One could say that 'Elementals' are missing(fantasy template, I know), although I've never actually seen the beings made into a whole faction or anything. Just a thought.

Many feel that this is what the Tau are.

Edited in reply to Ronin

Henners91 wrote:Chaos Space Marines: Comparatively unique to 40k... "Dark side" faction. Seeking power at all costs/furthering the goals of a bloodthirsty deity, I get a Sith vibe... in the simplest terms.

The "Chaos" concept was somewhat borrowed form Micheal Moorcock. His Eternal Champion novels had demonic Chaos Lords with god-like powers toying with mortals, and Chaos was the essence of all magic. Much like in Warhammer. Heck, the 8 pointed star of chaos was Moorcock's as well.

Henners91 wrote:Factions I have no idea about that are in the fluff:

Jokaeru (space-apes with an intuitive grasp of technology, but no real intelligence), Zoats (Tyranid slave race), Imperial Navy (WWII dogfights and Napoleonic warships IN SPACE!).

Henners91 wrote:The Slann, I've got nothing... I don't know how Lizardmen play in WHFB or if that can be translated over to 40k but is that another template? Though I consider the Eldar to be the "ancient and mystical" race, I guess the Slann have the fact that they were created by the Gods themselves as a cool fact behind them.

At one point, the slann were the Old Ones. They created the Webway, and eventually decided to retire from galactic affairs, so created and trained the eldar to fulfil their role in the galaxy.
Nowadays, the Old Ones created a number of races, including eldar, orks and possibly humans, in their war against the Necrons. Unfortunately, all these psychic races caused the warp to become what it is today, the demons destroyed much of the Old One's webway, and a plague of Enslavers finally took out the remains of the Old One civilisation. Lizardmen currently are as they are in fantasy, hanging around in swamps and hitting people with sticks. Not much of a faction.

Henners91 wrote:That race I forget the name of that causes their opposition to age...

That sounds like an interesting one, I can't recall hearing of elsewhere. Could you elaborate?

JSK-Fox wrote:How about a race that is heavily based on magic, to the point where they are pretty much made of this energy. Not daemons, however, since they would need to be good. Perhaps even more elite than any other army.

I don't see how a being composed of warp energy could be anything other than a daemon, the warp is generally considered Bad Stuff. Unless by "made of energy" you mean physical-universe energy, at which point the C'tan have that going already.

Vladsimpaler wrote:Mercenaries? That's a big one.

That's a faction I'd really like to see. "There is only war", and no-one's trying to make a few thrones off it?

Gamble wrote:Tear the above apart as much as you're inclined as it's off the top of my head.

You forgot the limousines.

ZoomDakkaDakka wrote:An army that's incredibly reliant on synergy, with utter crap base statlines that are enhanced differently by proximities to different units.

Space Slivers?

Æscholt wrote:

Vladsimpaler wrote:Mercenaries? That's a big one.

That's a faction I'd really like to see. "There is only war", and no-one's trying to make a few thrones off it?

The thing is that you'd only be able to work for zero to one factions before everybody else decides to just shoot you on sight.

I would like to see a mercenary list, as it happens. That sounds like a cool idea; a bunch of misfits and renegades fighting for whoever pays the most.
Good call, whoever posted that.

Wether GW took the Squats out because they fit in with 40k or not is irrelevant. The fact is that the Squats are described as short humanoids with a large capacity for technology, I can't see any other template that those traits fill other than space dwarves which means that the space dwarves template has already been filled even if it currently isn't in use.

As for Lizardmen just sitting around hitting things with sticks that is far from the truth considering the Lizardmen are THE oldest race in the Warhammer world, that armies of saurus have wiped out entire species, prevented the world from being over run by Chaos both directly and indirectly and that the Slaan have enough power to completly move the continents of the world I'd say they're a little more than just lizards sitting in a swamp hitting things with sticks.

AlexHolker wrote:

ZoomDakkaDakka wrote:An army that's incredibly reliant on synergy, with utter crap base statlines that are enhanced differently by proximities to different units.

Space Slivers?

Totally, when I played magic i loved them!
the models would be interesting to with all the enhancements.

Warboss Imbad Ironskull wrote:

fox40 wrote:personally i would love to see star wars based armies in 40k, a clone army and a droid army would be great to pitch them against the armies we already know.
could spread then to other star wars armies like the gungum (sure i spelt that wrong)

also plenty of other movie armies that would be cool to own
colonial space maries from aliens
aliens from aliens
avatar (human and alien races)
bug army from starship troopers
etc etc

I think more armies based on movies would be great, not many could resist a starwars army.

Umm you do realise that for the most part these already exist right in 40k?

colonial space marines+ Avatar soldier= Imperial Guard
Aliens + Bugs from Starship Troopers= Tyranids

The only one that dosen't really exist are the Na'vi.

Someone said above space dwarves? they're called Squats and they are extinct thanks to Tyranids.

i mean the exact armies, not equivilents. tyranids dont interest me but a starship troopers bug army would as i like the look.
and i already collect imperial guard but would really love a colonial marine army with there sexy drop ships and transports

The main problem (I think) is that GW doesn't want to add a new race unless there is a "play-style" niche that can be filled by a new race. For example, Tau have a unique shooty thing going that doesn't appear in the other armies. Right now, there are debates on how to make Necrons unique -- currently, they are semi-MEQ --and the most commonly suggested replacement for WBB (which is apparently going the way of the squat), instead of WBB, they may end up with FNP and increased toughness, which reminds most people of Death Guard.

So, a new army needs two things: first, a cultural profile that isn't already occupied by an existing army, and second, a play-style that doesn't mimic existing systems (all we need is another MEQ -- not).

For example, I like the archetype most familiar in the Borg: cyborg (even steam-punkish) aguments. The Borg are an example of this idea, not the originator. GW would probably not do a cyborg army because they already have three: Iron Hands, Iron Warriors, and Ad Mech. For me, Iron Hands and Iron Warriors are just MEQ with some cyborg fluff and no real effect on game play (the old Chaos Codex made Iron Warriors more different, but that's gone). Ad Mech would be interesting, but there is no codex for that and besides, I don't think we need another imperial/human army. Something more xenos would be better in my opinion.

So what niche isn't covered?

There's no Greys -- super advanced, hyper agile, etc. (Eldar come close, I know).

Super shooty, crap in cc? -- Tau
other way round, mostly cc, run across the board? Tyranids and Orks.
Pie plate army -- Guard
short range army -- Sisters
Heroic Individuals, small numbers (a.k.a. Protoss) -- Marines (for the most part)


Could exaggerate the heroic individual idea -- an army of 10-15 godzilla ninja types like Protoss, Predator, Kzin, Pak Protector, etc.
This would be cool, but probably won't happen -- GW don't want to make an army that uses 10 models.


An army where the basic trooper worked like a souped-up Warp Spider would be fun. Popping in and out of existence, pot shots galore, no heavy weapons, harrying skirmishers, almost impossible (maybe even impossible -- what would that cost?) to engage in cc -- the Greys?

Vampire glamour (Enslaver) type army -- instead of killing your army, they "convert/seduce" it and your former troops begin attacking you . . .

hmm,

CSM: Dark Side Super humans in power armour.
LatD: Dark Side normal humans.
Kroot: Noble savages (->movie Avatar).
Tau: Also inherit much of the Grey Alien look and feel.
Ecclesiarchy (incl Sororitas): Church fraction (also featured in Warmachine, Rezolution)
Necrons: Terminator movies.

Still room for a human/Xeno pirate/mercenary fraction different from IG.

SpacePanzee wrote:For example, I like the archetype most familiar in the Borg: cyborg (even steam-punkish) aguments. The Borg are an example of this idea, not the originator. GW would probably not do a cyborg army because they already have three: Iron Hands, Iron Warriors, and Ad Mech.

I would argue that only two of those armies are proper cyborg armies. The Iron Warriors are a distinct siege-style army with cyborg elements.
But that's picking at nits.
I agree, a Borg-style army would be cool.

Henners91 wrote:

The Lost and the Damned: They'd be Guard... right? Let's put on our honesty caps here, as cool as they would be is using the normal guard codex with CSM allies really so bad?

Well, you'd have to explain how they got ahold of such great tech. The very makeup of Guard is designed to ensure that traitors don't infect both Armoured AND Infantry battalions. And then you'd have to explain Valkryies. It would be a very professional traitor army, like Blood Pact, but the Lost and the Damned never struck me as professional.

SpacePanzee wrote:

Heroic Individuals, small numbers (a.k.a. Protoss) -- Marines (for the most part)

Seemed more like Eldar to me. Skiening the alternate fates, dedicating their lives to the Path of War, very few but very advanced. ...Just ignore guardians.

Vampire glamour (Enslaver) type army -- instead of killing your army, they "convert/seduce" it and your former troops begin attacking you . . .

Well, Dark Eldar do seem Vampiric. Their tactics (for infantry based armies) is to cause as many leadership rolls with as many neg modifiers as possible. And they capture the enemy as well. But as for subverting, I don't know. Deamons have The Masque and her dance routine, which allows the deamon player to move your models, and they have the changeling. But that's about it I think.

Gorskar.da.Lost wrote:I would like to see a mercenary list, as it happens. That sounds like a cool idea; a bunch of misfits and renegades fighting for whoever pays the most.
Good call, whoever posted that.

That wouldn't be a new army as such though, just a different way of using existing armies. If you mean mixed units of renegade Tau, Eldar and Humans or similar then overcoming issues of balance could be very difficult unless they were given similar stats. Sounds like something better for unofficial games.

Pierson's Puppeteer Army?

based on running away, leaving booby traps, defensive weapons, turning an opponent's aggression against themselves?

That would be frustrating! When you charge, they auto-break, but leave behind mines that act like template weapons with entangle/pinning rules.

They could use mercenaries for their front line -- they hang back with guess-range barrage?

Emperors Faithful wrote:

Henners91 wrote:

The Lost and the Damned: They'd be Guard... right? Let's put on our honesty caps here, as cool as they would be is using the normal guard codex with CSM allies really so bad?

Well, you'd have to explain how they got ahold of such great tech. The very makeup of Guard is designed to ensure that traitors don't infect both Armoured AND Infantry battalions. And then you'd have to explain Valkryies. It would be a very professional traitor army, like Blood Pact, but the Lost and the Damned never struck me as professional.

My point was that it's not worth making a new 'dex for... I think a responsible player who plays for the fluffiness of having a LatD army would use options in the IG 'dex to make one more like it: Spamming conscript squads for example as crazed cultists.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
@Æscholt

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Hrud

Remembered who they were when I looked at the list of Xenos on Lexicanum:

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/List_of_Sentient_Species

Probably wouldn't make much of an army though, now that I've refreshed my memory...

@Fox40

What's wrong with a Valkyrie? :(

SpacePanzee wrote:

Vampire glamour (Enslaver) type army -- instead of killing your army, they "convert/seduce" it and your former troops begin attacking you . . .

I like that idea and it could be worked into the "viral template", but I think GW would have a few issues with making an army that forces you to use your opponent's models... One it's bad for business and two, I myself might feel a little violated allowing someone else to touch and move elements of my army

Admech. Apart of me also thinks that eventually GW will make an expansion book for Pre-heresy games.

I think a pre-heresy codex, or 3 (loyalists, heretics, and xenos?) would sell great. Or even an apoc type "expansion" with new rules/units for each faction based in the 31st M.

Just imagine how many Heresy era upgrade kits they would sell.