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Just out of curiosity what 40k army need the least amount of models to be effective on the battlefield?

Define 'effectiveness'? Do you mean competitive or just generally decent to play with?

I'd say GK's paladin/terms or DW/ Logan wing.

Basically terminator heavy armies.

Grey knights are probably now. Doesn't really save money since theyre more expensive.

In effectiveness I mean generally fun to play and has a good chance not to such on the battlefield.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Leprousy wrote:Grey knights are probably now. Doesn't really save money since theyre more expensive.

Ok, excluding the new GK line, I am trying to get a friend into the game but he doesn't want to paint a boat load of models to have to play.

GK Paladins, I don't like them personally, but they are a pain to deal with.

However, usually low model count armies are quite expensive, haveng 15 Grey Knight Termies and an HQ is already running you around $165.

Sorry to ask 2 questions in one thread but my friend wants to know if a "vanilla" space marine army is actually competitive? He is thinking about going either Ultramarines or Salamanders. But on the other hand he is quite interested in the Black Templar.

Salamanders are very competitive and really fun to play and paint IMO. Vulkan twin links flamers and meltas, along with mastercrafting Thunderhammers. Letting your guys re roll failed to hits.

Combine this with CCW/MM Dreads, TH/SS Termies, Land Speeders, Sternguard, and even just regular tactical squads and you get a pretty nice army.

Ultra Marines are meh. Bland to me, no real specialty I believe.

Black Templars are old, if you want to be competitive, it would be better to go with Salamanders.

haveng 15 Grey Knight Termies and an HQ is already running you around $165.

Point is?
Thats damn cheap mate.
Granted the box's are more expensive than usual, but you get alot more points in that box.
£15.50 for 10 ork boyz, when on average people run over 100.
Thats £155 simply for 4 troop choices, and 600 points without upgrades.

If he does want a small elite army thats fun to play then a termie wing wouldnt be too bad for him.

DA, SW and GK all have these as an option, but i would say GK has the strongest of the 3.






Vanilla marines arent too bad.
Average builds tend to include razor-rush lists with plenty of combi-melta sternguard.

Any space marine army will work, GK is probably the best

Grey Knights and Blood Angels imo.

Jackal wrote:

haveng 15 Grey Knight Termies and an HQ is already running you around $165.

Point is?
Thats damn cheap mate.
Granted the box's are more expensive than usual, but you get alot more points in that box.
£15.50 for 10 ork boyz, when on average people run over 100.
Thats £155 simply for 4 troop choices, and 600 points without upgrades.

If he does want a small elite army thats fun to play then a termie wing wouldnt be too bad for him.

DA, SW and GK all have these as an option, but i would say GK has the strongest of the 3.






Vanilla marines arent too bad.
Average builds tend to include razor-rush lists with plenty of combi-melta sternguard.

SW can do a Logan Wing list and can customize their units well but they are extremely expensive points-wise.

you can field legal armies of 3 and 4 models
gray knights can do 3 model army
orks can do a 4 model army

now small and effective? totally depends on game type

Synister_Intent wrote:In effectiveness I mean generally fun to play and has a good chance not to such on the battlefield.

You're sort of asking for something that doesn't exist. Low model count armies are uncompetitive. High model count armies are competitive, but require lots of models.

As you note, the sweet spot you're looking for is probably going to be something in power armor.

Synister_Intent wrote:In effectiveness I mean generally fun to play and has a good chance not to such on the battlefield.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

Leprousy wrote:Grey knights are probably now. Doesn't really save money since theyre more expensive.

Ok, excluding the new GK line, I am trying to get a friend into the game but he doesn't want to paint a boat load of models to have to play.

A friend would take his/her pal to the FLGS scope out some codexes, discuss backgrounds, then see, out of which of the armies are of interest what the most cost effective way to build the army will be.

Ebay
Trade
Borrowing minis
Proxying

Check the codex for optimal builds (if you must).

It doesn't matter how many or how few minis their are. If it isn't interesting then any expenditure is wasted.

If they like power armoured guys then, a box of tacticals or vanilla termies with some scrounged bits would be a good start off for any MEQ army or termie wing flavour army.

Don't forget the codex!

Daemons: Get yourself 2 Greater Daemons, 3 Daemon Princes and a couple packs of nurglings and it'll make a 1000pt list. Small number of models and unless your opponent is gearing up against it...hehe. Melta isn't really a big deal to that list, which is all the rage now. I recommend a Bloodthirster and a Keeper of Secrets as the greater daemons, plus at least one Nurgle and one Slaanesh Daemon Prince. Go wild with whatever you want on the last (Tzeentch seems to be popular to others).

GKs can do a 500 point army with 3 models

Draigo, 2 paladins.



it isn't a good army, but still.



you can easily get a 1500 points army with 2 boxs of GKTs and Draigo.

I'd say BA. Get some of the point heavy HQ like Mephiston and then get some DC models and the points add up faster than vanilla marines. Agree that it is all about what they are interested in. Salamanders would be a good choice too.