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I'm thinking about putting together an army for tournament play that I can throw on the back of my motorcycle, with a display board, for cross-country trips. This will require being a very small army.

Any suggestions for approaches to take?

Things to consider:

The maximum display size is probably 12"x18". Space for packing models is at a premium. Most vehicles are out of the question. Actual space taken is more relevant than model count. Nob bikers, for example, are a low model count army, but 20ish bikes take more space than 20ish terminators. Likewise, 30 power armour guys probably take less space than 20 terminators due to base sizing.

Is all-paladins viable, or are psyflemen/dreadknights required?

It's a nice idea Redbeard, that's for sure.

I'm not sure/confident about how good all-paladin armies are and that Paladins should instead be used as elite units, rather than the core of a force. All-foot Grey Knights could certainly work however, although I'd recommend not having Paladins as the heart (or entirety) of the army.
Space Wolves can bring relatively few models to the table (based around Logan/Termies/Long Fangs).
A BA army, likely DOA, based around Nipplewing (Dante and Sanguinary Guard) would also be a small model count army, but would have lots of display potential.
Other than these armies, I guess Tyranids could work, but that'd be the most tricky of the two.

I think Grey Knights are the most natural choice and likely the easiest to do, however SW and BA could work too.

Dual Wing Dark Angels requires about 26-31 Terminators and 6-9 bikes, even less if you utilize Land Raiders or Typhoons. As far as Volume:Competativeness goes, Deathwing has probably the highest ratio.

Shirke dual land raider term list comes in at very low model count, and after the raiders the space they take up is minimal.

A Train...

3 Land Raiders +3 min scout
1 Land Raider Redeemer + 5 SS/TH Terms
Libby w/ Term armour w/ Vortex + re-reroll invul power (name escapes me)

Yeah... it works

***
Outside of that, Palidins + Drago + Libby

I'd suggest buying most of the powers to let you have the option to use the right one at the right time.
About to get charged by steelers, quicksilver up + squad Hammers hands + Might.
Need to summon the troops into on place... well, Summon away.

Take Banners in all squds to get them +1 A. Yea, you loose a NFW, but +1A on Drago is funny.


Thoughts
Drago
Libby w/ Powers
3 x 5 Palidins w/ gear
3 Tech marines w/ the special grenads and orbital relays
3 Psy dreads.

The army is small, but can pack a heck of a punch.
The Dread drop Fast Transports
The Tech either attach to each squad to augment CC potential or load up in one squad to hold the deployment zone. Could drop 9 S6 large blast per turn.
20 guys + 3 dreads.

I would think a DW army spamming THSS termines with missile launchers on their back would be pretty good. I have been thinking of building it myself, It comes in at like 32 models with no tanks around 1850. Kind of boring to have all the same thing like that but I think it would be pretty solid.

The DW army, as mentioned, is quite compact. Even putting some bikes/attack bikes/a speeder or two in to make it a bit less monotonous doesn't make it too big.

I think CSM can be pretty darn compact. 2x winged DPs can be compact if you make the wings detachable. 6-9 oblits, a few rhinos full of dudes, plus terminators and/or a few dreadnoughts.

Horde infantry IG can actually fit into a ridiculously small carrycase if you 'ard coat then dullcote the heck out of the figs so several can share a spot in a tacklebox. A buddy of mine fits a 200-ish model IG army in a case no bigger than a Sabol AT Platoon.

Really, the key is avoiding vehicles, for the most part.

Most Deathwing TH/SS + Cyclone lists I've seen revolve around ~35 TH/SS Terminators and Ezekiel. It's pretty competitive, too...

6x5 squads, then Belial and his command squad. 35 guys roughly...

I lost to a Deathwing army that had a small model count. I think he had a pretty good list. Boring, but competitive:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/359981.page

Well I know you like Orks, so go with an all Nob army. 2 warbosses, grants 2 mobs as troops, and then you can have 3 units of elites. They cost a bunch and could still krump things, and so would be a semi decent army, with small count

Draigo
Librarian
10 Paladins w/Apoth
2x Strike Squads with Psybolt ammo
Vindicare

Throw as many psycannons in there as possible (8, I believe), get some nice gear for the Librarian, and Wound Allocation gear for the paladins and that will probably take up the least amount of space. Alternatively, you can give the strike squads razorbacks (Las Plas or whatever your favorite is). Running the death star behind the razorbacks helps them get into combat, which is where they are happiest. 33 models, 2/3 of them in PA.

ArtfcllyFlvrd wrote:I would think a DW army spamming THSS termines with missile launchers on their back would be pretty good. I have been thinking of building it myself, It comes in at like 32 models with no tanks around 1850. Kind of boring to have all the same thing like that but I think it would be pretty solid.

This actually isnt a bad idea for what your looking for. make 6, 5 man th/ss squads, 1 cyclone missle launcher each, and make one of these squads Belial's super terminator squad with the apothecary. actually a solid list

Or another ballpark, i run a khorne/nurgle daemon list that fits in a smallish gun case. So any army thats monsterious creature heavy is a good suggestion as well


Automatically Appended Next Post:
For example

HQ
Belial- 130
th/ss

TROOPS
5x Upgraded Deathwing Terminator Squad 265
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle
w/ apothecary

5x Deathwing Terminator Squad 235
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle launcher

5x Deathwing Terminator Squad 235
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle launcher

5x Deathwing Terminator Squad 235
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle launcher

5x Deathwing Terminator Squad 235
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle launcher

5x Deathwing Terminator Squad 235
w/ th/ss
w/ cyclone missle launcher

FAST ATTACK
Land Speeder 75
w/ cyclone missle launcher
w/ multi-melta

Land Speeder 75
w/ cyclone missle launcher
w/ multi-melta


....
That list comes out to 1720. so you have 30 points to kill. or you can take out the speeders and do something fancy. but thats just a basic idea, and that list is only 33 models

KestrelM1 wrote:Dual Wing Dark Angels requires about 26-31 Terminators and 6-9 bikes, even less if you utilize Land Raiders or Typhoons. As far as Volume:Competativeness goes, Deathwing has probably the highest ratio.

...Or a nearly-all-crisis-suit army....

Honestly, If you use magnets then you'd have much more potential for a variety of armies...

Imperial Monkey wrote:Honestly, If you use magnets then you'd have much more potential for a variety of armies...

Yes, but then he would have to store the magnets...

a Nurgle CSM list

3x squads of 7 marines w/ rhinos

9 oblits

and 2 daemon princes. WIngs on the princes may be a little tricky to transport, but other than that you can make a good list and a low model count. I manage to fit it all in one little plano pistol case.

Or a Tau 90% suits list with plenty of upgrades