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I'm looking to start an Imperial Fists army for 40k, and I wanted to use the MKIII armor that GW is releasing, because I think the older armors looks better. But, when I compared my price totals, I was caught a bit off guard. For $250, I can get 40 MKIII marines, or 20 and maybe 2-3 dreadnoughts/vehicles. But, with regular SM models, for $250 I can get a dreadnought, a terminator captain, 40 marines, and 3 drop pods (Start Collecting + Skyhammer Tactical Insertion Force). I understand that 30k and 40k function differently, but I'm just going off of model count.

If you were in this position, assuming you like the older marines more than the MKVII+, do you believe that paying (a lot) more to get less is acceptable over a pure aesthetic reason such as this?

Check Ebay. People will buy Calth and Prospero boxes to part out the individual components, so you'll find the Tactical Squads new on sprue for $20-30ish (Calth Mk.IV squads going for $22-25, Prospero Mk.III squads going for $20 as of going to press). You don't have to trade price for aesthetics, you can get the best of both worlds.

The model count question is an odd one; 30k tends to have more bodies (40k has a flat cost per model for most squads whereas 30k has a discount on adding models to a squad (the first ten Tactical Marines are 12.5pts/model but the next ten are 10pts/model), and the Troops squads are 10-20 models instead of 5-10), whereas 40k tends to have more transports (the cost of buying more small squads versus fewer large squads means 30k armies have an incentive to be too big to fit in Rhinos, plus there's a trade-off in list restrictions to actually use Drop Pods), so a 30k army built without Forge World models isn't actually going to be that far off a 40k army of similar size in price, it's just that more money is going to bodies and less to vehicles.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
(Addendum: Keep in mind that the Calth/Prospero boxes don't have grav-weapons and only have heavy bolters/missile launchers on the heavy weapons front, so you will need to find more bits than you would if you were using the 40k plastics (which are a mix of Mk.VI-VIII parts).)

Why buy multiples of the MKIII marine set when you can buy a Calth or Prospero set instead?

 TheWaspinator wrote:
Why buy multiples of the MKIII marine set when you can buy a Calth or Prospero set instead?

This.

I did something very similar when I wanted an IKT. Bought the IKR set, sold the terrain & 2nd IKT, so my IKT ended up being really cheap compared to MSRP.

for a new SM army I'd buy the Battle of Calth boxed set. it'll give you terminator captain, 30 marines, 5 terminators a contemptor dread, and a chaplin, all for a (for 40k) reasonable sum)

BrianDavion wrote:
for a new SM army I'd buy the Battle of Calth boxed set. it'll give you terminator captain, 30 marines, 5 terminators a contemptor dread, and a chaplin, all for a (for 40k) reasonable sum)

Pretty much this.

I'm considering buying up a bunch of 30k to do an Alpha Legion army (I just love the Mk IV appearance and design) and when I do the plan will be...

Buy BaC - sell or trade out the Cataphractii and Captain - ideally for a similar number of Tartaros.
Buy BoP - sell or trade out the characters and Mk III for Mk IVs and Chaplains to convert to Chaos Lords.

I'm looking to use MKIII armor, and the Prospero box comes with a lot of other models that I don't have much use for, although the 30 MKIII marines and the terminators are a pretty nice deal. I'm not much of a seller/trader, but perhaps if I do end up getting the Prospero box, I could figure something out for the models I wouldn't use.

You don't even need to be much of a seller, sisters and custodians would, imo, sell pretty well locally.

 CragHack wrote:
You don't even need to be much of a seller, sisters and custodians would, imo, sell pretty well locally.

Pretty easy to work out trades too.

Sisters and Custodes could both net Terminators in trade, because they're actually stupidly sought after. That might change when GW release them individually....depending on prices. If they're Terminator level prices it really won't but if Sisters are cheaper then values will switch.

You can still buy calth its cheaper than buying individual boxes and after selling stuff you don't want you might even break even.

 DarkStarSabre wrote:

 CragHack wrote:
You don't even need to be much of a seller, sisters and custodians would, imo, sell pretty well locally.

Pretty easy to work out trades too.

Sisters and Custodes could both net Terminators in trade, because they're actually stupidly sought after. That might change when GW release them individually....depending on prices. If they're Terminator level prices it really won't but if Sisters are cheaper then values will switch.

Custodes will be 35 quid per box, so it's pretty much what they've been going around in trading groups anyways.

 TapedTempest wrote:
I'm looking to use MKIII armor, and the Prospero box comes with a lot of other models that I don't have much use for, although the 30 MKIII marines and the terminators are a pretty nice deal. I'm not much of a seller/trader, but perhaps if I do end up getting the Prospero box, I could figure something out for the models I wouldn't use.

If you can't find people to sell the Custodes/Sisters to locally throw them up on the Swap Shop and you'll almost certainly find people. I know I need both.

Alternately: Go on Ebay and just get the Mk.III models parted out by someone else at $20/squad.

 TapedTempest wrote:
I'm looking to start an Imperial Fists army for 40k, and I wanted to use the MKIII armor that GW is releasing, because I think the older armors looks better. But, when I compared my price totals, I was caught a bit off guard. For $250, I can get 40 MKIII marines, or 20 and maybe 2-3 dreadnoughts/vehicles. But, with regular SM models, for $250 I can get a dreadnought, a terminator captain, 40 marines, and 3 drop pods (Start Collecting + Skyhammer Tactical Insertion Force). I understand that 30k and 40k function differently, but I'm just going off of model count.

If you were in this position, assuming you like the older marines more than the MKVII+, do you believe that paying (a lot) more to get less is acceptable over a pure ascetic reason such as this?

For the aesthetic? Absolutely. You want to enjoy looking at your models, and it's only a bit more for the infantry. It's one of those instances of paying more for something you want, or less for something you don't want.

Plus, using the MK III and MK IV armors can get you into 30K really easily without the "purists" getting aggravated.

I will echo everyone else and recommend that, if you want to buy new, you purchase the Prospero or Calth boxes for your preferred Mark of armor, as it would cost the exact same for JUST the Tactical Marines, and then you can sell or trade off the rest of the models. (Or keep them and try out the games. I have heard good things.)

I'm sure it's a little beside the point, but it's probably worth mentioning that the standard Tactical box comes with a Grav gun, and parts to make a Combi-grav. At least at the moment these can be pretty important weapons. Last I checked they still fetched a good price on ebay.

Just something to consider.

People sell just the marine sprues of the 30k era guys on ebay for really good prices. Just don't go direct to GW for that stuff and you're golden.

echoing just getting horus heresey box sets for the models. sell what you do not want unless you just have the extra coin to burn.

Buy the boxed games at discount or buy the models on eBay (you can get the boxed games for $116 shipped...). I personally think (and I'm probably right) that the rather comical prices on the plastic HH boxed items are to keep FW in business. Same reason I think the Contemptor is a terrible, lazy freakin' sculpt which they're charging incredible amounts of money for. If it was good and versatile (like the venerable dread kit) they wouldn't sell any FW resin contemptors.

I think they're playing all of this very smartly and trying not to strip out the point of having FW models. Chopping off noses and spiting faces and whatnot.

 Elbows wrote:
Buy the boxed games at discount or buy the models on eBay (you can get the boxed games for $116 shipped...). I personally think (and I'm probably right) that the rather comical prices on the plastic HH boxed items are to keep FW in business.

Or to not cut GW's own tactical marines...Which kinda set minimum price they can ask for them.

FW doesn't mind the plastic marines. Probably are actually thrilled about as it helps to sell more of FW's goodies. As it is FW is happily selling bundles with plastic stuff and their stuff and of course after that are all the vehicles, legion specific units etc.

If you're buying Box Sets they're a steal.
If you're buying individuals or packs of ten they're bloody expensive.

 Dakka Wolf wrote:
If you're buying Box Sets they're a steal.
If you're buying individuals or packs of ten they're bloody expensive.

...Unless you're getting them for $5/character or $20/Tactical squad on Ebay.

Yeah GW's cutting there own throats by putting them for £30 when you can get them from eBay easily.

It goes to show GW still doesn't understand the internet, in the 90's people might not of known where to go besides there stores for stuff but it's 2017 it takes no effort to Google and find great deals.

 TheWaspinator wrote:
Why buy multiples of the MKIII marine set when you can buy a Calth or Prospero set instead?

If you want a lot of MKIII armor, I completely agree that Prospero is a good way to go.

However, Calth is MKIV, which is not what the OP wants. Still a good deal for Marines, though.

If you don't think the 20-25 bucks per set for Mk III guys on eBay is worth it, I don't know what to tell you.