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To start things off, I'll confess I have never used formations nor did I bother to learn how they worked because I was too lazy to figure it out exactly. After playing a game where I got ripped apart by the power of formations, I thought it would be wise to look into it. I, more or less, have an idea about how formations work but I was curious if there was a limit to how many formations I can take? Aside from points limitation of course.

There are no limits on how you take formations. You can take as any duplicates as you like.

(Except in detachments which are made up of formations, but they will state what the requirements are.)

You can take any number of Detachments in any combination you like. Formations are simply a special form of Detachment.

Of course, there are the "Decurion" style Detachments which are largely composed of Formations. Those Detachments will specify what, if any, restrictions they have on the Formations that can be taken as a part of them.

 gnoise wrote:
To start things off, I'll confess I have never used formations nor did I bother to learn how they worked because I was too lazy to figure it out exactly. After playing a game where I got ripped apart by the power of formations, I thought it would be wise to look into it. I, more or less, have an idea about how formations work but I was curious if there was a limit to how many formations I can take? Aside from points limitation of course.

If a Formation requires a Unique unit, then that is one limitation. There aren't many, and most are limited to the older Campaign books.

Even the Formations used in the "Decurion" detachments are not limited by them. Those Formations taken outside of the "Decurions" limits are still legal (points available, of course) they just won't get the "Decurion" detachment's benefits.

One other thing. Look up how many detachments you can take in your rulebook. Then look up the very first paragraph on Formations in the rulebook, and that should answer your question.

The faq draft added a limitation: you cannot take more than 1 formation that requires one model there to be your warlord.
outside that and what people have posted here... go nuts!

Have you consulted the rule book? It is pretty thorough on this. If so, which parts of the rules are causing you confusion?

nareik wrote:
Have you consulted the rule book? It is pretty thorough on this. If so, which parts of the rules are causing you confusion?

I was just curios if there was a limitation to how many of the same formation you could take was all.

My favorite is 8 Canoptek Harvests in an 1850 point list.

The BRB doesn't limit the number of formations, but Tournaments frequently impose limitations.

col_impact wrote:
My favorite is 8 Canoptek Harvests in an 1850 point list.

8?!?!?

I don't think anyone has so may scarab bases around...

BTW if your going to tourney double check with the TO's rules for that venue. ITC has limits as do other venues they are the venues rules not GW.

A living artillery node costs about 360 points.

A t6 w6 exocrine with a high str ap2 large blast or assault 6.
3 biovores Large blast barrages
3 warriors which have to take a cannon. One cannon option is large blast.

All get pinning, all get to reroll scatter.

That is about 21 wounds at t4-t6 for every 360ish points.

5 fit in a 2k list. So 105 wounds, 15 48" Large blast barrages that can reroll scatter, 5 ap2 large blasts that can reroll scatter or 40 ap2 shots from the exocrines, plus whatever you bring on the warriors doesn't really matter that much, with every single shot having pinning.

It's not the MOST broken thing in 40k but it's pretty fethed.