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From both a game-play perspective and an ease of modeling (i.e. cheapest/easiest to buy and paint)? If you wanted to put together a specific scenario in which the game ends when the non-horde player is "overwhelmed" (yet the game is decided by other factors), what unit would you spam?

Candidates off the top of my head:
-Guard Infantry squads
-Poxwalkers
-Nid Guants
-Lesser Daemons (particularly Plaguebearers)

I also want to hear what GW model kits would be great for this. For example, AOS Skaven Plague Monks are $35 for a box of 20 and could EASILY 'count as' Chaos Cultist, Plague Bearers or Poxwalkers.
AoS Seraphon Skinks could also 'count as' Nid Gaunts, Horrors of Tzeentch or potentially Xenos Cultists.

Any other suggestion of good hordes and accompanying cheap GW kits?

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Green Tide. AoBR boys are very cheap on ebay and you can find tons of them. With contrast paints they can be painted up super quick. Game play wise big blobs of boys wreck face.

The obvious one would be Ork Boyz, they're pretty easy to paint, as you don't even really need to be neat, the big issue is much like guard squads (or any horde really) in that it costs a lot of money to field hundreds of them.

Edit: Ninja'd by Domandi

Plague bearers. They are a pox on the game.

Ork Boys, why didn't I include those?

I'm thinking for now this would be a small game and the "horde" units would be "never ending", with each completely destroyed unit coming in at full strength as Reinforcements the next. I'm working on the specific objectives, but the game will end once the non-horde player has no models left on the table. They basically just need to live long enough to achieve some goal.

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The biggest issue with Boy Blobs now is how expensive they are (money AND points). In a 2k pt game, with Battalions and the cheapest HQ options, you'll only be fielding around 240 of them (1680 pts). Sure, that's a lot of models, but it doesn't quite have the "flood of Boyz" feel to it, and it's a hefty investment. Compared to Gretchin where you can field around 510 of them, with points to spare, and you kinda see how Boy hoards don't quite capture that "overrun with enemies" aesthetic (still expensive though, but less so). Of course, the Boyz are less likely to die/run away in droves, but I still think you'd be better off with a different army.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Honestly, judging from what you're trying to do, I would go with a swarm of Gretchin. They're weak, so your players will feel "epic" by mowing them down, and they won't overwhelm their defenses on T2 like Boy Blobs (or pretty much anything but Gretchin) will. Despite their low Save, Mob Rule makes Boyz surprisingly durable. Gretchin will get shot and flee, meaning more enemies to bring back and more chances for the players to "shine".

Point for point guard infantry are probably the strongest per model per point. My main gripe with them competitively is that they can make you lose a game to kill points and make any 'kill X' tactical objectives very easy for your opponent.

If detachments are capped then that can get in the way of fielding enough to truly overwhelm though.

I'm going to go out of left field, and say...Primaris Intercessors.

A bizarre choice perhaps, and I haven't seen it done. But I don't know what most armies would do against 100+ Intercessors. That's a feth ton of wounds, and enough bolter shots to start killing almost anything. This is the next power build!

Well, in the first place I thought about Ork Boyz.
They should always be played as a horde.
Elite Orks don't exist (fake news).

that 360 grot list is doing pretty good

 Galef wrote:
From both a game-play perspective and an ease of modeling (i.e. cheapest/easiest to buy and paint)? If you wanted to put together a specific scenario in which the game ends when the non-horde player is "overwhelmed" (yet the game is decided by other factors), what unit would you spam?

Candidates off the top of my head:
-Guard Infantry squads
-Poxwalkers
-Nid Guants
-Lesser Daemons (particularly Plaguebearers)

I also want to hear what GW model kits would be great for this. For example, AOS Skaven Plague Monks are $35 for a box of 20 and could EASILY 'count as' Chaos Cultist, Plague Bearers or Poxwalkers.
AoS Seraphon Skinks could also 'count as' Nid Gaunts, Horrors of Tzeentch or potentially Xenos Cultists.

Any other suggestion of good hordes and accompanying cheap GW kits?

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Plague zombies are the obvious choice from a financial perspective. 100 zombies from the ZOMBIES!!! boardgame cost 10 Euro and you have the choice of purchasing male or female models/bag. Though you have to supplement them with bases.

Are we counting horde + HQs and CP, or just a blob of models?

Without any support:

Orks
Pox
Nids
Daemons
Guard

With Support:

Guard
Orks
Pox
Daemons
Nids

Ignoring cost, I think a full on admech horde would be super fun in a narrative situation.

They may not be as crazy effective as some of the options, but you get some pretty cool variety and the feel of an unending cyborg horde.

1. Servitors (5pts model)
2. Skitarii Rangers (7pts model)
3. Skitarii Vanguard (8pts model)
4. Secutarii Hoplites (9pts model, squad to 20)
5. Secutarii Peltasts (9pts model, squad to 20)

Then you have the 'boss waves':
6. Sicarian Ruststalkers (14pts model, 2ws)
7. Corupuscarii Preists (14pts model, squad to 20)
8. Fulgurite Priests (16pt model, squad to 20)
9. Sicarian Infiltrators (18pts model, 2ws)

Poxwalkers are cheap both in points and to purchase, but there's limited sculpts available. That's a turn-off for me, but YMMV.

Guard Squads are 'samey' enough to crank out quickly, cheap in points and you can easily pick up Cadian or Catachan boxes anywhere.

Ditto Daemons.

FWIW, I've spent $1,147 (CAD), inc. H.S.T., on 3,878pts of Slaanesh Daemons and Cadian Renegades so far and have gotten 2,854pts painted in a little over 21 months. Averaging 3.38pts per (Canadian) dollar-spent isn't bad, for a horde. I heartily recommend Start Collecting! boxes.

I'm leaning pretty hard towards Skaven Plague Monks since they can easily triple as Chaos Cultists (mutated rat-men), Poxwalkers (diseased mutated rat-men) or Plaguebearers (diseased mutated rat-men that succumbed to Nurgle Rot and became PBs). Never int he same game, of course, but it gives us some options.

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 Galef wrote:
I'm leaning pretty hard towards Skaven Plague Monks since they can easily triple as Chaos Cultists (mutated rat-men), Poxwalkers (diseased mutated rat-men) or Plaguebearers (diseased mutated rat-men that succumbed to Nurgle Rot and became PBs). Never int he same game, of course, but it gives us some options.

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There's also the added bonus of serving as the start of an eventual AoS force.

 Elbows wrote:
I'm going to go out of left field, and say...Primaris Intercessors.

A bizarre choice perhaps, and I haven't seen it done. But I don't know what most armies would do against 100+ Intercessors. That's a feth ton of wounds, and enough bolter shots to start killing almost anything. This is the next power build!

At 1700 points, your other 300 points of anti-tank are going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting

Jokes aside I would like to try a horde of ~60, but I would have to paint them first...

Double shots, even at a meagre Strength 4...with a -1 AP...you just drown them in bolter fire! It's 160+ wounds...I'm telling you. Next year...LVO...won by a full Intercessor army.

Sisters of Battle make a terrifying horde, I played against my friends and I just couldn't handle the sheer amount of 3+ saves on the objectives.

But the ideal horde in my eye will always be Tyranid nids, like... 1000 of them. Everywhere.

It's got to be daemons surely. You can mix it up with units of bloodletters, plaguebearers, nurglings, daemonettes and horrors to keep it interesting for the non hoarde player.

You could sprinkle in some low power hqs in later rounds to give it a sense of escalation. Like poxbringers and maybe even a skulltaker.

Finally they're a doddle to paint, with washes and contrast you can get it done in no time. And they're not mega expensive to buy.

momerathe wrote:

 Elbows wrote:
I'm going to go out of left field, and say...Primaris Intercessors.

A bizarre choice perhaps, and I haven't seen it done. But I don't know what most armies would do against 100+ Intercessors. That's a feth ton of wounds, and enough bolter shots to start killing almost anything. This is the next power build!

At 1700 points, your other 300 points of anti-tank are going to be doing a lot of heavy lifting

Jokes aside I would like to try a horde of ~60, but I would have to paint them first...

Theorethically recyclable csm?
I mean 100 of them cost 1300 pts.
500 pts in special / heavy weapons and some decent hq and you might swamp your enemy in marines.
Also Slaanesh for maximum effect.

It would be one heck of a nasty RC skew list.

 Elbows wrote:
I'm going to go out of left field, and say...Primaris Intercessors.

A bizarre choice perhaps, and I haven't seen it done. But I don't know what most armies would do against 100+ Intercessors. That's a feth ton of wounds, and enough bolter shots to start killing almost anything. This is the next power build!

Squeeze Guilliman in and you might be onto something there...

Guilliman, 2 Lieutenants, and 85 Intercessors.

 small_gods wrote:
It's got to be daemons surely. You can mix it up with units of bloodletters, plaguebearers, nurglings, daemonettes and horrors to keep it interesting for the non hoarde player.

You could sprinkle in some low power hqs in later rounds to give it a sense of escalation. Like poxbringers and maybe even a skulltaker.

Finally they're a doddle to paint, with washes and contrast you can get it done in no time. And they're not mega expensive to buy.

Now we're talking. I've got the PBs down with Plague monks, heck the box even comes with 20 tiny rats that could be based on 40mms for a unit of Nurglings.
Any thoughts on cheap Blood letters? More Skaven perhaps? A box of Clan rats costs the same as the Monks and could just be painted red and given glowing orange melee weapons

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You can have an interesting gameplay going with GSC horde since you can quite effectively have a horde consisting of Melee guys in Deep Strike and shooting guys on Board (Hive Cult/Bladed Cog/Rusted Claw with different equipments are all viable and very rewarding to play and in fact this is what pro's are trying when going mono GSC).

The feeling might be somewhat "different" when using forces that literally do one single thing at once (shooty guys in shooty detachment with shooty bonuses only act in the shooting phase whilst deep striking guys are all melee focused bar the FLAMER BOMB), but the your models play on the battlefield with all the shenanigans they offer is indeed a blast for all experienced players.

Nids all the way.

The never ending bug swarm for great cinematic effect. It would be expensive thoug I guess.

Second pick would be nurgle pox walkers because they turn enemies into more pox walkers which is mad cool. With ne contrast and being green nurgles should be quite easy to paint.

Guard.. its 100% guard, nothing is even close, they can be S4, can double move, double shoot, shoot long range for 4pts, has 5+ instead of 6+, cheap supporting heroes, and can take good heavy weapons (Mortars) if you wanted.

They can easily take a brigade and 2 battalions for 1500pts with 240 troops, some sentinels, heavy teams, and cheap elites, with still 500pts left over.

You can also to 2 Brigades and a a knight.

 Galef wrote:

 small_gods wrote:
It's got to be daemons surely. You can mix it up with units of bloodletters, plaguebearers, nurglings, daemonettes and horrors to keep it interesting for the non hoarde player.

You could sprinkle in some low power hqs in later rounds to give it a sense of escalation. Like poxbringers and maybe even a skulltaker.

Finally they're a doddle to paint, with washes and contrast you can get it done in no time. And they're not mega expensive to buy.

Now we're talking. I've got the PBs down with Plague monks, heck the box even comes with 20 tiny rats that could be based on 40mms for a unit of Nurglings.
Any thoughts on cheap Blood letters? More Skaven perhaps? A box of Clan rats costs the same as the Monks and could just be painted red and given glowing orange melee weapons

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Yeah could work well, reaper minis have some good proxies for horrors and flesh hounds that won't break the bank. Bloodletters themselves aren't that expensive here £14.40 for 10.

Does a tank horde count as well? With Guard, you can legally deploy 12+ T8 W12 vehicles within a single detachment.

I'd say Nids in general. Their design is great, and they have in-game tools to give you fun tweaks on the formula. Gaunts would be your wave after wave, but you can have multiple kinds of gaunts that have clearly established roles. Then you throw in some Genestealers that come out from nodes, establishing a challenge to get out and destroy the node. Then you throw in some Rippers, followed quickly by Raveners, to establish their burrowing mechanic. Then you start bringing in Synaptic support (Warriors) to show how much tougher they get when Synapse is near. Then you bring in a Patriarch with some Genestealers (Synapse + nodes). Then you bring in a few Zoanthropes by Tyrranocyte (Synapse + deep strike). Then you throw down the BIG CHALLENGE; a Trygon Prime with Warriors, which hits all three previously established bonus challenges at the same time!

 Yarium wrote:
I'd say Nids in general. Their design is great, and they have in-game tools to give you fun tweaks on the formula. Gaunts would be your wave after wave, but you can have multiple kinds of gaunts that have clearly established roles. Then you throw in some Genestealers that come out from nodes, establishing a challenge to get out and destroy the node. Then you throw in some Rippers, followed quickly by Raveners, to establish their burrowing mechanic. Then you start bringing in Synaptic support (Warriors) to show how much tougher they get when Synapse is near. Then you bring in a Patriarch with some Genestealers (Synapse + nodes). Then you bring in a few Zoanthropes by Tyrranocyte (Synapse + deep strike). Then you throw down the BIG CHALLENGE; a Trygon Prime with Warriors, which hits all three previously established bonus challenges at the same time!

Then you lose your army in 2 turns because half of the models you suggested are trash tier