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While reading yesterday's Warhammer Community post about preordering Blackstone Fortress: Ascension it got me thinking about how all of the miniatures GW makes for the 40k or AoS universes get rules in their series' primary game, yet I've never really seen anyone mention using these rules in their 40k games nor seen it myself on the table. So I figured I'd drop a poll and see how people respond. (I don't remember seeing anyone ask this but if the have, oops...)

I want to clarify though that my question has more to do with the rules than the models and more specifically is regarding the stranger things such as the recent Zoat, Guardian Drones, ect.
For the purposes of this poll using something like Thaddeus the Purifier's model as a standard SoB preacher or fielding Legends units doesn't count.

Additionally, as a discussion topic, why do you not use them and what could GW do to make you consider using them? (beyond just "rules are bad" and "give them better stats/cheaper cost")

You won't see many people bringing a unit of Guardian Drones for -1 CP when they're overcosted on top. You can either add an HQ with a Relic or a unit of Guardian Drones. I have seen the Tau guy get used a few times, he's pretty cool, the AdMech guy gets used by everyone I play against.

 vict0988 wrote:
You won't see many people bringing a unit of Guardian Drones for -1 CP when they're overcosted on top. You can either add an HQ with a Relic or a unit of Guardian Drones. I have seen the Tau guy get used a few times, he's pretty cool, the AdMech guy gets used by everyone I play against.

The Drones don't/won't get used much because of the 'Unaligned' keyword. Same goes for UR-025, who doesn't interplay with the AdMech.

Worth mentioning though that one of the battlezones in "Pariah"(specifically: the one tied with Saga of the Beast) has rules for 'Infestations', and specifically encourages things that do not mesh with either player's factions. They actually call out the Ambull as an example.

Deadalosus(the AdMech guy) gets used by everyone for a few key reasons:
a) Not Forge World locked. Cawl is, Deadalosus isn't.
b) His buff is aces for what it is.
c) He was cheap and actually available for purchase, unlike the Techpriest Manipulus until Engine War dropped.

Well I would have loved to have gotten some of the Traitor Guard models from Blackstone Fortress to use in my R&H if gw hadn't squatted the whole army.

The Ambull is seeing use in Kill Team. If I ever get the Zoat he'll be added to the 40K Tyranid list, for sure.

I have seen the models being used, but not the rules.

Well, if I get around to paint my Gellarpox they're getting used of course. Just needs time .

In terms of using the models and the ruIes:

I use the Gellerpox stuff in some of my Death Guard builds. While not over-the-top competitive, they can do some cheeky things and add an element if speed that DG is lacking. They got even better in 9th imo. They're also just really fun, cool models that look great amongst a large group of Poxwalkers.

A lot of folks will say they don't want to use them because of the negative to CP, but my DG army has a lot more CP than it did in the previous edition, so I don't mind dropping a few for the extra detachment.

One of the guys in our group is building the Zoat so he can use it with his 'Nids (because old school is the best school ), and we have a few Deadalosus players as well.

Then, in terms of using the models but not the rules, I have a ton of Necromunda gangs serving as cultists (juised-to-the-gills Goliaths in my Creations of Bile, Plantine Enforcers in my Iron Warriors, Corpse Grinders w/my World Eaters and Delaques for my DG), I converted the Zoat into a Demon Prince of Nurgle w/wings, and will soon be getting some Ambots to convert to Oblits for my Iron Warriors.

No point in using their rules whatsoever because it costs CP to use them.

The various chaos stuff (renegades and cultists) goes into cultist units (or obviously CSM units for the two space marines) without any real problem. There are a couple weapon mismatches, but the rest of the unit is so much better than the starter set cultists CSM are _still_ saddled with.

The specific datasheets they did for BSF are problematic just because they're weird unit sizes, want to be in an additional detachment, and can't be used multiple times.
But the rules are the least important part. The models are good.

and can't be used multiple times.

That's my biggest issue w/the Gellerpox stuff. I'd love to be able to take a few units of Glitchlings or stinger swarms but they're also locked at 1.

I'm using the Zoat & a unit of Spindel Drones in a GSC/Tyranid list.
I wish the Spindel drones weren't locked at 1 unit. Not because they're much good, but for the theme I'm trying to do. Though honestly almost no-one I play with is familiar with Blackstone units, so I could probably field several units of drones, not say anything & nobody would ever realize.

I've got a bunch of the traitor guard, 40k beastman, new Necromunda gang squads, & the RT crew - though I haven't gotten around to digging either my Guard or Chaos out of storage yet (just planing for the future really)

I want the Imperial Robot & the ratling snipers.

Honestly though I play alot more AoS. Pretty much any force I've got for that game I've also got the Quest/Beastgrave/etc unit that'd go with it.

The closest I've got is using Necromunda minis as proxies.

I used Obsidius Mallex in a hilarious for-fun game just before COVID hit. He was terrible. However, if you ever play against Mechanicus, you almost ALWAYS see their Blackstone character in there, because he's bonkers good (+1 to hit aura). My understanding is the Obsidius Mallex actually has a points discount now over a regular Chaos Lord with the same gear, though he's still just an on-foot Chaos Lord, so if for some reason I wanted to handicap myself by playing Black Legion without using Abaddon, then Mallex would be something I'd bring.

I really wish they'd get rid of the restrictions on Spindel Drones, and give us a Drone HQ!

I'd totally run a whole Drone army!!!

I use the Ur-Ghul from Blackstone Fortress all the time, because they are 1 point cheaper than in the Drukhari codex

I use thaddeus in my SoB list. Not count as. Thaddeus himself with his rules

Slayer-Fan123 wrote:
No point in using their rules whatsoever because it costs CP to use them.

Many of the adventurers won't cost CP.

Thaddeus, Pious and Gotfrett can all be used in SOB armies, and I use them all. I just wish they had gotten Knosso Prond's Keywords right- she can't be used as part of a Battle Conclave, even though she is totally a death cult assassin.

The Tech Priest and servitor both slot into Admech armies; Raus and Rein go with Guard; Amallyn can fight with CWE, and I'm pretty sure Dayak Grek can fight with the Tau.

The restrictions on using the baddies are stupid; our campaign includes a slumbering Daemon Forge, and I wanted to defend it with Negavolt cultists. The whole campaign takes place on an agriworld, and I wanted to put in some Beastmen with an AoS Herdstone as an interesting side quest too. But with those ridiculous limitations, as written, you can't put enough of them on the table for even a Kill Team game.

If not for those restrictions, the Cult of the Abyss is a totally playable army, and it's a solid core for Traitor Guard if GW goes down that road.

I used the Rogue Traders and her crew in a big 8th ed game - didn;t do much but I like the models

Nearly every ad Mech list is using Daedalosus.

My Tyranid lists tend to be quite old school (lictors, screamer killers, warriors and gargoyles) so I am absolutely going to add a zoat to them

ruleswise, a s8 gun is hard to come by in nids outide of hive guard or the occasional heavy venom cannon and its d6 damage too! decent statline for its points and certainly worth the cp for an aux detachment.

I'm planning on popping UR-25 into my admech lists, just because of the work he's done in kill team for my tinmen. The dice gods are with this one, methinks.

When I still had my Tau army, I planned a few lists to have Dahyak Grehk (the Kroot from BSF) in them, although I never actually got around to running the little guy. In 8th edition, he was actually a steal at 20 points. In 9th, he's pretty much cabbage due to changes in character targeting rules, certain secondaries, and doubling in his points cost.

Nothing else in BSF really grabs my attention as being good in any way, although another funny idea I had in 8th was to run a Supreme Command detachment of the three released Rogue Traders (Janus Draik, Neyam Shai Murad, and Elucia Vhane), assuming they all have some shared keyword.