Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hopefully by 'small scale' it's obvious I mean small model-count games rather than small sculpts!

I want to start a side-project and have been looking at 30k.

Questions:
Is there a small-scale way to play (either like kill-team, or games with only a handful of units)?
Do I need to buy the two red books regardless how I want to play (and if so which are 'the two', as there seems to be a lot of red books!)?
I like the sound of shattered legions, what limitations and extra options does that create?
Same question re: Blackshields?

My first idea was a small raven guard force representing the post-massacre flee led by Corax. A min-size tactical squad covered in bits of scavenged armour from all the involved legions (maybe even a couple of IH and Sallies making up the squad numbers), a couple of min-size fast moving units (jump marines and outriders or scimitars, maybe riding equipment left on the battlefield by other legions), plus a couple of characters and / or Corax.

Except then they released Corax and I don't like the model. So I was thinking of doing something similar from the Betrayal, representing a collection of loyalists (Tarik, Loken, Tarvitz, few small squads as above). Buuut... then I don't get to paint a Primarch.

Final idea was a crusade-era combined force from a few legions I like (BA, TS, WS), but again on a small scale with only a few units. I'd play them all as 'counts as' a single legion for ease of following the rules.
This last option would allow me to include any Primarch plus a couple of tanks which really appeals, but I presume without shattered legion rules I'd also have to build a 'normal size' army and pay a higher infantry / troops tax (in terms of how many models I need to paint, haha)?

Unless of course I themed that last idea around a crusade-era conflict involving multiple legions, in a warzone they were really struggling to overcome (like 'this world is Murder') so I could still go the 'shattered' route and get the ability to mix loyalist and traitor.

Regardless of approach I'd probably pick up one of the plastic boxed games and just add a couple of resin bits or characters to flesh it out.

Sounds like a solid plan. Shattered Legions should be the ideal way to go. It would fit nicely with your aproach. The only downside being that you will not be able to play Corax.

Exact rules will be depending on which Legions you are intending to play together.

Book 6 (Shattered Legions) or Book 3 (I think) (Tactical Strike) would both be options for small scale gaming. You can do kill team as well, but you need to up the points to account for the larger squad sizes.

Zone mortalis is good

Ok sounds like I need book 6!

What about the red books, do I also need those (to cover legion-specific units etc) or does that all get negated by Shattered legion rules?

What does shattered legions offer by way of force compostion, exactly?

I mean can I use fewer / smaller units, do I still have access to legion-specific special units, what are the options for including cool characters etc...

You always need the red books.

Shattered Legions refer to the Legion Rules as they cut short some of them, while expanding other to count for your whole army.

Concering Special characters and units, you can take nearly all of them (except the Primarchs) but be carefull with this and stay fluffy, as it can easily evoke the feeling that you are only taking the best of two world for your army.