Topic: Recommendation for next army?

[gorenut]

Heya all.  I'm about finished with my Empire purchases until the new models come out.  So in the meantime, I'm going to work on a second army.  What army do you guys think would compliment an Empire army as a secondary army in providing with varying playstyle?

In my group, we already have:
Khorne mortals
Dwarfs
Wood Elves
Dark Elves

I like High Elves, but don't like most their models and rules.
Brets might be too close to Empire, seeing that they are humans too and all cav force really isn't my style.

The armies I've kinda thought about:
DOW - Love the variety and I can probably also double up with a buncha Empire models.

Tzeentch or Nurgle beastmen or daemons (or both) - The concept intrigues me and it'll probably play drastically different from the Empire army and would make for interesting rivalry for Khorne.  Plus it'd provide me to use an awe-inspiring character if I choose daemon prince (something Empire lacks)

Orcs - They're getting updated next.  Depending on their new boar boyz and black orcs, they might be the winner for me.  I'd definitely run a heavily orc army.
 
Ogre Kingdoms - Another army providing drasticly different playstyle from Empire.  Again, being able to field a big, tough character.

Lizardmen - Carnisaur and Slann are just awesome models.  Again, it'll let me field a big character.  Plastics are decent, unfortunately, not a big fan of the Kroxigors and Cold One Riders.

Any other suggestions appreciated. thanks,.

[redjoey]

I too was considering a second army. I wanted to go either a rock hard army or a magic heavy army, the two things Empire don't do.

My first choice for brute force would be the Ogres. This army also has other benefits. They are low in numbers so painting would be a lot quicker than most other armies and with the big plastic models they are simply crying out to be converted.
Magic wise I'm unsure as I don't really know anybody with a magic heavy army. I would probably go with one of the undead armies. Big blocks of skeletons take about 30 seconds to paint.

[Clarkarias]

If you don't want to buy too much until Empire comes out, put DoW at the top of your list.  You can use your Empire minis as 'proxy until you get other models.

Proxy is in quotes because I think Imperial models are perfect for representing DoW troops.  I'm currently using Kislev Lancers as Heavy Cavalry and Wolves as Light Cav.  Free Company make great duellists and of course cannons are represented by, cannons.

[Warlord]

My second army was Chaos Dwarves. Lets all talk about that one!

My second army with an army book (in 6th ed) was VC's. They are so similar yet different to Empire. You can double the amount of zombies you build by using extra bits from your state troops and free companies, and a unit of black knights is easy to convert from our own Knightly orders... Considering their close proximity (as in previously being a state) to the empire allows you to get away with these conversions pretty easily. Its also fun to have an evil army (especially if you lend your VC's to a friend to use to play, so you can get to use the WP's hatred....)

The style is very similar - maximising CR with ranks, and flank charges (with kills generated from Vampires), then using your outnumber to run them down. Movement is pretty much the same, and zombies are (generally) dead humans...

But if you want something completely different, go for an army whose core has different movement or base size....

Orcs a good army, and with the new edition around the corner, by the 7th ed box and get half an army (alternatively use the Dwarfs - which is much better value in that box IMO)

DoW are also a good army (I love the underdog - having 5000pts of DoW)
with lots of choices - easy convertibility and integration with your empire force (you can take ogres, dwarfs and marauders as well)

I am dabbling in the thought or a marauder army led by a chaos lord as (sigmar retuned) with some DoW Dwarfs... and obviously as Sigmar has been 'battling' chaos for more than 2000 yrs, most would claim this army to be evil and tainted by chaos....

Dark Elves are interesting, but a new AB would make them more appealing, and that is still a bit off.

OK are a good option as there isn't much painting involved.... however you really need to not get taken away by Ogres being the mainstay, and Gnoblars as the support, because it should operate the other way around. Gnoblars provide the static CR, Ogres are the flankers who break the enemy.

Out of all the options though, IMO the VC's or DoW are the best choices for next army...

[Mystic Force]

If you have lots of bits lying around or models you arent likely to use for anything then VC is great just about anything can be converted to be dead with the spare head and arms on the zombie and skeleton sprues.  My black knights that i am working on come from 5th edition brettonians that i was never going to have a use for. 

[duckman]

For something totally different to Empire, try Tzeentch Chaos. Gives you all the smacky hurty goodness of Chaos warriors, knights and all the rest, awesome daemonic units and more power dice than you'll know what to do with!!! In a 2000 point list you could, if you're brave enough, have around 13-15 PD. You'll have no friends, but can magehammer opponents right off the table. Please note that I have only ever done this against a flying circus, as the good book says, "cheese begets cheese"!! Add in the fact that you won't need a whole lot of them, so painting time won't be too horrible.
O&G I have owned, for an orc-heavy army you'll be painting till near the end of time, throw in lots of gobbo units and you'll be there past the end of time. They are fun to play, however.
A DoW army is quite good, built well they can be almost unbeatable, and have the obvious advantage of being able to go into your regular Empire army.
My other army is Khorne mortals, which I have enough other stuff to turn into Khorne DL, beasts or the old combination of all the above. It's a lot different to an Empire army and plays completely at the other end of the spectrum, which is part of the reason I have it.
Just don't go with brets, they suck sooooo much....

cheers
duckman

[BAWTRM]

I'd go for O&G, brute Orcish force supported by Goblin mayhem!

They're a fun army, and always a good match-up vs Empire, handy if you want to get someone in the game, just bring along both of your armies and let your opponent play with one of them!

Forgot to say, you can have an awesome Warboss!! I'd go for on eof the 40K Warboss models, they are really imposing and don't really need a lot of work to convert.

[gorenut]

Thanks for all the replies so far.

I don't think I'll do Chaos mortals seeing how my main opponent already plays Khorne mortals.  I don't want something too similar to what we already have in our group.  I want to bring something new to the mix.

I played VC before and they share a lot of the aspects as Empire in that they depend on CR for the most part to win combat.  The army seems kinda "dry" in playing style so I dunno if I'm going to revisit them.  As a whole, I just got away with: "walk forward.. raise raise raise.. forward... raise"  But who knows, maybe I'll contemplate running a Strigoi army with more zombies and skeletons.

So far I'm leaning mostly towards an orc heavy army since they're coming out with new stuff.  I just hope it won't become too hoardish (yea, I know it sounds silly not to expect that with greenskins).  I'll probably build an army focused on more boyz, boarboyz, black orcs, etc.  since pretty much the main thing I want to do with my next army is focus more on eliteness.

[Donnachaidh]

O&G are fun - I enjoy playing them.

The new figures look nice and they look good when painted.

Go green - you know you want to 

[CountRommel]

Listen you put an evil army as top choice here.  You want to play evil so just play druchii because than you are all about vengence and kidnapping children in the middle of the night and sacrificing them to the kinder gentler khorne known as khaine.  Druchii rule they are the true bad guy chaos worshippers they are just followers, Skaven they are numberless horde evil and thats been done, Orcs and Goblins are too stupid to get the full enjoyment and sadistic glee from what I like to call the Druchii expirience.

Plus think about the modeling potential an army base thats either a really big sleek looking ship, or maybe a slave march to Karond Kar.  Or maybe just a static board but either way all are plausable.  Plus having to convert your own general, pretty awesome.

[gorenut]

I would start a dark elf force simply because the executioner models are my favorite rank and file models, but we already have another dark elf player in our group.  I want to bring something new into the mix.