But unless you play in a tournament or with rule-lawyer type gamers, you can always agree to take cool figures and create interesting scenarios. IIRC, the White Dwarf has had several scenarios which intentionally threw away the point- and %- or slot-based army compositions. Like a group of Bretonnian heroes only fighting a horde of orcs or the like, or a group of giants bashing it out, or a train of Steam Tanks in a scenario, etc. etc.
Yeah that's true. I just think until I really get going I am not all sure what units would hold their own against others.
So got an update I am really happy about.
First up is my new Army Standard for my 6th edition starter set army (a little more on this later):
I made him from left over bits trying to use as many of the 5th/6th era bits as possible. The actual flag is from the later sets but I wanted something else other than the weird flag from the Empire command sprue since I already was using those flags in a couple of my units. Nothing fancy but I am really happy with him.
So the crew running my 6th edition starter Empire army are:
I also set out to make an Orc Army standard, and actually hunted around on eBay until I decided to make one from bits. I had a left over Orc warrior I wasn't happy with (the one to the right), and decided to use him. I was unhappy with him because in order to try and make him look different I gave him an Ork helmet and face guard from the 40k Boyz set. It looked ok to me at first, but over time I grew to dislike it as it didn't fit with the same look and feel as my other Orcs.
I basically cut off one of his arms like you see in the middle figure, cleaned up the blade as it was connected to the other which I removed, and worked on the other arm to remove the other hand that was molded on the pole.
He actually came out nice enough to me that I am going to leave that helmet. In a mass of ranked troops he didn't fit but on his own I think he looks the part. So my Orc command group includes:
Now some of you might be thinking, "Hey, I saw in some pages back you already had the later Empire General and the standard that came in that set", and you would be correct. Covid gave me a lot of time to think about how I want to spend time on my hobby, and I realized I was kind of disorganized and all over the place with interests. After getting the earlier WFB sets, and finding that I really liked them, I decided to fill in all the gaps I had in 40k as well, so I now have all the 40k and WFB game versions they released.
I posted a few pages ago about how I was focusing on starter sets, trying to capture the time period and feel in the games as they were when they were released (
http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=53028.msg1077034#msg1077034), and it really has changed my life. So much so that I have sold off a lot of stuff this year. Well over $5,000 if you can believe it. Not all of that was WFB and 40k, but a lot of it was. A lot of bits stuff too. But I had all sorts of models, Battleforce sets, and so on, that I really didn't want anymore. The main reason why was if I focused on the world that was being created in each starter set, if I focused on the minis that came in those sets, maybe expanded on some here and there, I would usually have something to look forward to once I moved on to the next version (with the exception of 40k 7th). Now WFB is no longer getting new releases and I am not touching AOS, but I still have a great deal to still explore as I go back to the beginning and work my way forward. No necessarily to play, but enjoy the reading and hobby aspect of things. In some instances I did keep units to add to a specific starter, like Tyranids for 4th, or some Orc stuff I had I can add to 5th, but whatever I am keeping is more or less meant to enhance the armies in a starter set, not an army per say. And these aren't big armies either. I am talking just expanding a little on what comes in each starter.
So even though I did already have that kick ass Empire General and Standard Bearer, since he was a later edition, I wanted to mostly use the models that were available at the time for the Empire and Orc armies in the starter set. I have undone a lot of what I have poster earlier on here. I still have one 8th edition Empire Battalion set with some additional units, but I'll get to those in some years down the road (I did sell the other one I had for a staggering $300), and thats what my newer Empire General will lead. Anyway, since I am trying to capture the look and feel of each army in each box set for that time period, there is no way for example, that I would use 8th edition models in 4th edition, and vice-versa. They don't match the time period. I also want to use the painting and basing techniques for their time period as well, so yes, this probably means Goblin Green bases for 4th edition, then get into more realistic looking terrain as I move up in the starter sets. So I have cheesy and cool at the same time.
I know this seems crazy, but the cool thing about having all of these starters is not only can I go back and fill in the holes on what I missed (even with 40k), but the models and story evolves and it really feels exciting looking forward to making something out of each one of these sets.
Over the years I primarily kept using 40k 3rd edition since I could use the army lists in the rulebook and not have to hunt down codexes. I really wanted to build other models and have variety so I hunted down models that fit in those army lists, knowing I was missing out on newer units. Focusing on the starters means I get a taste of something new from each time period, like Primaris for example, without having to buy their codex. I can just use the rules included in the 8th and 9th sets. And since GW has given us a variety of bad guys to fight (Orks, Orks, Dark Eldar, Tyranids, Orks, Crimson Slaughter, Crimson Slaughter, Death Guard, Necrons) it seems to be enough to get my feet wet without having to keep up with the rest of what is going on in each edition. And I am doing the same with the marines - Crimson Fists, Blood Angels, Black Templars, Ultramarines, Ultramarines, Dark Angels, Dark Angels, Ultramarines, and Ultramarines. I just grab the starter, some extra splash items like objective markers, cards, whatever, and immerse myself in that. Its really helped me get rid of a lot of clutter as everything usually fits in the starter when I am done.
Anyway, I know that was long, but this is about the most excited I have been about this hobby in years.
I only worked on these two standard bearers because I was cleaning out more stuff, and saw I had set these bits aside and decided to finish them off. I do intend to work on WFB 4th edition models, finish those armies, then move on to 5th. So I wont be painting any of these until I work my way to 6th. With 40k I am starting with Rogue Trader and working on my Imperial Space Marines and Space Orks, then moving up as well.
PS: I did sell off a ton of 40k stuff, but I aside from selling some WFB units here and there and that extra Empire Battalion, I have no interest in selling anything further. When I am done painting all of the models from the starter sets I will take on the Battalions. I am still blown away by those sets and are much more looking forward to any of those than I ever was for the Tau for example.
God I can't believe I ever bought Tau models.