Just a bit of fun, I thought I’d compile my top 10 list of 40K armies that I’d like to put together. Most of these are Space Marine armies and I doubt I’ll ever get around to building most of them, but I’ve been thinking about them for way too many years. They are all themed and would all require a large amount of conversion, which for me is really the point – to have a cool themed army that really stands out as something special. All Space Marine armies in the list I would intend to have in Actual Scale (because I can’t collect regular scaled marines anymore :-p).

1. Blood Angels 3rd Company (Tycho’s Command)

  • I look back on the first GW studio Space Marine army with overly fond nostalgia. I wanted an army just like that 20 years ago, and I still want it now. This is one project I actually plan to do properly, a full Battle Company led by the golden boy himself, Captain Tycho (thankfully we now have a proper Codex). This won’t be the first time I’ve attempted building a Blood Angels 3rd Company army, only this time I’m far more confident I can pull it off.

2. Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (Ordo Xenos)

  • Probably based on the IG codex, I at least hope to build a small force of these. The Stormtroopers will be led by Inquisitors and backed up by a squad of Deathwatch Space Marines (counts as Grey Knight Terminators).

3. Grey Knight army (pure)

  • Simple pure Grey Knight force but all in Actual Scale. I already have a squad of these in progress and the Chaplain you may have already seen. I’m expecting GW to release plastic Grey Knights within the next year, so much of this is on the back burner till then.

4. Lamenters (scout heavy, fluff heavy)

  • I’m glad to see Lamenters mentioned in the new BA Codex, but I may still opt to use the SM Codex to represent them. I’d build the entire force on Scouts as the backbone of the army, with Veterans, Terminators and Dreads backing them up. I’d probably equip them specifically to combat Tyranids and just take my chances against other mechanized forces. Lots of bionics amongst the veterans and plenty of battle damage will make them a nice looking force. I also like the idea of a Scythes of the Emperor force around the same list but led by a Chaplain (purely for a Scythe wielding Chaplain with hood).

5. Black Dragons (Dragon Claws ftw!)

  • I absolutely love the idea of the Dragon Claws units but have yet to see anyone make any decent representation of them in model form. I think the new BA Codex offers suitable rules for them in the form of Death Company or Saguinary Guard. Lot of potential in this, so I’d like to at very least try some test model conversions.

6. Thousand Sons (pre-heresy)

  • Simply based on some of the cool artwork out there for the legion, and what a great colour scheme. I also think the Chaos Space Marine Codex can be used to represent them pretty well if you leave out the Chaos stuff and just take unaligned Marines, Sorcerers and Vehicles.

7. Tyranid (Arachnid force)

  • I built a very cool Tyranid army years ago at the start of 3rd edition (that I’ve since sold). I’d really like to take a stab at rebuilding it with the newer models. For anyone with an old White Dwarf collection (UK, not sure about elsewhere)  you’ll find the original army in Issue 251. The basic premise was that the Hive Fleet had evolved an additional pair of limbs (so eight legs instead of six). Not sure if I’d do the same again with the current models or whether I’d make them Centauroid (standing on four legs instead of two, with two arms for weapons). Regardless, I do have a yearning to convert a Swarmlord from the Hive Tyrant model (scaling it up, yes I am obsessed).

8. Ork Speed Freekz (hot rod dakka heavy army)

  • A trukk heavy force with all of them modeled with dragster and hot rod elements. Nuff said.

9. Adeptus Custodes

  • No explanation needed, some of the coolest looking warriors in the 40k universe but no models. A favourite image of mine is this.

10. Ork Snakebite Horde (massed boarboyz)

  • This is an unfinished project, but I have a lot of bits for it. The thing I like about the Snakebites Clan is their use of Boarboyz (models in need of sculpting without a doubt) and also the fact they are often mention as all displaying back banners (even the boyz), in fact the old 2nd edition models all had back banners. There aren’t many forces out there that can bring so many models to the table as an Ork horde and all of them equipped with back banners would certainly be an impressive sight.

11. Adeptus Mechanicus (ok so that’s 11)

  • Only reason it’s at 11 is there’s no real Codex to use for it, but who could resist an army with robots in it.

12. Ork Genestealer Hybrids (yes, now it’s a top 12)

  • Inspired by the models at Ninjabread. Take a look, it speaks for itself. I’ll never actually get around to doing any of these but I mention them because they are just so Freekin’ cool.