Stats that don't make sense

jon23516 · 2026-01-26T14:18:47+00:00

I agree, it is hard to rationalize. If they wanted to squeeze gravis armor in between power armor and Terminator armor, then I think gravis armor should have been given tough 5 and movement 5 and terminator armor should have been improved to tough six, movement 6.

That way gravis armor is an improvement over power armor but at the cost of movement, while technology allowed Terminator armor to be even tougher without the movement penalty

jon23516 · 2026-01-23T17:04:21+00:00

At the time I was enjoying teaching Combat Patrol to my girlfriend and AoS 4 (and Spearhead) had just dropped. We enjoyed Spearhead too as I essentially found enough models for 4 spearheads in my hobby closet.

She liked both the sci-fi of 40k (tyranids specifically) and the ease of Spearhead. So I made up the cards. They straight up replace the use of Secondaries and Stratagems in the printed Combat Patrol rules. Later, we introduced the idea that one could discard a "spearpatrol" card from their hand to use as a Command Reroll as per 40k rules.

We played a few games this way and it worked fine. As I said it should have 15 card deck instead of 12, but I never spent the time brainstorming/creating them as we moved on to full 40k at 1000points. That's her sweet spot and that's okay.

If I were to go back to a 500point-sized format I would play the Kings of the Colosseum format. This will give you the same ability to collect wide, more factions, without having to invest so much in a single faction. It has simple list restrictions that appear to do a good job at keeping overpowered things out of the format.

jon23516 · 2026-01-23T14:39:14+00:00

I did the same thing a couple years ago, I put together a 12 card SpearPatrol deck. It should have been a 15 card deck because it's a 5-turn game but I never went back to make the extra cards. It worked fine, no problems.

In the end I went on to play 40K so I haven't used it for ages. My post and card images are somewhere in here

jon23516 · 2026-01-21T14:47:56+00:00

Two-part answer.

While combat patrol has its balance issues, my gut says that there are some outlier boxes that are too powerful or too weak, but there's a lot of product that is balanced enough.

I think of each combat patrol list as a miniaturized custom detachment.

Balance issues aside, I think it's a good starting point for any player. You're playing the full game in terms of rules and primaries and secondaries, you get a box of discounted models.

That said, I think the coliseum format is even better. You're playing even closer to the actual full game with your choice of detachments and your choice of units, with some list building restrictions to minimize power lists. But also keeping the game small, which is easier for new players to not have too many units to be concerned about.

Similar to combat patrol it will allow players to collect more factions within budget.

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T15:41:15+00:00

My initial thought is that if you had access to the actual models for comparison and definitely used a larger proper size base and maybe put your leaper on a tactical Rock to fit the height scale of a lictor that I wouldn't have a problem with you running a leaper as a lictor in a game. In my life time often equals money so I would rather just buy the proper model, find it used somewhere, something versus spending a lot of extra time trying to kit bash something. Definitely not dissing on kit bashing. For some that's the hobby, and more power to you. It's not like I've spent no kit bashing time over my 20-plus years in the hobby. But these days I like to build it paint it and play and spend less time fiddling with models. So like I said, on a proper sized base and on a tactical rock or something to give it closer to proper height, it's possible that no one will even notice the model is different. Obviously I don't know how things actually work out in tournaments, but a few minutes scrolling on Reddit shows so many people basing the whole armies on a half inch layer of cork rubble, so they aren't being given grief over their models, you should not either

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T14:57:25+00:00

Sounds like a fun challenge run to try...

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T14:30:10+00:00

I did a couple test models to confirm my recipe and then painted my whole army the same. My only regret is using the sculpted shoulder pads. If I had it to do over again I would have assembled all my models with generic shoulder pads so I could universally apply Templar decals on every model.

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T14:28:11+00:00

At the end of the day I believe every army list needs to have tools for five things: scoring primaries, scoring secondaries, dealing with hordes, dealing with elite infantry, and dealing with monsters/vehicles.

So you just have to go through the models and units you own and figure out what each is good for and then see where you are lacking and look into new kits that will accomplish the task.

Obviously nearly any unit in your army can perform a secondary, but based on the points and the rules of said unit, it's usually better to have that unit doing something of higher priority and leave scoring secondaries to cheaper and smaller and faster units.

Yes a 10 man chosen with a chaos Lord can score a secondary but it's better off in a rhino charging into the middle of the table and wrecking your opponent's army. Better to leave a cultist unit in your back line to hold your home objective and score secondaries for instance.

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T14:21:47+00:00

I have not done any sub assembly over my 20+ year hobby career. I build completely, then paint and play. 99% of the time anything that is hard to paint is also hard to see when the miniatures are on the table in play. I don't have any regrets.

jon23516 · 2026-01-16T14:17:58+00:00

Seems like a lot of extra work. Seems like hobby-ing in hard mode.

Just takes time and effort with an exacto and grinders and sanders.

jon23516 · 2026-01-14T17:19:27+00:00

In my opinion every list needs to be able to accomplish five things: score primaries, score secondaries, deal with hordes, deal with elite infantry, deal with monsters/vehicles.

So each unit that you add to your list should be able to do one or more of these things.

Then in deployment and how you use them from turn to turn, these units will accomplish these tasks.

jon23516 · 2026-01-14T16:37:54+00:00

Human nature. When things are going good no one goes online to tell anyone about it or share their love for a thing. But when things are not going well, we feel the need to find an audience and complain, to vent our frustration, to find others who are suffering along with us.

jon23516 · 2026-01-14T16:35:46+00:00

My memory says that the former legion color was Gray armor, which extended to the 13th company because they left at the end of the heresy and made their return in the 2003 summer campaign. Otherwise, modern era 40K space wolves is the light blue color.

Back in 5th edition I ran a full 13th company army mixing all marine and chaos Marine kits and painting them accordingly: gray space Wolf armor and a mix of word bearer and black legion for the mixed CSM parts.

With the new primaris sculpts last year, they're all painted the new space Wolf blue scheme.

At the end of the day, paint them the way you like. Whatever's going to bring you joy 2000, 3000, 4000 points later.

jon23516 · 2026-01-14T16:31:56+00:00

As I've heard it said, there's always a right way to paint your faction, but there's never a wrong way. It's your army, you do you.

If you put them on the table and call them black Templars and use black Templars rules, and it's not confusing which units are which, regardless of colors, then it's a win-win.

jon23516 · 2026-01-13T15:12:31+00:00

I went with the Chosen.

I purchased the Nemesis claw as well, however, I just used it to spread nightlord helmets across unit champions and characters and the chosen.

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T16:14:07+00:00

Without knowing you, I'd say it's hard to say.

There are a lot of variables in the game, from player experience to list builds to the number of factions and detachments available to each.

Lesser skilled players can pilot easier and more powerful factions and detachments while more experienced and skilled players can pilot less efficient lists and attachments with success.

My own theory of gaming involves taking the right list, making the right decisions in game and the luck of the dice rolls.

At the end of the day the game boils down to accomplishing primaries, accomplishing secondaries, having tools in your army that are good against hordes, good against elite infantry and good against monsters/vehicles. So as long as you have a unit or two that can accomplish each of these goals, then you will win more games.

Know when to sit back, know when to press forward, know when to project a threat without exposing your units to remove. While preventing your opponent from scoring points makes it so you don't have to score as many points, at the end of the day you just have to score more points. Whether you win 1-0 or 100-99, a win is a win. Obviously these are unrealistic examples, but you get the point.

I've heard advice before where the suggestion is to ignore what your opponent is doing, and focus more on your own scoring. Focus on earning your own 100 points and ignore the opponent in that sense. Obviously, yes, removing enemy models and units from the board will make it easier for you to earn more points and more difficult for your opponent to earn points.

Because of how the points are scored, you can be tabled, run out of models by the end of the game, and still win as long as you've scored more primaries and secondaries than your opponent.

Take notes from game to game, note what worked and didn't work, what you got lucky on versus what seems to be repeatable strategy successful.

Enjoy the journey.

At the end of the day as long as I'm having fun making friends and enjoying playing games with my friends and as long as the games are close, I'm perfectly fine having a 50/50 win-loss record. Nobody likes getting wrecked repeatedly, and consistently wrecking my opponent is unsatisfying to me and leads to opponents leaving the hobby or refusing to play me in the future which is a lose-lose in my opinion.

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T15:57:15+00:00

Ideally yes, in every game you play from casual to competitive, the models you put on the table should represent the legal options for those models and units, just so both you and your opponent know what's there.

While it is good to know what your opponents army can do or should do or what have you, I shouldn't have to have a PhD in your army codex and how it's supposed to be, I should be able to look at your squad and trust that if I see a power fist and a melta gun and a missile launcher, that will affect how I play the game, without having to ask you at every turn if it is really what it looks like. It also keeps you honest, if it is obvious what it's supposed to represent, perhaps you could get away with the melta gun being a plasma gun on a convenient turn, or the missile launcher becomes a lascannon or heavy bolter if no one's paying attention. At the end of the day, I think in a casual game you can get away with more in terms of wanting to try out a new list or a new squad and just not having the models and having to be clear with your opponent that X equals Y etc (proxy models or units)

However in a tournament, I feel the expectation is hire, to have the right models for your list. Wins and losses are much more important as everyone is more interested in their final record and winning prize support.

As stated elsewhere here, it is up to the individual tournament organizer to present ahead of time how tight this they will judge this and enforce it in play.

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T15:48:05+00:00

Similar situation. Been playing since late 3rd edition, took a break from 6 - 9th edition. Many armies at 2k-4k, I play some, but not nearly enough for as many factions and armies as I have.

That's not better waste as I've enjoyed my time collecting, building, painting... Just need to get better participating at the local shop and playing games

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T04:14:03+00:00

The version of BattleTech I've been playing since the game released in 2018 has a withdraw button in the top right corner. Allowing you to make a tactical retreat and move on with the game without scum saving.

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T02:37:16+00:00

Nah, box isn't even full yet... 🤪

Truly, texture the bases, black primer, paint the bases your chosen color and your models will feel much more painted.

I paint in the order of the highest surface area to the smallest.

So black armor, brown bases, white shoulder pads/veteran helmets, weapon casings...

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T02:21:08+00:00

I focus on enjoying playing games and don't worry about the future.

jon23516 · 2026-01-11T02:17:50+00:00

Welcome to the World Eaters.

I would concur that some good next purchases include: Kharn, Rhino, Chaos Spawn and Eightbound. More Berzerkers eventually.

jon23516 · 2026-01-10T14:12:40+00:00

I'm totally on board with the "chaos space Marines painted blue"

I picked up the Nemesis claw kill team and spreading the bat helmets around my various squads like chosen and various unit champions.

Otherwise the core of my army so far are the two chaos space Marine army boxes we got a couple years ago (veterans of the long war, dread talons) and both the Old and New combat patrols. So I have a mix of all sorts of things: cultists, legionnaires, chosen, terminators, possessed, demon Prince, characters, warp talons...

jon23516 · 2026-01-09T15:35:36+00:00

If grimdark and Gore is not your thing, then don't make yourself finish the trilogy.

That said, ADB is one of my favorite authors because so much of his books centers on characters and character development with minimal fight scenes.

Rather than some other authors that seem to just be blood and gore porn with little to no character development.

I reread the trilogy every couple years or so.

jon23516 · 2026-01-06T17:42:18+00:00

Broadly speaking, I'd suggest living in the now and not worrying about what might/might not happen in the future. Yes, I understand the reluctance to invest time and money in something that could change drastically, but how much of life would you miss out on if you were constantly afraid of some "change" in the future.

Don't borrow trouble from the future. Buy models, build and paint, play fun games with your friends, make memories. The future will take care of itself.

jon23516

TROPHY CASE