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Author Topic: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?  (Read 2637 times)

Offline Hobgoblin

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I'm keen to devise some light, portable, colourful Hordes of the Things armies for the wargaming sessions that form a prelude to my occasional RPG sessions with a group of old friends. Looking at the various bits of plastic piled up in the cupboards, I though a 40K set of armies would be the best way to go.

I've got at least a couple of months, and possibly as many as five, before the next opportunity. So I've set myself the task of creating four 24AP armies with no more than £50 in additional spending (a tenner a month's not unreasonable, I reckon). A little should go a long way: just two orks make up a warband element, and a single machine gunner can be a shooter. If I get on a roll, I'll aim to make four 36AP armies, as we'll be playing on a big table.

A quick assessment reveals enough marines and terminators to make at least one full army of those (using marines as either 'blades' or 'shooters' or possibly both, and marine bikes as 'knights' or 'riders'). I've got a fair few tyranids and genestealers too, and probably enough orks to get halfway there for a 24AP army.

The plan is to get a fair few painted individually before basing them up, with due consideration of ranking up the elements. I'm also going to have a read over the Alien Squad Leader rules, which I own but have never played. If those look simple enough, I might base everything on squares for that game - but I suspect the more abstract charms of HotT will prevail.

Offline johnl5555

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #1 on: January 15, 2020, 07:40:32 PM »
On the Stronghold page (Fantasy HOTT site by Alan Saunders) there were a bunch of battle reports and Army lists. WH Epic was on there. There were several battle reports. i know as I wrote some of them. I think he has created a new site but I'm not sure if any of Epic/40k stuff is still there.

Thanks.

John
Owner JS Wargamer Printing. 3D printing miniatures, buildings and terrain.
https://wargamerprinting.com/

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #2 on: January 15, 2020, 09:05:07 PM »
Thanks - yes, I saw some of those with epic-scale figures and had a good read over the element types he was using. There were some great ideas.

I think the main thing with HotT is to get lots of different troop types on the table, so that you get the full "combined arms" experience. Kitbashing various lurkers and sneakers and even behemoths should be quite easy for the orks!

Offline randycarter

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #3 on: January 17, 2020, 09:51:40 PM »
Interesting idea (never thought about it): I'm curious to follow his developement. Super-low budget constrains are an additional motive of interest to me!

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #4 on: January 21, 2020, 12:51:51 AM »
Yup - the budget constraints are eased by both the size of 40K figures (fewer to a base!) and some genre-specific reassessments (e.g. horde elements will probably just have three figures to a base to represent Imperial Guard, etc, rather than being densely crammed as for a fantasy army).

Here's a WIP shot of the first two ork elements - still a fair few details to add.

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #5 on: January 27, 2020, 10:16:40 AM »
Some progress on this. I was going to call the orks done, but then I noticed the power-axe cables. The terminators need a bit of neatening up still, and I need to sort out the plants on the base.

After looking in vain for utter bargains on the Imperial Guard front on eBay, I decided to go with Perry Napoleonics for the Imperial Guard/planetary militia troops to back up the space marines. They'll be hordes in HotT, so whether their weapons are actually lasguns or really just muskets/carbines is rather moot!

Gabbi

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #6 on: January 27, 2020, 11:26:10 AM »
So, basically you're not "changing scale", you're just putting fewer bigger figures on regular size HotT bases, I have got this right?

and probably enough orks to get halfway there for a 24AP army.
Remember that Orks have also Gretchins among their ranks. Tey're £12 for 10 RRP, plus an Ork to boot.
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Ork-Gretchin-2018
Also, you can probably get away with mixing them with fantasy goblins.

After looking in vain for utter bargains on the Imperial Guard front on eBay, I decided to go with Perry Napoleonics for the Imperial Guard/planetary militia troops to back up the space marines. They'll be hordes in HotT, so whether their weapons are actually lasguns or really just muskets/carbines is rather moot!
Take a look at Troopers by EM4. They're 5 for £2.55
https://em4miniatures.com/collections/science-fiction-near-future-miniatures/products/troopers

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #7 on: January 27, 2020, 02:22:22 PM »
So, basically you're not "changing scale", you're just putting fewer bigger figures on regular size HotT bases, I have got this right?

Yes, this is just standard 28mm HotT. But because Orks and space marines are so big, they'll get fewer models per element than the norm. I'm also going to use just three figures per horde base (for the Imperial Guard at least); densely packed troops don't really make much sense in a sci-fi game.

Remember that Orks have also Gretchins among their ranks. Tey're £12 for 10 RRP, plus an Ork to boot.
https://www.games-workshop.com/en-GB/Ork-Gretchin-2018
Also, you can probably get away with mixing them with fantasy goblins.

Yes, I may well use some of those. An eBay bargain has left me with dozens of Orks, so I'll see where I get to.

Take a look at Troopers by EM4. They're 5 for £2.55
https://em4miniatures.com/collections/science-fiction-near-future-miniatures/products/troopers

Oddly enough, I was looking at those yesterday! I decided to go with the Napoleonics initially because I want some cavalry (I'll paint the horses in weird alien patterns: blue zebras or whatever). But I might get hold of some of those as higher-tech back-up for the planetary militias.

Gabbi

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #8 on: January 27, 2020, 02:39:12 PM »
I want some cavalry (I'll paint the horses in weird alien patterns: blue zebras or whatever).
Looking forward to those! :)

Also, there were some napoleonics-in-space models given away in a wargaming survey a few months ago. Don't remember the manufacturer, but you can check one sprue in this thread here:
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=120582.30
I don't know RRP though...

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #9 on: January 27, 2020, 03:20:32 PM »
Those look good! Wargames Atlantic, I see. It's £25 for a box of £24, which isn't bad. I may pick some up later in the project.

For the militia/horde elements, I've also been playing around with combining Perry foot knights and Warlord Games WWII Germans. There will be enough horde bases that I can have several distinct groups among them.

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #10 on: January 30, 2020, 12:36:07 AM »
Another couple of elements done (apologies for the bad light in the photos):

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #11 on: February 06, 2020, 10:14:40 AM »
A bit more progress, though nothing more finished. I've been on a basing spree, though, and have six gretchin elements, a warbike and a dreadnaught all ready for painting.

Offline scatterbrains

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #12 on: February 06, 2020, 10:18:06 AM »
That's very well painted orc skin!

Offline Hobgoblin

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #13 on: February 06, 2020, 10:37:18 AM »
Thanks! It's a bit of a cheat, really: just contrast paint over preshading.

Offline scatterbrains

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Re: A new project: 40K Hordes of the Things - or Alien Squad Leader?
« Reply #14 on: February 06, 2020, 12:45:08 PM »
 :o damn well it looks great ! varnish?