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Okay, I'm just getting back into 40K. I have nothing but $350 credit to spend, with the likelihood of 10% off on retail GW prices. I am thinking about either Tau or Necrons, but need the basics as well. So I'm leaning toward 1 or 2 copies of AoBR (just for the extra minis for small battles). Help me spend the rest of the money to fill out either of the 4 armies - Tau, Necrons, Space Marines, or Orks. Remember I will need codex as well.

Thanks!

How many points are you going for? Don't forget Tau and Necrons have old rules, not sure how good they are right now. If you already have templates, dice, rules etc, maybe think about a battalion instead of AOBR if you are just going one army. Codex of army choice: 25+tax, AOBR: $60 (x2) gets you dice, templates, rules and models for Orks and SM. 2x AOBR= roughly 1000 points of each army $120+tax. AOBR is nice because it gives you an HQ, and troops for a reasonably cheap price. Thats about $145 total so far, you could spend the rest on elites, heavy support, and fast attack choices.

Give us a bit more info.

Where is this credit? A card? A specific store/retailer?

Give us whatever info you can, and we can do better... also, what do you CURRENTLY own?

Eric

The credit is at a specific FLGS. He tends to keep a pretty good stock of stuff. As for what I own:

20 dark eldar warriors on sprue (from an earlier edition)
templates
dice
range sticks

I have no other GW minis, and I do not have the 5th edition rules. I am iffy on going with either orks or space marines, only considering them because of the number of minis you get in AoBR. In the past, I have played Tyranids (2nd, 3rd editions) and Necrons (3rd edition). Just looking for a way to make a decent viable force and maximize the bang for my buck.

On further thought, I think I will keep it to either Tau or Necrons. I know both SM and O are solid forces, but I like the models for the other two ranges. Now, help me with making a decent force with the $350. I know I will need to get the 5th edition rules (anyone have an extra set of AoBR rules?)

Creeper wrote:The credit is at a specific FLGS. He tends to keep a pretty good stock of stuff. As for what I own:

Okay. So, basically, you own nothing of import. No prob.

I would suggest going with SM or Orks. Both can be VERY forgiving lists for new gamers, and (with AoBR) can be relatively inexpensive to get into.

When making your purchases, make them BEFORE the end of the month. GW's raising prices on a CRAPLOAD of stuff on June 1. Some of which IS on the list below.

The list's based on you getting a 10% discount, as stated... That leaves $385 retail to deal with.

Ork Army:

Assault on Black Reach x 2
Net:
2 Warbosses (convert 1 to a Big Mek)
40 Ork Boyz
10 Nobs
6 Deff Koptas
Codex Orks
2 Ork Boyz Boxes
2 Ork Trukks
1 Ork Battlewagon

Either:
3 Ork Stormboyz
1 Ork Gretchin $389 ($4 out of pocket)

Or:
4x Ork Lootas/Burnas
1 Ork Gretchin $394 ($9 out of pocket)

Total:
1 Warboss
1 Warboss converted to Big Mek (With Kustom Force Field)
10 Nobs
6 Deff Koptas
60 Boys (up to 16 of these may be used to make Lootas or Burnas)
2 trukks
1 Battlewagon
10 Gretchin & Runt Herder (these shouldn't be used until you can field a proper herd of them)
and
15 Stormboyz or 16 Lootas/Burnas & 4 Meks
----The Meks can be converted into Flash Gits, if you want (not enough for a unit, but it's a start) or used as meks.
----You can use 16 of the boys above to make 16 Lootas or Burnas with the leftover Loota/Burna bits. I suggest starting with 12 of each (using only 8 of your Boyz for "conversions") and utilizing the rest of the bits later (when using Lootas or Burnas, unit size is 15 max. You should strive for this eventually, IMO)

I would go with the Lootas/Burnas option over the Stormboyz

I tried throwing a good SM list together for you, but it would take more time than I have right now to pick and choose through all the options. Orks are far easier.

Also, with the AoBR SM left overs from the 2 boxes you bought from the orks, you could have a nice little starter force or (my suggestion), you could trade the SM pieces for more Ork stuff you're in need of.

You'll also have an extra rulebook for a friend, if there's someone you're trying to convince to start the game.


Eric

If you want to do Tau you could get a 1000pt. army with some room to fool around with options by getting the following:

1 AoBR - $60
1 Tau Codex - $22
2 Tau Battleforce - $180
1 Tau Battlesuit Commander - $30
1 Hammerhead Gunship - $40

That comes in at $332 retail. If you DO get 10% off you can add some extra stuff to get this up to 1500pts. I'd suggest a second Hammerhead or another team of Crisis suits.

I don't recommend going with Necrons as they are incredibly boring right now and they're SUPPOSED to be getting a codex update next year. (That's a rumor, but it's been heard enough that a lot of people believe it.)

Creeper wrote: I know I will need to get the 5th edition rules (anyone have an extra set of AoBR rules?)

Do you have anything to spend outside the credit? You can get a decent small AoBR book off ebay for about $15..

OR, if you are inclined.. offer to trade the 20 DE you have for a new book.. enough folks here on bartertown might indeed want those troopers.

Thanks for the advice everyone. I just took care of the rulebook issue thanks to ebay (actually won 2 auctions, my bad). So I will not need to buy AoBR unless I want the minis. Since I will go either Tau or Necrons (almost positive Tau), I will post an update on what I pick up. With my parents coming in to town this weekend to see the grandbaby, I'm pretty sure I won't make it to the store before the price increase. Crapola.

Thanks again for the help and tips!
Eric

One big piece of advice -- if you decide to go tau, buy the Skyray kit as opposed to the Hammerhead. It comes with all of the Hammerhead bits and then extra ones to make the Skyray, and it has the same price. This is also why I recommend getting Razorbacks instead of Rhinos and the new Landraider Crusader/Redeemer kit instead of the Landraider. If you have some magnets and some time, you could magnetize the weapons on the Hammerhead/Skyray and then have the option of using either one. Same with the other two kits. Gotta love it.

Keep in mind that, for just $385 retail value, you won't get nearly as much tau stuff, since you'll need a number of vehicles and Suits for a decent list.


Eric

MagickalMemories wrote:Keep in mind that, for just $385 retail value, you won't get nearly as much tau stuff, since you'll need a number of vehicles and Suits for a decent list.

Well, I'm hoping to work out a trade here for some Tau, which will beef up what I can buy. Also, the local store that plays often runs 750 point battles. That will give me time to get some stuff built up and playing, while collecting up to a 1500-2500 point list.

I know you said you were unsure on Space Marines, but straight out of the box, two AoBR sets is 1,130 points without using both Sicarius models as chapter masters, 1,310 if you do use both. That being said, for a 1,750 point list, this is what I'd recommend for marines:

2 x AoBR Sets ($120)
-- 2 x Chapter Masters/Captains
-- 2 x Full Tac Squads w/Flamer and Missile Launcher
-- 1 x 10-man Terminator Squad (see if you could get ahold of a Termie power fist to convert the second sarge into a regular terminator)
-- 2 x Dreadnoughts

Then pick up some Rhinos for your Tac Squads
-- 2 x Rhinos (get the Razorback kit) -- $70

Maybe a LRC or Landraider for your Termies (You'll have to tone down the squad, or combat squad them) -- $55

Then, to round it out, you could add one of the following:
-- 1 x 10-man Assault Squad -- $50
-- 1 x 10-man Devestator Squad ($70) w/Razorback ($35) -- $105
-- 1 x Predator Annihilator -- $40
-- 1 x Vindicator -- $40
-- 3 x Landspeeders -- $90

Basically, you could easily round out a 1,500 - 2,000 point space marine list for less than $300, depending on which route you wished to go. And this is, of course, assuming that you couldn't or didn't trade your Orks for anything. You could easily get a few more tac squads, more AoBR marines, or, if you find the right trader, whatever you wanted for what's left over from your AoBR sets. With the right trade, you could easily bring in a 1,500 point marine army for less than $200. Hope this helps!

Also, I'd like to correct my above statement -- I may have been incorrect. The lascannon sponsons might not come with the Crusader/Redeemer kit. Weird, though, that the kit with more options and bits is $5 cheaper.

I'd see if the store has any of the Apocalypse battle formations laying around. Tau had a couple good ones. One consisted of 9 Crisis suits and 6 stealth suits for around $90, I think.

reegsk wrote:I know you said you were unsure on Space Marines, but straight out of the box, two AoBR sets is 1,130 points without using both Sicarius models as chapter masters, 1,310 if you do use both. That being said, for a 1,750 point list, this is what I'd recommend for marines:

2 x AoBR Sets ($120)
-- 2 x Chapter Masters/Captains
-- 2 x Full Tac Squads w/Flamer and Missile Launcher
-- 1 x 10-man Terminator Squad (see if you could get ahold of a Termie power fist to convert the second sarge into a regular terminator)
-- 2 x Dreadnoughts

Then pick up some Rhinos for your Tac Squads
-- 2 x Rhinos (get the Razorback kit) -- $70

Maybe a LRC or Landraider for your Termies (You'll have to tone down the squad, or combat squad them) -- $55

Then, to round it out, you could add one of the following:
-- 1 x 10-man Assault Squad -- $50
-- 1 x 10-man Devestator Squad ($70) w/Razorback ($35) -- $105
-- 1 x Predator Annihilator -- $40
-- 1 x Vindicator -- $40
-- 3 x Landspeeders -- $90

It's a good list.
Unfortunately, it rounds out at $570 retail and he only has $385 retail ($350 @ 10% discount).
LOL
That's the same problem I had in making suggestions... I couldn't make what I felt was a decent list at $385 (actually, about $390, but still...).


Eric

Oh no, MM, I meant take the AoBR sets (120), pick up some Rhinos for your tac squads (70), and if you didn't want to trade the orks, or couldn't, pick up a Landraider for the Termies (55), and ONE of the things on that following list (so, between 50 - 105). Should come in between $295 - $350 before the discount and tax. And again, that's providing for no trades with the AoBR stuff.