Warhammer 40k Idol - Fandex for a 40k race

[Black Hydra]

Hello everyone and welcome to Warhammer 40k Idol, where you will vote on who you want a fandex for. The previous thread did really good and I got a ton of comments for which race should get fandexed.

A word about the fandex project. I will give the dex due diligence, going as far as making conversions. As I've said before I want to eventually make my own wargame (which I am currently writing the rules for) and this fandex project is the perfect exercise to prepare for that. Depending on how much money I can scrounge up, the conversions will be made either sooner or later after the fandex's release.

As for discussions on this thread, it's open to any ideas one may have for their choice of a race. Mechanics, weapons, vehicle, wargear, etc. Anything you may want to see included, you post it and I'll consider it.

After all this is done I'll post up a thread for playtesters. Unfortunately I'll be away from the country for a month and a half, so I won't have the resources to playtest this myself for now. But that's not something to worry about right now.

On with the polling! What race do you want a fandex for?

Amendment: If you guys want a true AdMech codex, still vote for the Cult of Sollex but post here saying that you want the AdMech instead. I'll minus the number of posts for AdMech from the Cult of Sollex. Please make sure you do both to ensure fair voting. Sorry for the inconvenience.

[Mr Mystery]

In true public vote fasion, I'd like to vote for the one with the biggest bewbz.

[Black Hydra]

@Mr Mystery: Two words- Squat ladies.

[Mr Mystery]

Oh hell no!

[Kawauso]

Why the specific Ad Mech cult? I'd say they need a book for the faction as a whole.

[Black Hydra]

Why the specific Ad Mech cult? I'd say they need a book for the faction as a whole.

I will amend that. Though the reason I did it was because there already is the Tempus Fugitives codex for them. Granted, it's not the best codex for AdMech but it's there.

I was going to focus on a more characterful part of the AdMech to prevent a kitchen sink. There are so many aspects to them, that to make a codex for all of it is pretty damn imposing. But if the people want a true AdMech codex, then they can vote for cult option and post that they want it so. I'll definitely take it into account.

[L192837465]

Admek!

[gendoikari87]

Praise be to the omnissiah!!!!!!!!

Sollex is nice. But when I made my admech fandex, sollex was nothing more than an upgrade you could take.

Also, secutors, please, warrior techpriests deserve a place on the battlefield.

[Black Hydra]

All you AdMech fans will be heard. I would change the Cult option to a true AdMech option but I don't know if the people who voted wanted that specific cult or AdMech overall.

So like I said if you want a true Admech codex you must vote for the cult and post you want Admech instead.

As it stands right now, the cult option has the majority vote. Changing it wouldn't be fair because I don't who wanted what. Let's see how it turns out in the end. So far 2 for true Admech and 5 for Cult of Sollex.

[Black Hydra]

Well it's been a surprising round of votes so far. The Barghesi were at the forefront for some time before they dropped to 3rd. I'm even surprised the Squats aren't winning. In the last thread they were the clear front runners. And everyone wanted them.

An awesome mini just popped up over at tabletop fix and that same article is on the Bols front page right now. I'm talking about this mini:

http://studiomcvey.blogspot.de/2012/06/cthonian.html

I've been thinking about using this design as an inspiration for the Baghesi should they win, what do you guys think?

[Psychosplodge]

In true public vote fasion, I'd like to vote for the one with the biggest bewbz.

anymore than a handful's a waste...:rolleyes:

[gendoikari87]

anymore than a handful's a waste...:rolleyes:

anymore than a handful gets in the way.

[DrLove42]

I voted Bargesi.

Why? Everyone and there dog has done a AdMech list and Squats. Theres already loads of fandex projects out there for them. Not so much for the other ones

I want to know hat makes them "hyper-violent"

[Black Hydra]

Alright guys, this is a quick post. With Admech being ahead, it seems like the win could be theirs. But nothing is set in stone. There's still time left to turn the tide in favor of your favorite race.

Also, the fandex project will officially start after 6th ed drops. This is because I need to see how the landscape for 40k will change.

I have to admit I voted for the Barghesi. While I want anyone of these races to win, the Barghesi leave the most room to develop just about anything. I know I said I didn't want to tamper the fluff, but in this case it would present a nice opportunity to test my writing skills.

It really is up to you guys. Let's see how it goes!

[Black Hydra]

Another quick post. I'm looking into different miniatures for each of the races above and here's what I would use in order to make converting easier:

*For the Hrud: http://hoardobits.com/cgi/hob/shop.pl?cat1=Bits&cat2=Warpath&cat3=&cat4=&page=&view=MAN-05142012-17

Yeah I know it's Warpath's space skaven basically. But you can clip off the tail and you have an excellent body to work off. Plus you don't even have to buy the full kit. They stock the bodies only.

*For the Rak'Gol: http://defiancegames.com/index.php/shop#ecwid:category=1831053&mode=product&product=11889124

With some converting efforts using Tyranid bitz, these minis are perfect.

*As for AdMech, it's not the minis I want to talk about. It's about giving the codex profile variations. I came across another interesting cult within the AdMech called the Xenarites. They love to use Xenos technology and that's something that can be used very nicely on the tabletop.

So I've been thinking, I'll keep the Cult of Sollex and add the Xenarites, both functioning like Chapter traits. I was thinking of allowing people to take basic AdMech (who will have their own characteristics), Xenarites (who will use more Xenos tech), Cult of Sollex (who will have more powerful weapons but at some risk), and maybe even add a Dark Mechanicus profile (whom will use Chaos affected equipment).

*Squats are easy to convert, but cost money. Still you know where their potential models are.

*Ah, the Barghesi. What an interesting conundrum. I have no idea what to base their appearance from. I posted the Cthonian mini earlier and cited it as inspiration for them. But now I saw those new Axis Gorillas for DUST tactics and I really love them. I'm a huge fan of ape races and I think the Barghesi would fit that savage image. Plus I can get the Axis Gorillas for far cheaper and can have a base to model around. The Cthonian mini would be too big and expensive on its own.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Dust-Tactics-Axis-Gorillas-NEW-DT018-/110851651185?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item19cf45f671

That's it for now.

[gendoikari87]

just keep in mind the xenarites are on very thin ice. And the only reason they are not considered full out traitors is they "purify" the xenos machine spirit.

[Black Hydra]

just keep in mind the xenarites are on very thin ice. And the only reason they are not considered full out traitors is they "purify" the xenos machine spirit.

While they are not exactly welcome, they would add more flavor to the codex. I want people to be able to customize their force in different ways, similar to the chapter traits found in the previous SM codex.

[Black Hydra]

Well by the looks of it this poll is dying down. It's ok, 33 people voted and that means people want the fandex. But I doubt much will change by the 27th when the poll closes. I'll still keep this on till then but it seems like AdMech is the clear winner. But fear not! I have decided to take on 2 projects rather than just one. In this case the Barghesi interest me a lot and I figure with 6th ed right around the corner, there could be some very interesting rules I can come up with.

So both Barghesi and AdMech are on my table. AdMech first because they are the clear winners. Then Barghesi. Now for you Squat fans I don't want you guys to be left behind. I will eventually do a fandex for them as well.

[Psychosplodge]

Surly 33 people isn't a big enough sample?
and why are berghousi jumping the result order?

[Black Hydra]

Surly 33 people isn't a big enough sample?
and why are berghousi jumping the result order?

Two things about that:

1) The poll was to determine which race would get a fandex. It didn't matter how many people voted (it's at 36 right now) though having more votes is always good. This means that with the AdMech ahead of the game it's the most requested even with a small pool of voters. I can't declare a winner based on speculation, only on what the poll tells me.

2) Now about the Barghesi. I never said the runner ups would get fandexes. The whole point of the poll was for a single fandex to be eventually created. After that, it's all up to me where the rest of my projects go. And I did say I'd make a squat codex eventually. Which is sooner than what you may think.

The Barghesi have a lot of room to interpret them in many ways. I fell in love with the Axis Gorillas miniatures and feel they would be awesome for the Barghesi. The problem with the Squats is that for them to have miniatures made it would get very expensive, so I'm saving them for last when it becomes more affordable or when I have more money. For the Barghesi it would be far cheaper.

There's a reason I'm ok with the AdMech winning. There are quite a few fandexes for that faction already out there. But to be honest they aren't great. The Tempus Fugitives codex is too big, basically a kitchen sink. There were a few others that just added made up stuff and even made the Warhound Titan "legal" in regular 2000+ pts games. I would not make models for them yet because there's already a bunch for them out there.

[Black Hydra]

One more voter! Wooh! With 6th ed almost here developing the winner's codex will be awesome. Squats seem to be closing in on the AdMech. Who will win?!!!!!111!!!

[gendoikari87]

One more voter! Wooh! With 6th ed almost here developing the winner's codex will be awesome. Squats seem to be closing in on the AdMech. Who will win?!!!!!111!!!

well technically back in the days when space marines were drugged up hive gangers, the squats and the admech were interwoven.

[Corvus-Master-of-The-4th]

Adeptus Mechanicus... Where is the Cult of Sollex from :P?

[Black Hydra]

@Corvus: The Cult of Sollex is from the Inquisitor RPG game. They use the Sollex crystals to power their technology. Just one of the many cults within the AdMech.

I decided to have 4 cult traits available to the Admech. Basic AdMech with their own rules, Dark Mechanicus, Xenarites, and Cult of Sollex.

@gendoikari87: Interesting. Definitely won't be doing that though.

[gendoikari87]

Adeptus Mechanicus... Where is the Cult of Sollex from :P?

Calixis Sector, specialists in laser technology, so hyper advanced holograms, lasguns that make bolters look like pea shooters, energy swords that give c'tan phase swords a run for their money.

[Black Hydra]

Calixis Sector, specialists in laser technology, so hyper advanced holograms, lasguns that make bolters look like pea shooters, energy swords that give c'tan phase swords a run for their money.

The far more educational answer. But their technology is less reliable. As much as it pains me, it seems "Gets hot!" is necessary to balance them out. If you choose their profile they will have more powerful weapons.

[gendoikari87]

The far more educational answer. But their technology is less reliable. As much as it pains me, it seems "Gets hot!" is necessary to balance them out. If you choose their profile they will have more powerful weapons.
It's not just neccessary for balance it's fluffy, the sollex energy blade itself is said to have it's containment field fail and injure the user. The hotshot lasweapons when overcharged have a tenancy to esplode all over the user. So on and so forth.

[Black Hydra]

@gendoikari87: I'm just not a fan of weapons blowing up in my face. Hence why I don't take plasmaguns unless I absolutely have to.

Still the Cult of Sollex will have reliable and strong weapons. The skitarii won't have "Gets hot!" weapons for example, but I think S4 AP4 (or 5) weapons are adequate enough.

As far as higher level weapons go (anti tank for example) they'll get hot, though I might make it so a Magus can have a bubble where any units inside it can reroll 1's. This means they can effectively reroll to hit, but only if they gets 1's.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Still might be worth incorporating an overheat/overload mechanic in the basic weapon somehow, would be a neat way of distinguishing the army from others. Since having Gets Hot! all the time probably wouldn't work out, perhaps the basic ranged laser weapon could have two firing profiles - a decent one without Gets Hot!, and a stronger one with Gets Hot!? Or perhaps take the Dire Avengers' Bladestorm and allow them to fire the weapons in some "enhanced" way at the cost of not being able to shoot in the following turn.

[Black Hydra]

Having 2 fire modes or some variation of that sounds like a great idea. Since rapid fire rules are changing this is something that needs development after 6th ed hits.

I still would need to incorporate other profiles, such as the Xenarites, somehow. Maybe stolen Splinter weaponry? Makes the guns poisoned. A Chaos version would be assault rather than rapid fire? So many possibilities.

[gendoikari87]

Having 2 fire modes or some variation of that sounds like a great idea. Since rapid fire rules are changing this is something that needs development after 6th ed hits.

I still would need to incorporate other profiles, such as the Xenarites, somehow. Maybe stolen Splinter weaponry? Makes the guns poisoned. A Chaos version would be assault rather than rapid fire? So many possibilities.

why not make it to where a magos of the different sects opens up armory options?

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I still would need to incorporate other profiles, such as the Xenarites, somehow. Maybe stolen Splinter weaponry? Makes the guns poisoned. A Chaos version would be assault rather than rapid fire? So many possibilities.Probably focus on stolen Necron weaponry? Those ones tend to be the most distinctive. Splinter would also work. Gauss, Tesla and Splinter would be a good set of options for a Xenarite unit. Probably best to leave Chaos stuff alone, though.

Have you started to consider the fluff behind the Sollex/Xenarite union? My quick write-up would be that the Cult of Sollex provides manpower, political swing and protection to the fringe, borderline heretical Xenarites in exchange for heavily "purified" Xenos-sourced tech useful for upgrading the Sollex lasweaponry. The Xenarites get the political swing and protection they'd normally lack, while the Sollex get the benefits of Xenos-tech without having to ever come into contact with the heretical stuff.

This would probably lead to a primarily Sollex codex with a smattering of Xenarite Elites, Heavy Support and HQ options, with some of the HQs moving a Xenarite unit to Troops - kind of like the place Haemonculous armies have in the Dark Eldar codex.

[Pendragon38]

@Mr Mystery: Two words- Squat ladies.
DAMN right....with there beer mugs and guns

[Black Hydra]

@Tiberius: Actually the way it would work is that the whole army is affected by the chosen trait. That's why having Chaos is fine. So you can't mix the different cults. AdMech would feature the most reliable equipment with a strong favor towards Omnissiah abilities. Xenarites will obviously have Xenos influences, which by the way pointing out Necron tech is a stroke of genius. I don't want to infringe anything though, so I have to be careful about that. Sollex would have more powerful equipment prone to some failure to operate, but can be mitigated by special HQ's. About Chaos, I'm not sure yet, but bringing back true Kai guns would be nice.

All of this is moot at this point though. The Squats are catching up so I'm going to start throwing ideas out there for them as well.

[Black Hydra]

@Pendragon38: They carry 4 jugs if you know what I mean.

[Pendragon38]

@pendragon38: they carry 4 jugs if you know what i mean.
yes....:d

[Black Hydra]

@Pendragon: Are you licking your lips? :eek:

Holy Magikarps! Squats tied the AdMech! Looks like I'll have to reconsider my priorities. I'm glad I started posting more so that way this thread is at the top as much as possible. While I hate plugging shamelessly, this is great. A bigger group of people voting means more will be interested in the eventual fandex. I promise you guys that you won't be disappointed.

Now for some Squat ideas. I do plan on incorporating Chaos into that dex if it happens. Here's a profile of what I think reflects the Squats quite nicely:

Squat Soldier: WS:4 BS:3 S:3 T:4 W:1 I:3 A:1 Ld:8 Sv:4+

I've considered giving them anything from Relentess to Feel No Pain (since it's 5+ now). I will even make Exo-suits!

I'll post up more ideas a bit later.

[Black Hydra]

OH MAN! Squats have it for now ladies and gents! I have never seen such an upset! Let's see if it holds! Yes I'm that excited!

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

The S3/T4 feels a bit too Orky, might want to find a different way of approaching Dwarfy sturdiness? Feel No Pain is pretty common, too.

[gendoikari87]

Probably focus on stolen Necron weaponry? Those ones tend to be the most distinctive. Splinter would also work. Gauss, Tesla and Splinter would be a good set of options for a Xenarite unit. Probably best to leave Chaos stuff alone, though.

Have you started to consider the fluff behind the Sollex/Xenarite union? My quick write-up would be that the Cult of Sollex provides manpower, political swing and protection to the fringe, borderline heretical Xenarites in exchange for heavily "purified" Xenos-sourced tech useful for upgrading the Sollex lasweaponry. The Xenarites get the political swing and protection they'd normally lack, while the Sollex get the benefits of Xenos-tech without having to ever come into contact with the heretical stuff.

This would probably lead to a primarily Sollex codex with a smattering of Xenarite Elites, Heavy Support and HQ options, with some of the HQs moving a Xenarite unit to Troops - kind of like the place Haemonculous armies have in the Dark Eldar codex.

I don't know I think if you made a book like this the xenarites and the sollex should be completely exclusive, sollex would rather fight the xenarites than the actual enemy.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

I don't know I think if you made a book like this the xenarites and the sollex should be completely exclusive, sollex would rather fight the xenarites than the actual enemy.I was thinking of earlier plans which were more focused around those two factions, I'd missed the point in which we switched over to general admech.

[Black Hydra]

@gendoikari87: I missed your earlier post about different HQ's opening up armory options. That seems very vanilla marines like to me. I'm not a veteran player, but from what I hear people prefer the chapter traits over the HQ's unlocking chapter tactics. What do you guys think? HQ's to unlock cult options or cult traits that influence the whole army?

@Tiberius: Sorry about the confusion with the AdMech. At first I thought focusing on one cult would be better, but now having more options is the best way to go.

Part of the reason why I want different cult traits is to prevent mix matching of different cult HQ's. So it won't get as cheesy as Lysander is for example.

Edit: Also while the S3/T3 feels orky, that is exactly the standard Squat soldier's statline in the compendium. The rest I updated so it feels more relevant. I hate crappy IG equipment on Squats, so that's why they have that 4+ armor save. Also FNP feels right on them, but it would a part of an army wide rule.

[Black Hydra]

Wow this is unexpected. The Squats are starting to have a solid lead and with only 3 days to go it's a close race.

I'm still researching Squats to see what rules I can come up with.

[gendoikari87]

Come on people, the squats had their chance, FOR THE OMNISSIAH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Black Hydra]

What do you mean the squats had their chance? They were devoured by Om-Noms before the cool stuff happened. But I cast my vote for the Barghesi so I can't argue either for Admech or the Squats.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

While S3/T4 might be "historical" for the Squats, doesn't mean it can't be played with a bit :P

I mean, it's still well and usable, but if something else can be done it may be worth doing. Random 5 second idea: S3/T3 and "Ironbones: Anything which would normally Wound this model on a 2+ instead Wounds it on a 3+." While Orks can take more small-arms fire than humans, Squats have a tendency to doggedly survive much more significant attacks. Fluff would have to be fiddled with, of course, but the point would be something that makes 'em feel significantly different to other forces at a very basic level.

[Black Hydra]

The fluff will involve the current background (once 6th ed comes out) in which they are the surviving Squats banding together and leaving the Imperium to avenge their fallen brothers and sisters. So no more crappy IG equipment for them such as the 4+ armor save instead of 5+.

Also I want to keep the statlines as close as possible to the original source to do them right. Though there will be some differences such as a higher WS. The standard units will have S3/T4 but higher tier units will obviously be better. As for a special rule, I like where you're going with it but I feel FNP would help out generally. They would already be T4 so most things will wound them on 4+. Making that a 5+ is kind of broken. Imagine the IG player's face when even less wounds are inflicted on the Squat squad.

In order to demonstrate their toughness I would make them Stubborn but if they fail a Morale Test they can always regroup even when under 50% squad size. That's called "Iron Will".

[Black Hydra]

Well this is it guys. 2 days and a half left until the winner is declared. I'm pretty surprised that the Squats pulled it off so far. It seems all the people who requested Squats in the previous thread just popped out of nowhere. While part of me wishes the Barghesi to win, I love the little grumpy men as well. So I'll still proceed with the Barghesi codex, but once the poll ends I'll get to work on the winner's dex.

Also a super secret project while I am away from my 40k crack. Away in a foreign country, I'll sculpt the Barghesi models. Yes I brought with me some green stuff. Can't keep the 40k away from me! While I love the Axis Gorillas, I want to see if it's even cheaper to sculpt the stuff. I'll have to ask Tiberius.

[gendoikari87]

T.T squats are winning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vfa6HXsccE

[XV8 Crisis Suit]

Voted Cult of Solex/Admech because last I heard squats are being put back in with the new Tau Codex in the form of Demiurg. Also I had no idea what anything else was.

OP, please count my vote as one for Admech.

[Black Hydra]

Voted Cult of Solex/Admech because last I heard squats are being put back in with the new Tau Codex in the form of Demiurg. Also I had no idea what anything else was.

OP, please count my vote as one for Admech.

Don't worry if the Admech win they will be themselves. Cult of Sollex is one of the traits you can use instead for Admech.

[Black Hydra]

T.T squats are winning

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Vfa6HXsccE

Don't worry. This just means I'll work on the Squats first. I'll get to Admech eventually. But with Allies you can field a nice AM force, so you don't need to be sad. :)

[Black Hydra]

Well guys it's been a swell journey so far. After many pages of discussion and back-and-forths we are finally at the proverbial bottom of the ninth. 48 people have voted so far and I'm hoping a few more squeeze in, but it looks like the Squats will have it.

After this I will go silent for a few days as I ponder possibilities for the fandex. After that I will start I new thread specifically for the fandex so people can see the rules. Then playtesting begins. I will solicit for playtesters across multiple forums if I can. This will ensure the highest quality possible.

But first let's who wins! Onward!

[Black Hydra]

Squats! Masters of the Universe! They have won it ladies and gentlemen. But now silence will fall. I have to retreat and think about everything that has to do with the Squats. And until 6th ed drops, nothing is for certain, only that the Squats have won.

Fear not those of you who have voted otherwise. I'm still going to work on other fandexes either alongside or after the Squat dex. The Barghesi will be developed as well but the Squats will be the first to be playtested by the community. Mostly I just want to model some Barghesi for now.

So thank you all. You have been great and provided a nice amount of votes. I will post up a new thread following the progress of the Squat dex. Any input and ideas anyone has, you can post it there. Also any requests, anything whatsoever that has to do with the Squat dex, you post it in the new thread.

Thanks again everyone!