What are the smallest armies available in 40k currently?

[Proiteus]

I'm currently working on a Tau Battlesuit army of 14 Crisis suits, 2 Riptides a commander and a few drones. So roughly 20 models in a 1500pt game, this got me wondering: What are the smallest armies available in 40k currently?

One of best examples was the Grey Knight Paladin army but that is no longer an option. I'm looking for 1500pt armies preferably without using the unbound rules to such an extent that no one would want to play it (for example an army of riptides).

[SgtJoo]

Armored Battle Group, have a friend who runs it, he's got like 10 vehicles at 1850.

[Archon Charybdis]

An army consisting entirely of Land Raiders, Wraithknights, or some other kitted out MCs.

Edit: Nvm, just skimmed over the last sentence.

1 Spiritseer

2x 6 Wraithguard with d-scythes

3x Wraithknight w/ Suncannon and Shield and Scatter Laser.

Throw some random artifact on the Seer to fill out the last few points and you're set. 16 models at 1500.

[DarkLink]

The pure GK lists I'm playing around with come in around 20 models. Ballpark 15-20 Terminators, 2-3 Dreadknights, and a couple of ICs.

[jeffersonian000]

The smallest army currently available in 40k is the Imperial Knights, which has only 2 units. At 1500, you field 4, and at 1850 you can field 5. Pretty hard to get lower.

SJ

[Chaoschrist]

Suppose Deathwing could be mentioned here as well. Granted, Imperial Knights takes the cake, but Deathwing could be 32 models (6 x 5 terminators, Belial & Librarian or Chaplain). Less if you run Deathwing Knights and/or Land raiders as dedicated transport. (3 x 5 terminators, 1 x 5 DW Knights, Belial, Librarian, 2 Land raiders; 24 models @ ~1850)

[Mike X]

The smallest army currently available in 40k is the Imperial Knights, which has only 2 units. At 1500, you field 4, and at 1850 you can field 5. Pretty hard to get lower.

Exactly what I was going to say.

[Lord Manton]

Grots! Or snotlings. They're so tiny!

[Proiteus]

Grots! Or snotlings. They're so tiny!

As you can see in my signature; been there, done that. :D

[Path Walker]

Unbound army of one Ork Warboss.

You didn't say we had to get anywhere near the points limit.

[Rob Godin]

2 formations of Assassins - 1140 pts (8 models)
Add any imperial flavour to make your 1500 OR
3 formations of Assassins - 1710 pts (12 models)
Add any imperial flavour to make 1850
I'd suggest using inquisition for both fluff and gameplay. A few units of crusaders sitting on objectives are hard to shift. (power wpn and storm shield as standard)

[Cactus]

The last league at my LGS gave points for painting previously unpainted models. I bought a Grey Knight army thinking that a low-model count army with lots of punch, and easy to paint metallics (I find them easy to paint) would put me at the top of the leader board.

The army is easy to paint, but the low-model count did me no favors, especially games with Maelstrom missions. I just didn't have enough boots on the ground to be very effective. Guard, Orks and Nids often made short work of my elite army.

[Chris*ta]

Unbound army of one Ork Warboss.

You didn't say we had to get anywhere near the points limit.

Why go Unbound? Add a couple of units of Grotz and you're good to go!

Seriously though, why not Nidzilla? I know it's not really competitive, but it was the definition of low model count for a while.

[Sauragnmon]

Imperial Guard

Command Tank

2x Veterans with Chimeras

1x Baneblade, or superheavy of choice.

Or there's the psychotic list... one Sorcerer, two units of Cultists, and a Titan.

[The Illusionist]

Inquisition is probably in with a shout.

Take two Inquisitors as HQ choices, and then fill up your 'troops' slots with 3x Jokaero with a Land Raider as a Dedicated Transport. Without checking my codex, I believe that adds up to about 6 models for around 400pts, and without wargear added on top. Turn your to generic Inquisitors into Coteaz and Karamazov, and that's suddenly closer to 650pts, still for 6 models.

You could probably get an average of about 100pts per model in a 1500pts game, I think, even if 4 of them are Land Raiders. :)

[Fenriryan]

Easy - Tau Manta without anything or anyone on board - 2k bang on the nose IIRC.

[Franklin Kinsey]

My 1500 point force is Master of the Forge, 2 Tac squads, 4 Ven Dreadnoughts and a Knight.

[Arkhan Land]

I have a wraithwall army thats pretty small:
3 lords, 4x 5 man wraithgaurd sqauds, wraithseer, spirit seer, two serpents
= 4 MCs, 1 IC, 20 Infantry, 2 Tanks

[Lordsmurf73]

Don't know if it is still possible but I made a SW army once that was based on the movie the 13th warrior...with only 13 marines in it :)

cheers
Lord Smurf

[Lordsmurf73]

I once had a SW army based on the movie the 13th warrior.....it had 13 marines in it :)

cheers
Lord Smurf

[Ravingbantha]

Company of the Great Wolf.

HQ
Bjorn Fellhanded w/assault cannon

Elites
x2 Venerable Dread w/ Blizzard Axe and Frost Shield
x2 Dread w/assault cannon & Wolf claw w/ Stormbolter
x1 Dread w/ Twin Lascannon & Missile Launcher

(all dreads have smoke launchers and Drop pods w/ missile launchers)

Heavy Support
Stormfang Gunship w/twin lascannon and TL MM's

1495pts

[Kirsten]

I once fielded an army consisting of one Vanquisher command tank, two punishers, two leman russes, and two punisher cannon vulture gunships.

[babelfish]

I'm working on a 15 model tyranid army: 5 tyrants, 5 muculids, 1 venomthrope, 2 tyranofexes, 2 tyrannnocytes. 15 models, 1850 points, packs a nasty punch.

[Andrew Thomas]

My anti-Necron ABG list:

1850 Armored Battle Group
HQ 580
Company Command Tank 140 LR Vanquisher 5 Lascannon 15 Multi-Melta Sponsons 30 Co-axial Storm Bolter 10 Beast-Hunter Rounds 15 Dozer Blades 10 Mine Plow 15 Artificer Hull 20 Improved Comms 10
Company Command Tank 140 LR Vanquisher 5 Lascannon 15 Multi-Melta Sponsons 30 Co-axial Storm Bolter 10 Beast-Hunter Rounds 15 Dozer Blades 10 Mine Plow 15 Artificer Hull 20 Improved Comms 10
Troops 370
LR Demolisher 165 Dozer Blade 10 Hunter Killer Missile 10
LR Demolisher 165 Dozer Blade 10 Hunter Killer Missile 10
Elites 530
Tech Priest 45 Melta Bombs 5
5 Servitors 75 2 Multi-Meltas 60
Trojan Support Vehicle 35 full kit save Camo 45
Tech Priest 45 Melta Bombs 5
5 Servitors 75 2 Multi-Meltas 60
Trojan Support Vehicle 35 full kit save Camo 45
Fast Attack 80
Tauros Venator 60 Twin-Linked Lascannon 15 Smoke Launchers 5
Lord of War 290
Dominus Armored Siege Bombard 280 Heavy Flamers Hunter Killer Missile 10

[DrBored]

I'm currently working on a Tau Battlesuit army of 14 Crisis suits, 2 Riptides a commander and a few drones. So roughly 20 models in a 1500pt game, this got me wondering: What are the smallest armies available in 40k currently?

One of best examples was the Grey Knight Paladin army but that is no longer an option. I'm looking for 1500pt armies preferably without using the unbound rules to such an extent that no one would want to play it (for example an army of riptides).

One of the troubles with making a 'small' army is that you end up having to take fat models like Knights, or Death Stars, or whatever. Those types of things inherently make people not want to play you because, even though you have a low-model count army, they're still very strong, or they're tilted in such a way that it's hard for an 'all comers' list to deal with.

I'd rather shoot for a medium-model count army. Most Space Marines can achieve this with a few squads of Tactical Marines and whatever else you like, or Iyanden with Wraithguard, or Chaos Marines with Plague Marines and Bikers or something. Things that give you more table-presence without having to take 5 Knights :I

[Proiteus]

Here's a question...

"How would an unbound army consisting mostly of Lone Wolves play like?"

Just curious?

[Just_Me]

Unbound

1 Reaver Titan

1.5k points

[Popsical]

All the previous answers are wrong.
Question "whats are the smallest armies available in 40K currently?"
Answer: 1x grot (1x servo skull would be smaller physically, 1x grot would be cheaper points wise.)

[Houghten]

One grot isn't a legal army, even in Unbound. Unit sizes must still be correct.

[Popsical]

Lol true. Probably a priest then unbound.

[Wolfshade]

Ratlings or grotz?
Oh ripper swarms are smaller still (or any swarm bases tbf).