Experimental plastic kits, "proper" aliens in 40k

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Because I derailed the eldar rumour thread in news and rumours I thought id open up a new topic here about the subject as it is too interesting a concept :


Considering the rate at which Games-Workshop is producing plastic injection molds, I think they could reasonably produce a single 'experimental' kit which could supply an entire army. Look at the Grey Knights Strike Squad - can easily be used to build units from each part of the FOC. Perhaps even pare it down to a single plastic sprue that can be used to make two of a variety of, say, "squid aliens" - if their appearance is inorganic, won't need to worry about repetitive posing, can just have the models articulate during assembly.

That's kinda how I envisioned enslavers done when I made the proof of concept army some years ago, yeah. Allthough I think that sort of image is a bit redundant now due to those spore mine focussed nid models from late last year. I think the Energy based aliens would be a good fit though and GW seem to be able to do lots of "effects" based plastic parts like that nowadays that look really good, so it would be cool to see all that put into a singular faction.


Unit options: fleshy tentacles as tarpit, bladed tentacles as assault and amputated tentacles replaced with guns. Maybe include a single small "vehicle segment" on the sprue, so if you buy 4+ kits you have enough to make a centipede-vehicle. (1 HP = 1 segment, can buy additional segments for +x pts. Can transport 1 model for each HP it has remaining.)

Love the idea of a centipede vehicle made from parts from multiple boxes, very clever idea! Stuff like that is exactly how I could see a "all in one" single plastic kit for an entire faction working. I doubt it would kill their entire business in one fell shot to release one box like that either. Technically all these "new" factions are "risks" to a degree, too.


I see this idea kicking around sometimes, and consider it fairly flawed. A humanoid form might be the best form for tool manipulation, climbing and running in a wooded-plains-type environment, that can be derived from a tetrapod bodyplan, but that is a very, very specific set of conditions.

Yeah, the rest of the universe seems a lot more inhospitable towards the fragile human form.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Quick reference for anyone reading the thread; here are the three existing official pieces of artwork concerning Enslavers; a Rogue Trader sketch and a sketch + conversion from a White Dwarf creature feature. There might be new artwork in one of Fantasy Flight Game's RPGs, but for the life of me I can't find any.
http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/c/ce/RTEnslaver.jpg/revision/latest?cb=20130417165837http://vignette3.wikia.nocookie.net/warhammer40k/images/e/e1/Enslaver_sketch.jpg/revision/latest/scale-to-width/250?cb=20100627221027http://i285.photobucket.com/albums/ll56/kitiara666/esclav1.jpg

As Asymmetrical Xeno said, many of their visual cues have been gobbled up by the Tyranids - a shame, since these might be the most-requested non-humanoid race. Their Creature Feature rules had them as a "universal HQ" unit which could be included in any army - I think this concept would work very well with 7th edition's focus on Formations.

Perhaps a "modern" version could draw inspiration from Halo's Engineers, with a stronger focus on Oceanic stylings, having them encrusted in Warp -barnacles and -coral.
http://i.imgur.com/k1P8NNal.jpg

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Wow, that's from Halo? I take back what I said about Halo before, I thought all of it's aliens looked like utter s**t but those actually look good.

[Haighus]

Perhaps ironically, those aliens are essentially artificial biological computers/maintenence workers made by the Forerunners, so I guess you would say the Forerunners have good taste...
The actual game design looks a bit different, namely they have longer necks and a head with different armour.

[Renegade]

Regarding these. http://redelf.narod.ru/pi/w40k/cre_enslavers.jpg

Don't we already have Slaanesh for tentacle fetishes?

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Wow, that's from Halo? I take back what I said about Halo before, I thought all of it's aliens looked like utter s**t but those actually look good.Eh, don't get too excited. Those are very, very minor in the games - they only appear in two side stories, never in the main/numbered series. Rest is just a mixture of slightly above average humanoid and star trek humanoid designs.


Don't we already have Slaanesh for tentacle fetishes?Are there any Slaanesh models with tentacles? Some of Tzeentch's stuff is fun for tentacles, especially the last generation of metal/resin Horrors, but still not quite full-fledged non-humanoid.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Eh, don't get too excited. Those are very, very minor in the games - they only appear in two side stories, never in the main/numbered series. Rest is just a mixture of slightly above average humanoid and star trek humanoid designs.

Ah, I figured as much - boring and conservative like sadly the vast majority of non-litterature SF media.


Are there any Slaanesh models with tentacles? Some of Tzeentch's stuff is fun for tentacles, especially the last generation of metal/resin Horrors, but still not quite full-fledged non-humanoid.

The previous horrors weren't too bad, but they didn't go far enough - and then they replaced them with those awful plastic ones which were a total backstep imo.

[Haighus]

Eh, don't get too excited. Those are very, very minor in the games - they only appear in two side stories, never in the main/numbered series. Rest is just a mixture of slightly above average humanoid and star trek humanoid designs.

Are there any Slaanesh models with tentacles? Some of Tzeentch's stuff is fun for tentacles, especially the last generation of metal/resin Horrors, but still not quite full-fledged non-humanoid.

Not that minor- they are common in Reach (which whilst not in thenumbered series was Bungie's swan song and a full game) and the entire plot of the campaign in Halo 3: ODST revolves around them. Also feature heavily in some of the novels. Also, technically the Hunters aren't bipedal, as the same species also forms Scarabs; they are probably just mimicing the rest of the Covenant by assuming a humanoid form.

As for Slannesh, the chariot rider has tentaclely whip things, but I think that is it.

[Renegade]

Not that minor- they are common in Reach (which whilst not in thenumbered series was Bungie's swan song and a full game) and the entire plot of the campaign in Halo 3: ODST revolves around them. Also feature heavily in some of the novels. Also, technically the Hunters aren't bipedal, as the same species also forms Scarabs; they are probably just mimicing the rest of the Covenant by assuming a humanoid form.

As for Slannesh, the chariot rider has tentaclely whip things, but I think that is it.

Probably old conversion pieces (remember the cool stuff from around the Lost and the Damned times) and having reading too much Black Library...

[Haighus]

Going back on topic, I think the concept of one-kit armies for providing flavour would be great, and would be perfect for making mercenary-style xenos. Whilst it would not be the most imaginitive option, Tarrellian dog-soldiers would be a good example, and maybe some of the other races mentioned as being associates of the Tau.

Also, I reckon Q'Orl would be good- they pretty much have 3, maybe 4 units by current fluff- a standard form, standard form with wings, and a larger soldier-like form, as well as a sort of larval form that I'm not sure how would be used in game. That could easily be one kit with wing options and a single larger Q'Orl as a sort of squad leader. Maybe through in some larvae in a similar style to Rippers or Scarabs in 'Nid and Necron kits. Add in a wide variety of bionic weapon/equipment attachments and you could make several units from one kit.

[Rev. Tiberius Jackhammer]

Ah, I figured as much - boring and conservative like sadly the vast majority of non-litterature SF media.
Not that minor- they are common in Reach (which whilst not in thenumbered series was Bungie's swan song and a full game) and the entire plot of the campaign in Halo 3: ODST revolves around them. Also feature heavily in some of the novels. Also, technically the Hunters aren't bipedal, as the same species also forms Scarabs; they are probably just mimicing the rest of the Covenant by assuming a humanoid form.Haighus makes a fair point, I was a little harsh on Reach and ODST there - Reach was my favorite game in the franchise, and ODST had a great sequence of fighting alongside an Engineer. I really dig human/alien alliances, so human/well-designed alien is a bonus. I suppose I was feeling a bit down on the franchise after marathoning Halo 4 - great gameplay, but I found a chunk of the changes to be a bit uninspired - humanoid robots as a new foe, relegating our Engineer allies to an audio-only Easter Egg etc. On the note of Hunters, I tend to have mixed feelings on sci-fi that includes theoretically nonhumanoid critters but squeezes them into a humanoid mold (the way they're used as embedded pilots for the Scarabs is pretty cool, though).


Also, I reckon Q'Orl would be good- they pretty much have 3, maybe 4 units by current fluff- a standard form, standard form with wings, and a larger soldier-like form, as well as a sort of larval form that I'm not sure how would be used in game. That could easily be one kit with wing options and a single larger Q'Orl as a sort of squad leader. Maybe through in some larvae in a similar style to Rippers or Scarabs in 'Nid and Necron kits. Add in a wide variety of bionic weapon/equipment attachments and you could make several units from one kit.Yeah, I'd love to see the Q'Orl in some form - picked up a few bug alien toys (Halo, actually - their megabloks stuff offers some useful bits) to turn into Q'Orl eventually. One of the better insectoid alien designs out there, even if they are using the tired old Hive/Queen etc motif. Fun fact; eusociality (a hive of related organisms working to support and protect a single breeding female) isn't exclusive to ants and wasps - the Naked and Damaraland Mole-rats also function as a hive.

[Deathmage]

So back on topic, we already have Kroot that will pretty much work with anyone that isn't Orks or Tyranids. So spruce up the old models and make everyone able to use them like the fluff shows and WHAM, done.

[Arkhan Land]

Would definetly be cool to get a seperate kroot force to mercenary on out, maybe with new tau we will see that like a scions/skitarii release


I think GW could totally pull this off, but I think theyre trying to walk a fine line with this sort of stuff it has to be profitable/sell well or well see another rash of smaller armies lose support across edition/codex updates. perhaps esepcially given how on the line their corporate numbers are we'll either see them try and expirement to bring up sales, or hunker down in the tried and true

[Mr Mystery]

I'd still like to see some sort of Mercenary Codex.

Would give the sculptors a chance to do pretty much whatever, and give us interesting new races to shoot up.

[Haighus]

I'd still like to see some sort of Mercenary Codex.

Would give the sculptors a chance to do pretty much whatever, and give us interesting new races to shoot up.

That sounds like exactly the sort of thing FW likes doing... well, when they have finished with Space Marines and big walkers for a bit.

[Deathmage]

They'd have to work out how the Kroot fluff works. Instead of encouraging them with rules to charge into combat *facepalm* And they still suck in close combat anyway! :rolleyes: And this is why my FW Renegades and Heretics army will have them. There is a entry in that codex that although basic applys to all mercenary, xenos and pirates. So its not beyond them