How many points is your ideal army?

[Mr Mystery]

How do?

A bit of fun this one, nothing more.

As per the title - how many points is your ideal army?

Not your 'ideal points level', not 'what's your best X000 list'. More of a 'if money, time and FoC were no constraint on you' type affair. What is your concept of a perfectly represented army for your chosen force, and how many points does it work out?

I hope I've explained, but I suspect I've not been clear enough.

Here's a sort of sample. Let's say you play Tyranids. How many points would it take to field your fluff ideal swarm, and what would comprise it? That sort of thing.

To put some kind of break on it, because let's face it the points value of the background accurate Nids and IG would be something like 'fifteen squillion points', your force must be able to comfortably deploy onto a 8'x4' board.

Ready? GO!

[Alaric]

Horus Heresy - 7k. You can get every toy and a whack loada dudes. A bit of everything really. Super Heavies are a must as well as a healthy mix of transports. I actually have some fortifications as we are currently playing the Isstvan 3 campaign (super fun highly recommend). No allies for me on this one.

40k - 5k. Space Marines - That's a couple battle companies with all the fixxins. I like to make lists that utilize everything I have so 5k allows for 3 lists that all utilize the collection in different ways. Again no allies, I just can never find the justification besides cherry picking, which I refuse to do.

40k - 8k Inquisition - My favorite and first armies utilizing the GK, Inq and Sisters all in one with the fun Militarum Tempestus thrown in for the cool factor. I good miz of everything as none of those armies have a ton of options but combined they can be powerful.

[Wolfshade]

Of course a perfectly presented army is an entire battle company + armour.

So that is a few k of points. The rest don't have a "perfect" amount as they don't have a complete value.

Though for gaming choices I prefer jsut 1k as that posies quite a few difficulties and you can't take a "all comers" list, there is an element of paper/scissor/stone .

[Mr Mystery]

Just detail. What units, what upgrades, any support or allies?

[Kirsten]

well I usually work to a 2,000pt collection target. in the case of Heresy armies, 2,500 including primarch. I couldn't tell you what the exact contents are because they are always themed, dark eldar are three big jetbike units, two fighters, a bomber, couple of raiders. farsight army was all battlesuits, though I have now added the shiny new infantry and a hammerhead. 2,000 points is more than enough to give the flavour you are going for, great mix of units and allows some variety in smaller games

[Arkhan Land]

I go for a full 4-5k its nice to be able to play your army as several smaller builds. chill to have at least a couple flyers and a super heavy for those battles

[Cactus]

My 40k armies are usually around 3,000 to 4,000 points. Not that I ever field that many points at once, but I usually buy a few units for fluff reasons (or that I want to paint) only to find out I don't like playing them.

[Chris*ta]

I believe the correct answer is "Not enough." :p

Seriously though, if you're talking about a (real-money-)price-is-no-object, dream project of an army, you don't plan it to points, but to represent an appropriate unit from a fluff perspective?

So, a SM army might be a Battle Company plus supporting units, an Imperial Guard army probably amounts to several companies from a variety of regiments, etc.

[Haighus]

Hmm, Space Marines, about 4000. Enough for a full Battle company plus a few supporting elements, and armoury and fleet support units.

IG... a bit more I think. Again, I think enough points for at least a full company, but that varies heavily on the type of company in question. Infantry company could be done in about 1000pts easy! Tanks, more like 3000.
4000pts for a full, 4 company Infantry Regiment, with a veteran, 2 infantry and a heavy weapons company would be pretty damn awesome though.

So I guess about 4000pts. Thematically speaking. Could even fit a Titan maniple comfortably into that.

[Mr Mystery]

I believe the correct answer is "Not enough." :p

Seriously though, if you're talking about a (real-money-)price-is-no-object, dream project of an army, you don't plan it to points, but to represent an appropriate unit from a fluff perspective?

So, a SM army might be a Battle Company plus supporting units, an Imperial Guard army probably amounts to several companies from a variety of regiments, etc.

That's the stuff!

[Haighus]

Yeah, i definitely agree on the 'fluff unit' approach- a company/small regiment/warband etc.

[Arkhan Land]

I believe the correct answer is "Not enough." :p

Seriously though, if you're talking about a (real-money-)price-is-no-object, dream project of an army, you don't plan it to points, but to represent an appropriate unit from a fluff perspective?

So, a SM army might be a Battle Company plus supporting units, an Imperial Guard army probably amounts to several companies from a variety of regiments, etc.

this statement it implies ive somehow gone overboard by making a complete SM and IG company (IG Company being three three sqaud platoons and 3 3-strong tank sqaud) I dont feel that way at all

[Haighus]

this statement it implies ive somehow gone overboard by making a complete SM and IG company (IG Company being three three sqaud platoons and 3 3-strong tank sqaud) I dont feel that way at all
I think the difference is a full SM company being 100 Marines + command units OR 100 Marines + command units + enough Rhinos/Razorbacks/Drop pods for every unit and/or Thunderhawk support (possibly including air-lifter Hawks). Which is a bit more. Not unfeasible certainly, but will take a bit longer to reach (especially with the Thunderhawk route).

For me, perfect army doesn't mean overboard army either.

[Jeremy R. Haugen]

I come up with right around 5k for a 'Perfect' Necron Army
Decurion of course
Includes 2 full Immortal Squads in Nightscythes
3 warrior squads in Ghost Arks
2 Max Warrior squads afoot
A full squad of Lychguard with Swords and Boards
3x3 Tombblades squads
2 Monoliths
Royal Court with Obyeron, Zahndrek, Orikan, and 2 Crypteks
2 Full Canoptek Harvests (Wraiths, Scarabs and a Spyder)
1 Minimum Sized Destroyer Cult

Sprinkle in some relics and other wargear and you get 5k. It is the picture of what I see when the Necrons decide to invade. I just wish that the Monolith was a stronger option... auto correct on deep strike would do it.

[Deacon Ix]

With the current 40k lists I think that 3k is the minimum amount for a balanced army so this is what I aim for, though my Word Bearers are substantually more :)

[mysterex]

I prefer 1500 or 1250 points. It removes some of the craziness that the game has become plus it requires you to make some hard decisions about what's in and out rather than just taking all the toys.

And yes I probably have at least 2500 points for each of my main armies, I just prefer smaller games.