40k's silliest units

[Stephen James Hand]

Ok, I know in 40k you have to accept that most of the units don't make much logical sense, like despite the fact that the main battle tank is already obsolete, tanks with targeting systems so primitive they can't even fire accurately on the move (i.e. 1970's technology) dominate the battlefields of the 41st millennium. 'Making sense' will always take a back seat to visual appeal in 40k, as it should. But some units that have graced the grimdark's battlefields over the years have been sillier than others. Post your favourite 'silly' 40k units.

Here's some to get the ball rolling:

Squat Land Train

18851

The ultimate expression of the fact that there's no better battlefield armoured formation than 'close single file'... I wonder if the guy who suggested each car having it's own engine so they could go where they liked got fired?

Attilan Rough Riders

Horse cavalry? Are you kidding me? Putting aside their obvious limitations in futuristic combat, the idea that the Imperial Navy has to fit it's troop transports with stables to get these bozos into the fight in the first place is pretty comical.

Eldar Weapon Platform

18852

The Eldar may have the strange, otherworldly technology required to mount weapons on floating platforms, but remote controlled floating platforms? Nah, still gonna need two fellas to push it about

Sisters of Battle Exorcist

18855

I'm amazed nobody thought of using a church organ as the starting point for an artillery tank design sooner...

Eldar War Walker (2nd edition)

18854

Nope, can't see any problems with this design.

Thunderwolf Cavalry

18853

FFS.

[Morgrim]

The exorcist is the model I use to demonstrate the raw essence of 40k. If they don't find a church organ tank that launches missiles mid-hymn awesome, they're probably going to find the rest of 40k too over the top.

[Hendrik Booraem VI]

Sisters of Battle Repentia squad - naked chicks with two-handed chainsaws running at the enemy? In a sci-fi world with lots of shooty goodness?

Necron spider-walky things. I dunno what they are, or how powerful they are - I just know they look stupid. Probably means they're great in combat.

[Captain Bubonicus]

Hard to beat the good ol' Shokk Attack Gun.

Transporting warp-crazed snotlings inside of your enemies? Ex-cellent.

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

every humanoid alien in the entire game (and every other SF setting for that matter)

[son_of_volmer]

Piloting a plane while wearing power armor.

[Mr Mystery]

Wraithknight.

You're nailed into it, with the spirit of your deceased twin.

A twin who may have been made deceased just so they could nail you in.

Just.......wow, Eldar. Wow.

[Psychosplodge]

Teletubbies.

I mean those marines in armour for their armour, whatever the bloody hell they're called.

look absolutely ridiculous.

[Path Walker]

The game is so full of amazingly silly things, I love it.

Everything the Orks do it pretty silly really, but they have an excuse at least. Silly works for them.

[CoffeeGrunt]

The Exorcist probably epitomises everything I love about 40K.

However, silly units would have to include the Deathstrike. Infinite range ICBM M'Lord? Nuclear warhead M'Lord? Deploy it to the front line M'Lord? ...Yes, M'Lord.

[Haighus]

Yeah, the Exorcist is great, and I like how the most recent AM releases actually look gothic too with the Scions and (to a lesser degree) Bullgryns. First gothic Guard units since the Vostroyans really. Deathstrike is an odd one, makes more sense as an objective marker than a battlefield unit, although that doesn't stop me from owning one... :D

Silliest unit for me is this... thing...
https://www.games-workshop.com/resources/catalog/product/600x620/99120101115_LoganStormrider01.jpg

It is a pity, because I like the Grimnar model riding it, but he isn't available alone... I can handle Marines riding massive, tough wolves. I can handle Marines even giving into their inner wolfiness (even if the models leave something to be desired IMO), but the dog-sled is just ridiculous.

[grimmas]

They're all silly that's what makes it so fun. Turn it up to 11 and let it go. Thunderwolf cavalry is probably going all the way to 12 though 😏

[Stephen James Hand]

They're all silly that's what makes it so fun. Turn it up to 11 and let it go. Thunderwolf cavalry is probably going all the way to 12 though 😏

Don't get me wrong, I love the silly, that's why I started the thread.

Wow, I missed (or forgot) the husky sled, I think they must just've been 'In for a penny, in for a pound' at that point.

I didn't put any Ork stuff in because as has been said before, they own silly, it's their thing. I think everyone loves the Shokk Attack Gun. I was always a big fan of the Lifta Droppa too, bringing cartoon style violence to the grimdark can only be a good thing!

[Mr Mystery]

I love that a lot of Orky tech is actually better than everyone but Necrons.

Bubble Chukka? Superb. Smash Gun? Superb. Lifta-Droppa? Superb. And all stuff the Eldar and Imperium just can't do. Yes it's wonky and doesn't always work properly - but it still actually works!

[Psychosplodge]

Long range teleportation?

[CoffeeGrunt]

Not to mention the Traktor Cannon, which is hilariously good against Flyrants.

[Mr Mystery]

All that stuff. Best bit about Orks? They're just having fun.

War is instinctual to them. It's a laugh. Whilst they certainly don't shy away from torture and other nasties, to them they're mostly just having the biggest laugh they can find - there's no actual calculated malice.

[CoffeeGrunt]

Plus Orks can do this and it won't feel out of place:
http://i.imgur.com/LEsETOR.jpg

[Mr Mystery]

Yup!

Also, just remembered a curious piece of background. I can't remember exactly when it was printed, but I think it was pre-Codex Daemons.

In essence, it explained why Daemons aren't actually evil or malevolent. They're created from pure emotion - that others don't enjoy the same things they do.

[Ravingbantha]

Space Marine Pauldrons, the rest of the armor is a bit much, but there is no way a marine is going to be able to raise their arms high enough to fight in hand to hand combat. Just trying to put their arms straight out to the side would cause the pauldrons to hit their helmets.

Then of course, their bolters are a bit over the top, given the size of ammo, a bolter mangazine would only hold 5-10 rounds max, there's no way you're laying down any sort of sustained fire with that,

[Stephen James Hand]

The exorcist is the model I use to demonstrate the raw essence of 40k. If they don't find a church organ tank that launches missiles mid-hymn awesome, they're probably going to find the rest of 40k too over the top.

I know the fluff says this thing plays hymns to the God Emperor, but I an only ever imagine it playing the crescendo to the '1812 Overture'...

[This Dave]

Old school Rogue Trader 40K and Epic had the best things.

Goffik Rockers? Ork musicians that cause battlefield effects?

Hop Splat gun? A rocket with a giant ball and chain attacked so it would fly uncontrollably around the battlefield?

Mole Mortar? Why fire a shell into the air when you can shoot it underground!

Gutrippas? Tanks with guns but also with giant claws on the front?

Original Noise Marines? Their Sonic Blasters were bass guitars!

The silliest thing from newer versions in my opinion is the Repentias. Crazy Battle Sisters looking for redemption in battle and death is cool. Charging into battle naked but with scraps of parchment giving the same armor protection as the best non-powered armor the Imperium can make? No you just lost me there.

[Mr Mystery]

The silliest thing from newer versions in my opinion is the Repentias. Crazy Battle Sisters looking for redemption in battle and death is cool. Charging into battle naked but with scraps of parchment giving the same armor protection as the best non-powered armor the Imperium can make? No you just lost me there.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Cs3Pvmmv0E

[CoffeeGrunt]

Repentia don't have save, though. They get a once-per-game 3+ FNP in the Assault Phase, but that's with them being T3 and thus it's easy to avert.

[This Dave]

Repentia don't have save, though. They get a once-per-game 3+ FNP in the Assault Phase, but that's with them being T3 and thus it's easy to avert.

Okay so it's been changed. Was still goofy as hell when they first came out.

I forgot the Squat Airship. Yes, a zeppelin with guns fighting jet aircraft and lasers. What could possibly go wrong there?

[Da Gargoyle]

Depends on what the airship was filled with, Hydrogen and its one flash and you're ash time. Helium and you might have to board it to knock it out because putting a hole in the bottom is not going to let the gas out, holing the sides would have limited success to the level of the cell that is burst. So holing the top is the best option but would it be fast enough to "sink" it?

In the mean time some short ar*e heavy worlders are sitting in a stable platform that can hover without complex xenos tech and stonk anything that moves including the flyers you can see for miles. Not only that the zeplin would be big enough to carry jamming equipment to minimise the effect of guide munitions.

Losing the intellectual rights on that was silly.

[Morgrim]

Hydrogen isn't actually as bad in airships as people think, because it needs to be mixed with oxygen to explode violently. Sure, you're going to get an explosion, but it's not going to be a massive one involving the whole ship going up in one fireball. You'll be left with a hole and if that is at the top gas rapidly leaving it, but the result is similar to a helium airship being holed and the cell system will still work.

The Hindenburg disaster wasn't due to it being filled with hydrogen, it was due to the skin being made of highly flamable materials that kept the fires burning. They basically had the ingredients for thermite sitting next to hydrogen gas bladders.