Do you think this allied attachment is too confusing for Throne Of Skulls?

[Proiteus]

Hi everyone I'd like your opinion regarding some models that have been brought into question by the GW events team.

See I play a Grot Rebel themed Imperial guard army which I've been re-building and improving over the last several months from it's previous version which was about 'average' in appearance. My goal was to get them done in time for this month's Throne Of Skulls tournament. I've attended GW events before with the army and it has been well received both by players and GW staff, but with the new strict Warrior's code I thought it best just to check with them.

They have no issue with the newly remade units such as the veteran and command squad below, nor with any of the vehicles.

However they've deemed the newest edition to the army 'confusing' which is a squad of allied Nob Bikers and Warboss, modelled as a Grot Battlesuit with enslaved Cybork bodyguard. The reason being Gretchins and Orks being from the same codex so they're worried players will find it confusing with a gretchin guard army having Ork allies.

I can understand where they're coming from, but it's only 6 miniatures and with the exception of the Warbot they're all clearly modeled as orks and with a different appearance to the gretchin guard army, I've mentioned this and the fact most opponents will understand when given a copy of my army list. But still their reply was...

After consulting with the team I'm afraid that our concerns are uniform so the answer is no. I understand that you are confident that you can explain the difference but that does not change the reality that the models being used are from the same codex, but actually aren't.

I respect their decision and would be more than happy to create 515pts of replacement units, but I've got only 20 days to create alternative units on top of painting 4 vehciles, I was preprared for small tweaks from a possible guard codex but not filling a 515pt in a short space of time without rushing it?

So would you have any problems with my Grot Rebel Guard having an allied unit of Nob Bikers?

Depending on the votes I ask the events team if I can be allowed to use them in the event I'm unable to complete a Baneblade in time, cause no one should be forced to rush an army towards competition. However if the votes go negatively I'll won't field them at indie tournaments either.

BTW here's the quick run down of the army...

Command Squad
Marbo
X3 Veteran Squads (all with same equipment)
X2 Chimeras
Leman Russ
Vendetta
Defence Line

Warboss & 5 Nob Bikers

[Badtucker]

Great models by the way!!!

I can see where GW are coming from, its the whole unified greenskin theme/ yet from different armies ( guard and orks) the confusing thing is mistaking the orks for say, rough riders or players assuming the grots are just converted ork boys or units of grots even .
I myself play with many converted things at GW tournies and sent in emails also to see if they were valid (Chaos spawn made from ogres and other bits and a jugger lord made from the new carnosaur model) all of which were approved. They are quite obvious what they are ment to be but i did worry a wee bit. I suspect its the fact your army comprises of two separate armies that look like one. It may be a tad confusing.

[Denzark]

I think you are lucky to get away with any of it at ToS - by the book (Warrior's Code) you can't have counts as or proxies. Looking above, the 2 top units are hugely cool and well executed. But the single 2 things I can recognise at a glance is a Commissar and heavy weapon teams.

I'm sure you've got a good explanation for them all - did I see your army at WW before and did you have graphics representing all the units for quick consultation? Good for you if so. But I wouldn't want to have to be consulting some sheet all the time just to get my target priority right.

I think you should field them as you please in indie tournaments and not at ToS.

[daboarder]

That looks too awesome NOT to have a game against

[Defenestratus]

Hrm.

BS meter is jumping - pretty sure this was a post to promote your admittedly awesome models - but no... nobody with two brain cells to rub together should have a problem with your army.

(Mind you that does eliminate roughly 75% of the staff at GW)

[desert_hack]

That's bs. What about Chaos able to ally with Black Legion. Or Eldar able to ally with Iyanden. In each of those cases the primary detachment is practically indistinguishable from the primary.

You should be allowed to use your awesome toys. And they are totally awesome btw. Good work!

[jonsgot]

The models are great. I have no problem with the bikes. The question for me is why are you using grots as guard and not grots.

[Proiteus]

Looking above, the 2 top units are hugely cool and well executed. But the single 2 things I can recognise at a glance is a Commissar and heavy weapon teams.

All the lasguns have been converted to Autoguns and Sub-machine guns and the grenade launchers are represented by the small rokkit launchas on the right, the autocannon and lascannon should be obvious. Although the reference sheet was rarely required with the last version I'll be making one just in case.

That's bs. What about Chaos able to ally with Black Legion. Or Eldar able to ally with Iyanden. In each of those cases the primary detachment is practically indistinguishable from the primary.

Good point, I'll bring that up if I'm unable to complete the alternative unit in time.

The models are great. I have no problem with the bikes. The question for me is why are you using grots as guard and not grots.

I started this army 8 years ago, during that time Gretchin were metal and expensive and an all biker army wasn't really an option if you wanted to play competitively. So I naturally thought "what the 2nd weakest thing in the universe?" answer; guardsmen. It brought a lot more variety to the army with units like [URL="http://fc03.deviantart.net/fs19/i/2014/063/3/8/codex_grot_grenadiers_by_proiteus-d12dm79.jpg"]Grenaiders[/URL], [URL="http://fc05.deviantart.net/fs29/f/2008/063/7/4/Grot_Rebel_Ruff_Riderz_by_Proiteus.jpg"]Rough Riders[/URL], [URL="http://fc08.deviantart.net/fs20/i/2014/063/2/3/codex_weapons_specialists_by_proiteus-d129fd7.jpg"]Special Weapon Teams[/URL], [URL="http://fc09.deviantart.net/fs19/f/2008/078/2/5/25bcaed2bb215b52.jpg"]Veteran Squads[/URL], etc. Since then I've stuck with the codex even when the current ork codex came out and all the toys from Forgeworld became legal.

[jonsgot]

It's a not well thought question, but could you add some guard and use the grots as grots? So that you don't have to proxy your models. I don't play either army anymore so have no idea.

[John Bower]

That's just plain snobbery if you ask me, the models are downright cool, and sorry GW but Rule of Cool wins. If you turned up to play me I'd say, yeah sure, I'll play, I've no issues. Looks waaaay better than plastic and unpainted models on the table.