30k vs 40k? Comparable?

[Crydon Games]

Has anyone played games using 30k lists vs. 40k lists? Do they stack up? I want to do the dark angels that I own in Heresy colors, so I wondered about the list building comparison.

[Cactus]

I've played a handful of 30k games and I would say that they are a bit stronger than a SM 40k list. The larger unit sizes really seem to be the biggest difference and the fire power a 30k list can churn out is amazing.

As far as painting goes, there are still a lot of 30k armor patterns and color schemes in service in the year 40,000. You shouldn't feel bad for having a 30k army fighting in a 40k game. In fact, most other gamers will probably dig your Pre-Heresy models.

[Crydon Games]

All of my troop models are the ones from Dark Vengeance...Will they be ok as far as markings? Just gonna do them in the original black of the DA. Any problems with that? I will add some Mk 3,4,5,6 armor later...but I am getting anxious to play and want a painted army...

[Cactus]

All of my troop models are the ones from Dark Vengeance...Will they be ok as far as markings? Just gonna do them in the original black of the DA. Any problems with that? I will add some Mk 3,4,5,6 armor later...but I am getting anxious to play and want a painted army...

No, nobody should give you crap. If they do, just tell them it's pre-heresy, which is a perfectly fine way to paint your models within the fluff.

You could paint your models pink and lime green if you want and declare that they are a successor chapter of DA. Most people just want to see painted models.

The biggest problem players have is swapping weapons and not having, "What you see is what you get" or WYSIWYG. It's hard for an opponent to keep track of weapon swaps - for example, "In this unit, the power sword is really a power fist." Nobody cares if it's painted green or black but the want to be able to quickly identify the model and it's abilities.

[ElectricPaladin]

The vets at my FLGS are all so certain that the rules are compatible that they have agreed that I can run a glaive (heresy-era superheavy tank) as a superheavy in apocalypse and escalation games... I'm not so sure myself, but it's a data point.

[Bigred]

I have played several games with 30k vs 40k and have seen no real issues. Both sides have strengths and weaknesses.

Our group consider these books to be "fluffy" for use with 30K games:

IG (Imperial Army)
Eldar (those early post-Fall adopters)
Dark Eldar (the REAL 30k Eldar)
Orks (like they ever change)
Tau (High tech Xenos - PURGE!!!)
Nids (Monstrous Xenos - PURGE!!!)
Necrons (Automatons from Old Night - PURGE!!!)
Chaos Daemons (What witch-trickery is this - PURGE!!!)

[Charon]

IG (Imperial Army)
Eldar (those early post-Fall adopters)
Dark Eldar (the REAL 30k Eldar)
Orks (like they ever change)
Tau (High tech Xenos - PURGE!!!)
Nids (Monstrous Xenos - PURGE!!!)
Necrons (Automatons from Old Night - PURGE!!!)
Chaos Daemons (What witch-trickery is this - PURGE!!!)

You can always make up your own storys but in terms of fluff:

Eldar where the same as now (Fulgrim met up with Eldrad, a Wraithlord and an Avatar to talk about Horus)
Dark Eldar where about the same as now and as real 30k Eldar as they are 40k Eldar.
Tau where discovered in M35 and where nothing more than wild nomads without any technology (the fleet sent to eradicate the Tau and colonize the planet was lost in a Warpstorm). They started to make peace with each other in M36 and started to expand their Realm in the middle of M37.
Nids is a hard one as there are hints that the Emperor fought them (last tyranid codex) on the other hand it seems to be an isolated case as the first one to encounter them (and live to tell the tale) was Inquisitor Ravenor in the Underwater Station of Utochre in M41 (Behemoth appeared about 300 or 400 years later)

[ElectricPaladin]

...the first one to encounter them (and live to tell the tale) was Inquisitor Ravenor in the Underwater Station of Utochre in M41...

Well, he didn't exactly encounter them there. I mean, he was there and then he encountered them, but he wasn't there anymore at that point .

[Charon]

Well, he didn't exactly encounter them there. I mean, he was there and then he encountered them, but he wasn't there anymore at that point .

Not quite as some of them got out of "not there" and invaded the base.

[ElectricPaladin]

Not quite as some of them got out of "not there" and invaded the base.

Yeah, ok, you got me there.

But the initial encountered happened "not there." It just didn't end there.