Experimental plastic kits, "proper" aliens in 40k

[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! 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