Codex: Mercenary

[Fueldrop]

Here's an idea I've been kicking around for a bit. A codex of unaligned factions that can be taken in any standard force, representing anything from payed mercenary work to mind control (because how else would we have them work for the 'nids without brain parasites?)

There'd be rules for stuff like Kroot warbands, Ork Freebootaz, maybe even a few units of Tarellian mercs or other exotic races who aren't worth a whole codex but are still mentioned in the fluff.
Maybe there could even be rules for stiffing them on the pay, letting you get the units at a discount but giving them a chance to turn on you.

What do the people think? Genius, or Madness (or Sparta?)

[angkor what?]

This was always a good idea back in 6th or before. Now with all these mini dexes and multiple detachments is less relevant. It's still better like you said to have one book rather than the five or so mini boojs.

[Haighus]

Could also cover Rogue Trader forces too. I think it would be a great idea, but I doubt GW would release such a format now. Most likely they would release each individual thing you mentioned by itself, maybe with a small model release.

[angkor what?]

That is one thing we can all agree on is that we want to see these on the table. I'm still hoping for a kroot codex even though a couple of us are working on one. Personal favourites of mine as well would be freebooterz or blood axes, genestealer cult and eldar outcasts.

I did want a lost and the damned and that's been achieved with the incredible IA13 list and adeptus mechanicus which they've also done. I do believe once everyone has a 7 th codex and inquisition and sisters have had major overhauls were gonna be swamped with mini dexes and dataslates for small factions and mercenaries.

[Cactus]

I'd like a Rogue Trader book myself. Put in a unit or two in power armor, a few human regiments, maybe some ork mercs, and an Imperial Knight. Maybe a rogue psyker, but I'd leave out a few of the other Imperial units like Dreads.

Ab humans like Squats, Beastmen, or maybe some other races that were developed in the Black Library novels that haven't been translated to models.

[Alaric]

You could use the Inquisition book as a guideline for points and whatnot. Neat idea, Id like to see what you come up with.

[Ravingbantha]

I'd like a Rogue Trader book myself. Put in a unit or two in power armor, a few human regiments, maybe some ork mercs, and an Imperial Knight. Maybe a rogue psyker, but I'd leave out a few of the other Imperial units like Dreads.

Ab humans like Squats, Beastmen, or maybe some other races that were developed in the Black Library novels that haven't been translated to models.

Actually this thread got me thinking about building a rogue Trader army, It could be done with the rules as they currently are. With the background of rogue traders you could easily incorperate just about any Imperial army into it and give it a piraty theme.

[Fueldrop]

I'd kinda like rules that allow me to stiff the mercs of their paycheck. You get them cheap, but there's a chance that they'll realize what you've done half-way through the battle and turn on you.

I also kinda like the idea of, say, my Eldar farseer going "I could spend years of carefully calculated manipulations to bring these pawns over to my side... or I could simply talk to their boss and hire them to attack my enemies. No-one will see it coming."

[Asymmetrical Xeno]

Would be up for something like this if it meant finally seeing some good looking, alien looking aliens in the game. In the grim dark future, everything is suited to terran style environments it seems.

[Fueldrop]

Would be up for something like this if it meant finally seeing some good looking, alien looking aliens in the game. In the grim dark future, everything is suited to terran style environments it seems.

To be fair, the Imperium's standard first contact procedure is orbital bombardment until everything stops moving. I'm willing to bet that a lot of lifeforms are merely extinct.

Also, if a creature can't exist in a human environment then they've got a lot of additional challenges for waging war in such an environment.

Still, agree that some more 'alien' looking aliens would be nice. The 'nids are a good step in that direction but it's still only one race of non-humanoids.


On an unrelated note, I was down at my local gaming store today and checked out the Tau codex with an eye towards picking up a small Kroot force to act as mercenaries. Unfortunately the lack of a Kroot HQ option means that there's no way to do this in a battle-forged list without having at least one Tau tagging along, which didn't go with the feel I was after