Warband Composition

[Eternus]

I think when most of us start playing or collecting models for Inquisitor, we go for the models that appeal to us, at least I did. We buy the models we like, we do come conversion work, we end up with a bit of a collection. But do the models we have accumulated for our Warband fit together?

Have you found that the characters that make up your warband really compliment each other, or do some kinda stick out? Do you even have 'fixed' warbands, or do you just have a collection of characters and band them together as the story dictates? Do you even go that far, and maybe instead just make up new characters each time you start a new story?

I have accumulated around 17 characters, which fall generally into three camps - An Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor with his more orthodox band including stuff like a Preacher, and ex Storm Trooper who had extensive cybernetic replacement after everything from the hips down was crushed to a pulp, an Arco Flagellant etc. Then there is an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor and her less savoury entourage of mutants and an ex ganger and a Daemonhost. Finally we have a Rogue Trader, who is petrified by the Malleus Inquisitor, and who seems to be at the centre of this little triangle more often than not, is being hunted by the Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor, who is also at professional logger heads with the Malleus Inquisitor, who herself uses the Rogue Trader to do some of her dirty work.

In addition to this lot I also have a converted Daemon Prince for my Warriors of Chaos which serves just as well as a Daemon for Inquisitor, and a Space Marine who isn't part of any band, just for special occasions.

How about your own collection - how does it work?

[Ambience 327]

Mine is sort of a mix of the two.

I have a single Warband that was collected with a theme in mind after writing their background info and stats/equipment (1st pic) including (from left to right) Dalton Granger (Desperado), Polonius (Cyber-Falcon familiar), Inquisitor Ophelia Du Marquis (Ordo Hereticus), Eliysa of D'Altaran (Feral-Worlder Acolyte) and Juan Ramirez (Rogue Trader). (Interesting note - I also have this entire warband in 28mm scale as well, which is the scale I more commonly play with my typical group consisting of my wife and my best friend. No pics available of the little versions at the moment though.)

I also have an eclectic mix of various other characters that I made just because I liked a certain model or had a great conversion in mind. These include my custom converted Callidus Assassin (started out as one of the DC Assassin Twins), a scratch-built Grey Knight Terminator (only ever used as a GM tool, NEVER as a PC) and Henrie "Necromunda" Jones - Techoarchaeologist. (This is just a small sample of many random characters, but you get the idea.)

[MarcoSkoll]

Have you found that the characters that make up your warband really compliment each other, or do some kinda stick out?

Do they compliment each other? Sometimes, if they think the other has done a good job, or maybe if they're wearing a pair of trousers that makes their bum look nice.

... oh, wait, you meant complement.

Naturally. If you look at it from how their roles might interact, it's a question about who the "leader" feels is necessary to have on the pay-roll. So, in that case, it's naturally an extension of the leader's character.
If there's an odd-one-out, it tells you something about the boss.

If you look at it from how their personalities might mesh, it again tells you something about the boss-man. If they clash, but they're kept together, it tells you that their skills are more valuable than their synergy.
(Particularly true in the case of Inquistrix Katlien Vance and Interrogator Nyi Laysen. Given that Katlien killed Nyi's former master, Nyi bears quite some ill-will. Katlien doesn't - she just thought Nyi was too valuable to execute for her master's heresy.)

But, as stories are about how characters interact, the personalities have to be somewhat different and occasionally at odds - or it's just really, really dull.

So, in short, if there are black sheep or obvious shortcomings, that just develops the characters involved - why is/isn't there an X in this warband? Why are those two put together when they hate each other? Etc, etc.

Do you even have 'fixed' warbands, or do you just have a collection of characters and band them together as the story dictates?

Mostly fixed. Occasionally, I'll develop a character who doesn't have a home in another warband yet and who'll get added into another warband so I get a chance to use them on the table. (Commissar Leith, Sister Phoenix, etc.)

Do you even go that far, and maybe instead just make up new characters each time you start a new story?

Usually, no. I invest too much effort into each character to make up a whole group of new ones every time.

On one occasion I made up some characters for an online narrative RP, which then got cancelled. That would have been a load of effort down the drain if I weren't planning on resurrecting them at some point in the future.

[DapperAnarchist]

Originally, my models were divided into clear warbands, and the backgrounds I write up still tend to be. However, I have branched out into generic modelling now, just playing around with bitz, not always with a clear concept of what the model is. I could draw up rules and background relatively quickly, but in a few cases, I haven't.

[Eternus]

Thanks for the responses guys. Seems views are quite varied. And MarcoSkoll, thanks for the 'complement'. Never realised that error before. I guess you learn something new every day.