Breaking from the Norm

[Reivax26]

I am wondering if there are people who play armies and actually use units that people don't usually play with.

Are there Space Wolf players who don't play Long Fangs?
Are there Grey Knight players who don't use Psyfleman Dreads?
Are there Imperial Guard players who don't use Valkyrie/Vendettas and actually still play Leman Russ tanks?
Are there Ork players who don't play Nob Bikers?
Are there Chaos players who don't use Obliterators?

Comment away

[Drakcore Bloodtear]

I play BA without Baal Preds, Meph, Stormravens, Libbies (not even Dread Libbies) nor TH/SS Termies.

I play a fluffy NL army, which I play strictly to the fluff I made up, more enjoyable IMO.

[Xuri-n]

I'm still running basic tactical heavy marines, kabilite warriors and an archon with out a shadow field dark eldar and a tyranid army with a harpy.
But st the same time I'm not a power gamer, I build armies that are to a theme, add new units to expand to a new one, but I keep to back ground or a back story and sometimes find a forgotten or over looked combo, it's part of the fun for me!

[Bubble Ghost]

Are there Chaos players who don't use Obliterators?

Ooh ooh me me! I just don't like the models, there's nothing wrong with them really but they don't fit with my army. I keep meaning to try to convert some Noise Marines with giant crazy sonic weapons on 40mm bases to use as Obliterators, but I've never quite got round to it.

[KingDeath]

I am wondering if there are people who play armies and actually use units that people don't usually play with.

Are there Chaos players who don't use Obliterators?

Comment away

Both autolaspredators ( more firepower for cheaper ) an autocannon havocsquads ( much more firepower but expensive ) are viable alternatives.

[Draconis]

Are there Nid players who use Pyrovores?

[Angelwing]

Are there Grey Knight players who don't use Psyfleman Dreads?
Are there Imperial Guard players who don't use Valkyrie/Vendettas and actually still play Leman Russ tanks?
Are there Ork players who don't play Nob Bikers?

Check, check, check.

Are there Nid players who use Pyrovores?

Yes, I run 3. Granted, I'm playing cityfight games at the moment where they have some use. In fact, in my last game I ran them as well as 2 units of ripper swarms...

[enygma7]

I think many people do, often as a direct reaction against their overuse. They don't want to be seen as reaching for the easy button and copying everyone else. Maybe they think that if they are seen to rely on crutch units it detracts from their victories as credit will tend to go to the list rather than the player. Not 40k relevant but I refuse to use a hellpit for that precise reason - I get enough flak for simply playing skaven.

In 40K I break from the norm by playing Tau, Nids and Dark Angels which is already sufficiently masochistic enough without handycapping myself further by refusing to take good units

[zendral]

Chaos guard with only infantry and tanks. No skimmers fer me.

[FashaTheDog]

I am wondering if there are people who play armies and actually use units that people don't usually play with.

Are there Space Wolf players who don't play Long Fangs?
Are there Grey Knight players who don't use Psyfleman Dreads?
Are there Imperial Guard players who don't use Valkyrie/Vendettas and actually still play Leman Russ tanks?
Are there Ork players who don't play Nob Bikers?
Are there Chaos players who don't use Obliterators?

Comment away

I actually do not own any Valkyries or Vendettas and start nearly all my lists with five Leman Russ. I also rarely use Veterans, preferring large platoons. For my Chaos, I do not own any Obliterators and my Orks do not have Nob Bikers, and have never used either unit in their respective army. My Space Puppies, however, do bring a pack of Long Fangs, but they rock the old shoulder mounted weapons, so they're cool.

As for other units, Chaos Dreadnoughts are on my regular use list, although I now hesitate to use one because the last time I did he set a new high score of 24 of my Berserkers with bolters in four turns; kind of hard to top. My Nids always rock five Carnifex in any list of 1,850 points or more and usually win, despite what the internet would lead you to believe. I even use Lictors every now and again too.

[Havarel]

As a guard player I never run more than one Vendetta and Hydra (the response I got at the GT this year was 'just one?! to both of the above lol) and depending on which list I use tend to maximise infantry. Hell my GT list this year included over 100 Guardsman, just don't ask how highly I placed!

[Displaced]

I play IG as a Russian WWII general. Loads of infantry with a bit of support heavy weapons. Not won a game using 4th edition rules. Not tried them with 5th.... Facing a SM army with lasguns..... Gonna be a long long day =)

[Kulgur]

I am wondering if there are people who play armies and actually use units that people don't usually play with.
Are there Imperial Guard players who don't use Valkyrie/Vendettas and actually still play Leman Russ tanks?
Are there Ork players who don't play Nob Bikers?

My IG army in progress has no Valkyries/Vendettas planned (no russes either, artillery company)
My Orks have used biker nobz once, by request. After they effectively soloed my opponents army they went away never to see the light of day again.

[lantzkev]

I usually only have one dreadnought and it's usually with autocannon + assault cannon + psybolt. I'd have two assault cannons if I could on it to be honest lol.

[Born Again]

Where do I begin?

Tau: includes an Ethereal, Vespid, and Sniper Drones. No Hammerheads or Broadsides. That's right, not a single rail gun in the whole army. Has moderate success, providing I don't come up against multiple Land Raiders or MC's.

Orks: No nob bikers (bar the one leading the warbike mob), pretty much a horde army with boyz swarming across the table. Oh, and a Weirdboy. Does pretty well.

CSM's: No oblits, but does have Plague Marines, uses Possessed and Huron Blackheart as my HQ. Again, does pretty well.

Dark Eldar: still a work in progress but will likely contain Mandrakes, a Court, Beastmasters (I think they're not looked on too highly as a unit?) and only 1-2 Raiders.

The netlists and tournament circuit lists you see are basically the super-optimised lists where in many cases, it's an attempt to win before you even unpack your models. They don't necessarily care about fluff, or playing with models they like etc as much, if at all. However, despite them being spammed all over the internet, I don't think there as common as some people think IRL. If they are, you can sometimes defeat them through playing units which, although they believe are terrible, they are unsure how to counter as they've never faced them before. Similarly, something geared up to take on Mech-heavy guard with lots of tank busting weapons will rarely have the rate of fire needed to take down swarm orks or nids.

[lantzkev]

Where do I begin?

Tau: includes an Ethereal, Vespid, and Sniper Drones. No Hammerheads or Broadsides. That's right, not a single rail gun in the whole army. Has moderate success, providing I don't come up against multiple Land Raiders or MC's.

Orks: No nob bikers (bar the one leading the warbike mob), pretty much a horde army with boyz swarming across the table. Oh, and a Weirdboy. Does pretty well.

CSM's: No oblits, but does have Plague Marines, uses Possessed and Huron Blackheart as my HQ. Again, does pretty well.

Dark Eldar: still a work in progress but will likely contain Mandrakes, a Court, Beastmasters (I think they're not looked on too highly as a unit?) and only 1-2 Raiders.

The netlists and tournament circuit lists you see are basically the super-optimised lists where in many cases, it's an attempt to win before you even unpack your models. They don't necessarily care about fluff, or playing with models they like etc as much, if at all. However, despite them being spammed all over the internet, I don't think there as common as some people think IRL. If they are, you can sometimes defeat them through playing units which, although they believe are terrible, they are unsure how to counter as they've never faced them before. Similarly, something geared up to take on Mech-heavy guard with lots of tank busting weapons will rarely have the rate of fire needed to take down swarm orks or nids.

This is what I've discovered my "foot slog" tau are effective because they can take out the heavy tanks (I use rail guns, sorry it's the trademark of tau and the best thing they have) and it's simple that most don't gear to take out tons of troops

[Nurgling Chieftain]

Are there Imperial Guard players who don't use Valkyrie/Vendettas and actually still play Leman Russ tanks?

I see lots of Leman Russ still on the tables, even in lists that are otherwise net-compliant (chimeltavets&vendettas).

Are there Ork players who don't play Nob Bikers?

Honestly I don't see many Nob Bikers around anymore. Call me back when you find a list without a Kustom Force Field, though.

I play BA without Baal Preds, Meph, Stormravens, Libbies (not even Dread Libbies) nor TH/SS Termies.

Only Meph should even make that list. Do you play with grails and/or razorbacks?

[Drakcore Bloodtear]

Only Meph should even make that list. Do you play with grails and/or razorbacks?

One Razorback for Seth and some assault marines (when I use him) and usually one Sang Priests with my LC Termies

I don't get the whole competitive style myself, but luckily neither do a lot of my gaming group

[IcedAnimals]

I use to field an inquisitor with 3x gun servitors a hospitaller and a single acolyte. Back in the witch hunters dex. Threw in an assassin and I would often take the orbital strike. Though that was mostly because it was a "free" model which helped keep the cost of my army down over the years while i built it. I now just field the inquisitor as a canoness + command squad. Something that still no one ever takes, but paying about 200 points for 3 FNP heavy bolters its not hard to see why. Even being relentless isn't enough to save them. Especially since the squad is toughness 3, so FNP always seems useless against what is shooting at it. But hey, I still get to field some of my favorite models so I bring them out every now and then.

[vampire dude]

I think it's a bit unfair that there's now a stigma for anyone who does use these units, people assume that they have made a list purely to win, because of the people that do abuse/spam these units. They might just like the models/fluff, and it's not their fault if the unit is overpowered, that's a rules design flaw. However in a tournament I think it could be viewed as people trying to gain an unfair advantage, but then from what I've heard about tournaments, everyone does this now. Just my opinion