Breaking from the Norm

[Gertjan]

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

My standard lists begins with a decent sized platoon, a squadron of 2 bog standard battle tanks and a demolisher. I never ever take skimmers of any kind in my guard army. It feels out of place and silly. Guard are supposed to be low tech compared to marines so how the eck did they just get a combat craft which is so very modern. It just doesn't fit in the way the IG are supposed to be fighting their wars slow and lumbering, those skimmers are fast and agile, it breaks the mood and feel for me.

But then again, I also always take at least a decent sized platoon, don't shy away from hws rather than plopping those things in my infantry squads for "better survival". I like my guard army to look like it represents an average guard regiment fighting somewhere, so it always includes more infatry units than veterans, there are odd units such as rough riders, ratlings and the vehicles are a mix between chimera's, Russes, some artillery and sentinels. That's what feels right to me when playing guard, veteran spam might be the awesomeness at this moment, but it doesn't make me feel like I"m playing IG.

[MarskalkTor]

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


Oh right here, i never use Valkyries or vendettas, im a treadhead to boot

i always field 3 full squadrons of leman russ of different version, however i use vultures, sue me

[Lord Squidar]

Even though I have the model, I refuse to play with Eldrad or Yriel since my craftworld is Alaitoc, not Ulthwe or Iyanden. Seen Eldrad in just about every other shade of eldar army though.

When I get to greater daemon level with my chaos daemons, I also refuse to play with Fateweaver. Its a blood thirster or nothing for me =)

[Born Again]

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

Oh, did I forget to mention? Better give me your number then, no KFF's here!

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

They could just be in to the models and fluff, but the problem is this. If, for example, you really like the Death Guard, then spamming Plague Marines is not a problem. It's when they become highly mechanized and are led by a Slaanesh Lash Prince that it gets suspicious.

[Monospot]

6500 points of painted Orks. 0 bikers. 0 nob bikers. And sometimes I even don't field a KFF!

[Bold_or_Stupid]

Space Wolves no Long Fangs (usually) Bloodclaws, but I run a Claws of Russ style drop list.

[AlphariusOmegon20]

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?

That would be my Steel Legion army (THE Original Parking Lot army)

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

That would be my Blood Axes (Stormboy/Kommando heavy list)

Are there Chaos players who don't use Obliterators?

And that one would be my Alpha Legion. (Chosen heavy)

That being said, I do have an Iron Warrior army that does have Oblits, a Speed Freek army that does have Nob Bikers, and and Elysian Army that does have Valks and Vendettas. I have to admit, I do use Long Fangs, but they are fluffy, as I do keep the ratio of them to Grey Hunters/Blood Claws to 2 or 3 GH/BC to 1 Long Fang in my lists.

To me, it's all about how fluffy an army is and I only use those things that, at the end of the day, are fluffy for the style of army I have selected to do.

[totgeboren]

I don't use any Valkyrie/Vendettas in my IG, and most often use two Leman Russ tanks, the basic ones that is. However, I have a Traitor Guard theme, and the skimmers feel slightly too high tech for what I'm after. They are still very competitive, and I seldom loose friendly games at least.
My orks don't use any Nob bikers, and I can't remember the last time I lost. I seldom play them, because the games are often a bit one-sided.
My CSM do use Obliterators. For the longest time, I really did try and play CSM without Oblits, but after losing like 10 games in a row, I realised is simply wasn't possible to play them like that. They are also themed as Word Bearers, so I avoid Cult troops and marked icons, though I use some count-as for a unit of Berzerkers. I still lose more often than I win, but with the inclusion of Oblits and Berzerkers, it's not as bad as it was.

These armies are all played in friendly games, I haven't attended a tournament in years, but the opposition is quite consistent, so I know how 'good' the different armies are. CSM simply have such a bad codex, combined with my theme which makes it even weaker. Not including Oblits was more or less akin to tossing in the towel before the game had even begun.

[enygma7]

They could just be in to the models and fluff, but the problem is this. If, for example, you really like the Death Guard, then spamming Plague Marines is not a problem. It's when they become highly mechanized and are led by a Slaanesh Lash Prince that it gets suspicious.

Yeah, friend of mine has an airborne themed guard list. So yes, it has vendettas, but it also has valkyries and vultures and deepstriking storm troopers... no accusations of netlisting there. Its usually pretty obvious if you have genuine fluff reasons for something or are just jumping on the bandwagon.

[Worldeaters]

i play worldeaters chaos space marines, only have a daemon prince with wings, a lord with daemon weapon, a boat load of berzerkers in units of 8, a dreadnought with a plasma cannon, a second dread with 2x cc weapons, a defiler, but then people moan like hell if i field a unit of 8 bikes or termies or converted berzerkers with jump packs as raptors, cannot win with some people.......

[Grit]

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 only use 1 unit of Long Fangs in my Wolves.

[The Devourer]

I run a pure khorne berzerker world eaters army- all the commonly used CSM units are absent.
My Tau list has no kroot or Broadsides.
My Daemon army is pure nurgle- no bloodcrushers, fateweaver,ect...

[FashaTheDog]

I run a pure khorne berzerker world eaters army- all the commonly used CSM units are absent.

Copy-cat .

[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

[Freakiq]

Space Wolf player here.

I use Blood Claws, Sky Claws and PA Wolf Guard but so far no Long Fangs.

[Spoik]

Ye gods, where do I start?

For my marines, I use Tactical squads, Assault squads, Devastators, shooty Terminators, a Venerable Dreadnought and my army is typically lead by a Captain.

I don't field Predators, "rifleman" dreads, thunder hammer-wielding Terminators, Librarians or ANY named characters, and I've only got one meltagun.

I've been known not to use any vehicles whatsoever from time to time, as well, although I fear that may be pushing me over the edge into really weird territory.

[Khornies & milk]

I run an IG list and depending on how my group want to play on any particular day, be it casual, semi-competitive, or full blown competitive (yes we can play all 3, and they're all fluffy lists, and they're also all equally played in a friendly manner, because the gamers are friendly).

I only have 2 Vendettas but have a ton of both Russes and Artillery, and also have enough Infantry to run all-Vet, all-Infantry, or a hybrid of both. So I can run any combo you can think of, including the no Vendetta & Russ-heavy list the OP mentions.

It's all good afaic

[S_A_T_S]

The replies to this thread simply goes to show that although those units you mentioned are good, and people rant (good or bad) about them on Warseer all the time, the people who talk about them seem generally to be tournament players or be playing power-gaming lists. A unit of Nob Bikers is expensive, and to take one tricked out is to play with a deathstar, and people who play with deathstars are either tournament players, or WAAC ********s you don't want to be playing with.

I almost always take 1-2 oblits in my chaos, as they are cheap and versatile and usually fill that last 70-100 point gap I have.

My regular ork opponent has never used (or, I think, heard of) Nob bikers, even though he loves him some speed freaks.

Last IG player I faced (in apocalypse) came with 2 baneblades, a crapload of leman russ and chimera, and a single vendetta.

Only GK guy I played had no dreads, but did run twin land raiders and 2 squads of terminators in 1500 pts. Only things left on the board at the end of the game were two the Land Raiders, and only because my thunderhammer-armed Death Company fluffed all his 5-6 rolls on the penetration tables.

[magnum12]

I take 2 Leman Russes (standard with HB sposons) in my 1750 list. To further up the ante regarding the OPs question, I also take a Hell Hound that I affectionately name Trogdor. Easily the most criminally under rated unit in the codex. Its a great unit for scaring people into making bad decisions, especially when up against Xenos players, as it tosses a giant wrench into many common Xenos player tactics.

Yes, I do also take 2 Vendettas and 2 Chimvet squads, but those are merely specialized roles part of a collective whole that is my combined arms list.

[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...