The enemy of my enemy...

...is a pawn to exploited and discarded at my convenience. Why yes, I am referring to allies, how did you know?

o/

So one of the big things with 6th ed is the inclusion of allies. Allies will allow me to put a bunch of my little 'side projects' onto the table in a semi-useful fashion, much like my little inquisitorial side shows of old.

Yay! More charts!

Not having the BRB and still waiting on the starter box, I downloaded a copy of the 'allies matrix' and modified it to match the forces I have or am thinking of getting, while removing both those that I don't have or want, and the desperate allies (anybody who's played WarhammerQuest knows all about that 'don't roll a one' thing...).

The one allied contingent that really had me excited was to build a Kroot Mercenary force, with none of those pesky Tau getting in the way. I've got a fairly good idea on how to convert up a looted/salvaged Kroot-piloted-Crises suit, and to that I wanted to add a carnivore squad with a few Kroot hounds and three Krootoxes/oxen/whatever they're called in the plural form. The old metal models were a piece of shit to assemble requiring LOTS of greenstuff, so I wanted them in resin. However buying three of them in FAILcost is $75!!!! WTF? The Crises suit and kroot altogether would come in close to $150!

Needless to say, that idea is on hold right now, that and rumor has it they're getting dropped from the new Tau codex. I presume that they'll get a WD mini-dex or PDF download of some sort, but who knows. Right now I'm loathe to spend that kind of money, especially on something that may go the way of the Squats...

So Next up, I have the Eldar.  My Exodites are a bit too isolationist to be allying with other races. I mean, last thing that they was is to have any more of the accursed Mon'keigh finding their pristine maiden-world (they can barely fight them off right now as it is). However I do have a single Saim Hann Vyper Jetbike that was gifted to me some time back by the wonderful Lo, and has been offering my Exodites some token assistance from their Craftworld brethren.  So instead I'll be expanding that contingent a bit (which was always the plan anyways).

While I have a unit of scouts/pathfinders, I'll be leaving those with the Exodites. A static unit doesn't suit a Saim Hann raiding force too well. The mini above, is obsolete in it's weapons fit, so instead I'll be using him as a 'dirt cheap' Autarch, with power sword and lasblaster (which is why the holstered rifle is Hawk Turquoise). To go with him I've picked up a sprue of five Dire Avengers still on the Sprue, and then I just need to get a Falcon to move them around.

I've also found that generic Spess Mahreenz can't ally with themselves. Which throws my small contingent of Storm Wardens into limbo. I still have the GK-Horde, but its recently been gutted, so I'm not sure as to just how viable it would be without allies, much less with them. That said, they're about the only hope for the Storm Wardens.

This was easily cranked out, which is promising...

Instead, I'm parsing out a good chunk of the old school Mahreenz to the Dark Angels instead. I was going to make a Spess Puppies contingent (and still might, who knows), but we're already over run around here with that infernal army. So I figure, why add myself to the problem? Besides, I've already had two separate SW armies in the past, and am not ready to see if three is a charm.

True, I've a DA successor in the past as well, the Angels of Redemption, but they were really just a small contingent in my old 'Skittles' (Crusade) army.  That particular color scheme was, like the Marines Malevolent, just too much of a pain in the ass to paint on a large scale (for me anyways).  Leading the DA, I built an Interrogator Chaplain  out of an ebay bitz order, as well as some bitz I already had. He'll be the first chaplain that I've fielded since my old Angels of Redemption jump pack Chaplain (oh and Warfrog, shut up! We don't need to hear that story about why I don't ever use chaplains again!).

Currently, the DA are planned to have the chaplain (with that head, the name 'Bane' comes to mind). A tactical squad (I'll just add a backpack icon & maybe a purity seal to one of the old generic marines to distinguish the Sgt.), and...something. I do have the four ML marines, so could make a dev. squad. Question, does anyone know if DA dev. Sgt.'s have a signum like regular marines? If so, I'll have to order one. In any event, I hope to either get the chappy or else a few of the basic DA grunts painted this weekend.