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How to Make a Themed Army
By Ross Watson
Squig-at-Large
As 2004 approached, I wanted to put a new army together to ring in the new year right…with plenty of raging battles of Warhammer and Warhammer 40,000! Initially, I was attracted by the impressive new models for the Cadian Imperial Guard army. With the release of the new Codex, I felt the time was right to begin creating a force of Imperial Guard for tournaments and games in 2004. Yet, what kind of Imperial Guard army did I want to create?
Since I started on the Games Workshop hobby, I have been fascinated with themed armies. At tournaments and local gaming groups, I saw many armies based on a detailed story, familiar book, or film. When it came to making a new IG army, my thoughts naturally turned to a themed army.
The "cop & robbers" films that clutter my home provided the inspiration. I would make a Penal Legion! After a little research, I found St. Josmane’s Hope, a prison planet in the Cadian system that had been destroyed during the Eye of Terror campaign. A Cadian prison planet…perfect!
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ST. JOSMANE'S HOPE IN55.61 |
Next, I looked at the codex to determine what choices would fit my theme and which ones would not. Storm Troopers at first didn’t make much sense in a Penal Legion, but then it hit me…a prison planet would certainly have SWAT teams on hand! Commissar’s fit my theme as well, and I chose my Senior Officer to serve as the Penal Legion’s Warden. Ratling Snipers did not fit my theme, and neither did Sanctioned Psykers, so my Penal Legion would contain none of these choices.
To tie my army together visually, I decided to go with Fiery Orange fatigues to represent the standard prison coveralls. My SWAT teams were to be painted in blue, of course, and I could try and add some silver badges to my command models. With this plan in mind, I was on my way to a nicely themed army.
What is a Themed Army?
A themed army is, quite simply, a force that is centered on a unifying concept (for example, a Stirland force, using the Empire army list, is a themed army). The theme of the army is reflected in the army’s purpose, presentation, and composition.
Purpose. The reason for the army's existence. Does your army represent a raiding party or a group of civil defence troops? Purpose is closely linked to your army's backstory. As mentioned above, my army gained its history from events that occurred in the Eye of Terror campaign.
Presentation. The army’s name, the way the army is painted, and any conversions done to the models, vehicles, or bases within the army. For my army, I chose to paint my models in colours applicable to both prisoners (Fiery Orange Fatigues) and police (Enchanted Blue carapace armour). Then, I bought some chains and painted them black, then cut them up to form leg irons for my prisoners. I also used bitz from the Night Goblin Fanatics to add some ball-and-chains for my heavy weapons teams.
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Composition. The choice of units and characters that make up the army’s forces. Often, a themed army has fewer options than a non-themed army due to the fact that some army choices will not fit the theme. For example, my Penal Legion has no vehicles to fit with the idea of a prison world. A Wood Elf army from a lush tropical jungle might include a large amount of Dryads and Treemen, but few (if any) Glade Riders. Many Chaos armies build forces around the sacred number of a particular Chaos God, including only that number of models in each squad – no more, no less. The Space Wolves 13th Company is a great example of an army list that fits a certain theme. Since the 13th Company has been gone from the Imperium a long time, they have small forces without a lot of special equipment.
Why Make a Themed Army?
An army with a theme has its own personality, which often is emphasized in the games that the army is involved in. A themed army can really draw you into the game and make it truly memorable. Battles or campaigns are even better when the force you are commanding has a true identity that fuels your imagination. It’s easy to get into the game when your forces represent something important to you – some players like to create special pre-combat speeches or battle cries for their themed army, while others go so far as to record theme songs or special sound effects.
Putting a themed army together can be a blast as well. Your theme is a great source of inspiration for unique conversions and paint schemes. Themed armies are a great way to showcase your creativity in both modeling and storytelling.
  
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| Tim Huckelbery’s Space Marines of the Dragonslayers Chapter are shown here in all their resplendent glory. Tim has chosen a chivalric theme and has included several conversions (using bitz from the Bretonnian range) to make his Space Marines look more like valiant knights. |