'Hidden' Army Lists

[Valkyrion]

Over the years, I have found the following 'hidden' army lists.

My self imposed qualification rules mean the army list has to be either fully self contained (i.e, doesn't involve directly requiring another publication), or is a supplementary army list to an existing codex (like the earliest and most recent Space Marine supplements, for instance), but does not count unit entries that aren't themselves an army list.

That said, I've ignored most of the 7th edition expansions, because although they technically meet the supplementary criteria, none of them actually offer anything beyond new Formations of already existing units, perhaps a psychic power or warlord trait table, or a single unit. The confusing exception is Codex Traitor Legions which introduces a host of new units and I think you probably could make a legal army out of just that book, so I suppose it technically is a 'hidden' army list, but it's so hidden that no one would ever want to find it again anyway. 

 

2nd edition

Daemon World and Chaos Cult (Codex Chaos)

Genestealer Cult (Codex Tyranids)

 

3rd edition

Imperial Guard Armoured Battlegroup (IA: Imperial Guard and Imperial Navy)

 

4th edition

Imperial Guard Elysian Drop Troops (IA: Taros)

Traitor Guard Renegades and Heretics and Imperial Guard Siege Regiment (IA: Siege of Vraks pt1)

 

5th edition

Traitor Guard Renegades and Heretics Servants of Slaughter (IA: Siege of Vraks pt2)

Traitor Guard Renegades and Heretics Servants of Decay and Krieg Armoured Battlegroup (IA: Siege of Vraks pt3)

Space Marine Siege Assault Vanguard (IA: Badab War pt2)

Space Marine Tyrant's Legion (IA: Badab War pt1)

Ork Dread Mob, Elysian Drop Troops (IA: Raid on Kastorel Novem)

Eldar Corsairs (IA: Doom of Mymeara)

 

6th edition

Necron Dark Harvest (IA: Fall of Orpheus)

Siege Assault Vanguard and Tyrants Legion (PDF updates to IA Badab War)

Elysian Drop Troops (IA: Taros 2nd edition - update to IA: Taros)

 

7th edition

Renegades and Heretics (IA: War Machines of the Lost and the Damned)

Renegades of Vraks (IA Siege of Vraks 2nd edition - update and/or compilation of Vraks 1, 2 and 3)

Eldar Corsairs (IA Doom of Mymeara 2nd edition update)

Renegade Knights* (Black Crusade - Traitor's Hate)

*it's the loosest interpretation of an army, given it constitutes 1-3 of the same unit, but it meets my own criteria and was technically legal for a thankfully short time 

 

After 7th is where my findings fall short, so I'm asking you wonderful all seeing fraters if things like Psychic Awakening or Arks of Omen had anything like I'm talking about, or if I've missed any from White Dwarf and so on.

 

At the time most of these were released, they encouraged and showcased that most important of hobby mindsets - creativity. Followed swiftly by wealth, as in order to collect an Elysian or Krieg army you needed at least three spare kidneys even then.  But also they were fun, unbalanced and didn't take themselves too seriously.

 

So I open the floor to you longbeards and grognards - any fun to report using or abusing these hidden army lists?

 

For my own take, I remember my first big forgeworld purchase being a Caestus Assault Ram because of the Siege Assault Vanguard. It was probably over £150 in 2010/11/12 and I made a right mess of building it. But I enjoyed buying 3rd party shields because I didn't know what a 'mantlet' was and having Dreadnoughts as a Troops choice!

 

 

 

[Emperor Ming]

 

 

 

[Valkyrion]

Fake plastic trees and goblin green bases. Smashing. 

[Brother Carpenter]

 

Fake plastic trees and goblin green bases. Smashing. 

Oh yeah loved them trees.

Sham gw doesn,'t have them anymore

[ThePenitentOne]

9th had a lot of Armies of Renown, which are basically restricted lists that gain additional abilities as a trade off for list building restrictions. They also put out subfaction supplements.

 

Finally, Crusaders got combined armies via Torchbearer Fleets (Custodians, Admech, Primaris) and Armies of Faith (Marines, Sisters and Guard).

[gideon stargreave]

Iirc there was a legion of damned list on white dwarf for 3rd edition. 

[LameBeard]

I’m sorry I don’t understand your definition of “hidden”. Do you mean an army list that was not published as a stand-alone Codex book, but appeared in another publication or pdf?

 

Things like Feral Orks or Harlequins from around the time of 3rd/4th? 

[Tawnis]

It's really hard to find pictures of now a days, but back in... third I think, there was a supplement book to run a full Kroot Mercenaries army. 

[phandaal]

 

It's really hard to find pictures of now a days, but back in... third I think, there was a supplement book to run a full Kroot Mercenaries army. 

 

You could try looking at old Citadel Journals. That was where the old Harlequins list was published, for example. GW may have put it in one of those books outside of White Dwarf.

[ZeroWolf]

The Kroot Mercenary list was in white Dwarf and still required some use of Codex Tau as they didn't reprint the shaper/carnivore squad/kroot hound/krootox rules, if I recall correctly of course.

[INKS]

Oddly I have been thinking of all kroot recently with the vespid release 

[Valkyrion]

 

I’m sorry I don’t understand your definition of “hidden”. Do you mean an army list that was not published as a stand-alone Codex book, but appeared in another publication or pdf?

 

Things like Feral Orks or Harlequins from around the time of 3rd/4th? 

 

Yep, exactly like that. Not so much 'hidden' as 'not obviously available'. 

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Also a bit confused by your criteria, but there are 4 possible examples from the Codex: Armageddon in 3rd ed - Speed Freaks (orks), Armageddon Steel Legion (IG), Black Templars (SM) and Salamanders (SM).  

 

Also in 3rd edition, there was Codex: Eye of Terror with Cadian Shock Troops (IG), Lost and the Damned (Chaos with IG units as well), Ulthwé strike force (Eldar) and Space Wolves 13th company (SM).

Edited September 23 by Dr_Ruminahui

[INKS]

I forgot the13th. What a time 

[Tawnis]

 

Oddly I have been thinking of all kroot recently with the vespid release 

Playing all Kroot is a blast and it's actually a pretty strong army when played correctly (I've been all Kroot main since 8th). I went 3-0 and 4-0 in a couple of local tournaments a few months after the new Kroot release. (Haven't had a chance to get back out for another since the Trail Shaper nerf). 

Edited September 25 by Tawnis

[INKS]

 

Playing all Kroot is a blast and it's actually a pretty strong army when played correctly (I've been all Kroot main since 8th). I went 3-0 and 4-0 in a couple of local tournaments a few months after the new Kroot release. (Haven't had a chance to get back out for another since the Trail Shaper nerf). 

this is encouraging to hear