+Counts As: How far is too far?+

Hello Tubenz,

This topic has been coming up lately for me on a couple of fronts. I was over at Blood of Kittens the other day, and have been thinking alot about this subject with an upcoming event at a FLGS. Where is the line between 'counts as,' 'Proxy,' and what really is WYSIWYG?

In my humble opinion 'counts as' is a rule that allows people, like myself, the opportunity to feild all kinds of crazy models and have them have game terms and effects. Eligos the Fallen is the perfect example. He is basically WYSIWYG but at the same time he's not WYSIWYG at all.

If you look at the stat line and in game effects I feel that I have modelled all of them quite well. Straken gets a 3+ armour save because he's half terminat...er...cyborg, Eligos, who also gets a three up save because he's the same rules as Straken, gets a 3+ because he's seen wearing power armour. I could go through all the rules but I won't I think I'm getting the point across even though fluff-wise the two 'characters' are vastly different, the model has been created to ensure there's not too much confusion after a brief explanation of what's what and it's basically logical that that model could preform those in-game effects.

Now here is were I think it gets juicy. I am about to play in an 1850pt tournament in this upcoming weekend (no big deal just a FLGS small event, should be fun) and have decided to run my Blood Smokers Legion of Khorne using Blood Angels rules set. Why you might ask? Well for a couple reasons:

1} The actual models are the oldest army I have and it was basically the first army I collected seriously. I have an old skool Rhino, and some 2nd ed World Eaters models plastic and metal. Needless to say I love this army, it has served me well in many variations and throughout many years and game editions. This army has been crazy hard to beat and a paper tiger throughout the course of it's life, but the latest version of the Chaos codex just really punched the army in the nuts. Not that you can't make a good solid list from the new Dex, you can, its just limiting in its options and I must say I'm an options whore.

2} Crazy new options in the Blood Angels book, like the idea of fielding Sanguinary priests who get everyone in the area riled up is awesome and to me gives an opportunity to model-up some cool character doods. The ability to take characters that grant army-wide special effects, unnatural beasts in combat like Mephiston, to me these are cool additions to an army, not to mention Infernus pistols to make up for the lack of anti-tank my standard chaos list has. Again many of these things are in the Chaos Dex (Abbadon as far as uber-chars, and nobodies knockin' Kharne, um he hits on 2's) there just wasn't anything new compared to the last book, and TONS of things removed.

3} The newer Dex's all offer the nice streamlined army lists but also offer new fluff and albeit slight adjustments to the fluff. Also most of the newer books have all had new units to field. I like that, I already have armies I want an excuse to feed my clearly unhealthy addiction to spending money on toys even though I am grown @$$ man. I want excuses to model new characters and vehicles, I want to have to re-interpret what the different units in my army do and are in some cases. Is this big monster thing a greater daemon or Daemon Prince, is that guy a lord or just a champion? Again I think everyone (everyone who is still reading ;) ) gets my drift.

Here's a quick overveiw of my list it may change slightly but this is what I'm working with:

HQ:

Saquatch Kharne (Mephiston) [Pic at top]

Elites:

Priest x3

1=p. weapon

2=p. fist

3= P. fist and jump pack

Troops:

Assault Squad x7 (+1 priest to = 8) In a Rhino and Infernus Pistol

Assault Squad x8 In a Rhino and Infernus Pistol

Assault Squad x7 (+1 Priest w/ P. Fist = 8) In Land Raider and Infernus pistol

Assault Squad x7 (+1 Priest w/ Jump pack and P. Fist) w/ jump packs and Meltagun

Fast Attack:

Baal Pred w/ Flamestorm

Heavy:

Vindicator w/ siege shield

Teeth of Khorne (devastators) x5 w/ 2x Lascannon

Well if you feel like commenting please do, either on my questionable list or on the discusion of 'Counts as' and WYSIWYG.

-Cheers

Smoke Blood for the Blood God