What's the one unit you can't do without?


My counts-as Grey Knight terminators

With the constant flow of "internet lists" that are supposedly unbeatable, I thought it might be interesting to see what some of the FTW Bloggers include in their forces.

And I'm not talking about the compulsory HQ and two Troops, I'm talking about that one unit you always seem to find the points for that goes in all your lists regardless of how good or bad it may do on the field.

Here's what some of those "must have" units are...

All Things 40k Deathwing Terminators
Mostly, I play my Dark Angels. I have a squad of Storm Bolter/PF Terminators with one Assault Cannon that I spent a LOT of time building. I used Forgeworld shoulderpads, and all sorts of trinkets from the DA Veterans sprues, including various heraldic icons above their helmets. I love their look so much, that I will fight to fit them into any DA game I play. Deathwing rule!

Stuck Between Stations Drop-podding Sternguard
10 Sternguard in a Drop Pod with several combi-meltas and a heavy flamer. Great for blowing up tanks or popping transports and hosing down the guys inside. I take them because they're very effective at what they do and because I love the unit - I just need to figure out how to keep them alive past the first turn.

Terran Forge Assault Terminators
Assault Terminators. They are a beastly unit, cost about the same as a Tactical Squad with a Rhino and can really hit hard when used correctly. Vehicles and Infantry alike are not safe, especially since killing them is incredibly hard with a 2+ armor save and 3+ invulnerable save (when Storm Shields are equipped). Pop 'em in a Land Raider, shoot 'em forward and watch all hell break lose on your enemy's lines!

Mik's Minis Scouts
Scouts are even 'cooler' versions of regular Space Marines. They're tough, but not power armor tough, and they get cool weapons like shotguns and sniper rifles that their big brothers don't have access too. Even the basic scout trooper has more character (model-wise) than a rank-and-file marine, plus, the original scouts all had mohawk-mullets!

Fox Phoenix's 40k Chaplain
Lastly, for my Blood Angels, I must simply ALWAYS take a chaplain of some fashion. Some of the special characters serve the same purpose of reigning in the Death Company marines, but I don't have any of those SCs. Therefore, I find a way to stick my plain ol' chappy in every BA list I write.

Aker's Minis Bikes
I would have to say for my Warhammer40k, I have to have bikes. Just something about them screams awsomeness.

40k Origins Dreadnoughts
Admittedly, when it comes to the Deathwing you don't have many choices to begin with (at least if you want to stay "pure"), but with that said dreadnoughts are clearly my "gotta have" unit.

Rhellion's Tabletop Assault Terminators
For me, that is a unit of 5 Assault Terminators with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields. For only 200 points you get 5 Terminators, giving you a 2+ armor save and 3+ invulnerable save.

Gamers World Terminators
For me it's terminators. If possible I will always squeeze a unit in. Whether it be vanilla termies or wolf guard termies I don't care.

Pathfinder Mortars
Easy - Mortars ... cheap as chips and nasty effective.

Olberon Grey Knights
Grey knights – Why? well the moment they came out, I liked them, liked them alot you can say. I know they are expensive and not that usefull, lost a unit or 5 the last few months to the warp, but hey that's the fun of letting them deepstrike, yes even near a table edge!!

Parcival's Grail Quest Baal Predator
It’s the Baal Predator, of course. On the one hand, the Baal Predator is very fluffy as it’s a unique Blood Angels’ build that isn’t mimicked by the Ultramarines yet.

The Emporer's Finest Farseer
The ability to stand back and manipulate the tide of the battle is just something so appealing to me in an HQ that game wise and fluff wise I cannot picture an eldar army without a farseer.

Dark Future Games Chaos Chosen
My must-have unit for my Chaos Space Marines is the Chosen. Pack 5 of them up in a rhino and outflank them with a good dose of 5 meltas or flamers and it is night night time for the enemy!

DSM Pontifications Anything expensive
I love the ridiculously over the top hard hitting brutality of super tooled up elite units.

Imperius Dominatus Command Squad
My favourite unit is one large unit made up of several other units. My captain, assault terminators and land raider, or land raider crusader.

Pit of the Oni Chaplain
Without a doubt a Space Marine Chaplain. I love Chaplains. The models for 'em are awesome, the rules are very good as well. Their art and even their concept is perfectly in tune with what Warhammer 40,000 is about.

Order Minoris Chaos Chosen
I run mine in a unit of 7 with the Icon of Nurgle, though this is more for fluff reasons that maximum efficiency. I arm them with 3 flamers, and two melta guns, and put them in a Rhino. I normally outflank with them.

Halls of the Black Library Librarian
The Librarian may not be the most effective or reliable choice in the Space Marines 'dex, but it is one of the most fun. Being able to teleport 24" per turn, escape from assaults, lay down an AP3 template, counter other psychic powers, and having a free power weapon makes him a fun choice for me and a major headache for my opponent.

The Vanus Temple Deathwing Banner squad
The Banner Unit is a standard Deathwing Terminator unit but with the Deathwing Standard granted by having Belial in the army. The banner is a magical thing, giving all models in the unit +1 attack.

My Dice Hate Me Sword Brethren
I fell in love with the Black Templar Sword Brethren the day I bought my codex and first saw their models. I thought they were some of the most amazing Space Marine models GW had ever created and to this day I still do.

Las One Standing Assault Squad
If there's one unit my friends can almost always count on me bringing, it's an Assault Squad. When you look at the alternatives, these are the cheapest of the cheap Fast Attack options for the UMs. I usually sport these fellas with 2 flamers, 1 power weapon and usually a Chaplain w/ Jump Pack, giving them rerolls to hit when assaulting. This makes it to where these guys just don't miss.

The Midnight Shift Sanctioned Psyker
Now I use him for a portable multilaser battery. Hide him in the back of a Chimera and tack on at least 2 more STR 6 shots. He can also be used as a poor mans smoke launcher and isnt too bad in hand to hand (for iggys) in a pinch.

Dub Hammer Techmarine
I simply love all things mechanicum, so I love my techmarines, my army is themed around techies.

Transmutation, Inc. Terminators
Hands down, Terminators! Ever since 1st edition of Space Hulk came out, I have been in love with the marines in Tactical Dreadnought armor.

Corbania Prime IG Veterans
So, what is it that lights me fire about veterans. Well, they get the job done. In truth, guard aren't the best fighters or shooters but with a bit of experience, they can do wonderful things.

Larraman's Organ A second HQ
My must-have unit is the second HQ choice. Sure, they are not as damaging as the heavies or as flashy as the Elites, but they are solid and vicious in their own right.

Warpstone Flux Plague Marines
My must have unit there are plague marines. Their survivability is legendary for their points costs. Their utility to the codex has been shown time and again on the battlefield for me, in numerous roles.

Col. Gravis Praetorian Guard Roughriders
My favourite, must have unit remains the same as it has for as long as I can remember though - yep, it's still those pesky Roughriders.

Adepticus Prime Assault Marines
The must have unit for my Crimson Fists are Assault Marines with Jump Packs. Simply put, Assault Marines are cheap for what they can do!

Blood Angels 4th Co. Baal Predator
I always have two Baal predators. This is because of the sheer scare factor of two twin-linked assault cannons. Combining this with a 50% chance of getting over-charged engines means Baal preds can take the role of a moving pill box with mass horde killing potential.

Zorcon's World Battle Suits
I really liked the anime style to this army, but what really got me hooked was the battle suits. At the time, I didn't know anything about the Tau. But I could tell from the images I saw on the web that these battle suits were a very versatile weapons platform!

Slipwing's 40k Armies Beasts of Nurgle
When playing my daemon army, I always squeeze in a unit of Beasts of Nurgle. This is a unit that I see get bashed quite a bit for its randomness, but I find them particularly useful.

The Miniature Side of Me Plague Marines
My must-have unit has to be Plague Marines when playing Chaos. Not only is the fluff and models great, the rules aren't half bad either. My love for Plague Marines started back in 3rd edition with the codex having Nurgle-specific rules(I miss the Legion specific rules).

The Back 40k Exorcist Tank
While the Exorcist isn't extremely reliable (d6 shots that still need to hit?), it's a box of rockets that finds its way into every WH list I do. 2 of them in fact.

Forge 40k Thunderbolt
The Thunderbolt will remain a firm favourite, partly because it's my 1st scratchbuild, my 1st flyer, and I fracking love it! Also, I have only played it in two games, and it already has a predator and a Leman Russ Demolisher on it's kill count.

The Wandering Mind Vanguard Veterans with jump packs
It used to be librarian with Fear of the Darkness and a drop pod, but since the new codex it has to be vanguard veterans. Combined with Shrike's fleet ability and a locator beacon, you can pretty much count on being able to get these guys to where you need them before your opponent can react and do some *serious* damage when you get there.

Matt's Miniatures Stormtroopers
I've pretty much always collected Guard, and from the very first time I opened up the codex, I've thought stormtroopers were sweet. I remember seeing them in the codex and thinking, wow, a save that's better than 5!

The Path of the Outcast Flying Dakka-Tyrant
For the non Tyrand players it is a monstrous creature with wings that can unleash a storm of living ammo on it's victim.

The Fallen Princes Eldar Rangers
Well firstly I have enjoyed the models since the early days. And still enjoy the newer casts as well. I currently own 24 of these models.

Grimcon Warhammer 40k Landspeeders
On first glance, Landspeeders are really fragile – AV10 on all sides. Even bolters has a chance to bring it down. Why in the world would anyone want to field such a fragile unit?

Anarchy's Heart Obliterators
Although to be honest there really is one unit in the army that I have constantly worked into any list anytime, and that is my Obliterators. Point for Point these 3 monsters have always seen battle time in my Death Guard army list.

Admiral Drax Platoon Command Section
For 50 points I can get a 5-man scoring unit with Ld8 and 4 grenade launchers. Genius! For 105pts I can give them a chimera too! They can scoot around, shoot four S6 shots out to 24", and maybe even occasionally give out some useful orders (hmmm...).

Iron Hands, Iron Hearts Close Combat Scouts
For my Iron Hands this is a simple and much underused choice, Close Combat Scouts. I tend to run a full unit of ten including a Sergeant with a Power Fist, it is a bargain for a whole 165pts.

Not Yet Done Terminators
There's just something about a walking man-tank that ticks all the coolness boxes for me, and I could count on half a hand the number of games I've played without them.

On the Painting Table Assault Squad
My Must Have unit is actually the Assault Squad. With a trio of plasma pistols (two on troops, one on the Sarge) and a Power Fist, these guys can lay down a nice beating when up in your face.

The Kabal of Agony Ravager
This is a pure and simple multipurpose gunboat. No matter what the strength of your army, the Ravager can bolster it, or fill the gaps of what you are weak at.

Broken Dice Dreadnought
To me, there is nothing more fantastic than a warrior who has been maimed, crippled or should otherwise be outright killed but refuses to die. Instead of euthanasia or accepting a non-combat role (a much worse fate than death), the Space Marine takes on the mantle of the Dreadnought.

W40k Miniatures in Guatemala Assault Squad
I haven played a game that simple. So my must have unit is: none, but I like my painted Assault marines so I would like to try them. I just hope for a game in the future.

14th Grand Company Bane Wolves
I’ve only played a few games for my traitor guard, but in all the games my Bane Wolves have made a huge difference by either killing 15 marines in one turn or taking a lot of shots while my lowly platoons take the objectives. These tanks aren’t real tough but they are fast and they are very deadly, which causes many people to fear them to the point of ignoring anything else.

Battle Reporter Bloodcrushers
I NEVER leave home without 3+ of them. For a mere 40 points each, you get a Power-Weapon wielding, 3+ Armour Saving, Furious Charging, model with a WS that means you'll nearly always hit on 3s and wound on 3s (often on 2s).

313 DTR Basilisk
I love the Basilisk. It may not have the armor that a Leman Russ has, but it can cause so much damage. In fact in my last game one of my Basilisks took out 7 SM's in a single shot.

So there you have it.

I'd have to say my "must have" would be a centerpiece model that stands out from the rest of the force. Not necessarily any one model in particular but something that stands out and is usually converted and painted to a better standard. For example, my Master of the Deathwing, Belial in Pre-Heresy armour.


Ron, From the WarpIf you've got any questions about something in this post, shoot me a comment and I'll be glad to answer. Make sure to share your hobby tips and thoughts in the comments below!