# How to write an army list well



## jaren (Jul 7, 2008)

Hello all, I have noticed a lot of variance in the army list making skills that people have, I am here just trying to give some good tips that I have helped develop in another forum, I thought that we here at Heresy could run with it and see what we could do with this.

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*
Original Poster:*

Possibly a short description of who they are... It is the member of the community who has created the thread in order to get constructive comments and criticism on their list.
*
Things to Do:*

- Organize all of your units by the FOC this includes placing dedicated transports with their parent unit.
- Say which unit your HQ’s are attached to e.g. ‘The Emperor’s Champion joins this squad’.
- Place all of your unit point costs with the unit itself.
- Clearly show what each model is fitted out with.
- Use spaces and punctuation to the best you can.
- Recognise that others will have differing views to your own based on their personal experience and concept of the game.
- Give feedback. Tell the community what changes you are going to try and how your list did in its latests games.

*Things not to Do:*

- Mis-match units together throughout the list.
- Include HQ units in troops or elite choice slots.
- Omit final points total for the entire force and the goal points total of the force.
- Omit the points cost of each unit.
- Display the points cost of each upgrade for the entry.
*
Example of List Layout:*

++ HQ ++
The Emperor's Champion @ 140 points
- Accept Any Challenge No Matter the Odds

++ Elites ++
Dreadnought @ 145 points
- Assault Cannon
- Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
- Built-in Heavy Flamer
- Drop pod

Dreadnought @ 145 points
- Assault Cannon
- Dreadnought Close Combat Weapon
- Built-in Heavy Flamer
- Drop pod

++ Troops ++
Crusader Squad Divine Justice @ 227 points
- 7 Initiates with Close Combat weapons and bolt pistols
- 1 Initiate with melta-gun
- 1 Initiate with power fist and bolt pistols
- Rhino with smoke launchers and extra armour
[The Emperor's Champion joins this squad]

Crusader Squad Divine Justice @ 227 points
- 7 Initiates with Close Combat weapons and bolt pistols
- 1 Initiate with melta-gun
- 1 Initiate with power fist and bolt pistols
- Rhino with smoke launchers and extra armour

Crusader Squad Divine Justice @ 227 points
- 7 Initiates with Close Combat weapons and bolt pistols
- 1 Initiate with melta-gun
- 1 Initiate with power fist and bolt pistols
- Rhino with smoke launchers and extra armour

++ Fast Attack ++
Land Speeder Squadron @ 75 points
- 1 Land Speeder
- Heavy Flamer
- Multi-melta

Land Speeder Squadron @ 75 points
- 1 Land Speeder
- Heavy Flamer
- Multi-melta

++ Heavy Support ++
Predator Destructor @ 118
- Turret mounted Autocannon
- Side Sponson Heavy Bolters
- Smoke Launchers
- Extra Armour

Predator Destructor @ 118
- Turret mounted Autocannon
- Side Sponson Heavy Bolters
- Smoke Launchers
- Extra Armour

Total points - 1497 out of 1500

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This is for anyone that posts to the original post, these are just general courtesy.

*Things to Do:*

- Recognize that this is only your opinion and others may differ.
- Read the initial post in an attempt to provide advice where it has been requested. Therefore if they want foot slogger help with a foot slogger not a mechanised list.
- Read the whole thread to prevent repetition. By all means add your backing to somebody else's point, but don't spew-out the same sentance again and again!
- Post your opinion! This is a community so we should all take the effort to help each other. Not only will it help the original poster but it will also help you build your own skills in list building.

*Things not to Do:*

- Post things that are unconstructive.
- Post your opinions in a rude or arrogant manner.
- Post anything at all. This is the worst of them.

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hope this helps all, This is ment to be constructive and helpful not acusing anyone, so please be nice to me and others.


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## Blackhiker (Dec 28, 2007)

Good thing to have around since I have noticed a few very weird army list set-ups around.


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## darkreever (Apr 3, 2008)

Not entirely sure I agree with that whole listing what each and every model has in a unit listing. Seems like your just adding more space and making things look a tad more confusing.

I've seen members read through a unit listing like that and see it as fewer models than their truly are.

And in the end whats the point? If you have a tactical squad with flamer and missile launcher its not as if a single model can be wielding them both, and in the end they both have to be on one of the models in the squad. Its the same for each army, though some units are able to make use of a lot of combination's so marking that as such would be important. For example:

3x wolf guard
Powerfist and combi melta; pair of thunder hammers; terminator armour and heavy flamer
XXX

Used three lines of space instead of five, and you still know who gets what.



Something that probably should be added would be in regards to the army list itself. When you post up a list and people give you tips, suggestions, idea's, and advice for what may help, its great to refine said list; but don't edit out the first post. Post a new one in that thread, don't make the posts of other members look foolish or weird. Let others see the progression of your list, what it looked like then and how you took the above and altered it to what you have now.


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## jaren (Jul 7, 2008)

GREAT! this is the stuff we need, keep it coming guys!


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## Eleven (Nov 6, 2008)

I agree with darkreever. brevity is the soul of wit.


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## Svartmetall (Jun 16, 2008)

*posting from work*

Well, here's how I always lay out an army list; I aim for clarity as much as possible.


*HQ
• Daemon Prince* - Wings; Warptime
155 points

*ELITES
• 5 Chosen* - Icon of Chaos Glory; 5 meltaguns
150 points

*TROOPS
• 8 Khorne Berzerkers* - Skull Champion with powerfist; Rhino
243 points
*• 7 Plague Marines* - Plague Champion with powerfist; 2 meltaguns; Rhino
256 points
*• 7 Plague Marines* - Plague Champion with powerfist; 2 flamers; Rhino
246 points

*HEAVY SUPPORT
• 2 Obliterators*
150 points
*• 2 Obliterators*
150 points
*• Vindicator* - Daemonic Possession; twin-linked bolter
150 points

*TOTAL:*
1,500 points


I always like to organise unit types as in the Codex - HQ, then Elites, then Troops, then Fast Attack and finally Heavy Support - as this helps keep it easily relatable to the source material. I'll echo what others have said about redundant mentions of individual models - if each upgrade can only be used by one model at a time, just listing the upgrade itself is enough to get the point across. If a single model has more than one upgrade always list those together, punctuated so as to make it obvious who has what within the squad, eg:

*• 7 Plague Marines* - Plague Champion with powerfist, combi-melta and Personal Icon; 2 flamers; Rhino with extra armour
276 points


Unit category titles are always Bold and Size 3, individual unit and character names are Bold. Single spacing throughout as the varying text sizes, colours and Bold-ness (or lack thereof) makes double-spacing unnecessary. When making Chaos lists I also use a bit of colour-coding for Marked units and characters, just to give some visual flavour and also to make it easier to get a feel of the overall flavour of a list at a glance. 

*Undivided* - dark orange (since it's kind of reminiscent of the flames on the cover of the Codex)
*Nurgle* - lime
*Khorne* - red
*Tzeentch* - blue
*Slaanesh* - magenta

Yes, it's a bit anal, but even if it's just a coloured bullet point it helps to make a list look a bit more interesting and less dry. If I'm using any of the named HQ choices in a list I'll colour-code their whole name, since they're pretty much intended to be the exemplar of their particular alignment, eg:

*• Khârn the Betrayer*


hth


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## ROT (Jun 25, 2010)

I was inspired by Mr. Metall months ago, and set my Lists out VERY similarly to his:

•*Khârn the Betrayer* - *165*

•(8) *Khorne Berserkers* - *258*
_Champion with Power Fist
Rhino with Extra Armour_

etc, Imo that's the clearest way to lay it out. :biggrin:


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## Jezlad (Oct 14, 2006)

I drew out a list posting frame months ago. 

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=7339

The reality is, army list layout is an individual thing. People post how they like to and you're never going to influence that. 

Nice thread though, I like your layout.


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## jaren (Jul 7, 2008)

The posted army in the OP is honestly not how I lay out my army lists, I have an excel spreadsheet that does it for me, I have to do some editing in the out put, but I like the outcome.	

HQ 
marshal	dual lightning claws frag grenades 111
emperor's champion	aacnmtc 140

Elites 
dreadnought, 1 105
dreadnought, 1 105
terminators, 5	lightning claws (3) thunder hammers (2) 200

Troops 
crusader squad, 8	bolt-pistol/chainsword power fist melta gun rhino extra armour smoke marshal 211
crusader squad, 8	bolt-pistol/chainsword power fist melta gun rhino extra armour smoke emperor's champion 211
crusader squad, 8	bolt-pistol/chainsword power fist melta gun rhino extra armour smoke 211
crusader squad, 8	bolt-pistol/chainsword power weapon melta gun rhino extra armour smoke 206

Heavy Support 
land raider, 1	terminators 250

Points Summary: 
HQ:	251	
Elites:	410	
Troops:	839	
Heavy Support:	250	
Total:	1750


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## ohiocat110 (Sep 15, 2010)

Making nice army lists helps out newcomers and people not familiar with the particular codex more than anything. I can read the ugliest most abbreviated Tyranid list and know exactly what's on the table, but a very clear and organized list helps me read armies I don't know as well like Eldar or Tau.


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