# Unit fillers



## squeek

I have just been reading a long winded and hilariously narrow-minded argument over on Warseer about unit fillers, and to be honest I hadn't even considered the possibility of them until I saw it mentioned.

So anyway, it made me wonder, does anyone here actually use unit fillers? I can't remember seeing any pictures of units containing them on Heresy. I know we have a few undead armies hanging around so there must be at least a few skellies rising from the ground, and whatnot surely?

If anyone is unsure what I mean by unit filler, it is something used to fill up space inside a unit rather than models. So an example might be sticking a diorama off Night Goblins holding down a few fanatics in the place of a bunch of NG models. It may or may not actually result in less models in the unit, depending on what is modelled, and of course there are a range of standards and so on that make some more unobtrusive than others.


----------



## torealis

I love the idea of them and plan to include some at some point. I think they bring alot of character to an army... or can do. I guess just shoving a tree in the middle of a unit is lazy.


----------



## Lord Sinkoran

yeh it can give loads of character to a unit but the models have to have the weapons they have displayed on the model so your opponent can tell whats what.


----------



## Red Orc

I saw a great game-legal diorama of some orcs having a punch-up. Even though it looked like a ruck, there were apparently the right number of orcs, on the right size of base, with the right weapons and standard and everything, to actually count a regiment. I thought that was cool to look at, but maybe a bit confusing to play against.

Not done it myself... so in terms of the original question, no, sorry, I don't. But as long as what you're doing is representing your unit in a more characterful way (without being too confusing, or just a lazy arse) I don't see a problem... yet. Maybe someone will point out some...

:haven't really thought this through cyclops:


----------



## Ancient Tiel' a fier

I had not actually heard of it done before but a group of zombies under a stone thrower rock has been in my unfinished conversion pile for a while. I also use zombie ogres that take the place of 4 normal zombies.


----------



## Amra_the_lion

I read through that thread, and I can see both sides. I think if it looks good, and is themed both for the unit and the army, and is sized well go for it. If its 4 sticks in the middle of a giant base representing 9 skeletons your f-ing nuts if you think that'll fly with me.

I am making a unit filler for my skeletons thats going to represent 9, and actually has 9 skeletons worth of figures in it. Its a giant swirling thing that has skele limbs and heads and torsos pulling out of it. Looks like someone just cast IoN on the unit. Themed to the army, I am paying for the 9 figs that i put into it, and I'm a good sculpter so it will look good!

I will post some pics when I get it done and painted (or unpainted for the conversion contest).


----------



## Red Orc

That sounds pretty awesome. I really don't see how anyone could complain about that.

I can see people complaining if you put a 9-skellie-sized green hillock down and say "it's the barrow they come out of", because that just seems really lazy, whereas a bone-tornado (which is the image I have in my head) sounds excellent, and original too (or, if you nicked the idea from somewhere else, it's pretty obscure so you got away with it!).

But in a way, I can't see the difference. In terms of modelling, yes, one's taken effort and thought, and you've used the models, the other is pretty easy, but in 'game terms' they're both skeleton factories... I dunno, maybe a barrow with skeletons emerging from it would be OK. Maybe it's the models that make a difference.

Oh, it's a hard one this, innit?

:large mod-rok lump representing a blanket covered and sleeping cyclops:


----------



## neilbatte

I don't have a problem with unit fillers ,although I don't use them myself, its an expensive hobby and bulking out units with leftovers seems like a good idea. They can look really good if done well and give an army a bit of character the only time I'd have a problem with them is if they changed the unit base size or interfered with casualty removal.


----------



## Green Knight

I think unit fillers give units a dramatic feel. I think they work very well with undead, as there are lots of models you could convert in to a unit fillers, like a giant zombies and like what Ancient said zombie ogres.


----------



## Amra_the_lion

this is were I nicked the idea from
http://www.privateerpress.com/ironkingdoms/default.php?x=miniatures/boneswarm
but I'm going to actually build my own thats big enough to fill nine bases square and will have more magic energy not just a skeleton mass

and Zombies units with zombie ogres filling it out look really good. And have a psyche effect too, just seeing the beasty in the back makes you go "what the?"


----------



## LVix

I don't use them myself currently for two reasons: 1/ I had never heard of them before... 2/ I don't currently have a Fantasy army (project for next year!). But I love the idea and once I decide which army I'm trying this time around, I am definately going to look into using some.

The bonestorm looks like a great thing to emulate Amra, i hope to see it when you're done. :grin:

Zombie ogres... pure genius! :wink:


----------



## countchocula86

I really like the idea here, though Ive never seen anything like it. Could add some interesting character to a group of troops. Anyone have pics?


----------



## Druchii in Space

:headbutt:

See this is why I lament the fact there where no forums of note around 15yrs ago, because I'd also never heard of this in years of being in the hobby (maybe I'm unlucky and just skipped past the wrong threads?) and it sounds genius to me. Especially as I like fluffy armies and this would help reinforce that, and second surely this is no worse than the put four goblins onto one long base idea GW used to promote.

Bloody heck I have some ideas pouring through my head right now, a miscast foot of gork for a goblin unit, a group of Clansmen stopping for a pint, Witch Elves sacrificing some poor foe who got to close to the unit. Dang excellent stuff here, think I'm going to have to rep Squeek just for raising it. :grin:


----------

