Ponderings for the Battalion...

With GW's plan to give every army a battalion force which will include three plastic box sets I thought it might be interesting to see what people think would be likely or hope to see in a beastmen Battalion.

I would suspect that since they are releasing a plastic giant our Battalion would contain 2 boxes of beast herds, one giant and one mystery plastic kit.

What do you think would be a likely choice?

I'd assume it would be a chariot. As they typically try to do at least two core choices in plastic. Using that logic though it might very well be hounds as they seem to find use in several different armies. I think it would be top notch if they designed some plastic Minotaurs. Not that the current Minos look bad but imagine the conversion possibilities with a nicely designed set of plastic Minos.

Thoughts...comments?

Chaos hounds have to become plastic at some point in the future.

I'd guess randomly:
2 Herds
10 Hounds
Chariot
3 Plastic Minotaus or Trolls (Trolls are rumored to be plastic and be included in the 7th edition starter boxed set)

I really doubt the giant would show up in a batallion.

No idea how that even compares to normal Batallions since I've only purchased one (Wood Elf)

2 Herds, A wargor and a minotaur or centigor unit is probably as close as I could get.

Well lets see. Battalions contain nothing but plastic kits. They usually come with 4 boxes of plastics. Often containing two boxes of the most prevelant core choice and one box each of any other plastic kit the army has.

For example: (this comes from memory and might be subject to error)

Wood Elf: Glade Guard (2), Glade Riders (1), Dryads (1)
Skaven: Clan Rats (2), Night Runners (1), Plague Monks (1)
New Dwarves: Clansmen (2), Quarellers/Handgunners (1), Cannon/Organ Gun (1)
Lizards: Skinks (2), Saurus (1), Cold One Saurus (1)
High Elves: Spearmen (1), Archers (1), Silver Helms (1), Bolt Thrower (1)
Tomb Kings: Skeleton Warriors (2), Skeleton Horsemen (1), Skelly Chariots (1)
Brettonians: Knights of the Realm (1), Men at Arms (2), Peg Knights (1)

This will mean that we will certainly be seeing two Beast Herds in the Battalion along with two other plastic sets. I'd wager good money that the Giant will be included. Since it is a plastic kit that can be used in the beastmen army, it only makes sense that they will try to include it and get the maximum use of this new box. That really only leaves one other choice which will likely come from the core choices. I'd guess it would be either the Chariot or the Hounds...

The only thing that makes me doubt the hounds would become plastic is the fact that they were recently resculpted in metal. I really doubt Trolls would show up in plastic form as they too were recently resculpted. This is a rumor I had not heard before where did you hear it?

I doubt Beasts would get a Giant in their Battalion (and I would be disappointed if we did). It would probably consist of two herds, hounds and either Minotaurs or a chariot (I'd prefer Minos thanks).

Plaguebeast

It's been all over the Warseer Forums about Trolls in some form showing up in the starter box along side goblins (who will have spider riders) to face dwarves. Trolls were only recently sculpted for Chaos, the current Trolls for Orcs and Goblins have been around a while. I was doubting the Trolls anyway, but saw it as a possiblity.

When something was recently sculpted isn't really much of an issue. The High Elf Bolt Thrower is a prime example of GW making something in plastic that wasn't in metal for so long (by comparison to many other models).

The giant is a very poor choice in my eyes to include in a Batallion anyway.

Rare choices as a whole are bad for a Batallion unless they are artillery, which is only acceptable in some cases.

Giants are a rather niche rare choice that most players don't seem to use (unlike the Bolt Thrower included in the high elf box), and it is not a Beastman specific choice. In fact, the new Plastic Giant doesn't really have a whole lot of "Beast-y Look" potential without massive conversions (simple placement of the beasthead and hooves will make for one goofy ass looking model in my opinion).

-herd
-herd
-chariot
-chariot

my thinking is that we always get shafted when it comes to miniature range......why stop now?

I think they'll do a hordes a chaos box and leave it at that for chaos.

If they redo something in plastic they might do bestigors before minotaurs. But I doubt GW has any plans for beasts at this moment.

I agree with this.

Well GW has stated time and again that they are in the business of making and selling toy soldiers. They have also stated that the drive behind army design and army revamps has always been the models. Meaning whichever army is in the most need of a model make over will usuaully take precedence. Not sure if this is actually true but it does seem to follow their past actions.

As to the bolt thrower, you have a point there. However when looking at the High Elf Army Book I really couldn't think of any other unit selection to be done in plastic. Every other choice is either 0-1 or so specialized it wouldn't make sense to be made into plastic.

This will almost certainly not happen as no Battalion comes with a hero choice outside of the empire/orc battalions which are a bit abnormal in their own right. Centigors seem unlikely as well due to their recently having been sculpted.

I really hope they make plastic Minos. I think it is the most widely hoped for choice to be moved into plastic. My hopes would be for plastic Minos and either plastic hounds or a chariot. Knowing GW though they will probably slap that Giant in there and only give us a second plastic box set. Lets hope not though.

Also note that for example the woodies bataillon consists of 3 and a half plastic boxes: 24 Glade Guard (16 are in the normal box), 8 Glade Riders and 12 Dryads.

Therefore I guess the beast bataillon, if it will be released at all (instead of only a chaos bataillon), will contain like 18 gors, 12 ungors, a chariot or a bestigor unit, and maybe a plastic spawn or plastic minos.

I think trolls are unlikely, as the chaos trolls are relatively new, as are the centigors.

Maybe it will only contain core units, though - 18 gors, 12 ungors, 16 bestigors and a chariot.

A Army box would more then likely be
A wargor/and a BSB
2 Herds
10 hounds
1 Chariot

A battalion box
2 herds
A wargor
and chariot

I believe they WILL make a chaos hound plastic kit - 10-12 hounds in a box.
This will then be released for HoC, and theyre battalion will be complete - Warriors, Maruaders x 2, Hounds.

The hounds will then double up when it comes round to BoC battalion. Beast Herd x 2, Hounds, and 1 other - Im guessing plastic bestigor - as the metal undivided ones are ridiculously out of date and poor. But I think Minotaurs will be in the running too (although not as likely as theyre a special choice, battalions try to remain core)

I would say that due to the possibilities opened by the plastic ogres, they would make plastic minotaurs to continue the trend of plastics big dudes

GRASHNAK

agreed, plastic bestigors would fall to me similar to the rat ogres where they're cool but not really a high demand item. Minotaurs are a staple of the list, special or not, and if they came in a box of 4, I'd imagine most beast players would get at least 2 units and many chaos players would get at least 1 unit. Thats not to mention people making all minotaur armies. Minotaurs would be the high profit unit to make, so thats my bet.

Hounds are the same deal too. Include some extra bits on a hounds sprew to make them look more mortal or beastly and you could sell 1-2 boxes to nearly every chaos player.

BTW, I suspect they'd rearrange the sprews for a mortal batallion to make marauder horsemen. The main addition they'd need would be a sprew with horseriding legs and spears, along with the horses. That way they could give chaos 12 warriors, 16 marauders, 8 marauder horsemen and 12-16 chaos hounds. (<---my guess on what a hounds box with bits for beasts and mortals could contain).