Hey there Arc fans! Only a few days to go until the big dance, and we’re here to remind you of something super important you’re going to have to bring along with you, but often slips the mind of players caught in a last-minute painting panic: your army list.
Or should that be army lists? Indeed you’re going to need to bring a couple of them, and that’s what this article is for: to give you a super clear guide on what to bring, and what it should show.
The first army list you’ll need is what we’ll call your Simple List. This is the document that presents your army in the simplest and easiest to understand format. Let’s take a look at what a Simple List might look like:
Man, that’s pretty boring to look at. But do you know what else it is? Clear. It lays out all the units in your army in a super easy-to-read format. Let’s take a closer look at some really important parts of a format like this:
Everything in red here is something that MUST be shown on your Simple List. This is the list that you’ll be handing to the TOs when you register at the event first thing on Saturday morning and also the list you’ll hand to each opponent when you meet them at the table at the start of each round. That means you’ll need at least 2 copies (assuming you can remember to get your list back from each opponent). That said, we’d recommend a few spares in case you lose one, or you end up scribbling things on your list because a mission rule asks you to. A list on a phone or tablet screen won’t cut the mustard either: it’s printed on a piece of paper or else you won’t be able to complete the registration process.
To be clear, your list does not need to look exactly like the one above, but it does need to include everything highlighted in red; if your app of choice can produce a list that’s got all that stuff, then feel free to print that out. Just remember the golden rule: the more clear it is for your opponents to read, the easier it’ll be to get lists out of the way and start playing 40k
So that’s it right? Well, not exactly. The eagle-eyed amongst you may have spotted this little gem in the Theme section of the player pack (We all read the player pack, right?!?).
To earn some of these points, the Simple List just won’t do. You’ll need a Presentation List. This is all about looking cool and giving people walking past your army an idea of who your models are, why they fight, and why they’re part of the same army. This list doesn’t need points costs, detachment choices or similar rules: those are likely to just get in the way. Instead, focus on making the other players say things like “Oh, that’s awesome!”
Here's an example of what a Presentation List might look like:
As you can see, this doesn’t contain a single thing you’d use in a game of 40k. Instead it’s trying to evoke the story of the army; you know, “it’s the vibe.”
A Presentation List like this one next to your army would probably net you 2 points from the “Presenting a Theme.” For the full 3 points, you’d want to go a step further with the visuals, like long-time 40k stalwart Josh Diffey did in 2014 with his Chaos Space Marine army, the Scars.
Now, if your Presentation List was etched in marble, or was accompanied by a life size Storm Shield emblazoned with your chapter’s insignia, that’s still only worth 3 “Presenting a Theme” points, but would certainly raise a few eyebrows from the theme judges when assessing the “Living the Theme” points:
Hopefully this article makes clearer exactly what your army list(s) should look like. If you’re one of those weirdos who’ve already finished painting, then consider spending some time on a cool Presentation List. If not, what are you waiting for: those models aren’t going to paint themselves!
