So we all know how expensive Epic can be now that it' a collectors market. I decided to go with a harebrained scheme of mine, where I got the idea to use the sprites for Vassal 40K to make 2-D units for my games of Epic.

I knew with my gamer ADD I would never be able to commit to one or two armies, so this is perfect for me. I scoured the web for every sprite I could find, and using them and some MSPaint/GiMP work, I have a sprite for about 90% of the units for all the races of EpicA, including Chaos, Necrons, and even Tau.

Ironically enough, the files I have been modifying are exact 6mm scale when printed at 100%, and I just put everything I want to print on adhesive paper and then cut it out and mount it on 2mm craft foam- the common brand in the US is "Foamies" and is $1 for a larger than letter-size sheet. I then cover in Packing tape to seal the ink away from oily fingers/enviroment. I can print out a 1500-2000pt army for about 3 bucks in materials.

I made it a point of pride to be able to have everything as an exact WYSIWYG, from vehicle arms down to individual hand weapons on each soldier. You can actually visually tell the weapons difference between a Lascannon Razorback and a Heavy Bolter one. My Titans/Gargants/Knights will use actual models, as they really need to be 3-D to look good, and the models are just plain too cool to leave out.

I'll start with some examples of my Space Wolves (played as the normal Space Marines list)

Tactical formation, with Captain and Rhinos:


Terminators, with Librarian and Land Raider Crusaders:


Assault Marines and Bikes:


What do you guys think so far?

I think its grand. I use lots of paper cutouts when testing (for instance, I don't have 5 formations of land speeders so that's handy for stressing lists for balance to use proxies). Yours are fabulous and a great way to spend time playing. Lets be honest, the models are only plastic / metal tokens in reality anyways.

Well done, good sir

_________________
He's a lawyer and a super-villian. That's like having a shark with a bazooka!

-I HAVE NO POINT
-Penal Legion-Fan list
-Help me make Whitescars not suck!

Thanks for the kind words. One of the biggest reasons I came up with this idea is that 1: I am basically the games mascot for my little group of friends. And 2: as much as I love assembling and painting miniatures (I have for 20 years now), I typically can get a couple of buddies (or the wife) to play, but to do so I generally have to furnish the miniatures, and so that means I end up having to buy/paint several armies, and I am one of those guys who hates to field unpainted forces. This way lets me put together a complete 1500pt army in one night.

Also, lets face it- Epic is not one of my mainstream games (yet ) so this drastically drops the price when I go, "Ooh, an Imperial Guard army would be cool! Or Chaos! Or how about some Tau?!" Especially when looking for hard to get models, like Forgeworld items such as Tau Flyers/vehicles

This way, with just the cost of some adhesive paper (and the actual models for any titans/walkers), I can field:

-Space Wolves, Blood Angels and Ultramarines
-Chaos marines (mine are done up as Word Bearers colors)
-Imperial Guard and variants like Minervan tank Guard
-Tau
-Eldar
-Knights
-Orks
-Necrons

Thats an excellent idea!!

_________________
https://epic40ksweden.wordpress.com/

"You have a right to be offended" - Steve Hughes
"Your feelings are hurting my thoughts" - Aron Flam

As I said on Dakka, it's a super cool idea! Glad you shared them here as well! Great stuff

_________________
Former Blood Angels Army Champion
Epic Gamers Los Angeles Chapter
Armies Played:
Blood Angels
Black Legion
Codex Marines
Imperial Fists

Neat. Nicely done!

_________________
AFK with real life, still checking PMs

Interesting, it could be made very portable.

MagnEpic - the Travel War Game

oooh thats a great thought! And if you play LoS like EpicUK does (if i haven't understood it wrong) then the terrain could be 2D as well!

AegisGrimm: Would you be able to share the wotk you've done? I would like to print some guys too.

_________________
https://epic40ksweden.wordpress.com/

"You have a right to be offended" - Steve Hughes
"Your feelings are hurting my thoughts" - Aron Flam

I can send some stuff you you, PM me with your address. The only oddball thing is that at the level of pixelation I am working with, a few of the units have to be printed at a different size to come out at what I feel is the "right" scale, because if you simply resize the units, the pixels just go crazy.

Here's a couple of others I have pics of right now, I hope they are good enough because I am experimenting with taking photos with my tablet:

Two of my tank formations, left is Whirlwinds, right is 2x Predator Destructor, 2x Annihilator, and a Vindicator:



Land Speeders, 3x Tornados, a Typhoon, and 1x Heavy Bolter, 1x Multimelta (center):



Scouts (w/ one stand of Snipers in back):



Some scale shots of a Land Raider and a Supreme Commander unit:



My Space Wolves so far:

Tonight's update is how I tackled sprite-based aircraft. I figured that flat tokens would be a very underwhelming way represent aircraft, so I can up with a solution to make them "2.5 Dimensional". I made some simple flight stands with plasticard and some styrene tubes, and to make easy storage (and so I don't have to make flight stands for everything I want to make) each aircraft attaches to the flight stand with a piece of the lightweight magnetic tape that comes in a dispenser roll like scotch tape.

The tape's magnetic bond is pretty weak, but still strong enough that the stand will stay attached even if you are careful when you lift the entire piece by the aircraft, and even when they are hanging upside down (though a Thunderhawk (and most definitely a huge Tau Manta!) will only juuuuust barely hold on that way). But they hold just fine for gaming purposes and especially in the case of transports, you can then pop them off the flying stand and lay them on the table when they are in the process of deploying troops.

I also contoured the tokens around the shape of the flyer, they look a little more aesthetically pleasing, and also so that they were not just huge squares blocking the player's view above the table.

oh that's just grand

_________________
He's a lawyer and a super-villian. That's like having a shark with a bazooka!

-I HAVE NO POINT
-Penal Legion-Fan list
-Help me make Whitescars not suck!

Awesome!!

_________________
https://epic40ksweden.wordpress.com/

"You have a right to be offended" - Steve Hughes
"Your feelings are hurting my thoughts" - Aron Flam

I give this four and a half multimeltas, out of a total of five. Excellent!

If you don't mind, and for reasons of trying to cajole locals into playing, I'd love to drop you a PM with email to crib off your superb work.

It be worth putting these up here, if you're willing:

http://www.net-armageddon.org/page/game-aids

_________________
Dave

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