Army Men and The Astra Militarum (Warhammer 40K and My Latest RPG)

Regular readers on this blog have probably noticed that I'm a fan of the grim darkness of the far future. I've even written several stories that take place in the 41st millennium, many of which have been adapted into rather popular audio dramas (as I mentioned recently in my post More Audio Dramas, Grimdark Tales, and Fantastical Fiction!). What folks might not know is that I love the Imperial Guard, and theirs are some of my favorite stories to tell.

And since I had them on my mind recently, I wanted to share a fun little hack for anyone who may have a Warhammer 40K army or two laying around, and who'd like to adapt them as the figures for a game of Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic!

Forward! For The Emperor!

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Grimdark Meets Plastic

For those who are unfamiliar with Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic, it features the resinous peoples of the Plastos Federation standing against the invading forces of the vespoids; colossal, insectile creatures who seem bent on destruction. Though the war has been ongoing, there's not a clear victor in sight, leading to a constant need for more soldiers, training, material, and more! Additionally, though resinous persons come in several different types, and from many different nations, they are (nominally, at least) united in their battle lines against these invaders... and anything else that threatens them!

Forward! I want that anthill to be nothing more than a smoking crater!

So what does this have to do with the Astra Militarum and the grim darkness of the 41st millennium?

Well, Army Men was explicitly designed so that the little plastic soldiers we all know (and which many of us still have in our closets) would be accurate representations of the world in which we're playing. The same is true for the giant insects of their enemies, and the fortifications that make up their battlefields. While it is still an RPG, much of it is combat-forward as you and your squad struggle to accomplish your missions.

If you're an Imperial Guard player, and you have your army (or armies) on-hand, these themes map pretty clearly onto their typical deployment against a tyranid force. Not only that, but it's simple to take the colors of the resins (green, gray, red, blue, and tan) and to attach them onto particular regiments of renown that their abilities fit best. My personal choices (though I'd encourage players to do what they feel is most fun for their game) is:

- Green: Catachan

- Gray: Cadia

- Red: Valhallan Ice Warriors

- Blue: Mordian Iron Guard

- Tan: Armageddon Steel Legion

Whether you just prefer the DND 5E mechanics with some extra tactical rules, or you just don't really jive with the other Warhammer 40K RPGs that are available on the market, I'd suggest folks give this retrofit a try if they've been looking for something simple, easy, and which they already have figures and map terrain for!

Notes on Expansions and Gaps

Before anyone rushes off to grab their copy of Army Men, I wanted to put a few qualifications on this week's recommendation. Because while I've been having fun playing around with it, there are some things that might be deal breakers for more diehard grimdark fans.

First and foremost, variety of antagonists. The base bestiary found in Army Men: A Game of Tactical Plastic has normal animals, as well as bandits and rogue soldiers (for those who want to track down traitor regiments), but its primary focus for monstrous/alien enemies are the vespoids. And while there have been some notable additions to the monstrous creatures a squad might face in the first expansion Army Men: Threat Assessments, there is definitely a rather limited bestiary to draw on at the moment.

Second, the game has yet to expand out into all of the possible equipment for fighting a war. While there's a lot of man-portable weaponry, it's currently focused on the older types of weapons seen with army men toys. Additionally, the rules for vehicles and heavy artillery have yet to be added, as the initial game focuses on the actions taken by individual squads of troopers.

There are plans to expand into all of these areas for the game, with supplements like Army Men: Motor Pool to cover vehicles, vehicular combat, etc., and Army Men: Weird War where things like psychic powers, more advanced weapons tech, and other strange, sci fi additions will be made. While we aren't there just yet, there are definitely plans for getting energy rifles, tanks, huge cannons, and more onto the tabletop! I just didn't want anyone who saw this week's installment, and thought it was a cool idea, to be surprised that the game is still on the ground floor in terms of what's available in the base book.

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What is a Grognard?

If you've been in the RPG community for any length of time, you've likely come across the term "grognard" before. The term, as you see according to this Urban Dictionary entry, refers to a gamer who prefers an older edition of a game to any newer ones. This preference is often intense, and it may come with long diatribes about how their edition, despite being older, is superior to any games that came later. Sometimes it's used to refer to players who prefer the style of old-school RPGs over new-school ones, as well. Players who, for example, believe that the DM should be the creator and master of everything in the game, instead of a referee who simply interprets the rules as they exist in the book.

Back in AD&D, we got one spell, and we were happy!

Now, if you know me, you know that I have a special place in my heart for etymology. It's why I've written articles like What is a Swashbuckler? and What is a Paladin?, which both explore and explain the linguistic origins of these words, and how their original meanings were quite different from what we picture when we hear them. So, when it came to grognard, I was curious about where it came from, and how it came into use.

According to Merriam Webster, the primary definition of the word is, "an old soldier." Which makes sense when you think about it. After all, when we talk about gamers who have been in the community for some time, we often refer to them as the old guard. There is a more specific definition, though. When capitalized, the word refers to the original imperial guard formed by Napoleon. The old guard which led the final charge at the Battle of Waterloo, in fact.

There's a metaphor there, implying that grognards are the soldiers of a lost cause. The remnants of an empire whose time has passed, but who refuse to leave their posts. Whether that's an implication we meant to bring with the word, and if it's a veiled dig at gamers who always talk about the editions they first started playing with, I can't say. But it is something you might want to think about before you use this term, whether you mean it as a compliment or an insult.

That's all for this Moon Pope Monday update. While it was short and sweet, I do hope there are folks out there who enjoyed it. If you would like to support Improved Initiative so I can keep making posts like this one, then head over to The Literary Mercenary's Patreon page to leave a little bread in my jar. Lastly, if you haven't followed me on Facebook, Tumblr, or Twitter yet, well, what's stopping you?