I brought this up an age ago..got a kind of luke warm reception. But its so good and some of the lists have become part of my big 5. I figured it was worth reintroducing the concept.
1500, normal rules about list building applies+++ you must fill the
FOC. Thats right no matter what you do I want to see 17 units at the end of it.
Necrons can't be done, old chaos can't be done. I haven't seen a guard one yet, but folks who said they'd make one came back looking a little green.
Smurfs can and are deadly, Eldar can and are deadly, new chaos can and is a bit hit and miss (but great fun as described below).
So examples
You start with the cheapest template the codex will allow so
Smurfs
2x Captains bolter 122 points
3x5 veterans =270
6x5 scouts=390
3x basic speeders=150
3x5 devastators=225
=1157, and a lot of things with no purpose that need upgrading the smurf dex has one of the lowest points costs to fill the
FOC so there is a lot of variety in there treat it like upgradeing units until everything has a purpose, assign certain points per slot until everything can do something and has a bit of flavour..
I made mine into
Master - boltgun
Chaplain - boltpistol
3 x naked landspeeders in 3 different units
3 x standard dreads with EA
2 x 5 man tactical squads with lascannon
2 x 6 man tactical squads with
HB & plasma
2 x 6 man scout squads with
HB & bolters
Vindicator
2 x whirlwinds
Although I'm thinking of dumping some EA and 6th man-age to bump the chaplin up to a fury of anchients libbrarian.It does very well as an all comers list, and is never boring as it basically has half the codex in it.
Chaos does something very different, the cheapest options are really 3x1 oblits 3x3 termies and 2 walking demon princes with 30 meq footslog backing them up, it has a lot less leighway and upgradeability, but it has a lot of termies, and even the
HQs score (at present) Its very reliant on how you fit in your fast attack (which must for cost reason be very small). I found that letting myself slip and allowing a spawn to fulfill my criteria made it a bit easier.)
But basically with chaos you'll create a army with a lot of 2+ saves and 6-10 units that may deepstrike if required.
There is a fair whack of duplication and minning, but the absence of maxing actually makes the minning a very fragile thing, any one unit will die if your enemy thinks it stands out as a threat, so getting things that can do their job but also not be that '1 saviour of your force which dies turn 1' is very tricky.
Treat it like a sliding block puzzle and post here if you come up with anything silly. (I've not even considered what might be done with orks)
Hope it sparks some ideas
KMB