Feedback on planned army troops

[Battlegrinder]

I'm busy building my new army, and have hit a slight snag. I've figured out what figs I'll use for CC troops, and am busying assembling the heroes, officers, and other specialists from my preexisting mini-fig supplies, I can't figure out what to do about basic ranged infantry troops (I can't use the same figs that I'm using for CC troops, it wouldn't fit the army's theme). I also can't seem to find any decent armor for them either (ranged troops are going to be sci-fi themed, and thus will need sci-fi body armor. They won't all be armored, but enough will that I want a consistent look). I've found a few options, but I don't know how well any of them will work out. Here's what I've got so far:

Option 1: Clonetroopers and Stormtroopers, with brickforge shock trooper armor (black).
Pros: Easy to find minifigs, armor is cheap(ish) and comes with back stud to mount accessories, gear and extra weapons.
Cons: Slightly overused (I've seen like 4 other stormtrooper armies), buying replacement heads will jack up armies cost (stupid peach troopers).

Option 2: Space police, with brickwarriors galactic enforcer armor (grey)
Pros: More consistent look between trooper bodies and their armor than #1, yellow troops.
Cons: Expensive, brickwarriors armor lacks studs.

Option 3: Galaxy squad, shock trooper armor.
Pros: consistent and unique look, back stud, yellow.
Cons: Ridiculously expensive, poor fig-to-armor color coordination, troops also won't match their vehicles.

Right now, I'm leaning toward option 1, but would still appreciate any feedback or alternative suggestions.

[stubby]

If you're short on minifigs, you can always supplement with droids

[Battlegrinder]

If you're short on minifigs, you can always supplement with droids

I've got loads on minifigs, the problem is that most of them don't match any of the others. Star Wars, Castle, Alpha Team, and Exo-force are the only themes that I have more than 5 or six matching figures from, and SW and Castle are the only ones that I have a large number of matching figs (storm/clonetroopers and 2010 lion knights, respectively).

I could probably bulk my forces up quite a bit by building droids, but they'd probably be just as mismatched as my current collection of figs, and wouldn't really fit the theme of the army I'm assembling. Using Bricklink to build up a larger force is probably my preferred option.

[Alex]

My advice is to look around on bricklink for a good deal on torsos or minifigs you like and go from there. I built this entire faction because I found a great deal on the torsos and helmets:

[motorhead fan]

if you like that kind of thing, you could make some kind of post apoc army wearing dark coloured clothes

[Zupponn]

Cheap torsos always make army building easier.

[Battlegrinder]

if you like that kind of thing, you could make some kind of post apoc army wearing dark coloured clothes

I'm not really planning on doing a post-apoc theme, and I don't really need to get any extra minifigs if I do decide to build one, since the standard post apoc army is "whatever random figs you have lying around that aren't part of your other armies".

[pkbrennan]

Remember that themed do not have to mean uniform. My main force, the Anarcho-Syndicalist Adventurer's Guild, have a very strong theme even though most of the minifigs are individuals. There I have basically taken Indiana Jones minifigs with Pharaoh's Quest, Adventurers and Series 1-11 minifigs that are thematically correct to make the bulk of my forces.

My Prussian Empire forces are very uniformed, but this force I am building up very slowly and deliberately from scratch.

The Aegyptus force is made up of Pharaoh's Quest mummies with Cleopatra from the minifig series' as Hero. I need more mummies and some Anubis Guard minifigs. I might add a load of the more recent skeleton minifigs (type two) for a unit variation. Maybe make the gold mummie a necromancer? Again, this will be built up very slowly as and when I can be bothered.

[Rev. Sylvanus]

If you go clone, think about a second accent color you. Could add to make it stand out. Whit and black is pretty cliche. Look up halo 3000's army for an example. He included orange (I think) to arms and legs to both good and unique effect.

[Battlegrinder]

If you go clone, think about a second accent color you. Could add to make it stand out. Whit and black is pretty cliche. Look up halo 3000's army for an example. He included orange (I think) to arms and legs to both good and unique effect.

I actually did decide to go with clones and stormtroopers. I've given some thought to alternate color schemes, but the issue I keep coming back to is the cost. Doing something like halo 3000 certainly looks cool, but it also means I have to spend a lot more on each figure, and I don't have the income to do that. And given that my army won't be made up of one single minifig (i.e. not just episode 2 or 3 or clones, or just stormtroopers, instead I'll be using any of them), I think the mix of different troop types and minor customization will create the look and theme I'm going for.

[Battlegrinder]

Remember that themed do not have to mean uniform. My main force, the Anarcho-Syndicalist Adventurer's Guild, have a very strong theme even though most of the minifigs are individuals. There I have basically taken Indiana Jones minifigs with Pharaoh's Quest, Adventurers and Series 1-11 minifigs that are thematically correct to make the bulk of my forces.

My Prussian Empire forces are very uniformed, but this force I am building up very slowly and deliberately from scratch.

The Aegyptus force is made up of Pharaoh's Quest mummies with Cleopatra from the minifig series' as Hero. I need more mummies and some Anubis Guard minifigs. I might add a load of the more recent skeleton minifigs (type two) for a unit variation. Maybe make the gold mummie a necromancer? Again, this will be built up very slowly as and when I can be bothered.

I've been thinking of building an adventures-themed force as a second mini-faction, but since my main group (I really need to come up with a name for them soon) is military force, they really should have a uniform. It won't be a strict uniform, since they got the clap kicked out of them and are still rebuilding, but a uniform nonetheless (the adventures-esqe force will also have some regular troops modeled afters ww1 era us troops).

[Silent-sigfig]

Dark blue or dark red would make a good secondary color.

[Battlegrinder]

Dark blue or dark red would make a good secondary color.

Maybe so, but the cost issue still comes up, plus I really don't like swapping my minifigs arms or legs around. Though it might work as a vehicle color scheme.

[Rev. Sylvanus]

Dark blue or dark red would make a good secondary color.

Maybe so, but the cost issue still comes up,

A pair of common alternate color arms on bricklink can easily be found for 15 cents. A single arm, naturally, is half that. If you are outfitting 40 minifigs with new arms, that's $6.00. But it sounds like you are intent not pursue this route, so i won't push the issue.

[Gungnir]

You could color-code your units based on class.
For example, my AR troops are green, shotgunners are tan, mediks are white, mechaniks are orange, etc.