the Battleforce makes for a pretty good army, and not only that, with a bit of thought and ingenuity you can have a range of different army set ups and even units that can make your battleforce stand out from the rest!
Lets take a look at some possible armies straight out of the box;
Army List 1 - 600pts (599)
This first army represents a force straight out of the box, it is very similar to the one pictured on the back of the Battleforce set with only minor alterations centred around the commander and the gun drone use. The army represents a traditional cadre which focusses on a core of hard hitting warriors which are supported by auxiliary troops in the form of Kroot. The cadre is a very fast, mobile formation and can easily be expanded with more fast moving jet packers or additional tanks and devilfish mounted fire warriors to create a more mechanised force
HQ
Shas'el = 100
plasma rifle, missile pod, targeting array, Hard-wired (HW) multi-tracker, HW blacksun filter
Suits that have a plasma rifle and a missile pod are said to have the 'Fireknife' configuration. It is a good set up for beginners as it has a long range and weapons that hit harder than your troops firearms. This commander has obviously been about the block a bit and has equipped his suit with some additional kit to make his job a little easier.
ELITES
3x xv25 Stealth Suits = 132
team leader; bonding knife, fusion blaster, HW target lock, HW drone controller with marker drone
Stealth teams are used to working out on their own, away from the support of the main force so the unit is set up to deal with a variety of threats in order to help the rest of the army.
TROOPS
12x Fire Warriors (all with rifles) = 135
shas'ui, bonding knife
Devilfish Troop Transport = 95
2x gun drones, multi-tracker, disruption pod
The Fire Warriors are ferried to the battlefield in a Devilfish troop transport which allows them to clear a landing zone of enemy infantry and then hold it against counter attack.
12x Kroot carnivores = 84
The Kroot unit is flexible enough to be used to help the fire warriors or stealth team thanks to the kroots great special rules.
FAST ATTACK
4x Gun Drones = 48
Here the gun drones are banded together as a unit in their own right. This gives them a little more flexibility, they can be joined by the commander, or even perform a "deep strike" to reach weak points in stubborn enemy tanks.
Army list 2 - 600pts (599)
This force differs in that the models have been used in very different ways to create a flexible cadre that uses an extensive markerlight system to deliver the killing blow. This army could be expanded with more stealth elements and fire warriors to maximise the armies firepower whilst support in the form of more pathfinders, some sniper teams and a sky ray would give the force some additional back-up.
HQ
Shas'el = 127
fusion blaster, plasma rifle, multi-tracker, stimm injector, HW drone controller with 1x marker drone
This commander works hard for his troops clearing tougher opponents and enemy tanks that the infantry would find difficult to handle on their own. His independent and dangerous task means he needs some equipment to help him along his way.
ELITES
3x xv25 Stealth Suits = 130
team leader; markerlight, HW multi-tracker, HW drone controller with 1x gun drone & 1x shield drone
This stealth team can lurk in the shadows marking targets for their comrades or act more independently to focus on enemy infantry. Although they are focussed for killing enemy infantry, their equipment allows them to be quite flexible in how they do this in order that your opponents will always be kept on their toes.
TROOPS
8x Fire Warriors (all with rifles) = 115
shas'ui, bonding knife, HW drone controller with 2x gun drones
This fire team only uses some of the Fire Warrior models and is bolstered by some gun drones. They help provide some additional firepower against closing enemy troops and allows the team to have some additional range when on the move.
12x Kroot carnivores = 84
Just as before, the Kroot will serve to deter enemy infantry from objectives or help protect your stealth or fire warrior teams as they go about their mission.
FAST ATTACK
4x Pathfinders = 48
Devilfish Pathfinder Transport = 95
2x gun drones, multi-tracker, disruption pod
The Pathfinders in this army are actually converted out of four Fire Warrior models. To do this you can simply arm your models with Pulse Carbines and even leave the large shoulder guard off, after all, it would just get in the way of sneaky Tau trying to hide in cover! The Devilfish transport is given to the pathfinders, because they MUST have one according to the codex, but not to worry, because it can be used by the Fire Warriors or even the Kroot!
Army list 3 - 650pts (649)
This army is based around a hard hitting and tough to kill Shas'O commander who commands an infantry focussed force. Although it focusses on the ability of its troops it is by no means a static force (though armies like this are often described as 'static' in comparison to mechanised forces). It could be expanded by adding more fire warrior teams and some mobile XV8 Crisis teams to support the infantry core. Some heavy XV88 Broadside Battlesuits would also complement a mass of Fire Warriors.
HQ
Shas'o = 141
plasma rifle, burst cannon, shield generator, stimm injector, HW multi-tracker, HW blacksun filter
This commander is fitted to work up close and personal. Armed with high volume of fire weapons and life saving equiment makes him a pain for other enemy infantry.
ELITES
3x xv25 Stealth Suits = 125
team leader; drone contoller with HW marker drone
The stealth team here concentrate on taking on enemy infantry. They can work on their own, but would probably do more good supporting the Fire Warriors.
TROOPS
6x Fire Warriors (all with carbines) = 95
shas'ui; bonding knife, HW drone controller with 2x gun drones
6x Fire Warriors (all with rifles) = 95
shas'ui; bonding knife, HW drone controller with 2x gun drones
Devilfish Troop Transport = 95
2x gun drones, multi-tracker, disruption pod
The Fire Warriors here are divided into two separate units. They are small teams so in order to help them out they are supported by some drones One team can have the Devilfish tank dedicated to them, but at the end of the day it can be used by any of the troops choices.
12x Kroot carnivores = 98
kroot shaper
The Kroot here are bolstered by the guidance of a Kroot Shaper. Shapers help dictate the progress direction of the kroot evolution and are leaders among the Kroot society. Here, the kroot will be critical in holding objectives and supporting the stealth team in their mission. When well dug in, in cover, Kroot can be some of the best troops around. In order to make the Shaper, you can convert one of the standard Kroot models with additional parts to make him stand out as being different.
I hope this has helped you to see the possibilities of the battleforce...
oh, and welcome to the Greater Good!