The Long Night Part One: Embers in the Dusk: A Planetary Governor Quest (43k) Complete Sequel Up

Given how there's been some confusion on how the many types of Troops stack up and how the different grades interact here's a more through breakdown. The criteria according to Durin is that Chaff are the mass produced army's fielded as standard troops, Elites are the hard to make units that are a finite resource, and Heroes are skilled individual persons who can't be duplicated in mass or they would be Elites. The examples have been ran past Durin.

Chaff Grade

• Trash: Ork Gretchin, Chaos Cultist, Civilian Militia
• Low: Ork Boyz, PDF, Traitor PDF, Gaunts, Tau Auxiliaries
• Mid: Ork specialist Boyz, Guard, Traitor Guard, Techguard, Genestealers, Our Militia
• High: Ork 'Ard Boyz/ Scarboyz, Famous Guard units, Skitarii ,Chaos Warp Spawn, Tyranid specialist, Our PDF, Tau Fire Warriors Stormtroopers, Chaos Warbands
• Extreme: Ork massed Veteran Nob units, Chaos Daemons, Our Helltroopers, Our Helguard, Psyker Regiments

Chaff are the backbone of any army. Most have several grades of chaff as well from the lowest Trash to tie down the enemy to High grade near Elites that stiffen the lines. As the name suggest Trash units are utter garbage. About the only use for them is forcing the enemy to spent time and ammo killing them rather than your better troops. And hey, maybe they'll get lucky and beat a few hapless units to death with rocks and sticks! But they have to share the stick, they only have the one. They are the lowest of the low. If you're using Trash troops it'll because you have nothing better and need warm body's.

Low grade troops on the other hand are the most basic troop that you can expect not to fall down under a stiff breeze and sometimes even know which way to point the gun! They make up the meat of most fighting forces being the perfect ratio of cheap, replaceable, useful, and numerous. It's not usually worth transporting them to a fight but to hold vast amounts of ground against peer or lesser opponents they're indispensable. Their best used against other chaff units mowing down Trash, fighting other Low grades, and bloodying Mid grade units. High grade Chaff and better will just crush them just as much as Trash unit are. However enough of them can kill a lone Elite or Hero by drowning them in their blood if nothing else. Expect a insane Kill: Death ratio against them in this case if you try it.

Mid Grade Chaff are the front line units. Pound for pound better trained, equipped, and lead they are the ones you bring to a fight. They make the majority of a attacking army when you can't waste space on lesser troops but still need to take on enemy Chaff like PDF. Low grade chaff are what they're made to sweep aside but expect losses in doing so. Fellow Mid Grades are needed to match them and form the backbone of any hard point. They can swarm High grade chaff at major cost but should past that off to their own High grades if at all possible. It's unlikely but they can overwhelm a Bottom tier Elite unit or Crap Hero with the wrong setup at extreme cost and lots of luck. Very much not recommend unless you have no other choice.

High Grade chaff are costly. These are basically the best massed units in a army. Be it by shear experience, home world gained advantage, extensive training, or what have you, they are relatively finite but still fill entire orders of battle. If Mid grade chaff are the front line they are the tip of the spear. They are best used to secure critical objectives and break the back of enemy formations. Trash and Low grade units fall like wheat while Mid grade struggle to hold them at bay. The only thing they have to fear is fellow High grades or enemy Elites. If needed they are the only Chaff unit that can be counted on to hold most Elites for any amount of time and can with some regularity kill the lowest Heroes at crippling cost.

Extreme Grade chaff are only Chaff and not Elites because of how damned many of them there are. This is what happens when you turn what was and Elite unit into a standard formation like our Helguard or Da Crumpers. By just not caring for the shear expense needed Extreme grade chaff are rare but when present are a army of near Elite troops. They have the killing ability of Elites with the replaceability and numbers of chaff. If available use to smash High grade Chaff and overwhelm enemy Elites. The core of any anti-hero force needs to include them as they are expendable while still have a decent chance at winning. Do not use on Low or Trash grade troops if you have anything else you can do with them.

Elites

• Bottom tier: Ork Cyborks, Ork Nobz, Hive Guard, Myrmidon, Veteran Psyker Regiments, Ork Flash Gitz, Tyranid Warriors, The Black Irons
• Mid tier: Inquisition Kill Teams, Life-Guard, Tau Battlesuits, Aspect Warriors, Elite Psyker Regiments
• Elite: Mega Nobz, The Phase-Tigers, Space Marines
• Super Elite: Primaris Executation Force, Terminators, Grey Knights, Last Hunters

Elites are the trump cards of a army. They can be made but requirements and cost keep them from being made into Extreme Grade chaff. Losing a Elite unit hurts but is not the major blow that a loss Hero is. Bottom tier Elites are usually basic units given the best available gear and training. If you have Extreme Grade chaff as well the Bottom tier Elites are even better train or far more experience on top of that. Best used in either mass slaughter of Chaff or to hold small areas that need quality over quantity. Can fight other Elites or even reliably kill Crap Heroes if they must.

Mid tier Elites are the anti-elite and hunter units. They are what you send when they enemy's Elites take the field. Can be used on chaff if nothing else is left but should guard your own Heroes from Hero killer units if they can.

Elite Elites are the cream of the crop. The best units you have in any numbers are these. Hold close to your chest an spend them wisely these are a major trump card and any action taken with them will provoke a response. If you lack in Heroes but have a steady source of these anti-hero work is highly recommend.

Super Elite are nigh unique Elites that are almost Heroes in their own right. Anti-hero hunter squads are a excellent use of them. Anti massed Elite work is also recommend.

Hero

• Crap: Basic Chaos Champion, Space Marine Sargent, low grade Ork Warboss, Gamma Pykers, Our Champions
• Standard: Chaos Lords, Space Marine Captain, Ork Warlord, Inquisition Lords, Beta Pykers, Our Generals, Tyranid Hive Tyrant
• Renown: Ork Overlords, Chaos Greater Daemons, Chapter Masters, Us, Alpha Psykers, Paragons in general
• Linchpins: Greatest of Chaos Greater Damons, Primarchs, Areatha, The Ork Beast, Transcendants in general

A Hero is someone special. They can not be made, only born. However not all Heroes are born equal. Crap Heroes are those who have just embarked on the journey to greatness. Chaos Champions, Space Marine Sargent's, Ork Warbosses all are just hitting being a major figure and not just some elite scrub. However they are just one person and not that much better that a regular Elite. Probable the closest thing to a mass produced Hero you can get. They work best leading small units of Elites. Can kill other Heroes but try to stick to fellow Crap rate Heroes.

Standard Heroes are those that survived being a Crap rate newbie. These Heroes have proven their metal and are able to cut down Elites like they were mere Chaff. Most Elites should be lead by several of these and are key units. The loss of any are a major but not crippling blow. Is recommend that they fight Crap tier Heroes if possible but can fight other Standard Heroes at a risk.

Renown Heroes are THE best in the local area. They are the Heroes of Heroes. Legends one and all. If more than one are on the same side of the field it's a rare day indeed. These are to actively hunt down and slaughter enemy Heroes if given the chance. However to loss any can cripple an army for years. They are the leaders of the army's.

Linchpins are not Heroes so much as forces of nature in mortal form. Each is a critical objective in and of themselves and to loss one is a crippling blow that can never be recovered from. Protect at all cost but unleash to reap destruction.