"We've always done it this way" isn't a great reason to keep doing it that way to me. I was wondering if anyone had considered the idea of adding units into the base lists rather than creating a new list every time something new comes along. I completely understand that there are lists there with different restrictions the create a theme, such as the white scars and the eldar world lists. Restrictions is a good way to force a theme, and having some form of "bonus" to using that list means that there is a meaningful difference between the lists, like access to wraithguard formations and large bike formations for example. I was more wondering if people had considered adding things that are more common in the flavou but didn't exist when the original lists were created should just be added into the base lists.

Stuff like Lynxes, Hornets, Thunderfires and the Land Raider Crusader and Redeemer should be available to all lists of that race as a matter of fluff, the formations of them are balanced by their points and they don't create a huge amount of unbalancing by being taken out of the context of their lists. It seems that by having them in a variant list only it just limits their useability for no real gain.

It's a dog whistle argument to say that the core lists are "balanced" and shouldn't be touched. We all know that isn't true and the core lists have been revised many times since they were first written. There shouldn't be any reason to at least consider testing these newer formations that make flavour sense in the core lists to go in there and see if they mess up balance at all. I reject the argument that the Hornet formations is balanced in the Yme Loc list but not the base list for example. If you can explain to me what about having larger formations of Falcons and War Engines in the list as core instead of aspect warriors and guardians does to make hornets balanced then I'd really like to understand what it is, otherwise it's just arbitrary and dogmatic that new formations can only go in new lists and the base lists don't get touched.

I completely agree that restrictions and additional access to different thematic formations in the alternate lists is a good thing, adds flavour and allows different builds, but it just seems to me that keeping the newer units out of the base list doesn't really achieve a hell of a lot and makes it harder for new players to figure out how to build a force, ultimately cramming them into a theme force they don't like just to use a unit that they do like. You guys have said that "kitchen sink" lists are bad but I don't quite understand why. The first handful of lists were kitchen sink lists at the time, it's just that more units have been released in 40k since then.

@Draccan, I am sure many sympathise with this issue of 'collating lists'. The Army Compendium is intended to be the source you require, along with the stats by jimmyzimms. Please post your proposals in the relevant Chaos thread at the bottom of the TacComs index page.

I particular don't want to cause confusion in the Chaos, Imperial Fists or other threads, as I know it is kicking the hornet's nest. Also I do think great and important work has put into these lists (even if I disagree with some decisions).
I would be more than happy with a separate addendum. And as I said it would be nice with comprehensive army lists.

In the end I will probably just sit down and type the whole thing into Google Docs myself, since other options does not exist...

I particularly don't want to cause confusion in the Chaos, Imperial Fists or other threads, as I know it is kicking the hornet's nest. Also I do think great and important work has put into these lists (even if I disagree with a few decisions).
I would be more than happy with a separate addendum. And as I said it would be nice with comprehensive army lists for reference as opposed to having to look in many places for rules and stats.

In the end I will probably just sit down and type the whole thing into Google Docs myself, since other options does not exist...

As someone that has created and attempted to maintain QRS's for the game I do know how time consuming such an effort is.

Amen! You should try compiling all the lists available into a compendium! I nearly went blind for a few months!