Am I wrong for using Space Marines?

[Inquisitor Zalmon]

I've been playing Warhammer 40k for a few weeks now and generally having fun with it. But there have been a few players who berated for daring to use Space Marines. I usually brush it off as them being mad that I beat them or their buddy but it's starting to get to me. I chose to use Space Marines because the seem to do decent damage and were the most aesthetically pleasing to me. I don't know. Maybe you guys and girls can help me.

[Defenestratus]

Don't pay attention to them. They're just being twits.

[LordGrise]

Bah, sore losers. ::grin:: Welcome to the game, hoss!

[Inquisitor Zalmon]

Thank you. :)

[Necron2.0]

"What do you expect us to use man, harsh language?"

I am the only person in my game group that doesn't use space marines. The entire game is marketed around space marines. Whoever is giving you grief is just being ridiculous.

[eldargal]

No, absolutely not. Nothing wrong with marines. I would encourage Marine players to do sample other (preferably Xenos) armies simply for variety but criticising someone based on their army choice is just idiotic.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

Anyone who tells you not to use an Army you want, ignore them, play whatever army suits your fancy, and darn the consequences. If they don't like it they can sod off.

[scadugenga]

What the rest of these good souls have said.

Marines are the easiest army to learn to play the game with, there's a reason they're marketed so heavily.

Ultimately--play what you want to play. People who are going to rage on you for playing a specific army probably have deeper issues that need addressing anyways. :)

[Deadlift]

What's so great about Marines is there's so much variation. Dark Angels, Blood Angels, Space Wolves, Black Templars and the Vanilla (standard codex). Oh and the uber Grey Knights.

It does not matter if the majority of your gaming group plays marines as lists will vary greatly still. Also so many chapters to choose from. Myself I play Dark Angels (Death wing), Blood Angels, Iron Hands and now thinking of a Minotaurs army. So many choices both on the table and creativity too.

But once you have been in the hobby for awhile you will try other armies too, with 15 armies to choose from and huge variation in each codex your bound to look at doing a xenos army too at some point :).

Welcome to the hobby and good luck smashing your opponents.

FOR THR EMPEROR.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

FOR THE EMPRAH.

fixed that for you -giggles-

[Jambo]

dont bother with them its your army and the main point is that you like your army both astheticly and for its ability to smash heads in lol welcome to 40k mate

[MaltonNecromancer]

My dear Inquistor Zalmon; what you have run into is a specific type of Stop Having Fun Guy (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/StopHavingFunGuys).

They have been around as long as I've played 40K (so about 22 years), and their motivations tend to be a backlash against the fact that Marines are so very popular. They will complain about everything - the design, the 3+ armour save (dear sweet mercy, will we ever hear the end of the complaints about that?), the fact that Ultramarines are Mary Sues, the fact that blah blah blah blah.

Nothing these people say has any value. NOTHING. Because 40K is a game, and it's supposed to be fun. Anyone having a go at you over the army you like is basically being a bully. I would suggest just avoiding them forever, if you can. Find a new gaming group if necessary.

These people are spiteful idiots taking things far too seriously, and not to be listened to.

[Diagnosis Ninja]

If you enjoy something, and they're complaining about it, it's probably just sods law that you came across some particularly verbal 40k hipster who thinks that everything should be different.

Ignore the jokes, or respond in kind. In any case, there's nothing you can do but try and play it off as (not so) witty banter and play the game. Or destroy them and say they suck for it.

[Sanguineone]

Just tell them to stop playing you if they are tired of losing, believe me they will be doing you a favor. If they truly believed in their own and armies abilities then they would welcome the challange of a good game. They aren't in it for the fun.

[Multigeneral]

Everything prior to this post. :)

As well as:

Nothing wrong with playing marines. I believe everyone should own and play a marine force at some piont. If nothing else it helps you find thier flaws and weaknesses so you may better undrstand how to beat them. These poor sods who "have never and will never play marines" are only limiting themselves gamewise, and hobbywise as well.

[Inquisitor Zalmon]

Thanks guys. :3 You guys made me very happy.

[david5th]

Nothing wrong at all. Next them ask if they would like some cheese with their whine.

[A Barb]

Play what you want! Just because they can't beat you does mean anything, but they can't build a good list or they are not that good. If you don't like your army then you would not pay hundreds of dollars building it. If these guys are your friends then they need to step back and realize games are for fun! That is why I love playing where I play because the guys there will help you get better even if they lose a few. It just drives them to build a better list or look at their tactics. PLUS we have fun! So rock on with your Space Marines! :D

[Old_Paladin]

Your definately not wrong for playing what you want.
It's just unfortunate that you happen to have liked an army that does get a lot of hate.

People will say its a noob army. It can be both powerful and forgiving, and thus can have a lower learning curve (unlike an army that can require a lot of skill, like Tau or Eldar).
People will also hate that it's a 'poster boy' army, or gets updated more frequently then theirs.

But those are their problems, not yours.
You picked an army that will be fun for you in a hobby, so go for it.

[apahllo]

well you see my friend, whats wrong is that you think they have validity in what they are saying.

just remember; http://crihs.tumblr.com/post/5396091803

[Morgan Darkstar]

print this poster out "bigger is better"

If they ever say something about you playing space marines take it out, point at it while remaining silent. Repeat as needed

:D :D :D

[fuzzbuket]

because they are viewed as a noob army.

the reality is that winning with them isnt as easy as say....... spending £300 on a IG parking lot
response that you should give:

i like SM because they are aesthetically pleasing and a challenging army, also because they are enjoyable to paint.

if your opponent is fielding spesh wovles, imperial-cheese-guard or dark- elfdars reply with:

no you are a sor loser and a dick so stop printing off netlists and learn to play*

-fuzz

* p.s. you may want to rephrase this :L

[Anggul]

Yeah, pretty much what everyone else has said.

I've never played an Imperial army in my life, I'm most definitely a xenos man, but that doesn't mean I dislike Spehss Mahreens and I certainly wouldn't berate someone for playing them.

It's good to have a taste of different armies, but they can hardly expect that of you if you haven't been playing for long, I'm sure in your own time you'll pick up new armies along the way! Hell, for years and years all I ever had was Tyranids.

The little son (probably about 11 at the time) of a couple of friends saw me working away on my models and decided he wanted to start. As reasonably expected, he started off with Black Reach, using the marines from that to start an army. He was talking to me about it and we were looking on the GW website at various models that he liked the look of, and he said something along the lines of: "Well I'm going to get more for my marines first so that I can get used to it, then I think I'll start Tau later."
*Sniff* So proud.
He picked up most of the rules quicker than I did. At 11.

[doom-kitten]

I felt this needed to be said, who hasn't whined about marines? Seriously? All the people here telling you to keep it up and stay on the battle boy boat are correct however they have likely at some point said "Darn those Marines" with a fancy fist shake, if you wanna play the boys in armour go for it. But on the same hand I'm not gonna lie going into a game club and seeing marine vs marine on every table is wrong, soooo very wrong. This doesn't matter if it's Chaos marines, Vanilla Marines etc, Marines are Marines.
I love playing against Marine armies because well they're fun, theres and answer to everything for marines and this leads to some pretty awesome army themes and variety that no other army can produce.

I personally love the marines the whole concept and imagery, and good luck on future games with them, oh on the off chance we ever play :D I'd love to give the your little boys a butt kicking with me bolter *****es.

[MarneusCalgar]

Well, your case only has two answers:

a) Kill em all... on the table... Just crush their armies and make them bore and sod off...

b) Stop playing with them. Marines will always be the TOP army of the game, so the whines are stupid

[Corvus-Master-of-The-4th]

One thing I would say is that, there are haters (who have undetermined reasons for saying what they say) and there is army banter, army banter is fun :D (hating not so much), hope you have many fun years of smashing Xeno's, Heretics and Daemons with your Marines :')

[LordGrise]

Okies, I have to add this, if only to defend my fave (and only) army...

I love playing OpFor to a bunch of Space Marines ::grin:: Pulse rifles and sniper drones were invented, I swear, for the Space Marines.

[Hive Mind]

Disagree with the part about Ultramarines being Mary Sues, only because it's artificially narrow; all armies are Mary Sues to some degree.

I'm not a great fan of the massive proliferation of Marine armies frankly but I'd rather have another 40k player playing Marines than not have a 40k player at all.

[Lord Azaghul]

SM do look cool, I bought a SM army just because they have drop pods... unfortunately I use the Blue 'dex...so they don't win alot (no razor spam for me, no reasonable point cost, no FPN, no OPness). If you can win will 'nilla marines you're going something right!

But my first and foremost army is still the imperial guard.

[CrimsonKnight]

Mostly adding to what has already been said, just reiterating the important points.

1. Welcome to the game! Now prepare to spend every spare cent you have on plastic army men (and women)!
2. Your friends are mad probably because they have "insert phallic name of preference here" envy
3. Marines are the most popular army because a. GW pushes them b. There are SOOO many different ways to do them and c. they are great for beginning players because they give a bit of a learning curve.
4. Play what you like. I'm a 40k Fanatic (literally back in the days when they were still around :eek:). I have 2k of almost every playable 40k army. Unfortunately, most still in shrink wrap. However, just by my nic, you can tell that I love the idea of elite, slightly socially elevated, armoured bad arses fighting for a cause. If the name doesn't give it away, look closer at my pic.
5. If they keep ragging you, find another group. AFTER, you've face stomped all of their armies into the dust mind you!
6. Again, welcome to the hobby and good luck in the future! Don't worry about the marine bashing, everyone does it at some point or another.

Also, I agree with Eldargal, give Xenos a try. It's fun (for me anyway) to have to use decidedly different tactics than what I'm used to with my CSM and SM lists. My best friend and routine 40k opponent has 'Nids. We each create a list, play with our own armies, then switch to play with the other army (kinda like playing best of 3 in chess where your 1st game is white, second is black, third is white). We've had a lot of fun doing this and he's starting to get pretty good with Marines. Finally had to play a 3rd game to see who actually won. (I won with my list, he beat me with my list, we roll a d6 to see which list we're playing with for the 3rd game - I ended up with his list again and wiped the table clean of power armour :D).

Enjoy!

[Drunkencorgimaster]

Complaining about Space Marines? Really??? They are like the fluff backbone of the 40k universe. That would be like complaining about using knights in fantasy, French line infantry in a Napoleonics game, Germans in WWII, Romans in Ancient, water in naval games, etc, etc. I get people who have it out for Necrons or Gray Knights or Dark Eldar for one petty reason or another... but Space Marines???