An Army Addicition, why isn't one enough?

[Dastrike]

I've been in and out of the gaming world for the past twenty years (yes I started when I was young), and usually before I get out I just sell off my armies usually to allow me to kick start another one but now like tattoos armies have turned into a addiction.

After returning back I kicked off the Blood Angels, established a 2,000 pt list and ran with it but like anything you want to change things up so you tack on, but you develop another itch for something new.

After reading the BOLS Down and Dirty Legion post I decided why not make a Emperor's Children list, and behold the Legion books are coming so now I am excited for that. Only thing is yes they are sexy but I love my speed so I dropped over into ...

The Dark Eldar, I go quick and I blow up just as fast but hey it is all in good fun. For now that is the end of my army addiction, even though those IG tanks are looking mighty sexy over there.

Just curious what drives you to kick off another army once you have one; is it flavour of the month or another reason, just curious on what drives us.

-Cheers!

[Kawauso]

For me, I just love most of the fluff and/or aesthetics for most of the armies in the game, and at some point or another I'm unable to resist their siren call. Sometimes the gameplay provides a lure, too.

And I love converting/painting models. So there's that, too. My biggest problem here though is that my rate of model acquisition tends to outpace my speed with the brush. But I'm getting better at this! Sort of...

I've never sold off any of my armies, though, so I have quite a few boxes stuffed with models lying around...

My first army was Necrons - really, some friends and I were just getting into 40k, and I wanted an army that was different from everyone else's. And I liked the whole soulless robot legion thing.

After a while though, I felt the itch for something else. Space Marines are really awesome...there's just something about Astartes that I like. So I started a Space Wolf army. I thought I was almost done with this army...and then the new SW codex came out (yeah, I was using the PDF + SM codex combo for a while). So I wound up expanding on my Fenrisian force quite a bit...I've now got a full company. And not some codex (Astartes)-standard one, either. It's probably over 150 models on-foot and very nearly a full motor pool to go along with them.

As you can imagine, while collecting SW I managed to gather a lot of generic Marine bitz. This was around the time I started really grasping the lore of the 40k universe a lot better, and I was hankering to create some of my own. Space Wolves are awesome, and they're technically a great company of my own devising, but I wanted my own personal chapter. So I started a vanilla SM army, as well.

Later on, I'd always liked the look of Tau, but when my friends and I started in on 40k one of them had wanted that army, too, so Necrons had actually been my second choice. Eventually I decided to pick up the battleforce (Tau still have one of the better ones, I think), and build up a small 1500-ish point army. I haven't painted much of these guys, unfortunately. I imagine when a new book comes out for them that'll change, though.

I never liked Chaos much, what with the weird mutation and all...so of course I developed an affinity for the Thousand Sons. The fact that they're all wizards and automatons -and- they have an ancient rivalry with the Space Wolves was just icing on the cake. And to top it all off they have a wicked Egyptian style going on. I have 4 units of 1K Sons right now, but that's about all for this army...I'm really waiting on a new book to make building an army around them more viable. Over the past couple years though I have been accruing a -lot- of wicked bitz, so when an update for this army does come, mine will hopefully look kickass. :)

At some point or another I also decided to pick up IG and 'Nids. I wanted a huge foot force for IG, supported by some armour (not to be confused with an armoured company), air support and artillery...like the sort you see in the background so often. So that's what I went for. I discovered that I really love playing horde-style armies, and I like the army a bunch - there are just so many damn models to paint! That didn't deter me from starting Tyranids, though - with the caveat that I don't have any physical Tyranid guns in my force. I just don't like the weird aesthetic their ranged weapons have...so none of those. The only range in my 2-3k 'Nid force comes from Zoanthropes and Trygons. They're also a hoot to play, though lately GK have made playing them a little less enjoyable, as I'm still searching for tactics that make that particular match-up feel a little more even...without resorting to phallus-guns!

I was always interested in a jumper army, because I love me some Marines with jump packs - I have 20 Skyclaws in my Space Wolf army. But the old Blood Angel codex just wasn't enough to pull me in. New book comes along and suddenly a jumper army is viable? It didn't take me long to get on that. Of course, I also came up with another custom chapter in the process, so technically the whole army is counts-as. But the army composition and play-style are what drew me here.

And finally we have Dark Eldar...I don't have a legitimate force, yet. But the models are so gorgeous and the rules are so cool that I've picked up some Warriors, Scourges an Archon, etc. I think it will be a while before I can really expand on this force, but I'll get there sooner or later. I have some pretty cool ideas stashed away for painting them.



So there you have the long-winded reasoning behind my army addiction(s). :)

I imagine sooner or later I'll probably have at least a small force for each army in the game.
The only ones that don't really grab me in any way are Orks and Daemons. Well, and Sisters - but that's just because of the whole metal army thing...We'll see if future updates to those armies can't change my mind.

[steelmage99]

Why isn't one enough??


Because playing ALL the armies makes you look forwards to every new codex and any given army never gets stale.
I too have played for almost 20 years, but have never sold off an army. They just go back in the closet when I am bored, and I "start" playing one of the other armies (not necessarily the latest released, mind).

[lattd]

I started with ultramarines in 1997 and now have nearly a complete company of them with most hq choices.
I then moved onto guard but never really got into them still have them lying around for bits and pieces.
I then picked up a space wolves army after choosing them over chaos, they are a pretty small force but still 2500 points, i got these as i loved the fluff and wolves are one of my favourite animals. Me and my brother also got a squad of grey knights at this time as well.
Then me and my brother went in with tau as we liked the design, these are now 2500 points worth.
Finally last year i got an eldar army as the models were so beautiful.
This year i added to the Grey Knight force although none of the models are made as i still have eldar to paint despite having 2500 points already done.

[MaltonNecromancer]

Well, speaking only as a layman (and biologists here feel free to correct my terms)...

Because humans have an evolved mechanism in their brain that rewards hunting in any form, and because we don't hunt animals any more, this evolutionary response has been co-opted by things like materialism and shopping ("hunting" for bargains is exactly that).

Because every time you look at images of models you like, it taps into that hunter-gatherer response, and causes your brain to release delicious serotonin and dopamin straight into your nervous system (both of which are addictive, as well as the primary chemicals associated with emotions like love) thus giving you what can only be described as a literal natural high.

Because said high is chemically addictive in the same way as certain drgs (though nowhere near the same levels of potency), but by repeatedly exposing your brain to said images develops a neural pathway, so where once you were happy and had miniatures, this new pathway through the gristle of your nervous system means the relationship flips, and your brain comes to unconsciously associate miniatures with happiness like one of Pavlov's dogs.

Because it's the same reaction experienced by football fans seeing their favourite teams, certain cliched women obsessing over shoes, lovers seeing each other for the first time in ages.

We're all little chemical engines, driven by a desperate need for that next high. It doesn't matter what it is that gets us off: people, pets, toys, sports... We still spend our lives fantasising about the next hit, those fantasies themselves releasing yet more drips of wonderful chemical fun (because if we don't have that, well... what's the point, eh? A life without happiness is not a life; it's mental disorder called clinical depression, and speaking as a man who has suffered through it and experienced several years of life without the ability to feel happy, I wouldn't recommend it. It might make some people feel like a special little snowflake, but really, there are better ways to be unique. Like, I don't know, anything else.)

[Mr.Pickelz]

For me, it's the aesthetics of the army that call to me, I started with Space wolves "way-back-when"(or tr least it feels like it), due to their Norse and viking like character, then i went on to doing a Green Tide army of Orks, because of the cool new(was at the time) Apoc datasheet, called the Green Tide! I was introduced into GK's by a friend who played them, and was building the 101 Terminator force that fought in the First Battle of Armageddon, He then loaned me his GK Omnibus and i was immediately in love with them.I started Harliequins because i like the Zany Clowns in space motif, as well as their models.My IG force i started collecting is basied on an artillery company with mortars, basilisks, and so forth. So at the end of everything, it's all in how the army looks and acts, within relation to the fluff. I wouldn't call it an addiction or anything...

[Dvastator]

I agree. One just isn't enough.

I have been playing for almost 22 years myself and started with Space Marines because the shop that I got my minis from didn't have a lot of IG. I couldn't paint for squat at that time. I think I do a touch bewtter at it now!

I now have Eldar(wanted to see if I could win a game with them.), Tau (I love the suits!), 3 IG companies (1 pure foot, 1 Catachan from the old codex, and 1 Infantry with tank support.), 2 Space Marine (1 Vanilla and 1 Lamenters: I finally got brave enough in my painting to actually attempt cheques.), Arbites (I have had a squad of the Old School models since Rogue Trader and decided that they needed some friends.), a small contingent of Dark Eldar (from the old Codex) , Orks (who doesn't love Orks!) and 1 Chaos Sorceror (He was a test model for the start of a Chaos Army that I never got around to.

[TSINI]

... I discovered that I really love playing horde-style armies, and I like the army a bunch - there are just so many damn models to paint! That didn't deter me from starting Tyranids, though - with the caveat that I don't have any physical Tyranid guns in my force. I just don't like the weird aesthetic their ranged weapons have...so none of those. The only range in my 2-3k 'Nid force comes from Zoanthropes and Trygons. They're also a hoot to play, though lately GK have made playing them a little less enjoyable, as I'm still searching for tactics that make that particular match-up feel a little more even...without resorting to phallus-guns!...

I had to double take to make sure it wasn't me who had posted this lol...

I started with a valhallan army way back in 3rd ed, drawn in by the humans with rifles gathered around a basilisk image that was floating about on flyers (the flyer had Tallarn desert raiders but these were out of stock at my local gw, but i prefered the valhallans so it all worked out)

I dallied with space wolves when their codex came out (the codex SM add on one, not the latest one) but due to this being a very amatuer attempt at an army i'm going to sell it to raise funds for a new army.

Then after a break from 40k playing other games like inquisitor, the codex cityfight appeared, and so i decided to get back into 40k, with a brand new shiny forgeworld filled imperial guard army, which is my pride and joy and an ongoing project with no concievable end.

I did recently make the jump to Nids when the new book emerged, it too is a non-gunned, scythey teethey claw...ey horde of gibbering gribblies, full of forgeworld goodness and painted with love, specifically with the aim of giving my guard a complete polar opposite to fight against.

due to money constraints and the fact i have a To-do list that i could wallpaper the Sistine Chapel with, my future army plans generally consist of small task force style armies, like a necron welcome team, or a space marine boarding force, or a nurgley monstrous force,

but what i would love is a renegade guard force, its another excuse to make guard!! and also gives me the opportunity to paint evil..ey

i also have a load of smaller game projects in the works, personal wargames in development, along with upcoming small company projects which i need to prepare for with miniatures and scenery...


so i guess the answer to the OP is,

Plastic crack

it just gets in your veins, and when you see a nicely sculpted figure, or a cool collection of new models, your brain just wants to get the calculator out and start adding up the costs, then turning it into easy to manage monthly payments, consolidating your habit into one money pit :D

[archimbald]

for me, its because i have a eureka moment, or i like the design aspect of the army, eg the anime-esque-ness of the tau. for my main army, CSM, it was mainly because i love the scope of it, so many armies i can play in a mix and match way. :D

i do have a small aspect only eldar force, simply cause i enjoy painting them

ive never jumped on a bandwagon, simply out of principle,

on of my armies, my cadian, was a small force simply to make my Baneblade feel less-lonely, no real reason, but then its about 1000 points max :D

[Hive Mind]

One army will never be enough for me because I'm a completist.

PS. The Sistine Chapel is a lot smaller than you might think. Also, it's incredibly gaudy and patrolled by little Hitlers who shout at you if you talk. Kind of disappointing all in all.

[Demonus]

The same reason one Wife isn't enough!

I mean...<shifty eyes>

[Emerald Rose Widow]

One is definitely not enough, one needs the variety to make it lots more fun.

For me it is mostly the modelling aspect of it, converting and painting to make really cool and stunning models. That is what drew me to the nids, and that is what is making my decision between Dark Eldar and new Necron so much more difficult, though now i am tending towards the Necron at this point in time.

regardless, when i choose an army, how they work doesn't even factor into it all, just the models themselves. if i do not like the models then i have no interest in the army, which is part of the reason i dislike pretty much all of the imperium armies, they just don't do it for me. My style of play is fairly adaptive though, so even if it is a fighting style i am not exceptionally familiar with im a fast learner and very adaptive so all that matters to me is the models.



Amusingly enough with me trending towards the new necrons, and my brother is really into the eldar, and wants to make his own army, ironically we will be archnemisie. We will have some of the most awesome battles evar.

[chromedog]

I change armies because I get tired of playing one army (or people get tired of playing against it).
I don't SELL that army just because I want to play another one (They aren't wives you have to divorce in order to fool around with some other floozy).

I just choose an army from what is available (where I like enough models to make an army) and go from there. Until I also tire of that one (or again, people tire of playing against it).

After 23 years, I now have 4 40k armies (yes, ONLY 4 - most of them didn't appeal to me). I am now in a bind. In order for me to start a new army, I have to now get rid of one that I have in order to fit it into the space available. Here is the problem, NONE of the new armies have enough models I like the look of MORE than the ones I already have, so I don't add any more.

[Jambo]

i always like to have a zenos army and a marine army just to give some variaty to my gaming :D

[eldargal]

I get around the inclination to want more armies by having little 'display armies' 500-1000pts of stuff painted for interest and aesthetics rather than FoC legality. If a new kit comes out looking pretty I can add to it. This way I keep most of my time and energy for my main armies (Eldar, Dark Eldar, Empire, High Elves, Dark Elves) and not being siphoned off into little side projects like Tomb Kings, Space Marines, Dwarfs, Lizardmen and whatnot.

As to why people want more than one army, generally I think it is the general desire for variety compounded by the fact most GW armies have a strong, vibrant aesthetic which makes them stand out.

[Dastrike]

I get around the inclination to want more armies by having little 'display armies' 500-1000pts of stuff painted for interest and aesthetics rather than FoC legality. If a new kit comes out looking pretty I can add to it. This way I keep most of my time and energy for my main armies (Eldar, Dark Eldar, Empire, High Elves, Dark Elves) and not being siphoned off into little side projects like Tomb Kings, Space Marines, Dwarfs, Lizardmen and whatnot.

As to why people want more than one army, generally I think it is the general desire for variety compounded by the fact most GW armies have a strong, vibrant aesthetic which makes them stand out.

There are a lot of one off models that I have from various armies just for the fact to paint them up for display, which in turns leads me to actually building that army sometimes because I had such a fun time painting that one model that I try a few more then next thing you know, "bam! I have another army."

A lot of the fantasy armies come into play that way for me more recently, but that is a story unto itself for a lot of the gamers; this has also taken to me into other game systems to try out a variety of things. Gaming is like freaking crack.

-Cheers!

[MajorWesJanson]

First I started SM. Actually, started with a predator because I felt like building a model and the only place nearby was a game store, not a hobby store.
Then I decided on an initial theme, and got some Grey Knights as allies. My friend started guard, so I picked up a few of them too. Then came Apocalypse. The massive bundle deals meant I ended up with a Suppression force, a Linebreaker Squadron, a Russ Squadron, a Green Tide, a Tau Battlesuit box, a Tau tank box, a Tau Megaforce and Battleforce. Also several Baneblades. Then along came Forgeworld, and the start of a titan force. Daemons showed up when they came out as an enemy for my Grey Knights, and sisters as another small allied detachment. Finally, Dark eldar got a revamp so I am slowly starting those.

GW is like Chaos. It starts subtle, then eventually it corrupts you more and more until it owns your soul.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

First I started SM. Actually, started with a predator because I felt like building a model and the only place nearby was a game store, not a hobby store.
Then I decided on an initial theme, and got some Grey Knights as allies. My friend started guard, so I picked up a few of them too. Then came Apocalypse. The massive bundle deals meant I ended up with a Suppression force, a Linebreaker Squadron, a Russ Squadron, a Green Tide, a Tau Battlesuit box, a Tau tank box, a Tau Megaforce and Battleforce. Also several Baneblades. Then along came Forgeworld, and the start of a titan force. Daemons showed up when they came out as an enemy for my Grey Knights, and sisters as another small allied detachment. Finally, Dark eldar got a revamp so I am slowly starting those.

GW is like Chaos. It starts subtle, then eventually it corrupts you more and more until it owns your soul.

No frelling kidding