A relatively new 40k player's initial thoughts.

[planet psyrum]

These are some of my initial thoughts of your hobby, and soon to be mine.

1. This crap is expensive.

2. Wait, not that expensive if you count modeling and painting as fun. Add that to the hours of actual gaming and meeting people. I would put it at a bargain.

3. GW amazes me. The models look awesome. I was putting together an annihilation barge together, and was amazed at not only the detail, but how they thought to put it together.

4. You guys have an awesome online presence. Websites, youtube, forums, and podcasts. I am very pleases with the amount of content that is available to me from a place like bols, and all the other sites i found through them.

5. I'm running the gamet of bols battle reports. I'm at like 70 something. I can't watch anymore SM vs SM battles. Also, if bigred or goatboy are not narrating the video, my enjoyment level goes down a couple pegs. No offense.

6. People love to whine and put down this hobby a lot on the forums. From competitiveness, to what units are good, to rumours and finecast. It gets to the point that I just feel sorry for some people that cant enjoy this hobby anymore, or forgot why they liked it in the first place.

7. My local gaming group is well organized. However, there seems to be clicks among the gamers, like highschool.

8. There seems to be this game called warmachine/hordes. I'll just ignore it.

9. I cant stop thinking about my next purchase/project. The glue is not even dry on my ghost ark, and I am thinking about what chapter of space marines I want to start.

10. Im having a tough time getting the girlfriend to understand that I would rather flock some bases and play with "little dudes" as she calls them, than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.

[TheCoolGuy12]

10. Im having a tough time getting the girlfriend to understand that I would rather flock some bases and play with "little dudes" as she calls them, than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.

A few years ago I had a girl over to the house to watch a movie. She found my Orks lined up to be painted and asked about them. After my explanation she had a horribly confused look on her face and said "So its like Pokemon for big boys?"

Now we are married and she is quite proud of the models she paints.

[woodenronin]

My girlfrind hates when I talk about snorehammer. She says it makes her sleepy,from boredom.

[Tyr]

Id have to agree with all of those points. Also, kudos for choosing necrons. ;)

[KJD]

Welcome to the hobby

[LordMcSpank]

Congrats on your choice to start the hobby. My wife also chooses to make fun of my "little men" as she calls them, but she is a dork herself and can appreciate the hobby.

However, don't be so quick to blow off Warmahordes and other gaming systems. You'll eventually get tired of the standard "I go, you go" format of all of the GW games and want to branch out. I've been a loyal GW fan since the early 90's, yet I also play (or have played in the past) Warmachine, Flames of War, Dystopian Wars, etc.

[Martino]

First of all, welcome.

The price is the main downer for most gamers. Then probably unclear rules brought about by differing codices and rule books.

Sounds like you chose Necrons so you have good models, rules, movement, hth, firepower, etc. Check out the forgeworld scarabs if you use them.

Also, play in national events. They are far and away the best part of out game. Good luck and remember to have fun at all times. Some people forget this is a game with plastic army men.

[Forrix]

Welcome to the hobby and i agree there seems to be lots of negativity about the hobby and it really is to bad people cant appreciate all the good time they spend on it.

[Emerald Rose Widow]

A few years ago I had a girl over to the house to watch a movie. She found my Orks lined up to be painted and asked about them. After my explanation she had a horribly confused look on her face and said "So its like Pokemon for big boys?"

Now we are married and she is quite proud of the models she paints.

I love the wording, pokemon for big boys....and girls as well, hehe. Your wife sounds pretty rockin.





6. People love to whine and put down this hobby a lot on the forums. From competitiveness, to what units are good, to rumours and finecast. It gets to the point that I just feel sorry for some people that cant enjoy this hobby anymore, or forgot why they liked it in the first place.



people will whine about anything, and I admit I do from time to time, but I always greet new things with excitement and an open-mind. I only started playing a year ago myself, and that I have gotten to this point, with my money issues, and still now have 1500 unupgraded points of nids makes me a very proud little girlie.

[scadugenga]

These are some of my initial thoughts of your hobby, and soon to be mine.

1. This crap is expensive.

2. Wait, not that expensive if you count modeling and painting as fun. Add that to the hours of actual gaming and meeting people. I would put it at a bargain.

3. GW amazes me. The models look awesome. I was putting together an annihilation barge together, and was amazed at not only the detail, but how they thought to put it together.

4. You guys have an awesome online presence. Websites, youtube, forums, and podcasts. I am very pleases with the amount of content that is available to me from a place like bols, and all the other sites i found through them.

5. I'm running the gamet of bols battle reports. I'm at like 70 something. I can't watch anymore SM vs SM battles. Also, if bigred or goatboy are not narrating the video, my enjoyment level goes down a couple pegs. No offense.

6. People love to whine and put down this hobby a lot on the forums. From competitiveness, to what units are good, to rumours and finecast. It gets to the point that I just feel sorry for some people that cant enjoy this hobby anymore, or forgot why they liked it in the first place.

7. My local gaming group is well organized. However, there seems to be clicks among the gamers, like highschool.

8. There seems to be this game called warmachine/hordes. I'll just ignore it.

9. I cant stop thinking about my next purchase/project. The glue is not even dry on my ghost ark, and I am thinking about what chapter of space marines I want to start.

10. Im having a tough time getting the girlfriend to understand that I would rather flock some bases and play with "little dudes" as she calls them, than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.


1st, welcome to the forums. Welcome to 40k and BoLS.

Now...

1). Yes. It is. There's normal inflation, and then there's GW inflation. The latter far outpaces the former.

2). Not everyone counts modeling and painting as "fun." Not everyone remembers that.

3). GW does make some of the best minis out there. Though I have to say after trying Infinity, I am blown away by the quality of their sculpts--in metal, no less.

4). Agree 100%.

5). He narration does get better, and don't discount Crazy Red Praetorian...he does a hellova job narrating as well.

6). Don't make the mistake of equating the miniature war gaming hobby as solely GW product. Also, a newbie making judgemental comments about veterans and their associated frustrations/experiences is kinda like watching a toddler try to make an omelette. It's messy, chaotic, and will not end well. *

7). Cliques are in every strata of society. Not just high school. You just have (hopefully) less drama re: the cliques when puberty and hormonal changes are out of the equation.

8). There are two wonderful games called Warmachine and Hordes. In fact there are several wonderful games out there that are as good, if not better than 40k. Being judgemental this early into you gaming experience--well, reference omelette making & toddlers above.

9). Well, you are truly bitten by the bug, then. Though it's mildly amusing you bash the number of SM vs SM bat reps a few posts up, and the talk about starting a SM army.

10). Welcome to the age old problem facing gamers. If she tolerates you playing, be happy. If she also gets involved, be ecstatic. If she dumps you, well, that is all too often the norm. :)

I hope you have a lot of fun in your gaming experience.

Just remember that the hobby is gaming and not just 40k, don't be a "Hobby Stalin", and you'll go a long way with that mindset.


*in similar fashion, I was teaching a fencing class once, when this guy says to me, having never held a sword, (fencing blade or otherwise) in his life: "You're doing it wrong." things didn't end well for him either...

[planet psyrum]

Thanks for welcoming me to your hobby.

Just to clarify something. My warmachine/hordes statement was more in reference to how many miniatures games can i be interested at once. I have like 2000 points of unpainted 40k and fantasy figures. If I add another system, the hill to climb to paint everything at an increasingly higher standard might be a tad overwhelming. Not intended to be a shot at warmachine/hordes.

I want to go to a national tournament. Where can i find a list of tournaments and locations?

Scadugenga: on your point about space marines. How could I not want to start a space marin chapter? The back story is amazing, the idea of a few men in massive armor fighting outnumbered across the universe is sweet. Plus all the chapters having their own primarch and Backstory. Its great. With that in mind. After watching 20+ battle reports of SM vs SM, i just want something fresh, like dark eldar vs. Eldar, or DE vs DE. I see that bold have new bat reps with necrons in it, but I started from #1 and now I want to see it through that i watch them in order.

#11. Bartertown and eBay are amazing. Yet I feel bad not bringing business to my local gaming store. It's not that my stores prices are crazy, its that if i add in the 9% sales tax to the order, 2nd hand marketplace savings is that much more. I do want to support my game center still, so I have decided to buy all paint, primer, glue, flock, tools, and any other modeling need from them

[Chris*ta]

8. There seems to be this game called warmachine/hordes. I'll just ignore it.


Best thing for them, say I.

(flamebait in 3, 2, 1 ... now.)

[scadugenga]

Best thing for them, say I.

(flamebait in 3, 2, 1 ... now.)

Poor trolling. No biscuit for you!


@Planetpsyrum:

Nothing wrong with wanting to play Space Marines. Just seemed a bit odd when you weren't happy with the number of SM batreps is all. There are many people who never play SM. I went 20 years before deciding to try out the SM army. And then went right back to my Eldar. :)

And goodonya for supporting your LGS. Sometimes it's worth more than saving a few bucks.

As for a list of national tournaments--checking out BOLS is a good start. And I think the major tournaments are also covered in the monthly email from GW as well.

[ComradePenguin]

Welcome to the game, you're sure to have a good time. Here's a few suggestions from a long time gamer who is around the same age (I'm guessing).

1. You will eventually get burnt out and want to take a break. If you find yourself getting tired of the same army, resist the impulse to sell it and just set it aside. You'll be happy you did when the new hotness is released for that army.

2. Don't go overboard. You'll find yourself getting burnt out much quicker and probably piss off your girlfriend. After a few pissed ex's, I've seem to stuck the right balance. I paint/model units on weeknights when I'm watching tv, and play saturday afternoons. That leaves most weekend nights to take the girlfriend to dinner or a bar.

3. Don't be surprised if you get your butt handed to you while playing space marines. Most players gear their "all comers" lists to face SMs, so they are very experienced at taking them apart.

4. Resist the urge to take the supper powerful net lists. No one wants to play a casual game against a mech guard spam list or purifier spam. These are fine in tourneys but you'll find your number of willing opponents shrink if you play extremely cut throat all of the time.

[planet psyrum]

Thanks comradepenguin. I will take your advice into consideration. On your #4 point, i haven't looked at netlists yet. I want to feel my way through my army through trial and error. I haven't actually played 40k yet, i juat played fantasy twice. But it was funny, I brought my wood elves to play this guy, and other gamers who saw my army list, were telling me all the mistakes I was making. Too few dryads, put them in bigger units, you hlade guard unit is too big and so on. They were also shocked when i told them i had no Wargear on my hero level character. I ended up tableling my opponent. It was sweet revenge because the week before his daemon army tables me

12. Insta cure + is a way better glue than citadel plastic glue. Infact I tried reaper paints out, and I like the paint equally but the dropers are way better. So I'm beginning to think GW products might not be the best.

[DarkLink]

than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.

There's your explanation right there. "I'm a guy*, ergo I would rather hang out with ugly smelly fat dudes than watch glee".


*unless you're not, in which case you'll need another explanation.

[Chris*ta]

Best thing for them, say I.

(flamebait in 3, 2, 1 ... now.)

Poor trolling. No biscuit for you!

Not trolling, exactly ... ok, exactly trolling, but I owned up to it at least.

My point is, the OP will have his hands full with only one game if he's starting out.

Personally though, I don't like Warmahordes, partly for the game mechanics, partly cause the setting is more limited, (and I feel that limits e.g. options for paint schemes for you to paint your army) and because the miniatures just look really mediocre to me. Just my opinion, though.

Core point is that the OP is best limiting himself to just one game, at least when he's starting out.

[ElectricPaladin]

In my opinion, you can't play too many games. Remember that every game you play is probably at least a half dozen more people in your area you can have fun with, an extra night or two a week you can go to the game store to have fun, and a new modeling and painting experience for honing your skills. I play Warhammer 40k, Warhammer Fantasy, Warmachine, Hordes, and this newfangled hard sci-fi game called Infinity. Every game has a distinctive look, feel, and playstyle. They're all fun. I don't need to put down games I don't play, and I don't need to quit one game just to start another - I can play them all.

I guess it does make budgeting a little more complicated.

But, really, 40k is not the only game in town. It's not even the best game in town, and it's certainly not a game for all seasons. You want to play an epic battle between heroes? Warmahordes makes fielding totally badass single models a lot more rewarding. You want to play intense urban combat between small "special forces" style units? You'd probably enjoy Infinity. That doesn't make 40k bad, but pretending that it can be all things to all people at all times is just self-delusion. It's a good game, not the best game, or the only game.

I've found that this happens a lot with the flagship product of a given hobby. D&D gets a lot of attention, and some of its players seem to act like it's the only roleplaying game in the world. That's just not true, and it isn't true for 40k, either.

I'm not saying that Warmahordes - or any other game - is right for you. Maybe 40k is really the only game that will ever cut your personal mustard. But dismissing other games because they're not 40k - especially when you're so new to this hobby - is really just cutting yourself off from a lot of potential fun. Start where you want to start, but don't pretend the rest of the wargaming world doesn't exist and isn't fun.

[planet psyrum]

13. The point of no return, unless you have magnets. Yep it happened, last night my annihilation barge project came to a screeching halt last night when I had to decide between the gauss cannon or tesla cannon. Couldn't do it, couldn't make a decision. Do I go with the higher strength or the lower ap. Well if I'm playing SM, I want the gauss, but wait what if they are in cover, in that case I would want tesla. Ok, what about vehicles. Tesla can penetrate transports, but dammit they get modifers on damage rolls. Ok, ill look on line. Dammit people are mixed all over the place. Wait, magnets. To ebay I go. Ok what size, how many? Has it really been two hours? Ok, gauss wins because it looks cooler. So, the point of no return sucks. I will be prepared when I am starting a SM chapter down the road.

[Defenestratus]

10. Im having a tough time getting the girlfriend to understand that I would rather flock some bases and play with "little dudes" as she calls them, than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.

I didn't tell my wife that I enjoyed this hobby until we were married.

Dated 7 years then we come back from the honeymoon and I start getting the old models out of storage to find the wife peering over my shoulder asking ... "oh are those your little nephew's toys?"

Haha - she got a real kick out of knowing how much money I'd wasted on this stuff over the years :P

[ComradePenguin]

I didn't tell my wife that I enjoyed this hobby until we were married.

Dated 7 years then we come back from the honeymoon and I start getting the old models out of storage to find the wife peering over my shoulder asking ... "oh are those your little nephew's toys?"

Haha - she got a real kick out of knowing how much money I'd wasted on this stuff over the years :P

That's hilarious! Did you not play for 7 years or were you a master of sneaking out for secret Sunday afternoon games?

[Admiral Kenaris]

10. Im having a tough time getting the girlfriend to understand that I would rather flock some bases and play with "little dudes" as she calls them, than go to a bar or watch the first season of glee again.[/QUOTE]

It's amazing how many wife/girlfriends/significant others would rather their man be into substance abuse and strippers than "nerd" stuff. They seem to be shamed by it.

[Rissan4ever]

It's amazing how many wife/girlfriends/significant others would rather their man be into substance abuse and strippers than "nerd" stuff. They seem to be shamed by it.
Yeah, it make me sad. But, frankly, if your SO can't handle your nerdy hobby, they probably shouldn't be your SO. If you really love someone, you take an interest in the things they're interested in. That's one of the best ways to get to know them better and achieve a deeper level of intimacy.

Take my wife and I for example. Wargaming holds no appeal for her whatsoever, but she knows what most of my models are called, she buys me new models for Christmas and my birthday, she compliments my painting, and she even listens when I goob about tactics. She does this because she loves me and wants to show that what I care about matters to her.

Similarly, she's really into home organization and making photobooks on Flickr and Shutterfly. I couldn't care less about either of those. But, I give her my opinions about the layout of her photobooks, I help her organize and declutter the house, and I listen when she goobs about her new filing system. I do this because I love her, and I show that by caring about what matters to her.

Love is about giving a damn what the person you love is interested in, even if you wouldn't care about it on your own.

[ElectricPaladin]

My wife doesn't play, but she loves that I play. She likes how much happier I am, she likes that I have an art project - and really enjoys both the finished product and marveling at my competence during the process - and she really, really likes that it gets me out of the house and out of her hair from time to time. She's taken to intentionally bating people she knows (at work, on web forums, etc.) who try to sympathize with her "wargame widowhood" and then turn around and tell them how happy she is that I've found such a fun hobby.

She also bought me a box of Sanguinary Guard for Valentine's day. She presented them and cried, shyly "for the Emperor!"

I have the best wife.

[planet psyrum]

My girlfriend doesn't disapprove of the hobby, she just doesnt understand why it has taken such a hold over me. We will be out at a party or something, and ill have a epiphany and start doing some mathhammer. Or we will be watching glee, and I will look up lexicanum to check about a primarch's background. So i think it is more me than her, I'm just kinda obsessed with it right now, and it is so new, that she is wondering where it is coming from.

With that said she does enjoy the local hobby store and gives me ideas on how to improve my basing. We were at a larger not specifically a warhammer hobby store once, and she yelled for me across the store, "hey matt, they have your little dudes here!!" It was cute

[planet psyrum]

14. I thought you guys were a little crazy for arguing and bashing the people who are in charge of writing the codices, specifically Matt Ward. But now i get it a little bit. I bought a box of immortals, and after putting them together, i found I had 5 arms and 5 deathmark guns left over. I have about 8 warriors that are broken. So i am going to convert them into deathmarks and crypteks. Excited by this I flipped through the necron codex to the deathmark entry and there it was, black and white, exactly the over embellishment ward was getting burned for on all the forums.

"They slip sideways out of reality and monitor the ongoing conflict from a hyperspace oubliette - a pocket dimension riding the gap between then and now"

Really, really? But it gets better. He then goes on to say that they monitor all kinds of communications from this hyperspace sanctuary, they then put a halo around the Target that will track them through FIVE dimensions.

Then there is a cherry on top. The halo will last for an hour, but an hour is a laughable time for a deathmark.

Are you serious?

I don't even want to take this free extra unit now. They have all this great power, yet can only shoot 24 inches.

Now I get all of your frustration

[Defenestratus]

That's hilarious! Did you not play for 7 years or were you a master of sneaking out for secret Sunday afternoon games?

I stopped playing back in 2ed and then started up again right before 4th. There was quite a hiatus in there in which the plastic army men stayed in a storage unit.

The circumstances under which I got back into 40k are quite unfortunate (dying friend wanting to play 40k for the rest of his days) but the wife story is a funny by-product.

[Chris*ta]

She also bought me a box of Sanguinary Guard for Valentine's day. She presented them and cried, shyly "for the Emperor!"

I have the best wife.

Best. Story. Ever.

[Charistoph]

My wife doesn't play, but she loves that I play. She likes how much happier I am, she likes that I have an art project - and really enjoys both the finished product and marveling at my competence during the process - and she really, really likes that it gets me out of the house and out of her hair from time to time. She's taken to intentionally bating people she knows (at work, on web forums, etc.) who try to sympathize with her "wargame widowhood" and then turn around and tell them how happy she is that I've found such a fun hobby.

She also bought me a box of Sanguinary Guard for Valentine's day. She presented them and cried, shyly "for the Emperor!"

I have the best wife.

Pretty much the same. My wife bought me Assault on Black Reach for Christmas when we were engaged. And this last Valentine's Day she bought me Assault Marines.

The only reason she doesn't like me leaving the house now is because she doesn't want to face our daughter (and soon, our son) alone in the evenings.

And she totally prefers me going to the LGS rather than bars, strip joints (not that I ever go to them, anyway), or who knows where else. It also keeps me off the computer for a while.

And I, too, have the best wife.

[planet psyrum]

I stopped playing back in 2ed and then started up again right before 4th. There was quite a hiatus in there in which the plastic army men stayed in a storage unit.

The circumstances under which I got back into 40k are quite unfortunate (dying friend wanting to play 40k for the rest of his days) but the wife story is a funny by-product.

I feel for you about your friend. I came in the hobby the same way. My friend had luekemia for the 2nd time when he beat it and celebrated with buying necrons, which i helped paint with him. When he got sick for the 3rd time he wanted to play fantasy in his last days. It actually helped a lot. We had a large group of close friends hanging out waiting for the inevitable. Warhammer got ten early twenty year olds to take their minds off everything for awhile and work together, cutting glueing painting. It was fun. He ended up winning his only game. Both the necrons and wood elves came to me. So it is nice to share a hobby with a bf that passed away.

[Kasil]

8. There seems to be this game called warmachine/hordes. I'll just ignore it

Such a great game! And unlike games workshop they interact with their player base and write good rules. I do love 40k though, just wish GW cared more.

Since you are new to the game, go read Horus Rising. I recently started reading 40k novels and I think they are great, it adds a lot to the overall experience.