40K Army Popularity - with DATA!!

[Bigred]

First of all, go here:
Academic Study of Tabletop Wargamers: The Results are in! Part 3: Wargames and Armies We Play (http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2013/07/academic-study-of-tabletop-wargamers.html)

Then look at the chart of what armies players own.

4319

4320

Interesting stuff.

Here's my question - Why is the delta as a ratio between the most popular and least popular army in 40K more than double what it in in Fantasy?

40K: Most popular: Space marines: 1075
40K: Least popular: Sisters of Battle: 293

WFB: Most popular: Warriors of Chaos: 306
WFB: Least popular: Tomb Kings: 149

[DarkLink]

My question is, what armies do the people who responded 'other' play? "Oh, I play [X], you've probably never heard of them. It's a homebrew, none of that commercialized power creep the mainstream codices try to shove down our throats."

[Idaho11]

My question is, what armies do the people who responded 'other' play? "Oh, I play [X], you've probably never heard of them. It's a homebrew, none of that commercialized power creep the mainstream codices try to shove down our throats."

I'm guessing Dark Angels/Black Templars since they're not otherwise on the list (unless people lumped them in with Marines, but then it's hard to explain the Blood Angels). Though I'm surprised the number for that is so low because of DV, unless people saw that DA/BT weren't on the list and answered Space Marines.

[deinol]

Don't forget those Squat players!

Actually, up until recently I would have answered Other with my Harlequin army. I stopped playing when I stopped being a stand alone army. When I started, we could get Land Raiders!

[Wolfshade]

I think that 40k is more black and white than fantasy.
40k has good guys and it has bad guys. Whereas fantasy it isn't quite so clear cut.
A lot of 40k players are fairly young and the idea of playing the hereo is a good thing.

Space marines are the poster boys, they are the first army everyone learns to play (well not everyone but a lot of people) they have always been in the box, whereas the fantasy box have had many different combos.

It reminds me of a conversation I had at the weekend. One of my friends asked when I was going to visit as no one plays space marines in his gamer group (25-35 aged group), one of our friends was quick with the repartee, that there are plenty of marine players, they are just all eight...

[GrauGeist]

My question is, what armies do the people who responded 'other' play?

Other likely represents GW official armies that have since been cancelled - Lost and the Damned, Kroot Mercenaries, for example.

[GrauGeist]

Here's my question - Why is the delta as a ratio between the most popular and least popular army in 40K more than double what it in in Fantasy?

40K: Most popular: Space marines: 1075
40K: Least popular: Sisters of Battle: 293

WFB: Most popular: Warriors of Chaos: 306
WFB: Least popular: Tomb Kings: 149

The key note out is that there were 2,321 total "valid" respondents, and that only about 40% of them play Fantasy at all, whereas 75% play 40k. Given that Space Marines have been in every single starter from 2nd Ed to date, and that Space Marines are actually represented as several flavors in the poll, it's likely that at least 95% of the 40k players play at least 1 flavor of (Chaos) Space Marines.

Guard and CSM each capturing more than half of the 40k player base is more interesting.

[Gir]

In this data set, Warhammer 40K players each have 4.6 armies, while Fantasy players collect 3.7. Almost an entire extra army for 40k players.

[daboarder]

less work required per army?

In terms of number of miniatures required.

[DarkLink]

Also, does Fantasy have the equivalent of the AOBR style kits that make it super easy and cheap to pick up SMs?


I'm guessing Dark Angels/Black Templars since they're not otherwise on the list (unless people lumped them in with Marines, but then it's hard to explain the Blood Angels). Though I'm surprised the number for that is so low because of DV, unless people saw that DA/BT weren't on the list and answered Space Marines.

That makes sense. No one plays Black Templar.


Other likely represents GW official armies that have since been cancelled - Lost and the Damned, Kroot Mercenaries, for example.

And that wouldn't fall under the purview of my hipster quote;)?

[GrauGeist]

hipster quote? I have no idea.

I do know that my Warhammer Dogs of War are no longer supported by GW, and neither are my Sisters of Battle.

[eldargal]

It is worth remembering that WFB is less popular in the US than it is in Europe, so these figures shouldn't applied to a hobby wide thing when as the study says it deals with American wargamers.

[Psychosplodge]

And don't forget things like SOB are an all metal army, which will surely affect take up, even when they were originally released back in second...

[Charistoph]

Here's my question - Why is the delta as a ratio between the most popular and least popular army in 40K more than double what it in in Fantasy?

40K: Most popular: Space marines: 1075
40K: Least popular: Sisters of Battle: 293

WFB: Most popular: Warriors of Chaos: 306
WFB: Least popular: Tomb Kings: 149

Probably because of:

And don't forget things like SOB are an all metal army, which will surely affect take up, even when they were originally released back in second...

There's not a single FB army (aside from the Dogs) that are all metal. Sisters are the only who are.



That makes sense. No one plays Black Templar.

Sure they do, just not around faithless doubters like you. ;)

[deinol]

And don't forget things like SOB are an all metal army, which will surely affect take up, even when they were originally released back in second...

Back when they were released most armies were metal. Nobody joining the hobby in the last ~5 years will join sisters because they haven't had a codex in forever. No support = no customers

[Sly]

Sisters should really be excluded from any data comparisons. Due to being an all-metal army, and having a Codex that is, at best, half the size of printed Codices, they're not a full army and shouldn't be treated as a full army in comparisons.

[GrauGeist]

And don't forget things like SOB are an all metal army, which will surely affect take up, even when they were originally released back in second...

It all depends on when you got in. If you started back in 2E, then Sisters being metal is no different from Eldar being metal and Guard being metal. If you had good Ferrari-buying income back in 2E & 3E, then you might have a few hundred metal Guardsmen, Stormies, Sisters & Inquisitorial troops. You might also have hundreds of metal Eldar Aspects, walkers and Wraith-things. Along with hundreds of metal models for Dogs of War. From such a perspective, all-metal armies are par for the course.

[DarkLink]

Except for the past five or ten years, where most armies were mainly plastic, and nowadays everything is plastic or finecast. Doesn't leave a whole lot of reason to pick up Sisters until they get plastic models.

[eldargal]

Sisters should really be excluded from any data comparisons. Due to being an all-metal army, and having a Codex that is, at best, half the size of printed Codices, they're not a full army and shouldn't be treated as a full army in comparisons.

I disagree, they are still an army which can be fielded and have a place in such a survey. Just so long as people understand the reasons why SoB would be less popular than others there is no issue. The survey is into wargaming in the US afterall not an attempt at gauging optimum support for armies.

[GrauGeist]

Except for the past five or ten years, where most armies were mainly plastic, and nowadays everything is plastic or finecast. Doesn't leave a whole lot of reason to pick up Sisters until they get plastic models.

Sisters are still metal, not FailCrap. That's a huge incentive right there.

[DarkLink]

Metal is horrible. Even presuming that it was better than Finecast, it still doesn't live up to today's standards. If you buy a car that looks like this:

http://www.diseaseproof.com/uploads/image/OLDCAR.jpg

...and find out the AC still works, that still doesn't make it a good car.

[daboarder]

If sisters went to finecast I'd be on them like no ones business, I'd cut them to pieces and have a lovely converted army.

[Psychosplodge]

Back when they were released most armies were metal.

But you're ignoring they released the SOB in metal at the point they started the move to plastics. So everything since has had large parts of a new range done in plastic(eldar guardians? Catchans? cadians? Nids? Orks?). If we were comparing second edition armies it wouldn't matter. But we aren't.

[deinol]

But you're ignoring they released the SOB in metal at the point they started the move to plastics. So everything since has had large parts of a new range done in plastic(eldar guardians? Catchans? cadians? Nids? Orks?). If we were comparing second edition armies it wouldn't matter. But we aren't.

I've been out of the hobby a while, but I remember Sisters as a 2nd edition release. At that point eldar had a single mono pose plastic guardian kit, plus plastic vehicles. Was there some metal rerelease since then? All the sisters models I've seen look like the ones pictured in my 2nd edition codex.

From my perspective, Necron, Tau, and Dark Eldar are young whippersnappers who just joined the hobby, but Sisters are old school.

(I still have my box of 30 Space Dwarves too.)

[Kaiserdean]

But you're ignoring they released the SOB in metal at the point they started the move to plastics. So everything since has had large parts of a new range done in plastic(eldar guardians? Catchans? cadians? Nids? Orks?). If we were comparing second edition armies it wouldn't matter. But we aren't.

I agree they deserve to be counted, but I think we all realize that the niche armies are going to come in last. However, Necromunda and Mordheim got larger responses that Lord of the Rings so it's not impossible for an out-of-print army without proper model support to tally up a ranking.

Now, if they came in first on the list, we'd really have to dig into some marketing research to figure that one out but I don't think anyone is really surprised at where they fell on the list. Would they be higher if they had more models on the shelf and a proper codex? Probably.

[GrauGeist]

But you're ignoring they released the SOB in metal at the point they started the move to plastics. So everything since has had large parts of a new range done in plastic(eldar guardians? Catchans? cadians? Nids? Orks?). If we were comparing second edition armies it wouldn't matter. But we aren't.

The most interesting part of Eldar isn't the Guardians, it's every other flavor of infantry. Which up until a month ago was all metal.

[DarkLink]

I have a small Sisters army, from back when you could ally Daemonhunters and Witchhunters together. I'd love for a new, decent codex that actually has a little depth.

[GrauGeist]

I've been out of the hobby a while, but I remember Sisters as a 2nd edition release. At that point eldar had a single mono pose plastic guardian kit, plus plastic vehicles. Was there some metal rerelease since then? All the sisters models I've seen look like the ones pictured in my 2nd edition codex.

From my perspective, Necron, Tau, and Dark Eldar are young whippersnappers who just joined the hobby, but Sisters are old school.

(I still have my box of 30 Space Dwarves too.)

Codex: Sisters of Battle came out at the end of Second Ed. Along with Codex: Assassins.

Eldar had a monopose Guardian kit, eventually updated with metal shuricats. Eldar Vypers and amazingly Eldar Falcon (in plastic)!

Sisters got more models in 3rd Edition, key point being Phantom of the Opera metal Exorcist bit weighing more than the base Rhino. Also some redone slightly Sisters featuring new weapons (Storm Bolters!). And goofy helmets with ridiculously giant Fleur on the forehead. Oh, yeah, half-naked girls with giant, phallic chainswords. Gotta have those for T&A (tawdry & awfulness).

Necrons are the Space Androids from RT, so can be argued to be just as old as Sisters. Dark Eldar are Eldar Pirates, and also trace back to Rogue Trader. Tau are noobs, through and through.

[Psychosplodge]

I've been out of the hobby a while, but I remember Sisters as a 2nd edition release. At that point eldar had a single mono pose plastic guardian kit, plus plastic vehicles. Was there some metal rerelease since then? All the sisters models I've seen look like the ones pictured in my 2nd edition codex.

From my perspective, Necron, Tau, and Dark Eldar are young whippersnappers who just joined the hobby, but Sisters are old school.

(I still have my box of 30 Space Dwarves too.)

I bought SOB as a second release :D Never got any squats though they were still available in the shops just about when I started...
The monopose guardians disappeared years ago in third didn't they?


The most interesting part of Eldar isn't the Guardians, it's every other flavor of infantry. Which up until a month ago was all metal. Don't eldar players fill their ranks with wraithlords, tanks and jetbikes? :D

[hawkdiver]

I just don't seewhy space marines are so popular...

[Psychosplodge]

Because they always come in the starter box, and there's generally as many various marine boxes in the shop to buy as everything else combined.

[Poseidal]

Codex: Sisters of Battle came out at the end of Second Ed. Along with Codex: Assassins.

Eldar had a monopose Guardian kit, eventually updated with metal shuricats. Eldar Vypers and amazingly Eldar Falcon (in plastic)!

Sisters got more models in 3rd Edition, key point being Phantom of the Opera metal Exorcist bit weighing more than the base Rhino. Also some redone slightly Sisters featuring new weapons (Storm Bolters!). And goofy helmets with ridiculously giant Fleur on the forehead. Oh, yeah, half-naked girls with giant, phallic chainswords. Gotta have those for T&A (tawdry & awfulness).

Necrons are the Space Androids from RT, so can be argued to be just as old as Sisters. Dark Eldar are Eldar Pirates, and also trace back to Rogue Trader. Tau are noobs, through and through.

Eldar also had the standard Jetbike (same we have today) in plastic, which is older than the Vyper.